A gloomy day at Speke Jct, April 10th 1976 finds BR's last green Class 25 sporting a mixture of items, from dirty yellow miniature snowploughs, odd buffers, a blue panel in place of the boiler room grille, a painted over builders plate and the familiar blue & white data panel behind the cab door. May would see the locomotive called in to Derby, where it will lose its green paint.

1963
D5191 - D5193 were laid down at Derby in the last quarter of 1962, being delivered to Toton during May (18A) and as like all the others in this batch they were to be used on removing steam northwards from St Pancras. This batch were boiler equipped though their use on passenger workings, if any, in the early days is not well reported.

1964
During February D5191 & D5192 moved to Leicester (15A) whilst the following month D5193 moved to Derby (16C). From Derby it moved to 16D in April, then back to Derby (16C) in October.

D5192 visited Derby Works during August.

1965
In June D5193 moved to the Birmingham area to 2E. On May 11th 5291 & 7513 were noted arriving at Eastbourne with an excursion from the Eastern Region.

1966
During April D5193 was reallocated to the Midland Lines and was noted at Derby Works during October.

Rotherham pays host to D5191 on a parcels train and 90362 in a siding on October 9th 1967. Photograph courtesy Ron Healey as posted on abpr.

1968
As steam bowed out in the North West D5193 moved to the Manchester Division (D09) during July whilst D5191 & D5192 moved to the Preston Division (D10) in November.

1970
5193 spent January - March under repair at Crewe Works. In May it joined 5191 & 5192 on the Preston Divison (D10). 5192 was noted at Derby Works during October.

1973
During May 25042 moved to Kingmoor.

1974
25043 was noted at Derby Works during April and moved to Longsight during September.

1975
During March 25042 moved to Longsight.

On July 19th green liveried 25043 worked the 09.00 Llandudno - York with eight well filled coaches. Despite a number of difficulties encountered enroute with slow freights, pathing problems and permanent way slacks arrival in York was only a few minutes late.

1976
All the featured locomotives moved to Crewe during 1976, 25041 in February, and 25042/43 in May. This was the last transfers for 25042/43.

Derby Works was visited by green liveried 25043 during May. This was the last Class 25 in green and it would receive a coat of the familiar corporate blue when outshopped. The Gunnie - Pennyffordd cement working still gave paired Class 25's a good run under the WCML wires, August 16th found 25043 & 25136 in charge of the round trip working.

25041 also visited Derby Works, during September & October and was joined here by 25042 in October.

25041 undergoes the de-asbestos process at Derby Works during 1976.

1977
24057 & 25043 were noted at Hereford on May 26th having arrived on a southbound freight.

25041 was back in Derby Works from April to June and then in September. Whilst in Works 25041 was reallocated to Toton during May, it later moved to Kingmoor during July.

1978
On April 15th a Brighton - Blaneau Ffestiniog excursion arrived at Llandudno Junction behind 47436, the last portion of the trip going forward behind 24082 & 25043. May 30th found 25043 failed near Dinmore Tunnel on the 16.00 Crewe - Cardiff, 47042 on the following parcels pushed the train into Moreton on Lugg.

25043 at Derby Works June 11th 1978. Photograph courtesy Graham Turner.

1979
25041 worked the 17.20 Llandudno Town - Manchester Victoria on July 3rd. On August 8th it was noted assisting a failed dmu on the 12.52 Carlisle - Newcastle.

During December all three visited Derby Works, possibly all being present at the same time, 25041 & 25042 were received for N4 repairs whilst 25043 received N8 repairs.

1980
Derby Works took in 25042 for an Intermediate repair between March & May.

On October 10th 25043 expired at Abergavenny on the 07.50 Cardiff - Crewe, rescue coming in the shape of 40079. All must have been repaired quickly for it was noted the next day with 25039 in charge of the 20.51 Barrow in Furness - Euston, as far as Preston.

25042 on a Crewe - Cardiff service on October 25th 1980.

1981
25043 was at Derby Works during January.

25042 started the New Year in charge of the 17.10 Cardiff - Crewe. From January to June it would prove to be a regular performer on this route. Highlights include its failure at Shrewsbury on a Cardiff bound service on January 31st, the train was rescued by 25167, but 25042 remained on the train to provide heating. On February 15th it worked the 01.50 Crewe - Cardiff with 25199, but was seen later on the 13.45 Crewe - Cardiff working alone. On May 3rd it worked a Crewe - Cardiff service with 25220, the next day this pair handled a round trip Longbridge - Aberystwyth day excursion.

Two of the locomotives were withdrawn during 1981, 25043 in February & 25041 in May. 25043 moved quickly to Derby Works for stripping - by August it had been broken up. 25041 surprisingly ended its working life dumped at Polmadie, later in the year it would be moved to Kingmoor.

It was back to Aberystwyth for 25042 (with 25236) on October 3rd when they worked a Euston - Aberystwyth excursion forward from Wolverhampton. A week later (12th) 25042 worked the 16.36 Birmingham - Norwich throughout, on 17th it was noted arriving at New Street with the 09.10 ex Norwich and went back with the 18.15 to Norwich, its not known if the locomotive worked throughout on each leg.

