damaged class 20, damaged class 37, damaged class 40, damaged class 50

Some troubled Class 20/37/40/50's

**Page updated July 25th 2004 (views of 6854, 37011, 37073, 37157, 40111 & 40164)**

From the time since they were constructed there was always the risk of any locomotive getting into a contretemps with others, or for those machines with a glint of wanderlust in their cab windows to choose to beat their own path, often with dramatic results. This is not to make light of those railway workers that were injured or lost their lives in service to the railways, rather a look at the results of the unexpected happenings.

Apologies for the poor quality on some of these pictures, sometimes that was all you could get. For the photographs below click on the small image to get a full size picture

For such a large class of locomotives the Class 20's did remarkably well to survive intact until early in 1976 when the first members of the Class were withdrawn. Those first withdrawals included 20012/14/18/38/62/74 and were principally because of their condition rather than accident damage. Although these six machines were all withdrawn from Toton, all but 20062 made the journey to Glasgow Works for breaking up. 20062 remained at Derby, broken up there in August 1979.

The Class 20's

The Class 20 fleet remained intact until January 1976 when the first of the Class was withdrawn. The locomotive was 20074 and is seen here at Derby on May 22nd 1976, with a somewhat droopy cab. Surprisingly, withdrawn 20074 was moved to Glasgow Works, to end its days as a 'Christmas Tree' of spare parts, cut up finally sometime during November 1976.

Crewe Works plays host to 20081 on October 8th 1978, having received a well placed hole in the cab roof.

Another machine with minor cab damage on this Crewe Works visit on October 8th 1978 was 20097.

In the finest tradition of any visit to Glasgow Works it was necessary to encounter a lot of rain. On this fine summers day, June 27th 1981, a deluge of biblical proportions has descended upon our party, however this was no deterrent for a card carrying member of the anorak brigade. Here 20219 falls to a number of soggy cameras, perhaps the damage sustained came from an even heavier Scottish downpour.

Class 37's

New July 2004 6854 does it the hard way at Quintinshill, the locomotive survived an expensive repair visit to Doncaster Works.
Photograph courtesy collection of Steve Morris

New July 2004 Despite their reliability there came a point in time when even the Class 37's proved to be expendable. One of the first to go in the TOPS era was 37011 seen here in Crewe on May 2nd 1987 looking a little the worse for wear.
Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond

37011 stands withdrawn in Crewe Works on July 4 1987
Photograph courtesy Adrian Healey

37024 displays a rather crumpled bufferbeam at York on July 9th 1980.

One of Gateshead's fleet stands at Blyth Cambois on May 25th 1974. 37066 carries a blanking plate over one of its box headcodes, clearly lightning does strike twice as this plate now has a good sized dent in it!
Photograph courtesy Neil Phillips.

New July 2004 A slightly dented 37073 stands at Gateshead on April 26th 1986 awaiting tow to Doncaster Works for first aid.
Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond.

37148 is seen at Polmadie on July 5th 1980 with a scraped nose end.

New July 2004 Another major surgery victim seen at Doncaster, this time its 37157 on July 7th 1985.
Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond

New July 2004 Its now February 23rd 1986 and 37157 has had its damage repaired and is at Crewe for a repaint, also present is 25259, in the works to pick up some ex-works locomotives.
Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond

One of the structural problems that afflicted the Class 37's was that of the nose ends beginning to sag as the locomotives aged. The damaged sustained by 37218, seen here at Doncaster on February 20th 1977 has no doubt been exacerbated by some overzealous shunting perhaps.

37218 again with more collision damage, seen here awaiting repair, Doncaster Works August 5th 1979.

37228 looking rather sorry for itself at Doncaster Works on January 18th 1981.

A slightly earlier view of 37228 at Doncaster, October 5th 1980.

Cardiff plays host to crumpled 37232 on January 29th 1978 as it awaits a move to Doncaster Works.

The sagging nose syndrome is revealed all to well in this view of 37239 taken at Crewe Works on February 18th 1984
Photograph courtesy Adrian Healey.

Doncaster Works April 12th 1980 finds 37295 in for a face lift.

37300 reveals damage that has probably a very simple explanation to, Doncaster Works May 2nd 1976.

Class 40's

40044 although battered and bent after running away with a limestone train at Chinley, will live to see another day, Crewe Works November 26th 1978.

New July 2004 40111 displays its damage after the rear end collision at Lunan Bay.
Photograph courtesy collection Steve Morris

Coming to the rescue of the failed 10.15am Aberdeen - King's Cross on October 26th 1975 near Lunan Bay, the rescuing locomotive 40111 ran into the standing train due an error in identifying the location of the failure. Regrettably one passenger was killed and over forty injured. Seen here at Crewe Works on January 18th 1976, it too will live to see another day.

40137 awaiting scrap at Swindon Works, for all to see at their Open Day, June 6th 1981.

40139 Crewe Works on November 10th 1979.

New July 2004 40164 is confined to the depths of Eastfield shed, the locomotive showing minor damage after being involved in a collision at Glasgow Queen Street.
Photograph courtesy cllection of Steve Morris

Another Open Day, this time Crewe September 1975 has on display 40189 derailed earlier in the year at Weaver Junction and ending up on its side. The locomotive had been working an 'up' Liverpool freight on August 6th 1975, as it left the flyover it was broadsided by another freight, throwing 40189 on it's side. Broken wagons dumped some caustic chemicals into the River Weaver, the river having been recently restocked with fish.

One more dull wet Sunday afternoon visit to Crewe finds 40190 withdrawn displaying minor damage, January 18th 1976.

40193 sits out in the weeds at Swindon Works on November 3rd 1984 awaiting the cutters torch
Photograph courtesy Adrian Healey.

