Swindon Works
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The stay of 08135 at Swindon was brief. It was withdrawn from Gloucester in February 1977, still in green livery, and by the date of this view April 3rd 1977 - the locomotive has been reduced to the cab and frames and awaits movement to the scrapping area for the final coup-de-grace.
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The wintry afternoon sun on January 13th 1980 catches withdrawn 08154 awaiting entry into the workshops for removal of components. Withdrawn from Selhurst in October 1979, by March 1980 08154 would be no more.
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Elsewhere in the works on January 13th 1980 were 08223 with 08155 & 08156 in the background - all withdrawn. 08223 had made a break for freedom from Tinsley, choosing to use the Catcliffe motorway as its route of escape. The adventure did not succeed, 08223 sustained minor damage, was withdrawn in June 1979 and scrapped finally in February 1980.
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OK, so this locomotive is not withdrawn, it was infact under repair and did become the only Class 13 not broken up at Swindon. So here is one half of 13003 at Swindon on August 10th 1980.
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And for the heck of it here is the other half of 13003 at Swindon on August 10th 1980! |
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Rejected by the National Railway Museum in favour of a re-engined Class 31, the pioneer BR/Sulzer Type 2 24005 succumbed to Swindon's cutters during March/April 1977. A pile of scrap, seen here on April 3rd represents the remains of one of the cabs. Still just visible under the blue paint are the numbers D5000 & 5000.
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24033 & 24005 are little more than a day or so away from ceasing to exist.
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Long time Reddish residents 24020 & 24021 await scrapping at Swindon on March 23rd 1977. 24020 has revealed its pre-TOPS number, 5020 on one cab, whilst 24021 still retains its nose end gangway doors, a lion & wheel emblem can still be seen on the bodyside. Delivered together from Derby in July 1959 so they would go out together at Swindon during April 1977. Photograph courtesy Neil Phillips.
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24025 missed the initial round of major withdrawals in the summer of 1975, being withdrawn in Jan 1976. Seen here at Swindon on June 12th 1977 24025 presents some interesting features. It carries one frost screen from an early 24, it carries the extra grille on the upper row and just visible are the headboard brackets mounted on the cab front, only carried by the early 24's. The cab roof also lacks the air vent above the doorway.
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For two years Swindon Works was graced by numerous Class 24's sent for scrapping. Here on August 18th 1976 newly arrived 24049 is logged into the books of visiting spotters. One cab has gained the roof from a Class 24/1, 24049 spent much time in 1974 in and out of Derby Works, possibly the roof was fitted during one of those visits. As D5049 this was one of the few Class 24's ever to be allocated to Tinsley (41A), for the month of June 1965. Photograph courtesy Neil Phillips.
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All that remains now for 24056 is to be parted from its bogies to allow the cutters to do their job. Seen here in Swindon Works Yard on November 7th 1976, 24056 has already been stripped of all re-usable components or those with significant scrap value. The locomotive still retains its nose end gangway doors and is a fine example of Derby's standard blue livery application with the BR emblem centred on the side.
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24064 & 25016 await the final movement from here to the scrapping area. Seen here towards the end of 1976, 24064 had been withdrawn that January from Crewe, and wouldn't see the year out, dispatched by Swindon's cutters in December. Interestingly the scrap from 24064 and a number of Class 52's was later reported in RA King's Snailwell scrapyard
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Three green liveried Class 24's remained in service until the major purge of 1975 when the operating fleet was decimated on the LMR & ScR. Here 24092 soaks up the summer sun on August 18 1976, having recently arrived with 24049/58/62 from Basford Hall. By Christmas 1976 all four would be gone, with 24092 cut up in December. Swindon also dealt with green liveried 24136 whilst Doncaster despatched 24090. Photograph courtesy Neil Phillips.
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One of the most interesting Class 24's to reach Swindon was 24134 and is seen here on June 12th 1977. In particular the style of the cab roof, in this view the locomotive reveals it carries a modified 25/1 roof, with the 'wings' but not the air horn housings. It was also one of the few to operate in service with the boiler water tank removed.
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A view from the other end of 24134, this end has the full blown Class 25/1 cab roof, complete with air horn receptacles. The main radiator grille on the other side of the locomotive was from one of the original batch (D5000 - D5006), with the split frost screen grille! Clearly 24134 had quite a selection of non-original parts added at various overhauls.
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Having just been placed in the main erecting shop 25052 awaits the attention of those that will slowly strip the locomotive prior to it being taken out to the scrapyard area for final breaking up. Seen here on October 26th 1980, the locomotive had just been withdrawn from Laira, within a month 25052 would be no more.
