The Midland region of BR replaced the faithful LNER "O4's" with the more powerful and reliable Stanier 8F's. Unspectacular yet willing workhorses these 8F's were spread throughout the North, Midlands, and Wales, and lasted until the very end of BR steam in 1968.

48687 plods through Nottingham Victoria in October 1965 with just a guards van in tow.

A sight I never saw in BR times was a Stanier 8F on a passenger train, although very rarely it did occur.

Here 48305 makes a spectacular start from Loughborough along with 69523, on 26th Feb 1995.

This view of 48305 was taken at Woodthorpe (9), 22nd June 1996. 6990 had just worked up the bank very vigorously, and sparks had caused a lineside fire.

Seeing the smoke the down train behind 48305 was stopped, and the train crew and I spent 10 minutes beating out the fire in the dry grass before it had time to really catch hold!