1966
Laid down in the summer of 1966 at Derby Works as part of order No. 11001 these three machines were part of the order transferred from Beyer Peacock. D7664/65/66 were delivered from Derby during December with D7664 to London Division (D01) & D7665/66 to Nottingham Division (D16).

These machines were train air brake fitted and were delivered in blue livery with full yellow ends.

1968
Visitors to Southend during June were D5223 (3rd) on an excursion from Bedford and D7665 (16th) with an excursion from Northampton.

During December D7662 - 7665 were transferred to the Birmingham Division (D02).

1969
Another Class 25 to reach Paddington on a passenger working was 7666 on January 21st bringing in the 07.35 Oxford - Paddington after the booked locomotive, 1925 had failed. The Class 25 was manned by a Bletchley crew with a WR pilot, seven minutes were lost on the journey, final arrival was thirty five minutes late.

1970
7665 was noted under repair at Derby during June.

1971
7664 to moved to the London Division (D01) during May and was joined their by 7666 in July.

1972
One of my earliest recorded Class 25 haulages occurred on July 29th when I recorded 7663 & 7664 between Derby & Leicester (on the Yarmouth service?).

1973
It was a trip to the seaside (well almost) on August 4th when 5272 & 7665 worked the 08.30 Walsall - Yarmouth as far as Norwich, returning from there with the 14.30 return leg.

1974
In January 7665 moved to Willesden, then to Cricklewood in March and then back to Willesden in May.

1975
On April 4th two northbound services from St Pancras were Class 25 hauled, 25314 took the 17.13 to Leicester and 25285 & 25037 the 17.26 to Derby.

During June 25315 moved to Cricklewood.

A stranger on the 10.22 Worcester - Birmingham New Street service on September 16th was 25316.

1977
All three of the featured locomotives were at Derby Works this year, 25315 during January & February, 25314 during March & April and 25316 in June & July with collision damage, and later noted back at Derby in October. These were the last classified repairs for 25315 & 25316.

During the first week of June Cricklewood based 25315 was having adventures in the West Country leading the ecs of the 15.45 Lympstone Commando - Birmingham down the Exmouth branch, train locomotive 46004 was attached to the rear.

25314 & 25266 were noted on the last day of July assisting a southbound WCML service between Bletchley & Willesden.

It was another trip to the East Coast for 25316 & 25069 on August 6th working the 08.00 Walsall - Yarmouth as far as Norwich and returning with the diagrammed 14.15 to Walsall.

1978
25315 & 25270 had a couple of busy days in the middle of August, on 19th working the 09.19 Manchester Piccadiily - Yarmouth as far as Lincoln, and coming back with the 09.19 ex Yarmouth. Two days later the same pair worked a round trip Leicester - Skegness.

1979
All three locomotives again spent some time in Derby Works, 25314 during August & September with NC repairs, 25315 during the same period with power unit (N1) repairs and finally 25316 from December 1979 to February 1980 with N12 repairs.

1981
January 19th found 25315 in trouble on the northbound Fletliner, suffering a seized traction motor at Wellingborough. Assistance arrived in the shape of 47149, replacing the defective 25 and sister 25326.

In the early morning hours of February 8th 25316 assisted a southbound WCML service between Bletchley and Stonebridge Park due to the power being off for engineering work. This same locomotive handled a similar duty on March 29th, this time between Rugby & Bletchley.

Engineering work at Rugby on May 10th found 25316 assisting trains over a very short dead section in the vicinity of Rugby station.

On May 12th 85022, running light at Speke Jct, collided with 25316 & 25313 working the 00.19 Garston – Forders brickliner. 25316 sustained damage and moved to Derby Works two days later. It would spend from August to October under repair at Derby, surprisingly repairs were granted at a time when such damage would have condemned most Class 25's to the scrapheap.

May 16th saw a veritable feast of Class 25’s in passenger service in the Birmingham area including 25033 & 25314 taking over from 46023 on a Skipton - Bridgnorth special, the Class 25's working as far as Bridgnorth.

A week later on May 23rd 25314 & 25253 worked a round trip over the Cambrian lines, out from Wolverhampton to Aberystwyth and then back to Wolverhampton.

During the first week of August 25315 was active in the Exeter area, on 3rd being noted on a Barnstaple service.

On August 15th 25314 worked the 07.35 Nottingham - Llandudno Town and 13.26 return.

25315 was transferred to Toton during November, the same month it was noted at Derby Works for N6 repairs. On December 13th it was noted on the 02.25 Euston - Bletchley forward from Watford Junction.

1982
On February 27th 21.24 Bristol Temple Meads - Glasgow Central took banking assistance from 25314 for its ascent of the Lickey Incline.

On March 14th the 15.02 Manchester – Bristol parcels failed at Shrewsbury behind 25314, nearby 25318 & 25319 on a Cranmore – Ellesmere Port tank train took the parcels forward to Hereford. Here 25318 continued south, still with 25314 attached, whilst 25319 returned north to continue on with the tank train.

25315 assisted three services between Watford Junction & Willesden on August 22nd due to engineering work requiring the power to be turned off.

