Published at 11:10, Thursday, 09 August 2012

SIR – I read Margaret Crosby’s interview with Bernard Hanratty (besides Mr Hanratty’s own contribution) with much interest (The Whitehaven News, July 26).

bygone age: The tank engine Victoria shunting on exchange sidings near Bransty station in May 1970

I was intrigued to read that Mr Hanratty had cut up the Whitehaven Harbour Commission’s tank engine, ‘King Edward VII,’ an 0-4-0 saddle tank built by Andrew Barclay in 1901, which arrived new that year.

This engine worked on the docks, mainly hauling coal from several pits, for 58 years. She was sold for scrap in April 1959.

She was succeeded by the Peckett built 0-4-0 St Victoria, 1942, which was bought second-hand from E L Pitt & Co (Coventry) Ltd, in March 1959.

Prior to E L Pitt, Victoria had been at ROF Fazakerley from 1942.

When working in Whitehaven, in 1970, I took many pictures of the working locomotives on the harbour and enclose this picture of Victoria, shunting the exchange sidings between the docks and Whitehaven (Bransty) Station, in May 1970.

John N M CHARTERS

Plumbland, Aspatria

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk