West-end pilot loco, Manchester Victoria Station

Image: © Martin Tester Taken: 12 Jun 1968

I have had difficulty finding the exact location of this photo such have been the changes over the last 30 years or so. The northern side of the station has long-since been closed and the site used for the Manchester Arena. My contemporaneous notes tell me the first photo I took at the station was of Stanier Black 5 44884 on pilot duty. This is the photo and I believe it shows the loco standing at Platform 16 underneath the overall roof which covered platforms 12 to 17 on the northern side of the station. Such a scene would only last a few more weeks as steam traction was replaced by diesels on pilot duties at the end of the month. The platform is cluttered by BRUTEs - British Rail Universal Trolley Equipment - first introduced in 1964 so still a relatively new idea in 1968. Unlike traditional designs of parcel trolleys BRUTEs were loaded into parcel or brake vans so cutting down on the handling of parcels & newspaper bundles etc.

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