1965
D7550 was under construction at Derby between February & May. It was delivered during June to the Nottingham Division (M16), later transferred to the Leicester Division (D15) during October, and then back to the Nottingham Division (M16) later that same month.

1966
July to September were spent at Derby Works (collision repairs?).

1967
During December D7550 & D7551 moved to Carlisle (12A).

1974
25200 was expected at Derby Works for a General Repair including the fitting of dual-braking equipment during the summer, however the locomotive did not enter the Works until October for these repairs.

This summer reprieve allowed 25200 & 25209 to work a Derby - Skegness round trip on June 29th.

1976
Kingmoor’s 25200 arrived at Exeter on August 13th with the regular freight from Severn Tunnel Jct, the next day it was in use on passenger services over the Barnstaple branch!

Here is borrowed 25200 at Crediton on August 14th 1976 working the 13.40 Exeter - Barnstaple. Photograph courtesy Peter Lovell

1978
During August 25200 was active on the North Wales mainline on both 18th & 22nd working the 11.11 Manchester Victoria - Holyhead throughout.

1979
25200 was noted at Derby during December 1979 and January 1980 for a General Repair.

25200 & 25247 doubled headed August 11th's 10.15 Scarborough - Birmingham New Street. The failure of 86257 on November 3rd's 11.00 Euston - Birmingham New Street somewhere in the Coventry area found 25200 & 25039 coming to the rescue, taking the service into New Street.

1980
April Fool's Day was a challenge for 47474 when it failed on an early morning Barrow - Preston service, 25200 was on hand to take the train on into Preston.

25200 visited Derby during December 1980 and January 1981 for N4 repairs.

1981

25200 in No.8 Shop at Derby Works on January 24th 1981 undergoing N4 repairs. To the right is HST power car 43133. Photograph courtesy Barrie Watkins.

Two seaside visits were made by 25200 at the end of May & beginning of June. On May 30th it was off to Yarmouth (well at least to Norwich and back!) with 25182. The next day it was a round trip Leicester - Skegness, still with 25182. And finally on June 6th it was back on the Derby - Yarmouth service with 25215, however the Type 2's got no further than Nottingham where they were failed and replaced by 47334.

1982
At the beginning of the summer season 25200 made several trips over the Cambrian lines. On June 5th it was coupled to 25048 to work the 07.40 Euston - Aberystwyth forward from Wolverhampton. The return journey to Shrewsbury was marred by the failure of 25048 before the climb to Talerddig. The following weekend (12th) it was joined with 25154 to work the 10.10 Euston - Aberystwyth from Shrewsbury returning with the 16.05 to Shrewsbury. The next day the same pair worked the 08.45 Birmingham New Street - Aberystwyth forward from Shrewsbury and covering a round trip Aberystwyth - Machynlleth service before heading back east with the 18.15 Aberystwyth - Euston as far as Wolverhampton.

Photograph courtesy Mr B.The driver's desk and controls of 25200.

25200 was at Derby Works from September 1982 to January 1983 for collision repairs.

25200 awaits entry into Derby Works on September 18th 1982. Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer.

1983
It was railtour duty for 25200 & 25086 on May 14th with the 'Amlwch Pioneer' which had started from Euston and utilised the Class 25's between Rock Ferry & Wolverhampton.

On August 14th 25200 & 25193 were busy between Rugby & Bletchley assisting three services around engineering work which required the power to be off.

It was another visit to the Cambrian lines on September 3rd with 25212 on the 10.10 Euston - Aberystwyth forward from Birmingham New Street. They returned eastward with 17.15 Aberystwyth - Manchester Piccadilly as far as Crewe, the train being extended due to late running.

On December 20th power was off on the WCML in the Watford area, 25200 was used to assist the 22.10 Euston - Fort William service to Rugby (?).

1984
During March 25200 was at Derby Works for N6 repairs.

May 19th found 25200 visiting Parkeston on the early morning passenger from Wolverhampton, having replaced a failed Class 31 at Nuneaton, it returned west on the booked passenger to Peterborough.