On August 20th 25316 worked the 08.35 Glasgow Central - Stranraer Harbour throughout.

On September 3rd 25315 made very heavy weather of the eleven coach 07.36 Northampton – Euston, the slow line was taken at Ledburn to allow the Class 86 powered 07.46 ex Northampton to pass!!

September 5th found 25314 at the southern end of the WCML assisting one southbound service between Watford Junction & Willesden because the power was off for engineering work.

	25314 Derby Works April 24th 1982. Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer
	25316 ?? September 12th 1982. Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer

1983

The 13.15 Stranraer Harbour - Glasgow Central featured 25315 & 26040 for the first leg of the journey to Ayr on January 19th.

25314 was withdrawn during March.

25316 was noted on March 6th's 02.35 Euston - Bletchley.

On May 3rd 25315 handled an extra Holyhead – Pengam freightliner.

25315 keeps company with 25249 and 25210 at Birkenhead on May 30th 1983. Photograph courtesy Jerry Glover

25316 & 25289 were in use on the Cambrian lines on June 4th, working the 07.44 Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth and coming back east with 10.10 Aberystwyth - Euston as far as Wolverhampton.

The 10.10 Euston - Shrewsbury utilised 25315 & 25259 forward from Birmingham New Street on June 18th.

June 23rd found Crewe depot sending withdrawn 25314/319 & 40007/019 eastwards, the Class 25's to Derby and the Class 40's to Doncaster. The Class 25's had been out of service for about three months and were received at Derby for generator and bogie work prior to their moving to Aberdeen to join ADB 97250 as generator vehicles. 25314 would become ADB 97252 but 25319 would not leave Derby as intended, eventually being scrapped at Swindon in December 1985.

During July 25315 was transferred to Crewe. At month end it was noted assisting an electric service between Bletchley & Rugby, the power was off for engineering work.

July 3rd's (?) 10.10 Euston - Shrewsbury featured 25305 & 25316 forward from Birmingham New Street.

25316 & 25239 assisted an electric service between Rugby & Bletchley on August 7th, with the power off for engineering work. Two days later the 07.34 Manchester Victoria - Liverpool was hauled by 25315.

A gloriously fine and sunny August 13th 1983 finds 25315 basking in the sun at Chester. Photograph courtesy Jerry Glover

By the end of September 25314 had reached Aberdeen Ferryhill, with work already underway on its conversion to ETHEL III

During the week before Christmas 25315 was noted on December 20th hauling an unadvertised Euston - Hemel Hempstead service, again power was off due to overhead line damage.

1984
On January 27th 25316 failed whilst working the Heysham - Tees ammonia train at Keighley. The locomotive was withdrawn and initially dumped at York before being moved to Doncaster depot. It was moved from here to Toton on March 21st and was re-instated back to Longsight during April.

The 'Anglo-Scottish Freighter' railtour started out from Marylebone behind 25316 & 25321 on May 4th, this pair working as far as Toton.

A phenomenon involving the Class 25’s was their popularity with a dedicated enthusiast following, one such group, the Midlands based ‘Rat Roadshow’ were usually found in various states of dereliction on many Class 25 hauled excursions and scheduled service trains. As evidence of their dedication to the cause an un-official headboard was frequently carried by the locomotive, one occasion being May 26th, when 25315/037 worked the 07.44 Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth and coming back with the 10.10 to Euston as far as Wolverhampton. 25315 would appear twice more this year on the Cambrian services - the following week (June 2nd) with 25265 and on June 9th with 25288, in both cases covering the same diagram as operated on May 26th.

July 19th's 14.00 Scarborough - Liverpool became a failure at Patricroft, here 25315 was added to 47567 for the run to Liverpool.

A working once familiar to the Class 25’s was seeing a greater use of other classes, the 18.12 Manchester – St Pancras parcels, as far as Derby. Noted during August were 25185 (1st), 25316 (20th) & 25249 (22nd) as were a number of the fast disappearing Class 40’s.

A dmu failure on August 25th found 25316 working the 11.25 Southport - York service throughout.

A Carlisle - Euston steam charter on September 15th utilised 25316 as far as Leeds, replaced here by a Class 31/4. And later in the month (29th) 25316 took over a Scarborough - Bangor service at Chester, returning with the diagram - the 17.32 Bangor - York as far as Manchester Victoria.

Pre-Christmas travellers on December 20th found 25316 working the 17.27 Leicester - Birmingham New Street, with a failed Class 31 and the stock of a late running Norwich train.

Christmas Eve travellers in North Wales had the delights of 25315 on an afternoon Llandudno Town - Scarborough service, the Type 2 replaced at Manchester Victoria by a Class 47.

1985
On February 2nd the 07.45 Cardiff - Manchester was worked by 25315 to Crewe, possibly the result of the failure of 33014. 25315 returned to Cardiff with the 12.30 ex Manchester Piccadilly.

February 18th's 17.25 Liverpool - Euston utilised 25315 & 25287 to Crewe via Chester, with a Class 86/2 taking over the train at Crewe. Five days later 25316 was in rescue mode at Kilmarnock assisting a Class 47 forward to Glasgow on an ex-Carlisle service.

