The White Rose
Another West Riding express that we covered in the "Principal Services" book on pages 56-60, here are so more illustrations and insights. The train was popular in Leeds, especially when worked by A4s from King's Cross although that shed often did not place place the cast nameboard on the loco, which made the train look anonymous. A pity, because with its two white roses it was good-looking and added a certain charisma. Alas, only one of the pictures we used showed it so here are some more. It re-appeared towards the very end when the train was to be abandoned.
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New additions placed here temporarily.
When BR named this train the "White Rose" in 1949 it was not a crack express and haulage was by A3s from Copley Hill. In this undated view from c1949-51, an awfully tired-looking Copley Hill A3 No 60062 Minoru has the train at an unidentified location with all ex-LNER stock, roughly half Gresley and Thompson and two-thirds varnished or simulated teak livery. Photo: author's collection.
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The date is October 1951 and the location unknown, but may be just south of Copley Hill on the way to Wakefield where the line dips briefly before the three-mile climb at 1:100 to Ardsley. Copley Hill's A3 No 60046 Diamond Jubilee is in charge, carrying the BR blue livery and evidently well cared for by the cleaners. The stock looks a lot smarter, too, with many Thompsons in carmine and cream. Photo: author's collection.
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A glorious late afternoon sees the Up working of "The White Rose" as it charges under the overbridge at Little Ponton behind Copley Hill's Peppercorn A1 No 60114 W.P. Allen. This loco was one of the longer lived A1s but only spent just under three years allocated to Leeds. The catering carriages look like Gresley still (RF,TO), but the rest of the train now comprises Thompson and BR Mk.1 coaches. September 1955. Photo: P.H. Groom.
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The main pictures, 1950s-'60s
A4 No 60032 Gannet pauses at Grantham with "The White Rose" three years after the train was named by BR. The loco looks good in BR blue livery and it's a pity that no more of the train can be seen for the ex-GNR Leeds Quintuplet Set had been placed in the train the previous year, and was to be lost the next year in a shunting accident. 8th August 1952. Photo: Author's collection.
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A1 No 60133 Pommern, a stalwart at Copley Hill from 1950-1964 and seen in fine condition, has "The White Rose" at an unknown location in the late 1950s. Photo: Author's collection.
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Copley Hill's Peppercorn A1 No 60145 Saint Mungo stands at King's Cross looking fairly clean with the Down "White Rose" ready for departure. The picture is not dated and may have been c1959-60. Photo: Transport Treasury.
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My apologies for the iffy quality of this picture, one of my younger brother's first outings with his Brownie 127 and Gratispool paper roll film. Age 11 1/2, all hard to believe, eh? Scanned off the original paper negative... Headed by A4 60006 Sir Ralph Wedgewood the train is a mile out of Leeds Central station on the climb out of the Aire Valley at the point where the gradient steepened to 1:50. 'Twas the toughest part of the whole of the GNML and ECML and many a Saturday would find us here.The train was either the 12.55pm or 3.26pm (White Rose) to King's Cross but at that age we were ignorant of the timetable and without a nameboard on the loco, could not tell. Traces of snow linger on the ground from that late winter of 1961. Photo: Author's collection.
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No 60141 Abbotsford at the summit of the climb out of Leeds Central, is passing Copley Hill engine shed and South Wortley signal box, a view taken from the park alongside. 1962. Photo: Gavin Morrison.
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Warmer days would find us at Doncaster as A4 No 60021 Wild Swan draws into the station with the 12.55pm or 3.26pm (White Rose) Leeds Central-King's Cross, seen from the train spotters' end of the platform. I'm in this picture, along with my school friend Robin, happy days. Summer 1962. Photo: Author's collection.
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Peppercorn A1 No 60125 Scottish Union passes Copley Hill shed and begins the descent into Leeds Central with "The White Rose" and, unusually, a Doncaster loco in place of the normal A4. It was ahead of schedule by some five minutes and caught me out of position as I waited for the 12.55pm to King's Cross whose signal is off and was due to have passed first. For a while, both trains were hauled by A4s from King's Cross. Part of the carriage nameboard for "The White Rose" can be seen on the leading coach. May 1963 Photo: Author.
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A4 No 60006 Sir Ralph Wedgewood drifts away from the Down platform at Doncaster with the train on what was probably a Saturday afternoon. Some thirty young spotters can be seen, more would have been sat on the luggage trolleys. The date is not known, possibly around 1963 when the nameboard was carried again. Photo: SLS.
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Another undated picture believed to have been taken towards the end of steam haulage when "The White Rose" headboard was refurbished and carried again. King's Cross A4 No 60003 Andrew K. McCosh is leaving Leeds Central station and the start of the climb to Wortley South Junction. It looks like a chilly day and the valves on this side of the loco don't appear to be in good shape! Photo: Author's collection.
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The last steam-hauled "White Rose" was on Saturday 15th June 1963, a sad day. Deltics took over and Finsbury Park's D9009 Alycidon can be seen at Ardsley, powering past the loco shed and station in October 1964. Photo: Author.
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The Bradford portion, detached at Wakefield, continued to be steam-hauled for several more years and a few minutes after Alycidon, B1 61189 Sir William Gray came sprinting by with its 2 coaches. The route to Leeds Central was followed as far as the triangle at Copley Hill where the line to Bradford was picked up. This was quite a lively area for portions whizzing to and fro. The B1 was allocated to Low Moor (Bradford) October 1964. Photo: Author.
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Other Leeds-West Riding topics re the GN and ECML:
Leeds Central and its workings: is here.
"The Yorkshire Pullman: is here.
Bradford to King's Cross portions: are here.