 The Fifteen Guinea Special at Barton Moss on the last leg from Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Lime Street hauled by 45110 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Passenger train |
| First service | 11 August 1968 |
| Current operator(s) | British Rail |
| Route | |
| Termini | Liverpool Lime Street Liverpool Lime Street |
| Stops | Manchester Victoria Carlisle Manchester Victoria |
| Train number(s) | 1T57 |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | 45110 70013 44871 44781 British Railways Mark 1 |
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[1] before the introduction of a steam ban that started the following day,[2] the extra day added to allow for the movement of locomotive BR Standard Class 7 70013 Oliver Cromwell to Bressingham Steam Museum.[3] 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).[1] The last scheduled standard gauge steam-hauled passenger services had run on 3 August 1968 from Preston.[3] Steam continued to be used on the narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway under British Rail, which was subsequently privatised in 1989.[4]
- ^ a b Hewitt, Sam (20 August 2018). "Fifteen Guinea Special: 1T57 – The Fabled Final Curtain!". Heritage Railway. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ Chandy, Matthew. "11 August 1968: the last steam passenger service in Britain". Moneyweek.
- ^ a b "Steam on The Main Line". Preserved British Steam Locomotives. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ "History – Vale of Rheidol Railway". Vale of Rheidol Railway. Retrieved 25 November 2021.