1966
These four Type 2's were part of a batch of thirteen (7598 - 7610) Derby built locomotives destined for Tinsley (41A). The frames were laid down during January/February with delivery occurring during March & April. They did not remain here for long, by June all four had been moved to Barrow Hill (41E). By the end of the year they had moved on again, this time to Haymarket (64B).
1967
7605 & 7607 were noted at Derby Works during February. On March 20th D7606 was noted on the morning freight from Millerhill to Penicuik with six wagon and a brake van. Within a week this line between Hawthornden & Penicuik would be completely closed.
1968
A failure on the Waverley route involved D6861 failing at Hawick with the 16.45 Millerhill Carlisle freight, D7607 was commandeered from the following freight, which was sidelined at St Boswells with Millerhill sending out D1745 to take that over.
1969
After thirty months operating on the Scottish Region all four were transferred to the Nottingham Division (D16), 7605/07/08 in June and 7606 in July.
1970
7605 was noted at Derby Works during February, whilst 7606 visited there during October.
Two moved to the Birmingham Division (D02) during 1970, 7606 in November & 7607 in December.
1971
7605 was present at Derby Works during September.
The stay of 7606 & 7607 at Birmingham was brief, during January they both moved to the London Division (D01). At the start of the winter timetable the both moved to the Nottingham Division (D16).
The second Class 25 to be withdrawn was green liveried accident damaged 7605. At 06.15 on December 16 in a violent collision at Lenton South Junction (Nottingham) ladder crossover, the 01.30 Liverpool - Nottingham parcels train, hauled by 7605, collided head on with a southbound coal train led by 8115 & 8142. Regrettably both drivers and the guard of the parcels train were killed. The severely damaged 7605 was initially moved to Beeston Freightliner terminal, then onto Derby Works where it was withdrawn in March 1972 and broken up the following month. This was the shortest lived of any Class 24/25, with a working life of six years and three months. The inquiry established to investigate the incident failed to positively identify the cause, but believed the driver of the parcels train had cancelled a number of AWS warnings without heeding the signal aspects displayed.
Photographer unknown at this time.
Photograph courtesy webmaster Sam of the fotopic 'Wayfarer' site.
A very battered 7605 waits at Derby during March 1972 for repair - a repair that will never come.
1972
During April 7606 & 7607 returned to the Birmingham Division (D02), but by July they were back at Nottingham (D16).
1973
The Liverpool Division (D08) received 7606 & 7607 during January, by September they were transferred to Willesden. They stayed here briefly, during October it was back to Toton!
Shades of the future were witnessed in the arrival of Class 31 5522 during August at Cricklewood, being transferred in from York. This was the first of the class to be permanently allocated to the LMR. With more Class 31s due to arrive the Class 25s were intended for Scotland, releasing Class 37s to the ER. Concurrently Doncaster was beginning a program to fit electric train heating equipment to the Class 31s, with 5521 being the first. As if in protest on August 2nd a morning Peterborough - Kings Cross service was worked through out by 5190 & 7608.
1974
25256 visited Crewe during November & December.
25256 & 25257 moved to Bescot during March. The pair were finally split in October when 25257 moved to Haymarket, the next month it was back at Longsight.
On October 17th Bescot based 25257 arrived at Inverness on a freight whilst further south 25232 rescued an ailing 37219 at Carlisle on the 4E75 Glasgow Stockton freightliner taking the train onto its destination.
1975
25257 was noted at Derby Works during January.
The Walsall Yarmouth had arrived with 25136 & 25258, the former locomotive three days earlier had been seen at Basingstoke coming off the Reading line.
1976
25257 was at Derby Works during February.
25256 was transferred to Cricklewood during May.
1977
25258 was present at Derby Works during March & April.
Class 25s were frequent visitors to Cambridge on the 05.10 parcels from Peterborough, so noted were 25154 (9th) and 25257 (12th). August 14th found 25081 & 25157 on a Birmingham - Barmouth special.
1978
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Its May 10th 1978 as 25258 & 25320 pull a long train of hoppers northwards from Toton. |
Trouble on December 16th involved a return Mountsorrell Radlett working which became derailed on leaving Radlett in charge of 25258 & 31299, the slow lines blocked for seven hours.
1979
A test train of Laboratory coaches, APT vehicles and an HST trailer was worked from Derby via Reading to Exeter on March 12th by a Class 47 but came back to Derby behind 25258 & 25311.
The maintenance dispute brought many strangers into South Wales including a number of Class 25s. So noted towards the end of March were 25294 on the 14.46 Great Bridge Llandeilo flats (21st), 25177 on oil tanks to Llandarcy oil terminal (April 2nd) as well as a number of light engine movements west of Cardiff, 25256 & 25312 (10th) and 25184 & 25194 (12th).
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25257 approaches Manchester Victoria with a parcels train on May 15th 1979.
Photograph courtesy Paul Corrie |
25258 was present at Derby works for N4 repairs from December 1979 to February 1980.
Photograph courtesy Gordon Hayers (from abpr posting)
25256 works its way around St Pancras station on a sunny clear morning, date unknown. The locomotive was one of a number to receive a major repair at Crewe Works, the repaint mirrored that of the Class 47's, particularly in the placing of the number.
