The sixteen year five month career of D7654/25304 was spent allocated to a modest selection of London Midland Region depots.
Built: Beyer Peacock, Manchester (Works No. 8064).
Final exhaust roof panel: raised 'L' shape.
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: 86 months.
Time between withdrawal & scrapping: 30 months.
Allocations
D7654 was new to the London Midland (Midland) Lines on June 24th 1966. Further transfers were:
August 1967 to Birmingham Division (D02).
June 1968 to Stoke Division (D05).
November 1968 to Nottingham Division (D16).
November 1970 to Liverpool Division (D08).
January 1971 to Manchester Division (D09).
May 1973 to Longsight.
October 1975 to Crewe.
Withdrawn November 28th 1982.
Renumbered April 1974.
25304 was the 155th Class 25 withdrawn, one of twelve retired during November 1982.
After withdrawal 25304 was stored at Crewe until moved to Derby Works during March 1983. On February 5th 1985 it moved to Swindon Works and was broken up there by the middle of June 1985.
Works Visits
Works visits (records incomplete).
Noted Derby Works September & October 1971 (accident repairs).
Noted Derby Works April 1973.
Noted Crewe Works September 1975 (full repaint).
Highlights
1966
D7654 was one of a batch of seven delivered to the London Midland (Midland) Lines allocation, with D7654 placed into service during the last week of June.
On September 3rd the 10.15 Glasgow Central - Euston was worked between Beattock & Carlisle by D7654, which had replaced D148. On September 15th empty coaching stock was noted arriving at Swindon from the Gloucester direction with D7654, the locomotive returned north light engine.
On the afternoon of December 5th D7654 was on a down freight at Derby.
1967
On the morning of July 13th D7654 was up light engine at Longton. On this day the 09.20 Crewe - Derby multiple unit suffered a serious failure shortly after leaving Stoke. It sat for about 20 minutes before D3799 with brakevan propelled the unit to Longton. Here the passengers were detrained, having to wait for the following service, the 10.20 Crewe - Derby.
On August 6th D7654 was southbound at Sheffield with passenger train 1M85, with blue/grey & maroon stock. The paintwork looks very fresh so could be 1966 not 1967.
On the morning of October 29th D7567, D7649, D7653 & D7654 were stabled at Bescot.
1968
On the evening of August 3rd D7654 was at Crewe with the 1P39 15.27 Euston - Heysham parcels. This was the last day for regular standard gauge steam hauled passenger service on British Railways.
On the afternoon of September 16th 7654 was southbound at Preston with a parcels train.
On the morning of October 26th 7654 was stabled at Crewe.
1971
At about 7.50am on Friday July 23rd a Rose Grove - Padiham coal train failed to stop whilst attempting to gain access to the power station lines and ran away down a siding, eventually running through a set of buffer stops, derailing the locomotive, 7654 and seven loaded coal wagons. The driver and shunter jumped from the locomotive cab sustaining minor injuries. A third man, the guard? also jumped but was uninjured. The damage sustained by the No.2 cab was sufficient to see the locomotive sent to Derby Locomotive Works for repair, where it was noted September & October.
1972
7654 was the Manchester Victoria banker (T43) on August 11th.
1973
7654 was briefly at Derby Works during April.
A new Freightliner service was established between Forders siding, Bedford and Trafford Park/Garston. The route out was via the Midland line and the Hope Valley route, returning over the WCML. From the beginning of the service Class 25s were used, with 7592, 7654/55 frequently being noted.
At about 9.30am on July 27th 7654 was noted at Chinley with a down hopper train.
At about 6pm on September 13th 7654 was noted at Manchester Exchange waiting to work a down van train (4P05).
At about 5.30pm on October 12th 7654 was noted at Patricroft with up stone empties.
1974
On August 9th four parcels vans became derailed around midnight on the south end catch points of the down main south of Quintinshill. A train hauled by 86042 was propelling a failed freight train into Quinstinshill down loop. On reversing its train back onto the mainline the four parcels vans became derailed. The Carlisle breakdown crane was in attendance hauled by 25304 and rerailed two of the vehicles, the Eastfield breakdown crane took care of the other two derailed vans. Rerailing and other clean-up had been completed by midday on August 10th.
1975
On January 21st 25304 was noted at Manchester Victoria.
On May 16th 25304 was noted at Manchester Victoria.
25304 visited Crewe Works for repairs during September, the following month it was transferred to Crewe, this was 25304's last transfer.
1976
At about 9.30am on February 14th 24032 + 25304 were at Birkenhead North with iron ore for Shotton. At about 8am on February 28th 24036 + 25304 were noted at Birkenhead North with iron ore for Shotton.
On April 14th 25304 was noted at Exeter with the 7M67 10.30 Exeter Riverside - Walton Old Siding freight.
On June 21st 25304 was eastbound at Bangor with a mixed freight.
On July 25th a Weston-super-Mare - Aberystwyth day excursion was worked roundtrip by 25304 & 25125.
1978
On June 19th the 09.42 Llandudno Town - Manchester Victoria was worked by 25304.
On August 8th 25304 was noted westbound at Guide Bridge with loaded coal wagons.
25304 was the Manchester Victoria banker (T42) on December 26th.
1979
25304 was stabled at Chester on February 24th.
On the evening of May 23rd 25304 was noted arriving at Llandudno Junction with an up freight.
25304 was stabled at Crewe station on Sunday July 15th. On the evening of July 20th 25304 & 25293 were noted at Crewe with a down coal.
