Released to traffic in June 1953, No 70043 is at a subsequent Derby Works Open Day in September 1954. The air pumps fitted to the smokebox were removed in 1957 at which point smoke deflectors were added and the engine named ‘Lord Kitchener’.
The air pumps were experimental and led to brief trials on 1500 ton test trains bewteen Toton and Brent, but throughout the 1950s Nos 70043 (and the similar 70044) worked for the most part from Longsight shed on Manchester-Euston expresses.
No 70043 was the second of its class to be withdrawn (70007 being the first), in August 1965 -the shortest career of them all at just 12 years.

© David P Williams Archive / Rail-Online