the last steam train was used in the uk on 11 august 1968.
when was the last steam train used in the uk?
11 august 1968
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the last scheduled london transport steam passenger train on the branch left chesham at 12.11 am on 12 september 1960. 1,917 passengers used the line that day, in comparison with a typical sunday usage of around 100. earlier on 11 september descendants of the chesham residents who had attended watkin's original meeting to promote the railway, along with 86-year-old albert wilcox who had been present at the opening of the line, rode the steam shuttle to chalfont & latimer and back, and attended a ceremony in chesham's council chamber. (although the 12.11 am service from chesham on 12 september 1960 was the last scheduled london transport steam service to use the line, a steam train left marylebone for chesham each morning at 3.55 am to deliver newspapers, returning as the first passenger train from chesham at 5.58 am. this journey to marylebone was open to the public but was unadvertised and did not appear in published timetables. this arrangement continued to be operated by steam locomotive until 18 june 1962.) the ashbury passenger cars, which by now had each covered around , were retired from service. the last steam-powered passenger services on the remaining non-electrified section between amersham and aylesbury ran on 9 september 1961. the line between amersham and aylesbury was handed over to british rail, leaving chesham as the westernmost point of the london underground network. the goods yard at chesham was closed in 1966, and a train hauled by a former gwr 5700 class locomotive removed the track from the goods yard, the last steam service to use the line. on 17 october 1967 the newspaper train service and its return journey to marylebone, by this time worked by a british rail diesel multiple unit, was abandoned, leaving the branch exclusively operated by london transport trains.
chesham branch