Built by the North British Railway Company in May 1918, Robinson "O4" no.6518 (63807) is seen here at Annesley on 6th June 1926. She was withdrawn from Frodingham (36C) in May 1964.

A rarity at Annesley on Sunday June 6 1926 is ex-North Eastern Railway Class "B13" 4-6-0 no.2002. Built at Gateshead in October 1899, she was withdrawn from Blaydon in July 1931 and cut up one month later at Darlington Works.

O4/1 2-8-0 no.6202 is on the ashpits in this 1933 view. She was shedded at Annesley until September 1941, when she entered War Department service. Any further details would be most welcome.

LNER "D9" class (GCR Robinson 11B,11C,11D class) 4-4-0 no.6028 (formerly 1028) at Annesley on 30/8/36. At Annesley since (at least) 1922, she was withdrawn less than 12 months later in June 1937

Withdrawn in November 1943, 5471 was an LNER "B7" class 4-6-0.(formerly GCR Robinson "9Q" class no.471) Pictured at Annesley on 30th August 1936.These engines were nicknamed "Black Pigs" and "Colliers Friends" due to their voracious appetite for coal!

An unusual visitor on 25th April 1946 is a 1942 Darlington-built LMS "8F" No.8553. To the right you can see a "Pom-Pom" 0-6-0 and to the left (just) a USA "Austerity" 2-8-0 (note the air pumps)

Pictured at Annesley on 30/8/36 is LNER "O4" 2-8-0 no.5377. She was built at Gorton in May 1913 as Robinson 8K no.377. At Nationalisation she became no.63602 and was shedded at Annesley from February to November 1956, being finally withdrawn from Retford (36E) in September 1963.

A visitor from Ardsley (56B) on 8/6/47 is "Immingham" class "B4" 4-6-0 no.1488 (6103 until 1946) She was withdrawn from that depot on the last day of November 1948.

Another "B7" 4-6-0 no.1390 is pictured at Annesley, this time on 25th July 1948. She was an Annesley engine from May - November 1943.

"B8" 4-6-0 " No.5446 "Earl Roberts of Kandahar" was based at Annesley from June 1926 to May 1947. Built at Gorton in 1914, she was withdrawn from Darnall (39B) in April 1949, the last of the class to be withdrawn.

Built at Doncaster plant in April 1924,"J50" 0-6-0T no.8935 is pictured on the "slip" road at Annesley MPD on 25th July 1948. At Annesley from 13/10/46 to 22/1/50.

LNER "Q6" 0-8-0's were uncommon visitors to Annesley.This 28/7/46 shot shows 1920 built ex-NER T2 no.2261 (1946 no.3418) waiting to return to her home depot of Consett (52D). She was withdrawn from Sunderland (52G) in July 1963 and scrapped three months later at Darlington works.

Ex-GCR "Pom-Pom" Class "J11" 0-6-0 no.5220 stands on the shed front on no.1 road on 28/7/46. Renumbered 4361 in 1946 (subsequently 64361) Built at Gorton in 1904,she was shedded at Annesley on at least three seperate occasions: 23/1/33 t0 7/9/33; 1/7/45 to 16/11/47; and finally 13/6/48 to 7/8/55. She then moved to Stavely (38D), Colwick (38A) and finally Langwith (41J) from where she was withdrawn in March 1959.

Here we have "J39" 0-6-0 no's 64798, 64739 and 64955 (all withdrawn) at Annesley in September 1962. The "Standards" were popular engines with GC men.

Colwick (38A) allocated Ex-WD 2-8-0 (LNER "O7") class no.63050 (formerly 70818 & 3050) stands in a crowded Annesley shed yard on 25th July 1948. Renumbered 90050 she was withdrawn from her final depot New England (34E) in May 1963.

"Footballer" Class "B17" no.61651 "Derby County" stands on no.1 road. She was a Woodford (38E) engine till October 1951, returning to the Great Eastern section till her withdrawal from Cambridge (31A)in July 1959.

Richard Hardy, shedmaster at Woodford from 1949 - 1950 writes:

"One evening I was confronted at 5 o'clock by the point blank refusal on the part of a main line fireman to work the 5.30 pm from Woodford to Nottingham with No.61651 one of the B17's, on the grounds of excessively bad riding and because the footboard was sloping downwards whilst the flap plate sloped upwards to the tender. I did the only thing possible under the circumstances. The driver, Tommy Faulkner, had not refused the engine, and eventually I prevailed on the fireman to go if I went with him to see what could be done to improve matters. So I shared the agony by doing the firing as far as Leicester. It was no fun to work in an uncomfortable hole, with one's right foot on the wildly lurching flap plate, axleboxes knocking, cabside vibrating, cab doors flying open and reversing gear kicking - a brute of a machine"

Another "Footballer" ("B17" 4-6-0) no.1664 "Liverpool" stands behind "WD" 63050 on 25/7/48.A Woodford (38E) engine at the time, she returned to Great Eastern metals in June 1951, being withdrawn from March (31B) in April 1959.

