D7518, 7518, 25168
D7518, 7518, 25168

Photograph courtesy John Hancock.
A fine period view of D7518 with a typical goods train, on the Down line in the Helwith Bridge/Selside section. Just visible in the background are the Helwith Bridge starter/section signals with the Selside distant underneath. The Class 25 still sports its original, circular exhaust port.

The eighteen year five month career of D7518/25168 was split between allocations to London Midland & Western Region depots.

Built: BR Derby Locomotive Works.
Boiler room grilles sheeted over (1979).
Final exhaust roof panel: raised, square.
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: 45 months.
Time between withdrawal & scrapping: 10 months.

Allocations

D7518 was new to the Toton (16A) on December 12th 1964. Further transfers were:

January 1965 to Nottingham Division (D16).
January 1965 to Saltley (2E).
April 1966 to Birmingham Division (D02).
April 1966 to London Midland (Midland) Lines.
December 1967 to Nottingham Division (D16).
May 1968 to London Midland (Midland) Lines.
June 1968 to Nottingham Division (D16).
July 1972 to Newport (86B).
May 1973 to Ebbw Junction.
May 1973 to Cardiff.
November 1975 to Laira.
January 1976 to Bristol.
February 1976 to Crewe.
May 31st 1981 - advised as withdrawn, but later cancelled.
Withdrawn May 22nd 1983.

Renumbered March 1974.

25168 was the 181st Class 25 withdrawn, one of six retired during May 1983 including sister 25167.

25168 was stored at Crewe from June 1983 until moved to Swindon Works (movement details below) by February 16th 1984 and scrapped there by the second week of April 1984.

25120 (Springs Branch), 25152/167/168(Crewe) as the Springs Branch – Swindon Works February 9th - 15th, 1984.

Works Visits

Works visits (records incomplete).

Noted Crewe Works September & October 1968.
Noted Derby Works December 1970.
Noted Derby Works August 1973 (full repaint).
Noted Derby Works May 1976.
Noted Derby Works June 1977.
Noted Derby Works April - July 1979 (General repair).

Highlights

1965
D7518/25168's first recorded passenger working was no doubt deputising for a Type 4 when on September 21st 1965 D7518 & D5183 worked a Manchester Central - St. Pancras service throughout.

Condition no date: two tone green livery with small yellow warning panels, no blanking plates, hand/footholds present, straight sided sandboxes, three-rung bogie mounted footsteps, bufferbeam steam pipe connection present.

1966
On the afternoon of April 30th there were 82 locomotives on Carlisle Kingmoor shed, the diesels were represented by D29, D318, D340, D3567, D7518, D8086, D8095 & D8124. There were a further 32 locomotives at Carlisle Upperby with the diesels represented by D22, D215, D1618, D3169, D3173, D3566, D5700/05/07/14.

On the afternoon of June 12th D7518 & D5384 were down light engines at Glendon North.

1967
On the morning of May 8th D7518 was southbound at Derby with a freight.

On the morning of May 10th D7518 was shunting at Etruria.

On the afternoon of July 10th D5201 & D7518 were stabled at Derby.

On the afternoon of August 3rd D5235, D7511, D7518, D7555, D7590, D7595 & D7597 were stabled at Derby.

1968
D7518 worked two summer dated Nottingham - Llandudno Town roundtrips, on May 25th with D5231 and on July 6th with with D5187.

No passenger workings have so far been reported from 1969 - 1975.

1969
Condition August: two-tone green livery with full yellow ends, no blanking plates, hand/footholds present, straight sided sandboxes, three-rung bogie mounted footsteps, original engine exhaust location.

1970
On June 16th the 6M78 Tyne - Washwood Heath was worked by 7518 & 7651.

On July 22nd 7518 & 7651 worked a morning Manvers Main - West Drayton, returning north from Reading West Junction with an evening Andover - Thirsk special freight.

Photograph collection Ian Hammonmd
D7518 & D7519 date and location unknown. The picture shows the typical condition that many Class 25s operated under - this example still retains its original circular exhaust port and has gained full yellow cab fronts.

1971
On March 24th the Manchester Victoria bankers were D5152 (am) and 7518 (pm).

1972
Labour troubles which had been simmering for some time, came to a head in the third week of April with much working-to-rule, overtime and rest-day bans and other nefarious means of causing disruption. Services on the Southern and Great Eastern were seriously affected. In the middle of these troubles, on April 25th an early morning Coventry – Thames Haven empty oil tank train, hauled by E3083 derailed on the slow lines at Bletchley station, causing considerable damage to the platforms and some of the structures. For the clean up 7518 arrived with the Bletchley crane, and 7532 with the Willesden crane, full services did not resume until May 3rd.