On September 15th the 15.40 Manchester Victoria - Bangor was worked by 25304.
25304 & 25292 were stabled at Cockshute on October 4th. 25304 was stabled at Reddish on October 28th.
The 15.15 Plymouth - Manchester Piccadilly was worked by 25304 between Gloucester & Birmingham New Street on November 20th.
25304 was stabled at Chester on December 16th. Two days later (18th) 40116 failed near Llandudno Junction with the 07.47 Manchester Victoria - Bangor, 25304 dragged the service to Bangor.
1980
On May 16th 25304 was shunting the Watery Road Goods Yard, Wrexham. 25304 & 40091 were noted leaving Cockshute yard with an up freight, possibly a lengthy engineers train on May 30th.
On September 14th 25304 was eastbound at Manchester Victoria with parcels stock. On September 30th 25323 & 25304 worked the 6L44 09.30 from Carlisle Yard - Heysham conveying loaded BP TTV tanks off the 6M34 03:30 Grangemouth - Carlisle Yard service. Before dropping off the loaded Grangemouth tanks in the depot for unloading, the empty Shell tanks from the previous day's 6P37 service from Stanlow were moved by the Class 25s to the harbour sidings.
25304 was stabled at Cockshute on October 4th.
1981
25304 was noted at Shrewsbury with a loaded ballast train on February 14th.
25304 was noted passing through Guide Bridge on April 16th with a load of empty 16ton mineral wagons.
On May 16th the 'Salopian Steam Special' with 4498 required the assistance of 25304 up Miles Platting bank.
On the early afternoon of June 4th 25304 was noted at Preston with an up van train. June 27th saw 25304 & 25275 working the 07.40 Euston - Aberyswyth forward from Wolverhampton and returning with the 16.05 to Wolverhampton.
On July 7th 25304 was noted at Northampton on a freight off the Bridge Street branch.
25304 worked an unidentified Blackpool North - Preston service on August 1st. On August 28th 25304 was at Burnley Central yard with a cement train.
On September 30th 25304 was westbound at Manchester Victoria with a rake of Mk1 coaches.
25304 was noted at Newcastle station on November 14th (attached to a diesel multiple unit?).
1982
25304 was at Carlisle Kingmoor on February 13th.
On the afternoon of May 28th 25304 was at Leamington Spa with a permanent way train.
This would be the last summer in service for 25304, it managed quite a variety of passenger workings during this period. On June 19th 25304 & 25270 worked the 07.40 Euston - Aberystwyth forward from Wolverhampton, returning with the 14.00 to Shrewsbury. Unfortunately 25270 was removed at Machynlleth leaving 25304 to take the train forward alone. On July 31st the Manchester Victoria pilot - 25304 - was used to rescue an ailing diesel multiple unit on a late evening Manchester Victoria - Southport service. The Class 25 worked the train to Wigan where a replacement was waiting, 25304 then reversed its route to get the defective set back to Newton Heath. Four days later on August 3rd 25304 worked 10.45 Manchester Victoria - Holyhead and the return the 15.17 Holyhead - Manchester Victoria.
25304 worked a Manchester Piccadilly to St Pancras parcels (to Derby?) on July 22nd. 25304 was noted at Stalybridge on July 31st and was later noted as the Manchester Victoria pilot, whilst on this duty it was called to assist the 22.35 Manchester Victoria - Southport multiple unit which failed west of Brindle Heath. 25304 took the unit to Wigan Wallgate, where a replacement was waiting, the Class 25 then taking the failed unit back to Newton Heath.
On August 3rd 253045 worked the 15.17 Holyhead - Manchester Victoria, deptising for a Class 40. 25304 was the Manchester Victoria banker on August 6th.
On September 9th 25304 was noted at Severn Tunnel Junction with possibly the 14.30 6M35 13.10 Westbury Up Yard - Ellesmere Port East Sidings mixed freight, comprised of about thirteen vehicles (high sided hoppers and oil tanks).
Somewhat off the beaten track on September 17th 25304 covered for a diesel multiple unit failure on the 16.33 Cheltenham Spa - Swindon! The next day (18th) it was coupled to 25194 to work the 07.40 Euston - Aberystwyth forward from Wolverhampton, coming back with the 14.00 to Shrewsbury. By the 27th it was on the 04.27 St Pancras - Derby newspapers, on the 30th it was on the 15.02 Manchester - Bristol parcels which included some preserved stock.
Possibly the last passenger working for 25304 was on November 2nd when it rescued a Morecambe - Leeds diesel multiple unit, bringing the service into Leeds. 25304 was withdrawn in November and dumped at Crewe.
25304 was withdrawn on November 28th 1982.
1983
In February withdrawn 25304 was moved from Crewe to Derby Works.
1985
After three years rotting at Derby 25304 became one of the hulks towed to Swindon for final cutting, the movement took place on February 4th & 5th and included 25036/049, 25150, 25228/253/277 25304/317/320 as the 9X12 Derby - Swindon. By the middle of June 25304 was no more.
Distinguishing Features
No.1 cab: driver's cab side: unusual position of TOPS panel, below the number but almost flush with the corner: September 1975 until withdrawn.
Three piece miniature snowploughs fitted: February 1979, July 1979, Not fitted October 1979.
21/1600
flk 0122
Not all known passenger workings are recorded on this page.
Page created February 2nd 2002.
Page updated May 13th 2023.
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