73156 is seen here on no.1 road in 1961.From 25/5/60 to 18/5/63, she was at Neasden(14D), Leicester(15E) and Woodford(2F). After spells at Cricklewood, Leamington and Tyseley, she was withdrawn from Bolton(9K) in November 1967.

Retford (36E)-allocated "O2" 2-8-0 63986 is seen here on the sandhouse road. As she is in mid-gear, I presume a "foreign" crew have parked it here before returning home. The "tango" was allocated to Retford from August 1952 till withdrawal in May 1963.

"O4/1" no.63723 is pictured at Annesley on 15th October 1950.She was transferred to Colwick (38A) a week later.She stayed at Colwick for six years before being moving to Mexborough (41F) from wher she was withdrawn in November 1959.

"Britannia" 4-6-2 70039 "Sir Christopher Wren" is seen here on the turntable road c.1962. An Immingham (40B) engine, she moved to Carlisle in December 1963 and was withdrawn in September 1967.

Another "WD" 2-8-0 no.90130, is pictured on no.9 road. Her Mexborough crew will be having their "snap" before returning home. She was finally withdrawn from Colwick (40E) in October 1965.

Ex-LMS "4P" 2-6-4T 42437 is seen here leaving the depot to work a Nottingham - Rugby local. She had been based on the GC since october 1958 - first at Neasden, then Woodford, finally ending her days at Leicester from March 1960 till withdrawal in December 1964.

One of Annesley's stud of "O1" 2-8-0's no.63777 stands on no.7 road in this 1954 shot. Built as Great Central Class "8K" no 1214 in September 1912, re-numbered as "O4" 6214 and finally rebuilt as a Class "O1" in 1946, she was at Annesley for all of her 50 years & 1 month working life, being withdrawn with the rest of Annesley's "O1's" in October 1962, to be replaced by.............

..........the ex-LM "8F" 2-8-0's. 48304 was at Annesleyfrom September 1962 to partial closure in June 1965. She then went to Kirkby in Ashfield (16E), and Northwich (8E) from where she was withdrawn in March 1968.

Ask any Annesley fireman which engines he hated disposing of, and the answer would be "a Geordie". Almost without exception, Mexborough crews would leave them on the ashpits with clinkered fires nearly level with the firehole door. Also the smokebox would be opened to reveal red-hot ash well above the cross-bar! No rocker bars or drop grate one these engines - the poor fireman had to manipulate a 10ft long clinker shovel through a "fish & chip shop" firehole door, so called because of the anti-glare screens fitted on both sides and above the door.

Here we have an original ex-NER "B16/1" as designed by Raven in 1920. It has right hand drive, a steam reverser and Stephenson valve gear.No.61436 has been turned, and is now backing down to the loco' to await her return to her home depot of York (50A) She was an early withdrawl in September 1961

Sunday 11/11/62 sees "B16/2" 4-6-0 no.61437 stabled in front of the drinking water tank. She was brought on shed the previous day at 15.25 by driver Fred Simpkins, and disposed by Driver Ken Sylvester and his unlucky fireman! This engine was a 1937 Gresley rebuild, with Walschaerts valve gear and derived motion for inside cylinder. Now with screw reverse but still r/h drive. She was withdrawn from Hull (Dairycoates)(50B) in July 1964

The final variant of the "B16" 4-6-0 was the 1944 Thompson rebuild with left hand drive and individual sets of Walschaerts valve gear for each cylinder. (still a b*****d to dispose of, though!) Here we have "B16/3" no.61464 awaiting preparation and her next turn on no.8 road. Pictured on 30/11/56, she was to last nearly seven more years, being withdrawn from Mirfield (56D) in September 1963.

24th May 1959 sees a Woodford (2F) "K3" 2-6-0 No.61853 waiting to return home.Two weeks later she was transferred to Ardsley (56B) from where she was withdrawn when the "K3's" were made extinct in December 1962. Annesley always had an allocation of this versatile (but rough!) class until May 1959, the last three being 61856, 61975 and 61980.Their replacements were..........

.....The "Crab" 2-6-0's. Here we have Annesley example No.42769 ready for work in April 1959.A Nottingham (16A) engine since April 1952, she (and her sisters 42784, 42847, 42872 and 42897) only lasted at Annesley till June 1960. They in turn were replaced by "Black Fives". 42769 then went to Burton (17B), Nottingham (16A) and finally Gorton (9G) where she was withdrawn in January 1964.

Although never allocated to Annesley, the Peppercorn "K1" 2-6-0's were frequent visitors. Powerful (5P6F) for their size, they were a popular engine. 62009, pictured here on no.7 road in1963 was a York (50A) resident. She was withdrawn in December 1964.

Langwith Junction (40E/41J) engines were regular visitors to Annesley. Here we have a nice shot of "O4/3" No.63765 taken on 16th July 1951

Ex-LMS "4P" 2-6-4 tank no.42361 and two of her sisters (42333 & 42339) were at Annesley, principally to work the "Dido", from January 1959 to January 1960.

A rare visitor to Annesley is Leeds (Holbeck) - allocated "Royal Scot" 4-6-0 46136 "The Border Regiment". The date can safely be put at August 1962, as she was only at 55A for that month! She then moved to Carlisle Upperby (12B) and was withdrawn in April 1964.

