Lickey Incline
It was not long before the suburbs would fall away and more of England's 'green & pleasant land' would appear through the carriage window. Not so pleasant for the railway was the presence of the Lickey Incline, two miles of a 1 in 37 grade, downhill for the Bristol bound trains but a challenge for Birmingham bound trains.
Trials during April 1962 using D40 and D0280 on the Lickey incline led to the ending of banking duties for a number of passenger and freight trains, including passengers trains of up to twelve coaches in length.
 | The Peaks working south-west from Birmingham had the delights of the Lickey Incline to deal with - some two miles of 1 in 37 for northbound workings. Seen here on a sunny November 27th 1976 is 45029 taking an express up Lickey, filling the surrounding fields with the sound of its engine, generators and traction motors giving all they've got to lift the train through the Worcestershire countryside. |
 | 45030 drops down Lickey incline on November 27th 1976 with a train of tank cars in tow. The first Peaks over this route were used on passenger services between Bristol & Birmingham. |
 | D23 and train at the bottom of Lickey Incline, probably not very long after the Peaks had started to work this route. The locomotive carries a 55H shedplate and is still fitted with the water filler cover for the roof location. Photographer unknown. |
 | An almost new D86, still with shiny paint on the nose, seems to be letting the steam banker do all the work, whilst the second-man has spotted the photographer. D86 would become 45105, with a working life of just over 26 years, succumbing to a fire on the 16.45 Derby - Nuneaton on May 7th 1987. After six years in store at March preservation eventually beckoned. Photograph courtesy E A Wood. |
Once clear of Bromsgrove the route lay through undulating countryside, of closed stations and abandoned goods yards, now occupied by one man businesses, of car repairs, storage lockups & lumber yards.
Gloucester
Gloucester always seemed to have some activity of interest, was it the two strangely connected stations, or the junction of the line to Cardiff via Chepstow, or that it maintained a small shed? Or perhaps it was one of the extremities of the old 'Midland Railtourer' ticket, which in my day meant the good possibility of seeing a WR diesel hydraulic locomotive of somekind.
 | Occupying the back of the shed on March 30th 1978 is NE/SW stalwart 46021. When the smaller diesel hydraulics left the roster their replacements included the Class 31's, an example also seen in this view. Photographer unknown. |
Bristol
South of Gloucester the Peaks once again had the opportunity to stretch their legs and provide train recorders with a stretch of line known for its ability to produce quality high performance workings, particularly in the northbound direction. The early Peaks used the old Midland route into Bristol, rationalisation led to the NE/SW services utilising the GWR mainline via Filton.
During May 1961 D93 was loaned to the Western Region (82B - St Phillips Marsh but worked out of Barrow Road), being noted westbound through Barnt Green light engine on April 10th. It would be used for crew training and running-in between Bristol & Gloucester. On June 12th 1961 a number of NE/SW services became Peak hauled, included were the 6.30pm Bristol - Birmingham New Street, returning south-west at 11.30pm on a parcels and heading back north on the next morning's 8.40am Bristol - Sheffield. Another working taken over by diesels was a 5.00pm Bristol - Derby. By July 1961 seven passenger services into Bristol were Peak hauled, five returned north as passenger & two as parcels, further Peaks were loaned to Barrow Road as they became available, though the borrowed Crewe built Peaks were exchanged for recently built Derby variants!
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D41 & 46164, both with headcodes displaying inter-regional headcodes alongside Barrow Road shed. The Peak carries handlamps on it lamp-irons and a handwritten headcode on the nose, rather than using the installed indicator panels, although these, like the rest of the locomotive are somewhat dirty. Photograph courtesy E A Woods. |
Barrow Road reached its allocated number of Peaks with D33 - D42 officially transferred there during October 1961, though servicing was carried out at the recently opened Bath Road diesel depot - this allocation of Peaks caused Barrow Road to loose its Jubilees. Four diagrams were now available over the NE/SW route, the 10.30am Bristol - Newcastle & 8.15am Newcastle - Cardiff, the 8.30am Cardiff - Newcastle & 7.5pm Newcastle - Bristol, the 8.5am Birmingham - Newcastle & 3.30pm Newcastle - Birmingham and the 6.55am York - Edinburgh (to Newcastle) & 12.43 Newcastle - Bristol. As more Peaks came off the production lines they were used to take over the majority of the freights between Birmingham & Bristol.
The early Class 46's were loaned to many parts of the country, including D149 to Barrow Road (82A) in February 1962. With the NE/SW route sharing a couple of depots that sent the Peaks all over the place (particularly Holbeck & Gateshead) it was not long before a Barrow Road (82A) allocated Peak would find its way into Kings Cross as did D35 on January 9th 1962 working the 5.29pm Leeds - Kings Cross.
An Open Day held at Bristol Bath Road on April 30th 1966 featured several steam locomotives, although since March 6th there had been no steam operation on the Western Region diagrams. Also present was D15 amongst the regular diet of hydraulics. Off the beaten track on May 11th 1966 was D27 turned out by Bristol for the 10.30am Bristol East Depot - Weymouth freight, the Peak came off at Eastleigh returning to Bristol with another freight.
