Gavin Morrison has searched through his photo archives to present a selection of diesel locomotive images from the time before this section of the West Coast Main Line was electrified. The northern approach to Shap was less demanding operationally than that from the south, and also ran through less spectacular scenery, but there were still several worthwhile photographic locations.
On 29th August 1959, D211 passes Shap station at the head of the midday Perth to Euston express. The train includes a mixture of LMS coaches as well as a few BR Mark 1 vehicles. D211 entered service in May 1959 and was later to be named ‘Mauretania’ after the Cunard liner. The locomotive’s initial allocation was to Willesden (1A).
The photographer noted that D331 was struggling with the 16 coach train as it passed Thrimby Grange, south of Penrith, on August 11th 1962. The train is the midday 1M37 12:20 Perth to Euston which, by the time of this photo, was made up of Mark 1 coaches, with the exception of the former LMS catering vehicle.
D236 is passing Harrisons Sidings just north of Shap summit on a Perth to Euston on August 6th 1960. D236 had been delivered to Crewe North (5A) in October 1959.
D299 has just passed Shap summit and is beginning the descent towards Tebay with a southbound express. By this date, July 4th 1964, the locomotive has received the yellow warning panels which, it could be argued, improved the appearance of the locomotive’s front end. D299 had been delivered to Crewe North in October 1960.
On November 18th 1967, and in the early days of Freightliner trains, D1841 is approaching Penrith, heading north, and is crossing the M6 motorway bridge. At th
