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Fifteen Guinea Special
The Fifteen Guinea Special was the last main-line passenger train to be hauled by steam locomotive power on British Rail on 11 August 1968 before the introduction of a steam ban that started the following day, the extra day added to allow for the movement of locomotive BR Standard Class 7 70013 Oliver Cromwell to Bressingham Steam Museum. It was a special rail tour excursion train organised for the occasion from Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Victoria to Carlisle and back, and was pulled in turn by four steam locomotives during the four legs of the journey (with two engines sharing the third leg). The last scheduled standard gauge steam-hauled passenger services had run on 3 August 1968 from Preston. Steam continued to be used on the narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway under British Rail, which was subsequently privatised in 1989.
The Fifteen Guinea Special was so named because of the high cost of tickets for the rail tour (15 guineas = £15 15s in pre-decimal British currency). Guinea prices were normally only used for luxury items or professional fees and ticket prices had been inflated due to the high demand to travel on the last B.R. steam-hauled mainline train.
The railtour started at 09:10 from Liverpool Lime Street station. The coaches were hauled by LMS Class 5 locomotive 45110, a late replacement for the original rostered engine, 45305, which had failed the night before with a collapsed firebox brick arch, to Manchester Victoria, arriving 8 minutes late at 10:42. There, 45110 was replaced with Britannia Class 70013 Oliver Cromwell – the last steam locomotive to be overhauled by BR – and the train departed for Carlisle at 11:06. The train arrived at Carlisle, 33 minutes late, at 15:29.
For the first part of the return leg, two Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 locomotives, 44781 and 44871, double-headed the train back to Manchester Victoria. The train departed Carlisle at 15:44 – 14 minutes late – and arrived in Manchester at 19:00, 12 minutes late.
Re-joining the train at Victoria station, 45110 then worked the remainder of the journey back to Liverpool Lime Street, arriving only 9 minutes late at 19:59.
The end of steam-hauled trains on British Railways was a turning point in the history of rail travel in Britain. The BR steam ban was introduced on 12 August 1968, the day after the railtour, to enable Oliver Cromwell to make one last positioning run back to Norwich and on to Diss for preservation. This made the Fifteen Guinea Special the last steam-hauled passenger train to be run by BR on its standard gauge network, although BR would continue to operate three steam locomotives on the narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol line until it was privatised in 1989, and Northern Ireland Railways would continue to operate steam locomotives until 1971. Thereafter, all mainline trains in Britain would be hauled by either diesel or electric power. The ban did not apply to one mainline steam locomotive – 4472 Flying Scotsman, due to Alan Pegler having secured a clause in the purchase contract when it was purchased from BR in 1963. After this, the only opportunity to view mainline steam locos in operation after the ban was to be on privately owned heritage railways.
Several other railtours had already marked the end of steam haulage on other parts of the British railway network. During most of these rail tours, the Fifteen Guinea Special included, the line was flanked with large crowds due to the high level of interest generated by their impending withdrawal and by the popularity of steam engines amongst rail enthusiasts. There was also a general belief that it was highly unlikely that steam would ever be allowed back onto the network, although in the event steam specials on BR lines were reintroduced only three years later. Since the "return to steam" with an inaugural special hauled by 6000 King George V in 1971, privately run charters have been allowed to use the mainline by arrangement provided that the steam locomotive has received necessary certification.
All but one of the locomotives that hauled the train were immediately purchased straight from service and passed into preservation.
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Fifteen Guinea Special AI simulator
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Fifteen Guinea Special
The Fifteen Guinea Special was the last main-line passenger train to be hauled by steam locomotive power on British Rail on 11 August 1968 before the introduction of a steam ban that started the following day, the extra day added to allow for the movement of locomotive BR Standard Class 7 70013 Oliver Cromwell to Bressingham Steam Museum. It was a special rail tour excursion train organised for the occasion from Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Victoria to Carlisle and back, and was pulled in turn by four steam locomotives during the four legs of the journey (with two engines sharing the third leg). The last scheduled standard gauge steam-hauled passenger services had run on 3 August 1968 from Preston. Steam continued to be used on the narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway under British Rail, which was subsequently privatised in 1989.
The Fifteen Guinea Special was so named because of the high cost of tickets for the rail tour (15 guineas = £15 15s in pre-decimal British currency). Guinea prices were normally only used for luxury items or professional fees and ticket prices had been inflated due to the high demand to travel on the last B.R. steam-hauled mainline train.
The railtour started at 09:10 from Liverpool Lime Street station. The coaches were hauled by LMS Class 5 locomotive 45110, a late replacement for the original rostered engine, 45305, which had failed the night before with a collapsed firebox brick arch, to Manchester Victoria, arriving 8 minutes late at 10:42. There, 45110 was replaced with Britannia Class 70013 Oliver Cromwell – the last steam locomotive to be overhauled by BR – and the train departed for Carlisle at 11:06. The train arrived at Carlisle, 33 minutes late, at 15:29.
For the first part of the return leg, two Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 locomotives, 44781 and 44871, double-headed the train back to Manchester Victoria. The train departed Carlisle at 15:44 – 14 minutes late – and arrived in Manchester at 19:00, 12 minutes late.
Re-joining the train at Victoria station, 45110 then worked the remainder of the journey back to Liverpool Lime Street, arriving only 9 minutes late at 19:59.
The end of steam-hauled trains on British Railways was a turning point in the history of rail travel in Britain. The BR steam ban was introduced on 12 August 1968, the day after the railtour, to enable Oliver Cromwell to make one last positioning run back to Norwich and on to Diss for preservation. This made the Fifteen Guinea Special the last steam-hauled passenger train to be run by BR on its standard gauge network, although BR would continue to operate three steam locomotives on the narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol line until it was privatised in 1989, and Northern Ireland Railways would continue to operate steam locomotives until 1971. Thereafter, all mainline trains in Britain would be hauled by either diesel or electric power. The ban did not apply to one mainline steam locomotive – 4472 Flying Scotsman, due to Alan Pegler having secured a clause in the purchase contract when it was purchased from BR in 1963. After this, the only opportunity to view mainline steam locos in operation after the ban was to be on privately owned heritage railways.
Several other railtours had already marked the end of steam haulage on other parts of the British railway network. During most of these rail tours, the Fifteen Guinea Special included, the line was flanked with large crowds due to the high level of interest generated by their impending withdrawal and by the popularity of steam engines amongst rail enthusiasts. There was also a general belief that it was highly unlikely that steam would ever be allowed back onto the network, although in the event steam specials on BR lines were reintroduced only three years later. Since the "return to steam" with an inaugural special hauled by 6000 King George V in 1971, privately run charters have been allowed to use the mainline by arrangement provided that the steam locomotive has received necessary certification.
All but one of the locomotives that hauled the train were immediately purchased straight from service and passed into preservation.