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Former Cricklewood based 25114 awaits in the yard on June 6th 1981 for the cutters, the wagons behind the Class 25 are already filled with recogniseable bits of locomotives. This was one of the Class 25's to have the boiler room grille sheeted over, just visible at the far end of the locomotive. 25114's stay at Swindon was brief, withdrawal had come in February 1981, the end would come a month after this view, in July 1981.
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In the process of being stripped 25166 receives a fleeting visit by a father and son on June 6th 1981. Within a month 25166 will be no more, another Class 25 which did not linger too long at Swindon.
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Although most Class 25's making the trip to Swindon were bound only for scrapping, during 1980 a number received unclassified repairs here to ease the workload at Derby & Glasgow. Seen here is one of those to pass through Swindon in one piece, 25236 on March 1st 1980. Swindon would eventually claim 25236, broken up here in November 1986.
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The June 6th 1981 Open Day at Swindon produced fine weather, big crowds and plenty to see at the Workshops. Regretably most of the diesels were there for scrapping including ex Scottish Region 40066. Withdrawn from Haymarket in April 1981 40066 was quickly broken up, and by October 1981 was no more.
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Another Class 40 'on display' on June 6th 1981 was 40071 which had clearly been through the stripping process and was now just waiting for the cutters to finish off the bodyshell & bogies. Withdrawn from Healey Mills in December 1980, 40071 would be no more by October 1981.
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Against the unmistakeable backdrop of brickwork that was Swindon Works 40119 heads a line-up of condemned locomotives, seen here on June 6th 1981. Withdrawn from Longsight in December 1980, 40119 would linger at Swindon until October 1982.
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One more view from June 6th 1981, here 45039 The Manchester Regiment heads up a line of withdrawn Class 45's. No irony lost here in that the WR were quick to publicise the considerable weight differential between their new Warship Class Bo-Bo's and the LMR Class 40/44/45/46's - no matter their qualities many ended their days in scrap wagons leaving Swindon. |
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Seen here on October 26th 1980 45053 had been sent to Swindon for repair, these were then authorised for Crewe to handle, but once 45053 reached here the locomotive was withdrawn for good. Scrapping finally occurred in October 1988, though the headcode boxes were saved for fitting to preserved D100 (45060). |
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Many of the Class 46's were pulled from service in full working order and after a period of storage at Swindon returned briefly to further service. One such machine was 46007, seen here on June 6th 1981, which returned to service in November 1981 only to be finally retired three months later.
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46012 was an early casualty in the run down of the Class 46's. A cracked frame led to withdrawal from Laira in July 1980. The locomotive was quickly moved to Swindon, seen here on August 10th 1980, by October 1980 46012 had been scrapped.
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A familiar view from the Works Open Day June 6th, 1981 with 46041 pulled in for storage, looking like its just come off a NE/SW express. By December 1981 46041 would be withdrawn and finally scrapped there by August 1983.
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April 1977 somewhere in the scrapyard area at Swindon, a line-up of engines retrieved from the Class 52's. |
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Another view from April 1977 of now silent power units from the Western Region's former diesel-hydraulic fleet.
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Withdrawn from Laira in December 1975 1046, would like all Westerns that were not preserved, be sent to Swindon for scrapping. Seen here on November 7th 1976 there is little time now left for 1046.
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With the cabs removed from 1046 and the bodysides cut into pieces and dumped on the ground little remains now apart from the frame and fuel tanks. |
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It's a dull Sunday afternoon, November 7th 1976, how about a game of golf? a movie perhaps? or a walk down the beachfront with the girlfriend? No, none of this is acceptable, lets drive a hundred miles to slog round a scrapyard full of oil, grease, rusted metal, broken glass and who knows what else. And fill a book full of numbers from places no one has heard of, eat cold sandwiches & pop and photograph things like this, the remnants of the inside of a Class 52. And tomorrow I put on my shirt & tie and become a banker for the next five days............ |
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Its a dull January 23rd 1977 as 1036 is slowly stripped prior to being moved out into the yard for scrapping. In front of 1036 is a Class 24 bogie, presumably detached allowing its traction motors to be removed.
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Pointing the camera at the sun is not recommended, but then the sun was such a rarity at Swindon on Sunday afternoons we probably didn't know what it was. Hence the inclusion of this technically abominable shot of soon to be scrapped Class 24 & 52's surrounded by generators, presumably from the Class 24's, November 7th 1976.
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Little time remains for 1043 as the grounded body begins to receive the attention of the cutters. Seen here on an overcast Sunday January 23rd 1977 by the beginning of February the locomotive will be no more.
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Retired during April 1976 1049 is seen here undergoing removal of parts in Swindon's workshops on November 7th 1976. From here it would be out to the scrapping area, where the end came for 1049 during February 1977.
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1072 heads a line-up of Westerns at Swindon on November 7th 1976. It was not long out of service and would linger at Swindon until April 1977.
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