Early in December 25041 began its last journey, from Kingmoor to Swindon, arriving at the Works on December 8th.

	25042 at Northwich July 25th 1981. Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer
	25041 was withdrawn whilst at Polmadie, it is seen there on August 22nd 1981 out of service. Photograph courtesy A Forster

1982
It was a little of everything for 25042's wide variety of passenger services during 1982, it covered the Crewe - Cardiff line on January 5th & May 25th, it was on the Birmingham - Norwich run on May 1st, the next day a Birmingham - Leeds working. June 19th found it on a Carlisle - Glasgow working, August 17th on a Llandudno Town - Stoke on Trent working and then a round trip between Leeds & Carlisle on September 4th. On October 16th it worked the Crewe - Aberystwyth legs of an excursion from Carlisle with 25080. It was back to a round trip on the Leeds - Carlisle circuit on October 28th before its last passenger working of the year, between Glasgow Central & Carlisle on December 20th.

1983
The variety of passenger workings continued on into 1983 for 25042 with its first outing being the 22.00 Glasgow Central - Stranraer Harbor followed by a Carlisle - Glasgow trip on February 4th. The next day it worked the 15.50 Carlisle - Edinburgh, via Newcastle. On March 14th & 15th it handled two round trips each day between Crewe & Cardiff.

April 11th found it on the 11.49 Bangor - Manchester Victoria. Victoria was visited again, this time on May 26th with 25042 handling a late afternoon Blackpool service. No passenger workings were recorded in June but a round trip Carlisle - Glasgow Central occurred on July 23rd.

Swindon broke up 25041 during June.

October 28th proved to be a bad day - 25042 was diagrammed for the 10.40 Carlisle - Leeds but expired at Appleby, being rescued by 40099. It was repaired in time to cover the 16.00 Leeds - Carlisle but only managed to cover three miles before failing at Kirkstall, being rescued by 31195. A brief railtour turn occurred a month later on November 26th when 25042 & 25161 worked 'The Cheshire Cheeser' between Liverpool and Warrington Arpley Jct.

1984
25042's passenger duties continued, with still more variety, opening the new year's working with January 13th's 19.35 Birmingham - Bristol throughout. There was a round trip Crewe - Cardiff working on February 6th followed a late afternoon Manchester - Blackpool turn on February 17th, heading back south the next day with the 06.55 to Manchester Victoria. It was held here to work a football extra to Newcastle, the Class 25 being replaced at Leeds.

All was quiet in March, but April followed with three railtours. The 'Knotty Northern Circular' was worked from Stafford to Leeds and back by 25042 & 25224, the following week (14th) it was on the F&W's 'Capital City Transfer' with 25083 between Coventry & Marylebone. More railtour duty followed the next weekend (20th) with the first leg of a railtour to Scotland, 25042 & 25057 were booked from St Pancras to Derby, but by Bedford 25042 had failed with 31118 assisting to Derby.

A trip to the seaside occurred on May 5th with 25042 & 25080 working out with the 08.48 Burton - Skegness, coming back with the 19.00 to Leicester. A WCML working on May 26th took 25042 & 25224 from Wolverhampton to Mitre Bridge Junction on an excursion to Folkestone Harbour. In the opposite direction on June 2nd 25042 & 25207 worked the 10.10 Euston - Aberystwyth forward from Wolverhampton, returning with the 17.05 to Shrewsbury. A short working on June 16th found 25042 & 25109 taking a Barrow - Windsor excursion as far as Carnforth.

25042 was again coupled to 25224 for a visit to Aberystwyth on July 7th, bringing in the 07.35 ex Euston from Wolverhampton and returning to Wolverhampton with the 14.00 to New Street. Its last passenger working for 1984 was the 19.35 Blackpool - Manchester Victoria on August 24th.

Stoke station plays host to 25042 & 25161 on August 11th 1984. Photograph courtesy Jerry Glover.

1985
The boiler on 25042 was isolated during August.

1986
25042 was withdrawn from Crewe on May 8th. It was the last vacuum brake only Class 25 to remain in service, when withdrawn it was retired surplus to requirements and was in full working order. It was initially stored at Crewe.

The date is uncertain, but withdrawn 25042 heads a lineup of locomotives at Crewe which includes also withdrawn 25196, which has already been cannibalised for parts. Photograph courtesy Paul Wraithmell.

1987
Part of the large clear out of Class 25's from the Crewe area during July included the movement of 25042/058/285/910 on July 16th from Crewe to Vic Berry's, Leicester. By October 25042 was no more.

Photographs - Date Unknown

	25041 at Holyhead depot. Photograph courtesy Ian Mawson.
	25042 at maybe Millerhill or Haymarket? Photograph courtesy Ian Mawson.
	A low afternoon sun reveals a wealth of detail in 25043 as it stands in Derby Works yard, date unknown. Photograph courtesy Ian Mawson.

Page added January 18th, 2001
Page last updated June 7th 2008

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