1959
The New Year brought a request from the Southern Region to borrow locomotives for a short period pending the arrival of the BRCW Type 3's and the completion of the North
Kent electrification scheme. The LMR obliged by sending fifteen new Class 24's to Hither Green (73C), with D5003/05 making their way south via the Midland mainline on January 24th. Upon arrival on the Southern Region D5000/01
were used for crew training in the Ashford - Ramsgate - Dover - Faversham area. It was well known that these early machines were considerably overweight, to alleviate this D5002 - D5006 had their steam heating boilers removed, giving these five machines a slightly better route availability.
During March the Type 2's continued driver training, in the process of which D5003 failed on March 4th near Faversham, being assisted to the shed by the following two coach instruction
train. Investigation by a fitter the next day found an electrical circuit had been closed accidentally, resetting the switch brought the engine back to life.
One of the duties that eventually befell the Hither Green based Class 24's was to handle the boat trains from Folkestone. The stock was brought up the steeply graded branch from Folkestone Harbour by steam locomotives, with the diesels backing onto the train alongside the mainline east of Folkestone station.
The Type 2's shown here are 5003 & 5004, close investigation of the photograph reveals they have had their boiler water tanks removed (along with their boilers), as one of the measures taken to reduce their axle loading whilst working on Southern metals.
On July 3rd D5001/09 were noted on an educational excursion routed via the East Putney line bound for the SE Division - they could also be found working excursions to the Portsmouth & Southampton areas.
The summer season Margate - Birkenhead had been in the hands of the Type 2's from June 15th, working as far as Redhill, noted on the first four days were D5001/02/05/04. On the heavier Saturday working double heading was frequent.
1960
D5002 visited Derby Works several times in the first half of the year, being noted there in January, March & August. D5003 made a brief visit to Derby Works in February, it also received a temporary transfer to Crewe (5A) during April, in order that the steam heating boiler might be refitted, then it was back to the Southern Region, the SR CM&EE had eased up somewhat on the weight restrictions for this class.
Because of their presence on the Southern Region the Class 24's were now frequently visiting Eastleigh Works for repairs, D5003 was present in October and D5001 in November.
The evening mail trains on the South Eastern Division were regularly hauled by Type 2’s, during December they featured in an unusual ‘push-pull’ maneuver in the Redhill area. Amongst trains affected were the 11.50pm London Bridge – Deal and the 9.28pm Margate – Cannon Street, both running via Redhill. Engineering works required use of the Quarry Line, necessitating the use of a steam locomotive on the Earlswood – Redhill section to draw the train backwards. On December 9th this move featured D5000 on the Deal and D5002 on the Margate. The SR civil engineer had recently permitted the use of the BR/Sulzer Type 2’s over Blackfriars Bridge & Coldharbour Lane Bridge, this would allow use of these machines on cross-London freights from Finsbury Park, replacing the J50’s.
1961
Typical of the winter duties for the SR Type 2's was the use of D6538 & D5003 on February 26th's down Golden Arrow, the Type 2 supplying the steam heat. D5003 visited Eastleigh Works during October whilst D5002 stopped by in November.
1962
The Southern Region was now over its temporary shortage of power, the Kent Coast scheme was up and running and the Type 3's were now being recieved from BRCW's Smethwick plant. Hence the loaned
LMR Type 2's started to migrate back to depots north of the Thames, with D5001 going to Willesden (1A) during August. A visit was made to Derby Works in October and November for repairs, whilst here it was transferred to Watford (1C).
D5003 returned to Willesden (1A) in March, but by June Rugby (2A) had become its new home, where it was also joined at this time by D5002 direct from the Southern Region. D5003 spent much of June & July at Derby Works.The returning Type 2's replaced steam on the Birmingham - Coventry - Rugby locals, D5003/05/11/17 were allocated to Rugby for this purpose, though machines from Willesden frequently filled in.
For the steam fleet at Rugby this had a major impact leading to the retirement of its unrebuilt Patriots, with 45505/10/15/17/37/38/41/42/48 condemned during July/August, being quickly dispatched to Crewe for breaking up.
1963
D5001 returned to Willesden (1A) in February, then north to Crewe (5A) during August, then back to Willesden (1A) in September, the last two moves made with D5000. A brief visit
was made to Derby Works in November.
D5002 spent from January to July at Derby Works, whilst D5003 was present in January & February and also in September, November & December.
1964
Early summer for D5001 (May - July) was spent at Derby Works, D5002 spent October & November at Derby.
During June excursions from the Derby area to the North Wales resorts were hauled by D5030 & 5002 (14th), D5260 and D5279 (both 21st).
1965
In January D5001, along with D5000/04/09/20/21/23 moved to Camden (1B), and then with D5000/04 it was back to Willesden (1A) in February. A brief time in March was spent at Derby Works.
D5002 & D5003 moved to Bletchley (1E) during June. D5002 was at Derby Works during October.
1966
Derby Works was once again visited by D5001 during March & April, it was during March that a transfer was made to Bescot (2F) (with D5012).
