Dornoch Firth after arrival on a southbound express.

Paul Howkins in April 2020 has a great story to tell "I have my own news that might be of interest to you. It concerns your image "70054 1960s Crewe". I saw it first in the Strathwood "Steam's Lament" covering the BR Pacifics. I am certain beyond all reasonable doubt that I am the young boy in the family group. My father took 8mm movie film, and having checked the film he took at Crewe, one of the sequences shows 70054 leaving from that platform. The smokobox dart handles are at the same angle, and the shadows are the same as those in the photograph. He also took film of my mother and sister that day, and their clothes look the same as those of the family in the photograph. My father's camera bag was rectangular, just like the one in the photograph. Having bought the image from you, when enlarged, the camera looks to be the same as my father's. My father died 25 years ago, but my mother is still alive at 92, and it and my sister concur that it appears to be us. I believe that it was the autumn half term weekend, we had been to Blackpool for the illuminations and called in at Crewe on the way home. Other film taken on the day show the "new fangled" electrics which at that time were only operating between Manchester and Crewe. There is a sequence of a Duchess taking over from an electric for the run to London, and another sequence showing a Class 40 doing the same. I expect that I was only 4 or 5 years old at the time, and to say that your photograph brought back memories would be an exaggeration, but it was great to see what I am sure is my family appearing on a photograph."

The electrification to Manchester was opened to traffic (as opposed to testing) in September 1960, and Liverpool in January 1962 and 70054 carries a 5A shedplate, it moved there in August 1962. So that dates it at about November. The photographer was the late Jim Carter who, being a fireman could go anywhere and other railwaymen seemed to respect his work. He might just have brought this Brit in.