Class 50's

50003 awaits fitting of a new cab front at Doncaster Works. I'm told the cylindrical object sitting on the floor is part of the silencer for a Deltic engine.

Two views of 50025 at Old Oak Common on August 20th 1990.
Photograph courtesy Robert Inns.

No repairs here for 50025, the locomotive has run its last mile. The locomotive would be cut up on-site by Vic Berry.
Photograph courtesy Robert Inns.

Return to Picture menu
Return to Home Page


	The Class 20 fleet remained intact until January 1976 when the first of the Class was withdrawn. The locomotive was 20074 and is seen here at Derby on May 22nd 1976, with a somewhat droopy cab. Surprisingly, withdrawn 20074 was moved to Glasgow Works, to end its days as a 'Christmas Tree' of spare parts, cut up finally sometime during November 1976.
	Crewe Works plays host to 20081 on October 8th 1978, having received a well placed hole in the cab roof.
	Another machine with minor cab damage on this Crewe Works visit on October 8th 1978 was 20097.
	In the finest tradition of any visit to Glasgow Works it was necessary to encounter a lot of rain. On this fine summers day, June 27th 1981, a deluge of biblical proportions has descended upon our party, however this was no deterrent for a card carrying member of the anorak brigade. Here 20219 falls to a number of soggy cameras, perhaps the damage sustained came from an even heavier Scottish downpour.


	New July 2004 6854 does it the hard way at Quintinshill, the locomotive survived an expensive repair visit to Doncaster Works. Photograph courtesy collection of Steve Morris
	New July 2004 Despite their reliability there came a point in time when even the Class 37's proved to be expendable. One of the first to go in the TOPS era was 37011 seen here in Crewe on May 2nd 1987 looking a little the worse for wear. Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond
	37011 stands withdrawn in Crewe Works on July 4 1987 Photograph courtesy Adrian Healey
	37024 displays a rather crumpled bufferbeam at York on July 9th 1980.
	One of Gateshead's fleet stands at Blyth Cambois on May 25th 1974. 37066 carries a blanking plate over one of its box headcodes, clearly lightning does strike twice as this plate now has a good sized dent in it! Photograph courtesy Neil Phillips.
	New July 2004 A slightly dented 37073 stands at Gateshead on April 26th 1986 awaiting tow to Doncaster Works for first aid. Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond.
	37148 is seen at Polmadie on July 5th 1980 with a scraped nose end.
	New July 2004 Another major surgery victim seen at Doncaster, this time its 37157 on July 7th 1985. Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond
	New July 2004 Its now February 23rd 1986 and 37157 has had its damage repaired and is at Crewe for a repaint, also present is 25259, in the works to pick up some ex-works locomotives. Photograph courtesy Ian Hammond
	One of the structural problems that afflicted the Class 37's was that of the nose ends beginning to sag as the locomotives aged. The damaged sustained by 37218, seen here at Doncaster on February 20th 1977 has no doubt been exacerbated by some overzealous shunting perhaps.
	37218 again with more collision damage, seen here awaiting repair, Doncaster Works August 5th 1979.
	37228 looking rather sorry for itself at Doncaster Works on January 18th 1981.
	A slightly earlier view of 37228 at Doncaster, October 5th 1980.
	Cardiff plays host to crumpled 37232 on January 29th 1978 as it awaits a move to Doncaster Works.
	The sagging nose syndrome is revealed all to well in this view of 37239 taken at Crewe Works on February 18th 1984 Photograph courtesy Adrian Healey.
	Doncaster Works April 12th 1980 finds 37295 in for a face lift.
	37300 reveals damage that has probably a very simple explanation to, Doncaster Works May 2nd 1976.


	40044 although battered and bent after running away with a limestone train at Chinley, will live to see another day, Crewe Works November 26th 1978.
	New July 2004 40111 displays its damage after the rear end collision at Lunan Bay. Photograph courtesy collection Steve Morris
	Coming to the rescue of the failed 10.15am Aberdeen - King's Cross on October 26th 1975 near Lunan Bay, the rescuing locomotive 40111 ran into the standing train due an error in identifying the location of the failure. Regrettably one passenger was killed and over forty injured. Seen here at Crewe Works on January 18th 1976, it too will live to see another day.
	40137 awaiting scrap at Swindon Works, for all to see at their Open Day, June 6th 1981.
	40139 Crewe Works on November 10th 1979.
	New July 2004 40164 is confined to the depths of Eastfield shed, the locomotive showing minor damage after being involved in a collision at Glasgow Queen Street. Photograph courtesy cllection of Steve Morris
	Another Open Day, this time Crewe September 1975 has on display 40189 derailed earlier in the year at Weaver Junction and ending up on its side. The locomotive had been working an 'up' Liverpool freight on August 6th 1975, as it left the flyover it was broadsided by another freight, throwing 40189 on it's side. Broken wagons dumped some caustic chemicals into the River Weaver, the river having been recently restocked with fish.
	One more dull wet Sunday afternoon visit to Crewe finds 40190 withdrawn displaying minor damage, January 18th 1976.
	40193 sits out in the weeds at Swindon Works on November 3rd 1984 awaiting the cutters torch Photograph courtesy Adrian Healey.


	50003 awaits fitting of a new cab front at Doncaster Works. I'm told the cylindrical object sitting on the floor is part of the silencer for a Deltic engine.
	Two views of 50025 at Old Oak Common on August 20th 1990. Photograph courtesy Robert Inns.
	No repairs here for 50025, the locomotive has run its last mile. The locomotive would be cut up on-site by Vic Berry. Photograph courtesy Robert Inns.