1973

Photograph courtesy John Turner (Railimage Collections) via RG.
An ex-works 7518 on display at Derby Works Open Day on August 25th 1973. Two days later it would go out on a test train. Behind 7518 is Class 46 No.176.

On August 27th 7518 made a test run from Derby Works.

The snag sheet for August 27th recorded:

7518; August 27th 1973; time 11.45
Load Speed Amps Volts Notes Other
1 27 850 - - -
2 34 900 - - -
3 42 900 - - -
4 49 950 - - -
5 59 1,000 - - -
6 66 1,050 - - -

B side crankcase doors
Load regulator switch
No.2 cab heater
Load regulator and governor? check for jerky operation.

On September 26th the following Class 25s were noted in passing:
Bristol Parkway: 7507 with freight 8B25 about 10.30am
Ebbw Junction Newport: 5182, 7502, 7516, 7517, 7518, 7521, 25080. 1000 & 1200 were also present.
Severn Tunnel Junction: 5189 & 7520.

1974
On July 20th 25168 was noted passing Tiverton Junction with the 05.55 Plymouth - Old Oak Common vans.

1975
On June 22nd 25168 was stabled at Holbeck.

On September 22nd 25063 & 25168 were noted up light engines at Exeter St Davids.

On November 8th 25168 worked the 7B66 11.05 Barnstaple - Exeter parcels.

At 7pm on November 12th 25168 was noted at Exeter stabling point.

In the early morning hours of November 19th 25168 was noted at Exeter stabling point.

At 10am on November 22nd 25168 was noted at Exeter stabling point.

1976
On January 1st 25168 was noted at Exeter stabling point.

On January 3rd 25168 worked the 7B66 11.05 Barnstaple - Exeter freight.

On January 5th 25168 was noted at Exeter stabling point.

On January 8th 25168 worked the 20.15 Exeter St Davids - Newton Abbot.

At about 9pm on February 12th 25227 & 25168 were noted at Exeter St Davids with an Up ballast working.

On February 16th 25168 & 25227 were noted with an up ballast at Exeter St Davids.

At about 12.15pm on February 26th 25168 was noted at Exeter with a goods train from Barnstaple.

It was railtour duty on June 26th with 25168 & 25293 working an M&GNJRS charter roundtrip between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog, the train having started from Euston.

On July 18th 25168 was stabled at Chester.

On October 11th 25168 worked the 16.00 Crewe - Cardiff.

25168 and another Class 25 was at Caldon Low on November 29th.

1977
On February 26th 25168 was noted at Newport with a Scunthorpe - Cardiff Tidal sidings freight carrying steel bars for the GKN works. Later that night 25168 & 25075 were stabled at Severn Tunnel Junction.

At about 1pm on May 2nd 25264 & 25168 were noted light engines at Sutton Bridge Junction.

On June 12th a circular tour involving two trains, one from Kettering, one from Oakham, destined for Minfford and Blaenau Ffestiniog. 25168 & 24036 were noted roundtrip on the Llandudno Junction - Blaenau Ffestiniog legs of the circular tours.

On July 2nd 25168 was noted at Chester with a parcels train.

1978
On July 28th 25168 was noted passing through Colwyn Bay with a brakedown crane and three support vehicles.

The first week of August 1978 produced many passenger workings in North Wales for 25168. The busy week started on August 2nd with the 16.58 Holyhead - Stoke-on-Trent. The next day (3rd) 25168 worked the 13.30 Manchester Victoria - Llandudno Town. Then followed the same diagram on the 4th, 7th & 8th: the 09.42 Llandudno Town - Manchester Victoria, 13.30 Manchester Victoria - Llandudno Town, 16.42 Llandudno Town - Crewe, 20.30 Crewe - Bangor and the 22.45 Bangor - Llandudno Junction, a daily passenger mileage of almost 350 miles. On August 9th 25168 & 25165 worked the 10.45 Birmingham New Street - Holyhead from Crewe returning with the 19.32 Llandudno Town - Crewe.

25168 was noted at Cardiff Canton depot on August 24th.

1979
At about 10am on February 9th 25168 & 25156 passed through Crewe station with up empties, taking the Stoke line.

On March 2nd 25168 was noted at Chester with a southbound freight.

25168 was light engine at Manchester Victoria on March 31st.

On the morning of July 15th 25131 & 25168 were noted at Peterborough stabling point.