The routing of trains between Gloucester & Bristol during June 1969 found trains working over both the old route - via Mangotsfield and the new route via Stoke Gifford. The routing via Stoke Gifford added about five minutes to the journey time - there were no stations remaining open on the Mangotsfield route.
 | 45002 brings its eleven coach train into the outskirts of Bristol on June 20th 1975. Photographer unknown. |
 | With Bath Road depot situated next to the west end of Temple Meads platforms it was not too difficult to observe the movements at the depot. Here is D155, date unknown, in as delivered condition, though with a good coat of grime. In the early days the Peaks would not normally venture west of Bristol. Photographer unknown. |
 | The afternoon sun catches 45041 'Royal Tank Regiment' as it waits at Bristol on February 26th 1977. This was the last Class 45/0 to receive any kind of repair at Derby Works, receiving attention to its main generator during July 1986. It ended its days at Thornaby and survived into preservation. |
 | The unmistakeable 46026, the only named Class 46, moves around Bath Road depot on September 23rd 1978. 46026 proved to be something of a celebrity machine working the last passenger train over the Consett branch on March 17th 1984. |
Tiverton Junction
 | A fine view of 45063 as it heads through Tiverton Jct on July 30th 1977. Photograph courtesy K Barber. |
Exeter
Dawlish/Dawlish Warren
Paignton
South of Newton Abbot the Paignton bound trains left the mainline for a brief journey down the branch to the seaside resort of Paignton. Despite its branch status the line was accessible to the big Type 4's, bringing much activity to the resort, not only for the regular passenger trains but for the many dated summer Saturday extras and the occasional mystery excursion.
For the start of the new timetable in 1971 the 07.20 Paignton - Newcastle & 16.20 return were extended to/from Edinburgh, a journey of 521 miles - the longest passenger working in the UK not passing through London. Likewise at this time the 07.00 Weston super Mare - Newcastle and 16.20 return were also extended to/from Newcastle.
 | D163 begins its long journey northwards from Paignton, date unknown. Photograph courtesy DK Jones collection. |
Plymouth
Between Newton Abbot and Plymouth the GWR main line provides a roller coaster ride up and own the banks at Dainton, Rattery & Hemerden, with gradients between 1 in 40 & 1 in 50 they would prove a challenge for those locomotives operating over them, particularly for a fresh engine starting out on its northbound journey from Plymouth.
Although Plymouth Laira was not the most westerly depot in the United Kindom it was the most westerly home for the Peaks with a number of Class 46's allocated there following the retirement of the Warships.
Another unusual event was the visit of D34 to Newton Abbott on October 4th 1963 to test a new washing plant.
 | With its train terminating at Plymouth 46031 pulls forward into the fading afternoon sun before setting back to reach Laira, St Patrick's Day 1979. |
 | Also on St Patrick's Day 1979 46044 arrives at Plymouth with a working from the north. The partly cloudy skies with a hint of sun don't reveal the heavy rain that fell earlier in the day, whilst visiting Laira! |
 | 45110 stands at Plymouth, date unknown. Photograph courtesy E A Woods. |
Beyond Plymouth the GWR mainline continued its westerly progress to Penzance, with a number of branches spinning off to service the coastal towns and the china clay industry. Despite their somewhat rigid four axle bogies most of these lines were accessible to the Peaks.
The Newquay Branch
The twenty mile branch to Newquay left the mainline at Par. For most of the year this line was the haunts of local dmu services, but during the summer season, particularly on the Saturdays the branch would be busy with many trains carrying holidaymakers, powered by a variety of diesel classes.
 | A hazy August 11th 1984 finds an unidentided Class 45/0 in charge of the 12.20 Newquay - Leeds at Gossmoor (Fraddon). Photograph courtesy E A Wood. |
 | With the town of Newquay just visible in the background 45006 accelerates away with another train load of returning holidaymakers on September 8th 1984 with the 08.55 Newquay - Manchester Piccadilly. Photograph courtesy E A Wood. |
St Austell
 | An un-identified Class 45 heads a short engineers train past St Austell signal box, probably early in the 1970's. Photographer unknown. |
 | With the former Motorail terminal to the right 45142 stands at St Austell with the 9.32 Penzance - Paddington on August 7th 1984. 45142 was one of a number of Class 45's to recieve an overhaul at Crewe, 45142 was noted there during February 1984. This no doubt allowed it to soldier until June 1987, when it was finally withdrawn. Photograph courtesy E A Woods. |
Truro
 | The 11.15 Birmingham - Penzance arrives at Truro on July 26th 1983 behind 45135. Photograph courtesy E A Wood. |
 | 45106 rolls into Truro on July 18th 1984 with the 09.18 Penzance - Leeds, a Class 50 stands alongside heading for Penzance. Photograph courtesy E A Wood. |
 | On September 8th 1984 the 16.00 Penzance - Derby arrives at Truro with 45002 in charge. If the date is correct 45002 only has a few days left in service. Photograph courtesy E A Wood. |
Carn Brae (Redruth)
 | 45107 leads the 9.21 Leeds - Penzance deep into typical Cornwall scenery on June 29th 1984, not too far from its destination. A wonderful memory & at a location far removed from the original routes traversed by the Peaks. 45107 would end its days in Cowburn Tunnel on July 26th 1988 after suffering a traction motor fire. Photograph courtesy E A Wood. |
 | Another sunny day, July 2nd 1984 finds 45134 with its train of fully air-conditioned stock on the 09.36 Liverpool - Penzance. The locomotive has just over another three years to run, though it'll be 1994 when it is finally broken up at MC Metals, Glasgow. Photograph courtesy E A Wood. |