A charter from Stranraer Harbour to Dover on March 7th was worked by 25315 & 27206 to Ayr where 20048 & 20137 took over.

On March 21st 25316 took out a morning freight to Margam, leaving with the next evening’s (22nd’s) empties to Great Rocks.

During May 25316 was transferred to Crewe.

May 3rd saw 25316 & 25313 working the Carstairs - Edinburgh portion of a relief service from Bristol. The next day a dmu failure on the 17.42 Carlisle - Newcastle was covered by 25316 throughout.

Frontline duty befell 25316 & 25257 on July 16th when they worked the 10.45 Euston - Ayr forward from Carlisle. The following week 25316 was back in action on Scottish passenger duties covering a round-trip Carlisle - Glasgow service on July 23rd.

25315 & 25286 covered the last leg of a relief Exeter - Edinburgh from Carstairs on August 5th.

A dmu failure on September 10th found 25315 covering the 07.47 Carlisle - Newcastle throughout whilst a similar event on September 29th ?? found 25315 on the 06.16 Barrow - Manchester Victoria service. Three days later on October 2nd 25315 worked three passenger services between Preston & Liverpool.

During November 25316 was busy over the North-West area, on 8th covering the 08.47 Holyhead - Newcastle between Manchester Victoria and Leeds Heckmondwick, on the 11th assisted a failed dmu between St Helens Shaw Street & Wigan NW and finally on 16th, with 25199 taking the 18.05 Euston - Barrow forward from Preston.

25315 & 25316 were transferred to Kingmoor in November, 25315 would be renumbered 25910 in November and 25316 to 25911 in December.

	25315 Cardiff February 3rd 1985 Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer
	25315 7L69 Willesden - Bletchley March 18th 1985 at Watford. Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond

1986
When 304013 working a morning Liverpool – Crewe service on May 30th failed at Ditton, the nearest help was 25901 & 25911, assisting to Runcorn where the service was terminated.

On September 28th 25910 & 25904 hauled 'The Mersey Ratcatcher' from Liverpool to Crewe via Chester.

25911 was placed in store during September

97252 was noted at Carlise Kingmoor during October for a generator exchange - after this it was forwarded on to Willesden on October 23rd.

	25910 at Warrington - August 24th 1986. In renumbering the locomotive the number has been placed lower down the cabside than other examples. Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer
	25911 at Kingmoor - October 30th 1986. Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer

1987
25910 (ex 25315) became one of the last remaining Class 25's in service, the following notes are from the TOPS reports for 25910 during its last three months.

The final days of 1986 and the first days of 1987 were spent in the Warrington area. On January 2nd 25910 was noted at Chester for inspection and repair having been involved in a fatality, no other details of this are recorded. On January 8th & 11th it was noted in the Llandudno Junction area. On the afternoon of 11th 25910 joined up with 25902 to work a job to Ellesmere Port. This pair would remain together at least until January, working jobs in the Llandudno Jct, Crewe & Warrington areas.

By January 23rd 25910 had been joined to 25912 working jobs to Deanside, Winsford, Over & Wharton and Garston to name but a few - how long this pair remained together is not known. By month end 25910 was running up the miles in the Warrington area.

For much of February 25910 was recorded working in the Llandudno Jct area, though by 24th it was stopped at Crewe with a compressor fault, repairs were expected to be completed by February 25th. 25910 came to the rescue of 47540 at Colwyn Bay on February 17th after the latter failed on a Holyhead – Stratford freightliner, both were replaced at Rhyl by 47140.

By March 3rd 25910 had reached Carlisle, with an 'A' & 'B' exam being carried out here. By March 6th 25910 was noted on the 6S81 Tyne Yard - Mossend. The next day it was back at Carlisle and then on to Warrington on the 9L63.

By lunchtime on March 18th 25910 had reached Crewe where it was taken out of service. On the morning on June 24th it was moved down to Basford Hall for storage. On July 16th 1987 25042, 25058, 25285 & 25910 moved as the 9L37 10.50 Basford Hall - Leicester Humberstone Road, this batch of locomotives were tripped to Berry's Yard on July 24th as the 9T16. By the third week of September 1987 25910 had been disposded of.

Basford Hall July 11th 1987 - 25910 awaits its final movement to the scrapper. Photograph courtesy ??

1988

97252 Willesden November 1988. Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond

1992

A bright and sunny February 25th 1992 finds all three Ethels dumped at Inverness, no longer with a purpose and waiting a tow to a scrapper - in this case MC Metals, Glasgow. Photograph courtesy Mike Cooper

1994
97252 (25314) was finally broken up at MC Metals during August 1994. Prior to scrapping its power unit was rescued for use in preserved 25244.

Undated Views

Aylesbury, the 1970's. Photograph courtesy Mark Cook.

With thanks to Neil Cannon for making available the TOPS reports for 1987.
And to Alan Baylis for many of the Class 25 passenger workings,

Page added August 5th 2006.

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