A type of loco I never saw at Annesley was the ex-N.E.Raven "Q6" 0-8-0. August 29th 1959 sees Thornaby (51L) allocated no.63349 over on no.7 road. June 1963 saw her move to West Hartlepool (51C) from where she was withdrawn in June 1965.

"4MT" 2-6-4 tank no.42251 spent 9 years on the GC, at Neasden from January 1955 to June 1962, then exactly 2 years at Woodford. She then moved to Bangor (6H), Chester (6A), Lostock Hall (10D) and Tebay(12E), before a final move to Low Moor (56F) from where she was withdrawn in October 1967.

Woodford-allocated BR Standard Class "4" 2-6-0 no.76087 is seen here. after being at 8 different depots in just over 9 years, she was withdrawn from Oxley (2B) in January 1967.

May 5th 1959 sees an unusual visitor to Annesley in the shape of Boston-allocated "4MT" 2-6-0 No.43062. Built at Doncaster Plant in November 1950, she was shedded at New England (35A) till November 1957. She then moved to Boston (40F) till January 1963, when she spent nine months at Colwick (40E) before moving on to 41E-Staveley (Barrow Hill) where she ended her days in June 1965. She was cut up three months later at T.W.Ward's scrapyard Killamarsh.

Pollitt "J10" 0-6-0 No. 5849 is out of use at Annesley on 29th August 1926. An Annesley engine from the grouping, she remained there till December 1927. Her whereabouts till Nationalisation in 1948, and subsequent renumbering as 65169 remains a mystery (to me!). From 1948 to 1950 she was at Chester (Northgate). She then moved to Northwich (8E) from where she was withdrawn in February 1960.

BR Standard Class "2" 2-6-2 tank no.84027 stands in store at Annesley sometime during 1963. Finally withdrawn from service in March 1964, she was cut up at Crewe Works in June of that year.

67752 16th March 1958

This ex-works "L1" was returning from Gorton to its home shed of New England (34E) Although A large number of the class were shedded at Colwick in the early sixties, they were rare visitors to Annesley. She was withdrawn exactly four years later.

15th August 1965 sees a forlorn ex-GW "Hall" class 4-6-0 no.5988 "Bostock Hall" on no.1 road. A Tyseley (84E) engine she was withdrawn 2 months later and cut up at Cashmores, Great Bridge 31/12/65.

Schools class no.30925 Cheltenham (below) and Fowler 2P no.40646 (above) at Annesley on 12 May 1962. Next day they worked the RCTS East Midlander No.5 rail tour to Darlington.

Long-time resident "B1" 4-6-0 no.61063 stands on the "slip" road ready for duty. Shedded at Annesley from August 1950 to November 1956, she went to Leicester (GC) twice, Neasden and Woodford, from where she was withdrawn in April 1962.

They don't come much rarer than this! August 1965 sees Carlisle Upperby (12B) - allocated "Black Five" no.44834 at Annesley. She was withdrawn from Edge Hill (8A) in December 1967.

Class "O3" 2-8-0 no.3482 is pictured at Annesley pre-1948. Introduced in 1913, there were 17 engines in this class.

At Nationalisation in 1948, all 17 locos taken over by BR were based at Frodingham shed (36C) except for 63477 and 63478 which were based at Doncaster(36A)
In their last years the loco allocation was split betwen Doncaster and Retford (Great Central) sheds.
The first loco withdrawn was 63494 on 5 March 1948 from Doncaster.

The last loco withdrawn was 63484 on 16 December 1952 also from Doncaster.

63482 was withdrawn from Retford (36E) on 21/1/52.

"B1" 4-6-0 no.61030 "Nyala" stands on the "slip" road outside the shed shunters cabin. A visitor from Ardsley (56B) she will move to Wakefield (56A) and York (50A) before being withdrawn from Low Moor (56F) in September 1967. She spent her entire life on the North Eastern Region.

Sunday 2nd July 1950 sees Ardsley (37A) class "Q4" 0-8-0 no.63236 out of steam at Annesley MPD. After 48 years service, she was to be withdrawn 3 months later in October 1950

Class "A5" 4-6-2 tank no.69818 was shedded at 38B from November 1956 to withdrawal in December 1958. She was cut up at Gorton Works 2 months later after a service life of 41 years, 3 months and 19 days.

Banbury (2C) - allocated "Britannia" class 4-6-2 no.70028 (formerly "Royal Star") stands forlornly at Annesley on 28/6/65, just after partial closure of the depot.

9th August 1964 sees "9F" 2-10-0 no.92090 standing on no.7 road. Released to traffic at Doncaster (36A) on 30/11/56 she came to Annesley on 16th March 1957. On partial closure in June 1965, she went to Birkenhead (8H). After withdrawal in May 1967 after a disgustingly short life of 10 years 5 months, she was cut up at Cohen's of Kettering in October of that year.

Two ex-"Crosti" 2-10-0's were allocated to Annesley from April to November 1964. Poor tools at the best of times, they were soon downgraded to "8F"!