Ghost writer (From St Helens Star)

Ghost writer

9:25am Thursday 17th May 2012 in Letters By Reader letter

REGARDING your article: ‘Ghost writer’ stokes up rail shed memories (Star, April) – the photo of enginemen on loco 41289 is the same as one on Sutton Beauty’s website.

The website caption says the picture is 1954 and names driver John Anthony and Gordon Darlington, Alan Oats, Brian Neary among those on the engine.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t say who is who. The date sounds right as 41289 is carrying a 10E shedplate on its smokebox door – the code for Sutton Oak from 1948-1955.

Readers might be interested to know that a chapter on Sutton Oak sheds features in a new book I have written for the History Press, Shed Side in South Lancashire & Yorkshire – the last days of steam, scheduled for publication in June.

Kenn Pearce, Wynn Vale, South Australia