D5002 transferred to 1F during March.
1967
The completion of the electrification out of Euston, with the local services in the hands of the AM10's and the continuing arrival of the later Derby & Beyer Peacock built non-boilered, dual braked Class 25's to work the local parcels & freight workings found the Class 24's virtually redundant. However in the North West
steam was still very active, so late in 1966 a mass exodus commenced with many Class 24's headed north to the Stoke Division (D05), although it is with Crewe that they would be long remembered. D5001/02/03 made the move north in April in conjuction with D5000 - 5010 & D5057 - 5060.
The recently improved LM electric service suffered a major disruption on February 28th following a collision at the Birmingham end of Stechford station, at the junction of the Aston loop line. The 13.15 Manchester - Coventry powered by green liveried AM4 026 traveling at about 70mph ran into the side of D5002 running light, coming off the down line of the Aston loop. The locomotive escaped major damage but the two leading coaches were seriously damaged, the driver, W D Burt of Stoke on Trent was killed in the wreck along with eight other passengers. Several other Stoke drivers learning the road were seriously injured. All lines were blocked with much damage to the overhead equipment. It took the permanent way department three days of hard work to clear the wreckage and make the lines reusable. The leading coach of the AM4 unit, M75670 was cut up on site whilst 70493, 61638 & 75690 were removed to Wolverton where the badly damaged 70493 languished, not being broken up until 1976. Stechford had seen a similar collision on March 4th 1962 when 46150 on a Holyhead - Broad Street meat train had a sidelong collision with the 16.35 Birmingham - Coventry dmu at Stechford No 2 box, the line being closed for eighteen hours.
When the head shunter at Stechford allowed D5002 to begin its unusual run-round manouevre (this would normally have been accomplished by using the Grand Junction line platforms, but today the train was too long for the siding) the action contravened the operating procedures for this location. Such run-round manouevres were permissible, but they were for emergency situations only and required the authority of the Regulator at Birmingham New Street power box - this manouevre met neither of these conditions and should have been approached by splitting the train and using the cross overs at the Coventry end of the station. Although New Street power box was contacted to allow the release of the local ground frames the full detail of the manouevre was not communicated to the staff involved.
With the locomotive now in motion proper operating procedures would still have brought to light the dangerous position the locomotive was in. Confusion over the meaning of a hand signal issued by the head shunter, believed to be intended for the guard, but witnessed by the second man led to the locomotive moving off towards Stechford station. At this point the driver was still in the cab used since leaving Coventry, with the locomotive now in reverse the leading cab should have been occupied by an authorised person, however the secondman was in the same cab as the driver, leaning from the cab door watching down the line as it curved back towards Stechford station.
Perhaps the most frightening observation came to the secondman on the approach to the diamond crossover - their intended route was blocked by a Birmingham bound multiple unit waiting in the down platform for departure. On seeing this the driver was told to stop as something was very wrong, of course driving the locomotive from the rear cab had probably not revealed the full nature of the dangerous position they had placed themselves, especially now as the locomotive had come to an almost complete stop on the diamond fouling the 'up' Stour Valley line. Should anyone have been watching this movement on the panel in New Street box it must also have seemed that something was seriously wrong.
That D5002 had almost completely come to a stop on the diamond crossover was the worst of all situations, to have stopped short or to have cleared the crossing completely, whilst still a dangerous situation would have removed the locomotive from harms way in relation to traffic on the 'up' line, which was operating as if there was no conflicting manouevre at Stechford, because the staff at Stechford had not properly advised New Street power box of their intended actions. What the crew of D5002 now intended to do in light of this precarious situation was not allowed to unfold as the sudden arrival of the Coventry bound service ended the normality of this day at Stechford.
Eight lives were lost in a situation that had been reviewed when the line had been modernised & electrified, a review which effectively banned the manouevre from day to day operations. But only a short while after the inception of the new electric services the 'banned' manouevre takes place suggesting that no matter how one might strive to make things as safe as possible, that success will be only brief & temporary.
D5002 was present at Derby Works during May.
1968
5002 was at Derby Works during September.
Photograph courtesy the Rex Conway collection
A day trip to somewhere picks up passengers at Sutton Park, possibly destined for one of the Cambrian coast resorts. The lead locomotive is a rather grubby D5002, still pretty much in original condition apart from small yellow warning panels.
1969
The original order of D5000 - 5019 lacked certain refinements/improvements added to the later members of the Class. Thus when a surplus of Type 2's occurred as a result of shrinking freight traffic, service cutbacks and line closures, the original twenty were prime candidates for taking out of service. Thus
in January 5000/01/05/10/19 and 5090 (accident damaged) were withdrawn, 5001 being at Crewe South when withdrawn, & later joined by 5013. As the year progressed others of this batch went in to storage at various locations, 5002 was stored in January at Chester with six other Class 24's. However an upturn in traffic on the Eastern Region and the loss of five Class 24's in a runaway accident at Chester saw
authorities searching for a means to cover these demands.
