One of the many delights of visiting Crewe Works were the fleet of 'departmental locomotives' that spent many years of their long lives rarely leaving the huge site.

Because the L&NWR had absorbed the L&YR in 1922 many ex-L&Y locomotives were drafted in for these duties. Ex-L&YR Aspinall '27' class 0-6-0 No. 52218 is in the paint shop yard and will probably be used to haul freshly painted locomotives to the main line connection. 52218 was built at Horwich in Aug. 1893 as L&YR No. 607 and was withdrawn in April 1962 after 65 years service.

© Stephen Barrett Archive-SA Collection