A photograph depicting the type of duty which was very familiar to the BR/Sulzer Type 2's, though one which probably gave the accountants a heart attack. 25268, date and location unknown shows off well its corporate blue livery, although this side of the locomotive is missing the BR 'double arrow'.

1966
Laid down at Derby Works during April delivery was in August, delivered to Eastfield (65A). Their work however was primarily in the Ayr region, allowing for the replacement of steam at Ayr and Hurlford. This batch represented the only Class 25's delivered new to the Scottish Region.

1968
D7615 - D7623 remained on the Scootish Region until the summer of 1968 when all were transfered to either the Preston (D09) or Manchester (D10) Divisions, D7618 moved in August to D10. They stay here was brief for in November 7616 - 7623 were transferred to the Nottingham Division (D16).

1969
November saw contractors working on the dismantling of the old GC line between Rugby & Leicester. The recovered materials were destined for the permanent way yard at Lenton, necessitating the use of a train to remove the materials. Class 25's were mostly used, 7618 being observed on November 16th.

1970
After two years at Toton a short move was made to the Birmingham Division (D02), accompanied by five others.

1974
May was spent at Derby Works under repair, which included the addition of dual braking equipment.

1977
A brief visit was made to Derby Works during April.

1979
August - October were spent at Derby Works as it received it's last general repair. On December 13th 25268 worked the 15.15 Plymouth - Manchester north of Gloucester after 46039 was declared a failure.

1980
February 2nd found 25268 arriving at Sunderland on the 21.40 parcels ex Bristol. It remained in the area being noted on the 15.45 Tyne - Carlisle on February 4th.

1981
When the 21.24 Coatbridge - Felixstowe failed at Peterborough on February 12th behind a Class 47 the only available power was 25268 which took the train to March where 37171 was added, the Type 2 being removed at Ipswich, returning west light engine. During May a transfer was made to Carlisle Kingmoor. On the last day of July the Friday's only Reading - York was extended to Newcastle and was worked by 25268 & 25285, they returned the next day on a Newcastle - Poole relief. On August 17th an excursion from Banbury to Aberystwyth used 25242 & 25268 throughout. After a brief stay at Kingmoor 25268 moved south to Springs Branch during September.

1982
A transfer to Crewe took place in October.

1983
On 7th a Paddington - Bewdley special arrived behind 25236 (failed) & 25235, having taken over from 92220 'Evening Star' at Dorridge, the return working being taken by 25202 & 25268 as far as Swindon, where 47508 took over for the return to Paddington. The 15.02 Manchester - Bristol parcels continued with Class 25 haulage, on November 15th 25154 failed on this working at Hereford, remarkably 25244 was available to take the train forward, the following day 25268 was in charge. After this date Class 47's took over possibly because of the heavier pre Christmas parcels traffic. Also working over this route were 25296 & 25268 on the recently reactivated Ellesmere Port - Exeter tar tanks, working through to Exeter on December 13th.

1984
An unusual pairing on November 13th's evening Aintree - Garston freightliner was 25268 & 47190. A Scottish passenger working on September 24th involved 25268 on the 16.10 Edinburgh - Liverpool as far as Carstairs. Railtour duty befell 25268 & 25297 on October 12th taking over the 'East Anglian Ltd' Cardiff - Norwich special at Coventry for the run to Liverpool Street. Stratford declared 25297 a failure, 31144 substituted for the return to Coventry. This first week of December saw the afternoon Manchester - Bristol parcels almost totally in the hands of the Class 25's, so noted were 25268 (3rd), 25307 (4th), 25259 (5th), 25279 (6th) and 25288 (10th).

1985
The changing nature of the organisaton of British Rail led to a new idea, one of Sectorisation, which in its most visible form saw the creation of specialised locomotive pools to handle specific traffic flows, with the locomotives renumbered to recognise this fact. These pools would handle a variety of traffic flows. One such pool was established at Motherwell in March 1986 for British Steel traffic using dedicated Class 37/3's, whilst in April 1986 eight Class 20/3's were fitted with modified triple valves for handling limestone traffic from Tunstead.

However the original pool, based at Kingmoor Yard was created late in 1985 involving a dozen Class 25's for dedicated freight traffic in the north west, the locomotives owned by a BR subsidiary, Railhaul Ltd. All the remaining Series 3 machines were load bank tested at Crewe depot, with cylinder peak pressure, electrical machine condition and tyre wear being closely checked. Twelve were selected, with six spare and given 'E' exams at Crewe or Carlisle to handle traffic for the Chemicals sub-sector based at Kingmoor. They were restricted to 60mph to mitigate traction motor problems and were to receive preferential maintenance. They began their duties during December 1985 with the re-numbering of 25283 to 25904 but the traffic they were assigned to handle diminished rapidly. ICI lost the rock salt contract from Over & Wharton, sulphur imported through Mostyn Dock ended in 1987. The Speedlink traffic between Dumfries and Carlisle came under critical review and the proposed purlite and sugarstone traffic never materialised. Regional control at Crewe established some diagrams based on Warrington and Garston, involving much oil traffic out of Stanlow. Once this particular 'Sectorisation' plan was cancelled the BRB mandated the Class 25/9's be treated like any other Class 25.

Thus in November 25286 was re-allocated to Carlisle Kingmoor, as were all the Class 25/9's, with 25286 renumbered to 25902 during December.

1986
The 09.38 Swansea - Shrewsbury was noted at Craven Arms on May 24th with 25268 hauling dmu set C802.

1987
On January 20th 25902 attended to a derailment near Dee Marsh Yard with the Crewe breakdown crane, which in the course of the recovery itself became derailed.

By March 25902's career had come to an end, being stored at Crewe Basford Hall. After three months storage 25902 travelled with 25059, 25323 & 25904 to Vic Berry's, Leicester June 3rd-6th, becoming part of the infamous stack. In this view 25902 is nearest the camera on the top row.

	25268 passes Wigan on August 8th 1985. During the closing months of 1967 & 1968 the north-west became the final stronghold for steam, their duties rapidly taken over by, amongst others the Class 25's. Now almost two decades later the Class 25's are in a similar retreat, their final days spent generally on duties in the north-west. Photograph courtesy Phillip Moore
	25902 rests at Springs Branch on November 16th 1986, now very much in its closing months of existance. Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer.

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Page updated October 25th, 2001