D5139, 5139
D5139, 5139

The eight year ten month career of D5139 was spent allocated only to London Midland Region depots.

Allocations

The frames for D5139 were laid down at Derby Locomotive Works during August 1960, D5139 was new to Longsight (9A) on October 29th 1960. Further transfers were:

June 1968 to Manchester Division (D09).
November 1968 to Stoke Division (D05).
July 1969 to store.
August 10th 1969 withdrawn.

After withdrawal 5139 was stored at Chester with the other Type 2s damaged following the runaway iron ore train incident. During February 1970 the engines, generators, radiators and other equipment was removed from the locomotives using a large Cowans Sheldon crane. It is presumed these components were for reuse by British Railways. The stripped carcasses were later sold to J Cashmore, Great Bridge during April 1970, being finally dismantled during June 1970 at Great Bridge.

Works Visits

Works visits (records incomplete).

Noted Derby Works June 1961.
Noted Derby Works August 1962.
??Derby Works 1968/1969 received blue/yellow livery

Highlights

1960
After completing nineteen Class 24s (D5114 - D5132) for the Scottish Region, Derby Locomotive Works continued the order with ten Class 24s (D5133 - D5142) for Longsight (9A).

1961
At about 1pm on August 18th D5139 was noted at Watford Junction with a Euston - Northampton service.

1962
Condition November, green livery with small yellow warning panels, curved upper corners, bottom of warning panel only partially covers frame level stripe, shortened fuel & water tanks, engine exhaust in original position, hand/footholds present, no blanking plates, ridge sided sandboxes, two-rung bogie mounted footsteps. (Similar condition also for June 1963).

1964
On May 21st D5139 worked the 4H03 19.56 Northampton - Manchester freight.

1965
On July 2nd D5139 worked the six coach Watford Junction? - Bletchley.

1966
On January 30th D5139 worked the 01.17 Manchester Piccadilly - Guide Bridge (to Sheffield Victoria?).

On the afternoon of December 17th D5139 was at Stockport with a down parcels.

1967
On the evening of April 14th D5139 was noted passing Park (Manchester) with an up freight.

On the evening of June 12th D5139 was noted passing Park (Manchester) with an up freight.

Photograph courtesy Don Swindell.
D5139 in the steam shed at Buxton on August 23rd 1967.

D5139 worked the 17.45 Manchester Victoria - Glasgow Central as far as Preston on October 31st.

1968
On the afternoon of January 27th D5139 was at Stockport with the empty coaching stock from a Euston - Manchester relief.

On Sunday June 16th D5055, D5063, D5136, D5139, D5200, D5210, D5242 & D7546 were stabled at Newton Heath shed.

1969
Chaos reigned at Chester in the early hours of July 9th after the 02.25 Birkenhead - Etruria iron ore train, weighing approximately 1,000 tons and hauled by Class 47 No.1617 was reported out of control, headed towards Chester station. Fortuitously the Mollington box signalman, who had accepted the ore train to his outer home signal, was allowing a locomotive from the coast line (Mold Junction) onto Chester shed. The light engine crew saw all was not well with the iron ore train and stayed put on the down Birkenhead. The iron ore train ran through all the signals at danger and took the route set for the light engine onto the shed. Two locomotives and eleven wagons were derailed, with 5031/43/93 & 5138/39 extensively damaged. The crew of the iron ore train escaped major injury, though were treated for shock, not surprisingly. The latter four machines were quickly placed to store at Chester and then withdrawn during August, joining stored machines 5007/10/17/19 already there.

1970
During February the most seriously damaged Class 24s at Chester depot - 5043/93, 5138/39 were moved to sidings near the station, here a large Cowans Sheldon crane was used to remove the engines, generators, radiator equipment and other parts, presumably for reuse by British Railways. Parked with them were retired Class 12 shunters 12036/37/48. These Class 24s were all later sold to Cashmores, Great Bridge, eventually towed there and scrapped in their yard during the summer of 1970.

Of the locomotives involved in the collision, D5139 was probably one of the most seriously damaged, with major damage to both cabs and buffer beams. There appeared to be frame damage at the No.1 end. Of the locomotives involved D5139 appeared to have been the most recent to receive a Classified repair.

Condition final: blue/yellow livery, gangway doors not removed, two numbers on each bodyside, BR emblems on each cabside, most valencing still present, shortened fuel tank - fitted with circular gauge.

Photograph courtesy Alistair Holt / KDH Archive.
A bright, sunny day at Chester sometime in 1969 reveals a busy scene. In the center are the remains of 5139. The major components have removed for reuse by BR, what remains will be taken to Cashmores, Great Bridge and scrapped.

flk 1121

Page added August 25th 2016
Last updated October 8th 2022.

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