Jinties

Here are some excellent atmospheric pictures from John Dyer’s archive, featuring the LMS Class 3F 0-6-0 tank. We knew them as Jinties and they were plentiful on both sides of the Mersey and at Chester. They were the standard shunting tank engine for goods trains in our area and also used for station pilot duties and moving empty stock. As always, I’m very grateful to John for allowing me to share his splendid collection in this way.

This selection features examples at Chester General, Liverpool Lime Street, Liscard and Poulton and Bidston and date from between 1958 and 1965. Liscard and Poulton was the nearest station to our house and during my short stay at Poulton Junior School, it was on my way home, walking up Mill Lane.  I don’t remember ever seeing a train there, though steam and smoke from the Seacombe stoppers was visible from the classroom and the school yard as it drifted up from the cutting, which is now part of the Wallasey tunnel approach road. 

No. 47389 was at Chester in July 1964, No. 47414 was in Lime Street station in August 1965, Nos. 47495 and 47507 were at Bidston in 1962 and 1961, respectively, and No. 47622 was observed at Liscard and Poulton in 1958.