25168 was the Manchester Victoria banker (T42) on August 5th. On August 16th the 11.30 Bangor - Manchester Victoria failed at Chester behind 25241, the train was dragged by 25168 to Manchester Victoria.

On September 27th 25168 & 25221 were southbound through Kidsgrove with mineral wagons.

On the morning of November 3rd 25168 was noted at Crewe on up empties, by the early evening 25168 was stabled at Ebbw Junction.

On December 13th 25168 was called out to rescue a lunchtime Worcester - Hereford multiple unit which had run into cows near Ledbury. 25168 took the multiple unit to Hereford, both remaining here overnight before leaving for Bristol.

1980
25168 was the Manchester Victoria banker on March 1st.

On April 23rd 25168 was stabled at York.

The 07.35 Nottingham - Llandudno Town and 13.00 return on August 23rd was worked by 25168.

This year again saw the 09.42 Llandudno – Manchester and 13.42 return, 16.42 Llandudno – Crewe and 20.30 Crewe – Bangor back in the hands of diesels, usually Classes 25 or 40. This service utilized the stock off the SO York – Llandudno which laid over for the week at Llandudno. On August 28th 25168 & 25216 worked the 20.30 Crewe - Bangor.

25168 was noted at Llandudno Junction with a permanent way train on November 22nd.

1981
On March 28th 25168 was eastbound at Abergele with a breakdown train.

On June 26th 25168 was noted at Ulverston with a mixed freight.

1982
1982 produced a small variety of passenger workings. On January 18th a diesel multiple unit failure saw 25168 work a morning roundtrip Llandudno Junction - Blaenau Ffestiniog.

On February 27th 25168 was the Manchester Victoria banker.

On March 2nd 25168 was on banking duty at Manchester Victoria.

25141 & 25168 were noted northbound at Crewe with hopper wagons on April 5th.

On June 4th 25168 was stabled at Cockshute. Three days later on June 7th 25168 worked the 11.05 Crewe - Cardiff. Five days later on June 12th 25168 & 25049 worked the 10.10 Euston - Aberystwyth forward from Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury, en-route 25049 failed at Wolverhampton and was dragged to Shrewsbury.

Photograph collection of webmaster.
25168 & 25049 at Birmingham New Street on June 12th 1982 having taken over the 1J24 Euston - Aberystwyth which they will work to Shrewsbury, although 25049 will fail at Wolverhampton.

On the late afternoon of July 20th 25138, 25168, 25187, 25202 & 25210 were stabled at Cricklewood.

On August 1st 25168 was stabled at Cockshute. On August 20th 25168 worked the relief 15.10 Crewe - Llandudno Town. Further reliefs were worked on August 25th, being the 11.00 Llandudno Town - Crewe and 15.10 return.

The final recorded passenger workings for 25168 took place over the Settle & Carlisle on September 17th & 18th, working the 17th's 08.57 Leeds - Carlisle (45049 worked the return leg) and the 18th's 08.57 Leeds - Carlisle and 15.37 return.

On October 12th 25168 was at Workington with a freight.

1983
25168 was noted at Wigan NW with a lengthy train of hopper wagons on March 4th.

On March 7th 25168 worked a Preston Deepdate - Warrington Arpley coal empties and also a Chorley MOD - Warrington Speedlink.

25168 was noted Warrington on northbound parcels May 7th 1983.

The Shopping Proposal dated May 13th 1983 for 25168 changed its status to scrap. The locomotive had been stopped at Crewe depot on May 12th 1983 because the overspeed trip failed to shut down the engine, the turbocharger was seized, possibly hydrauliced. Contained in the proposal were the following details:

Last Classified Body Repair: July 10th 1979
Loco miles since last Classified repair: 111,000
Duty hours since last Classified repair: 4,711
Last C Exam November 2nd 1982
Last D Exam April 8th 1982
Next exam due (E) 4,950 hours.

The proposal also indicated the locomotive components included:
Engine: VA807B
Generator: P 72897
Bogie No.1: 5010/155
Bogie No.2: 5010/156
Traction Motor No.1: 271483
Traction Motor No.2: 271404
Traction Motor No.3: 267200
Traction Motor No.4: 264522
Last bogie change: Derby Works July 10th 1979.
The locomotive batteries were still fitted.

25168 was withdrawn on May 22nd 1983.

Photograph collection of webmaster
An undated view of 25168, presumably near the end of its career. The boiler room grilles have been sheeted over.

Not all known passenger workings are recorded on this page.

41/3927.
flk 0722 (1)

Page added June 12th 2013.
Last updated January 5th 2024.

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