Preston continued to see Class 25’s on passenger duty, the 16.20 Glasgow to Liverpool on Fridays produced 25200 (May 18th) & 25054 (June 1st), whilst the 18th also produced 25173 on the 17.03 Euston – Blackpool, normally a Class 47 turn. On June 22nd 25200 rescued an ailing late evening Altrincham - Crewe emu service at Sandbach, taking the service on to Crewe.

The failure of 40143 on August 20th's 09.13 Carnforth - Liverpool caused 25200 to fill in.

The failure of a dmu on November 19th's 07.45 Blackpool Manchester Victoria was covered by 25200. Three days later whilst in charge of the morning Bangor - Bletchley vans 25200 became a total failure on the Northampton line south of Rugby. A following diverted Liverpool – Euston service pushed the failure to Watford Lodge loop, rescue eventually coming in the shape of 31178.

Two further rescues occurred during December, on 15th the 08.40 Euston - Wolverhampton with 81002 failed at Leighton Buzzard, 25200 worked the train forward to Bletchley. And on December 21st a Class 47 expired on the 20.00 Cardiff - Crewe at Craven Arms, 25200 & 25145 took the service forward to Crewe.

1985
When an afternoon Preston - Barrow dmu failed before departure on January 25th 25200 was ready to work the service to Barrow.

On March 3rd 25200 assisted an afternoon Hadfield - Manchester Piccadilly service forward from Guide Bridge.

Visitors to Severn Tunnel Jct included 25276 on March 6th leaving with the Mossend vans including a dead 47606, on March 21st 25196 & 25200 worked this service.

Early morning travellers on June 2nd had the delights of 25200 on the 04.31 Crewe - Preston relief.

Photograph courtesy Paul Bettany.25200 at Crewe on July 14th 1985.

Ladywell Sidings, Preston on Sunday July 21st 1985 with 25200, 47150 & 47069 awaiting their next turn of duty. Photograph courtesy Steve Houlker.

On August 3rd 1985 Hertfordshire Railtours ran Maxwell's Silver Hammer railtour out of Euston to the Maxwelltown/Dumfries area. From Euston to Wigan North Western 85035 was in charge, at Wigan 20104 & 20090 took over, running via Clitheroe and the S&C to Carlisle. Here 25286 & 25200 were waiting to work to Dumfries, where the train was Top'N'Tailed to Maxwelltown by the Class 25's. Then it was back to Carlisle for the same Class 20's to return to Wigan via the WCML, with 85035 doing the honours back to Euston. Two days later 25200 assisted the 13.45 Lancaster - Carlisle dmu forward from Barrow after it got into difficulties.

When 47453 failed at Chester on September 3rd's 10.10 Holyhead - Euston 25200 & 25176 worked the train forward to Crewe.

A regular evening Newcastle – Carlisle – Euston ecs working frequently used Class 25’s, 25200 so noted on September 21st.

The TOP's report indicated 25200 was stopped for the final time on October 31st 1985 with 39 hours due before its next 'A' exam, but was overdue its next 'E' exam by 1,736 hours (about two months). It was moved to Derby Works being noted there during December.

1986

Whilst in the Works investigation of the extensive power unit damage indicated repairs would be uneconomic and withdrawal occurred in February. However 25200 would surrender its bogies to 25190 which was possibly the last working example to visit Derby Works.

	Derby Works February 15th 1986, a layer of snow can't hide the fact that 25200 has run its last mile and is now awaiting a tow to the scrapper. Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond.
	Derby Works March 15th 1986. Photograph courtesy Jerry Glover.

1987

Derby Works finally lost its connection with the Type 2’s (after almost 30 years) when 25200 was towed away, with other locomotives to Vic Berry’s on the morning of January 19th.

The convoy consisted of 25200, 40075, 45057, 45117, leaving Derby on January 19th and reaching Vic Berry's Yard on January 27th, - 47199 was used to haul the dead locomotives..

By February 1987 25200 had been broken up.

Undated Views

	A somewhat murky shot of D7550 still in two-tone green, date and location not recorded. Photograph courtesy E A Woods.
	25200 at Manchester Victoria, apparently in charge of a Freightliner working, date unknown. Photograph courtesy Ian Mawson.

With thanks to Alan Baylis for the passenger working details.

Page added May 5th 2006
Page last updated March 7th 2010.

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