Neville Hill Pilots
The number of pilots required for all the ex-NER yards, sidings and the station was far bigger than is generally realised with a total of ten duties. The passenger station and carriage sidings needed three and the main marshalling yard, another three. Four other duties were scattered around smaller yards/sidings and the shed pilot, of course. I shall be assembling a detailed account but meanwhile, here are some illustrations of the loco classes involved:
Leeds City
Neville Hill provided vacuum fitted pilots for the ex-LNWR&NER side at Leeds City and this is G5 No 67290 (with Westinghouse pump) at the west end and the earliest BR-period picture I have from Wednesday 10th June 1953. It's carrying BR mixed traffic livery, a 50B shedplate and a full set of pilot lights. The leading coach is a Thompson 52'4" brake, possibly a BT(4) and part of one of the local 3- or 4-sets. Photo: Ralph Thurlow.
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The same G5 No.67290 at around the same time at the west end shunting ex-LNER 61'6" Gresley stock. Author's collection.
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G5 No 67274 seen from the other side at the west end on Thursday 11th October 1956 without a full set of pilot lights but former Class C goods lights, now Code J, the photographer writing on the back that the loco "moves down the through road to dispose of empty stock brought down from FARNLEY carriage sidings". Ralph Thurlow.
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Neville Hill marshalling yards
For a long time, ex-NER 0-6-2 tanks of classes N8 and N10 were chosen for the main marshalling yards at Neville Hill but during WW2 they were replaced by a large batch of ex-Hull & Barnsley N13s which served until 1956 (and as the last survivors of that company's locos were heavily photographed). They were not vacuum fitted. No 69114 is seen in the yards carrying pilot lights. The early BR crest is not easy to make out. Author's collection.
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Another example of an N13 in the early 1950s, No 69115 in front of the water tower and the west end of the original running shed before it was cut back. Author's collection.
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