Trainspotting Notebook 20.4.68 at Hest Bank, Lancashire: 3.5 months before end of B.R. steam operations.

This is my trainspotting logbook for a day by the lineside at Hest Bank (West Coast Main Line between Lancaster and Carnforth, at the junction to the Morecambe branch) in April 1968. The date is less than 4 months before the end of all steam engines operated by British Railways, with all steam by this time concentrated in North-West England. Hest Bank was and still is a wonderful place to watch trains; a handy car park with the line on one side and a Morecambe Bay beach on the other.

HP scan of original notebook (see also adjacent Hest Bank notebook for 11th July 1968)

ABBREVIATIONS etc:

'XP' and 'pass' are express and regular passenger.

'R.S' is the 'Royal Scot' express London-Glasgow.

'light' is light engine (engine only).

'd' is towards the North (Scotland etc.)

'u' is towards the South (London etc.)

'M' after d or u indicates Morecambe branch train.

On the right are times of day.

Ticked engines are "cops" (seen for first time), 'X' if seen before.

note: D in front of a number indicates a diesel engine, as per system at that time. Other numbers are steam engines.

Done