1980
There was a multitude of Class 25s in the area of Bushey & Oxhey station from February 17th onwards following the dramatic derailment there of the 16ths 20.25 Euston Manchester due to a track defect. The locomotive 87007 was the only part of the train to remain on the tracks, four of the MkIII coaches ended up on their sides, with one (M12162) bringing down the overhead gantries, which blocked the slow lines. Most fortunately there were only minor injuries. Three breakdown cranes attended, from Bescot, Finsbury Park brought in by 25279 & 25256, and Old Oak Common arrived behind 25152 & 25189. The slow lines were reopened late on the 17th, the dc lines late on the 19th, the fast lines by the 25th. Spoil trains used 25222 & 25243 and 25130 & 25173, this first pair returned with track panels on 21st, followed by 25256 on the re-wiring train.
The annual holiday fortnight at Leicester beginning July 15th saw a reinforcement of services through the city that day. Amongst many workings the 08.02 Walsall Yarmouth was worked by 25254 & 25258 with a relief 10.03 service handled by 25143 & 25129.
On August 25th the 07.30 Birmingham Newcastle and 13.40 return to Swansea were in the hands of 25257 & 25301.
25257 was moved to Springs Branch during October.
25258 was noted at Derby Works for an N6 repair during November.
1981
25258 moved to Springs Branch during May.
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25256 & 45052 catch the sun at Tyseley on September 6th 1981.
Photograph courtesy Jerry Glover. |
1982
Late in February lifting of the Three Spires Jct Gosford Green branch began, the demolition train on February 23rd was handled by 25256.
During October 25257 & 25258 moved to Crewe.
The daily Whitemoor Bury St Edmunds freight utilised whatever March depot might have available, on November 5th 25257 handled the turn, Classes 31 & 40 were also regular performers.
1983
25206 & 25117 came to the rescue of 56031 on July 19th after the Class 56 suffered a turbo-charger failure working an ARC stone train at Verney Jct, the Class 25s taking the working to Wolverton and then the broken Class 56 to Bletchley for examination. The following ARC stone train stopped on the Bletchley flyover, the two Class 37s were removed, ran forward to Bletchley to pick up 56031, all returning to the WR on an empty working. 25256 arrived to take the loaded train forward to Wolverton, not surprisingly making hard work of the heavy load.
25256 moved to Crewe during July, bring 25256 - 25258 together for one last time.
Other Class 25 haulage at the end of August featured 25323 on 22nds 15.38 Carlisle Edinburgh, which started this day from Newcastle due to a derailment at Corbridge whilst 25257 hauled 27ths 18.45 Liverpool Manchester Victoria.
1984
25258 & 25288 came to the assistance of 86222 in the late evening of May 26th after the Euston Manchester was targeted by vandals, the driver requiring assistance from an ambulance crew. The Type 2s were replaced at Rugby by another electric locomotive.
25257 was withdrawn during February and stored at Bletchley, it was moved to Toton with 08019 on March 21st but was later reinstated to Crewe during July.
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A hazy August 18th 1984 finds 25256 passing Uppermill (near Diggle), possibly with an ecs working.
Photograph courtesy J Davenport. |
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A simple portrait of 25258 at Cockshute on November 12th 1984.
Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer. |
25258 was withdrawn during December.
1985
March & April saw another six machines withdrawn including 25256 which had run ten years and five months since its last overhaul!
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25257 & 47189 at Springs Brnch depot on a very wet Saturday March 23rd 1985.
Photograph courtesy Steve Houlker. |
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April Fools Day 1985 finds 25256 at Crewe Depot, having just been taken out of service.
Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond. |
25140, 25239/258 were moved as the Carlisle Bescot Swindon during March 20th April 3rd picking up 08599 at Bescot.
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25257 drifts past Wigan Springs Branch with a Speedlink service on August 8th 1985. 25257 has about four months left in service.
Photograph courtesy Phillip Moore. |
25257 was stored unserviceable during October and finally withdrawn on December 3rd.
1986
25054, 25229/256 were moved as the 10.20am 9Z38 Crewe Gresty Lane Doncaster Works on January 24th.
25258 was broken up at Swindon during February.
During March the two remaining featured locomotives moved to Works, 25078, 25195, 25257/287 as the 9Z34 Toton Doncaster Works on March 3rd and surprisingly 25214 & 25256 as the 9Z33 Doncaster Works Gloucester - Swindon Works over March 20th/21nd. Shortly after these moves Doncaster ceased cutting up locomotives leading to 25060/078, 25195, 25257/287 moving to storage at Goole Docks during August.
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The end of the line for 25257 at Doncaster Works, April 27th 1986. Surprisingly it would not be cut up here, after further storage at Goole it would be one of many to be cut up at Vic Berrys.
Photograph courtesy Paul Bettany. |
Once a new location had been found for the disposal of existing scrap locomotives 25060/78, 25195, 25257 were moved as a Goole Tinsley - Vic Berry, Leicester movement over October 29th-30th.
October saw 25256 broken up Swindon, 25257 lasted a little longer, being broken up by Vic Berry, Leicester during January 1987.
Undated Views
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25256 provides a nice portatrait outside Springs Branch depot, date unknown.
Photograph courtesy Ian Mawson. |