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A fine sunny view of D5001 in storage at Crewe in the summer of 1969. The locomotive has now acquired the smaller water tank, compare with the early B&W view of D5001 at Camden. Also different is the yellow warning panel, the 1969 view has squared corners rather than rounded.
Photograph courtesy Grahame Wareham.
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Back in service after a brief spell stored at Chester D5002 basks in the sun at Crewe in the summer of 1969.
Photograph courtesy Grahame Wareham.
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During the summer, with the exception of 5005, those of the first twenty that had been withdrawn or stored were re-instated. For 5001 this meant a trip to Derby Works, an overhaul being carried out from September - November, whilst in the Works it was transferred with 5000/09/13/19/90, in October, to Leeds Holbeck (55A).
1970
For 5003 January & February were spent under repair at Derby Works.
1971
During March 5002 & 5003 moved north to Eastfield (65A), these were part of a large group of locomotives sent north to assist the authorities in removing the remaining Claytons and North British types. In October the Eastern Region transferred a number of Type 2's to the Scottish Region, not only the 'recent' ex-LMR machines but also some of the 'long stayers' that had been at Gateshead for many years. The locomotives transferred
to Polmadie (66A) were 5000/01/10-19/73/90, 5096-5101, 5112/113. Others also moved north to Eastfield (65A).
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By the summer of 1971 5002 has been through a major repair, evidenced by the sheeting over of the gangway doors and the plating over of the handholds to the roof level waterfiller. The positioning of the blue star coupling code symbols and the centered center discs indicated that Glasgow handled the last major repair. The white discs have also received a black edging. The builders plate has been moved from the cabside to the door.
Photograph courtesy Grahame Wareham.
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1972
In March Polmadie shed closed, its entire allocation being re-distributed with 5001, amongst many others, going to Eastfield (65A). The Blackpool Illuminations over the weekend of September 23rd/24th provided a wide variety of specials in to the area. Perhaps those with the most interesting motive power came from Scotland, noted were 5096 & 5001 and 5178 & 5385 on two of the ten specials from north of the border.
1974
All three locomotives were renumbered during April.
1975 - 1977
After an absence of six years 24001 returned south to the LMR during January, this time Longsight became its new home. Accompanied by 24004/005 its stay here was very brief, returning to Eastfield (with 24004) during February. This would be its last move, for it became one of the many to be stored and withdrawn during the summer.
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The storage of many Class 24's in the summer of 1975 found long lines forming at Crewe, Kingmoor and at several Scottish locations. Here, (viewed on 28 October 1975), 24001 will remain for almost two years before heading south to Doncaster. It has exchanged its split frost screen for the more normal solid mesh panel.
Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer.
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Its October 21 1975 and 24003 waits at Glasgow Works for its demise. However it had one more journey to make for it would be at Doncaster where the end finally came. Just visible at the far end is evidence that 24003 carried is split frost screens to the end.
Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer. |
With the WCML electrification complete and its resultant cascading of locomotives creating a surplus in the lower powered category the decision was made to store/withdraw the greater part of the Class 24 fleet. This occurred during the summer of 1975 with 24001/02/03 stored in July, by August 24003 was withdrawn, followed by 24001/02 in September. All were initially stored at Carlisle Kingmoor. By October 24003 had been moved to Glasgow
Works for spares removal. On January 23rd (or possibly in December 1975) the first batch of withdrawn Class 24's from Scotland headed south, with 24003/12/18/96 comprising a St Rollox - Doncaster special. By February 1st 24012 had entered Doncaster Works, however 24003 would linger until July when the cutters at Doncaster finally did the job, ending
an existance for 24003 of about eighteen years.
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24003 awaits time at the back of Doncaster Depot on May 21st 1976. Still carrying one of its split frost screens, also the headboard brackets and the additional ventilator unique to the early build. After visits to Eastleigh, Derby & Glasgow its left to the works at Doncaster to end the career of D5003. |
On March 15th 1976 24002 moved with 24004/10/11 from Carlisle to Glasgow Works, where it would be stripped of spares and broken up there during July 1977 - when broken up this left only one Class 24 remaining on Scottish soil, the heavily vandalised 24006 at Eastfield.
Carlisle Kingmoor remained the temporary home for 24001 until the call to the scrapper was made on October 26th 1977 when 24001/072 & 24148 moved south as the 9Z14 07.00 Carlisle - Doncaster. This was the first time that a scrap convoy of Class 24's had moved south from Kingmoor, all previous movements had been to take the scrap Class 24's to Glasgow, perhaps they no longer had need of the spares or that Doncaster would retrieve them for re-use. After an existance of nineteen years Doncaster Works quickly reduced 24001 to just so much scrap during November.
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Its November 6, 1977 and 24001 awaits the attention of the cutters at Doncaster Works. Within a matter of days 24001 will be no more.
Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer. |
Undated Views
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5001 presents a fine study, possibly at Camden, date unknown. It is however fairly early on as the Type 2 still has its roof mounted water filler cover still in place, these did not last long in service.
Photograph courtesy Malcolm Lowe.
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