In a period view at Peterborough East D5054 awaits departure with an eastbound service. This
locomotive was new to Ipswich (31B) during December 1959, being one of a number of machines
used to dieselise East Anglia, one of the first areas in the country to have all its train services
in the hands of dmus or diesels. Presumably fom the condition of the locomotive it is not long out
of Crewe Works. The machines
coming out of Crewe had minor styling differences on such items as the sandboxes and fuel tanks. During early
1961 D5054 was transferred to Finsbury Park (34G), being featured frequently on the surburban services out of
Kings Cross.
From the Rex Conway photo collection
Another fine period view of sisters D5053 & D5054 on shed somewhere, perhaps March or Hornsey. The locomotives are not long out of Crewe Works, but enough time has passed for D5054 to have lost its curved roof panel that covered the boiler water filler.
During April 1968 the locomotive was transferred to Longsight (9A), then in September the Stoke Division (D05) became home,
the last move for this machine. Like many of the Crewe machines 5054 would be well travelled, along the North Wales coast to Holyhead,
over the Cambrian lines to Aberystwyth & Pwllheli, as well as much work in the Stoke and Birmingham areas.
Photograph courtesy R Riley
24054 sometime after its last visit to Derby Works during 1975.
The summer of 1975 found 24054 in Derby Works, no doubt for the last major attention it would receive. Typical of its final days, May 1st 1976 saw 24054 & 24133 in charge of a
Euston - Llandudno excursion from Crewe. By the end of May along with many others 24054 had been stored at Basford Hall, Crewe, official withdrawal came
in July 1976.
Photograph courtesy Tony Sayer
24054 awaits in the deadline at Crewe Basford Hall, July 26, 1976. Changes include the plating over of the footsteps to the roof mounted boiler water filler, the boiler room grille is now a solid panel and the boiler water tank fitted is now one of the smaller capacity tanks, evolved as a weight saving measure during the construction of the fleet. Also removed is the frame level skirting.
The intended mandatory trip to
Swindon did not occur, instead the other parts of the Western Region beckoned, for this machine and 24142 were selected to become
carriage heating units. They were taken west during August/September 1976. 24054 was renumbered ADB 968008. After some minor surgery including the fitting of eth jumpers the two units
took up their new duties at a variety of WR depots. Initially allocated to Penzance, it also saw time at Newton Abbot and Plymouth.
ADB968006 at rest at Newton Abbott
Photograph courtesy Adrian Healey
Mid September 1982 found ADB968008 on the move, headed for Cambridge to replace some of the equally ancient Class 31 heating units.
Also moved was ADB968009 (24142) to provide some spares. The move to Cambridge was shortlived, excessive noise proved onerous to
a nearby residential neighbourhood, so by mid December the Class 24 & two Class 31's were stored at March.
This tenuous 'life extension' brought it
to the attention of the preservation movement, who were able to secure it during October 1983, when 24054 reached the ELS at Bury, sadly 24142
did not, though before its destruction it yielded many parts for its sisters.
Interestingly all the preserved Class 24's are products of Crewe Works.
Photograph courtesy Mark Bennett
Better times at the ELR for 24054, the third Class 24 to be preserved.
Photograph courtesy Phillip Moore
Stranger times at the ELR, what a Class 24 might have looked like had they survived two decades longer! March 2002.
Page updated May 20th 2007
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