The twenty year four month career of D7663/25313 was spent allocated to only London Midland Region depots.

Built BR Derby Locomotive Works.
Dual brake equipped (from new).
Final exhaust roof panel: raised, square.
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: 120 months.
Preserved.

Allocations

D7663 was new to the London Division (D01) on November 23rd 1966. Further transfers were:

December 1968 to Birmingham Division (D02).
May 1971 to London Division (D01).
May 1973 to Cricklewood following the abandonment of the LMR Division allocations.
November 1977 to Toton.
February 1978 to Springs Branch.
July 1978 to Cricklewood.
January 1984 to Longsight.
July 1984 to Bescot.
September 1985 to Crewe.
Withdrawn March 18th 1987

Renumbered March 7th 1974.

25313 was the 322nd Class 25 withdrawn.

After withdrawal 25313 was stored at Basford Hall until July 8th 1987 when it was moved to Leicester Humberstone Road and into Vic Berrry's yard on September 11th 1987. 25313 was sold into preservation and left Vic Berry's yard by road on June 1st 1988 for delivery to Llangollen.

Works Visits

Works visits (records incomplete).

Noted Derby Works February & March 1977 (Classified repair).

Highlights

1966
D7663 was new from Derby Works during late November (noted Derby Works on November 3rd as complete), being delivered to the London Division (D01). This was part of the final batch of locomotives built at Derby after Beyer Peacock were unable to complete its intended order after filing bankruptcy. D7663 was delivered in blue with full yellow ends, with two numbers and two emblems on each side of the locomotive.

Twelve new Type 2s (D7660 - D7671) were allocated to Willesden to take over the empty coaching stock, parcels and local freight duties in the London area. With the arrival of these locomotives it was possible to release the remaining Class 24s to the Stoke Division, as part of the eradication of steam in the North West. Of this batch of Class 25s D7660 - D7669 were dual braked from new, whilst D7670 & D7671 were not, however these latter two were quickly transferred to the Nottingham Division (D16).

1968
Noted on January 14th at Nuneaton were D7644 on a wiring train and stabled were D7663, D7668 & D7669.

1970
On the evening of June 21st 7663 was stabled at Nuneaton.

A strike at Rootes, Linwood during June stopped the daily Linwood - Gosford Green car train. When the plant restarted on June 22nd 7663 took out the first train and would do so for the following week.

On the afternoon of June 26th 7663 was stabled at Nuneaton.

On the afternoon of June 28th 7617, 7663 & 7665 were stabled at Nuneaton.

On the afternoon of September 20th 7663 was light engine at Stafford.

1971
On January 5th 7663 & 7664 were northbound at Atherstone with a freightliner.

1976
On the afternoon of October 15th 25313 was at Watford.

1977
Derby Works received 25313 for repairs during February & March.

On March 4th 25313 made a test run from Derby Works.

The snag sheet for March 4th recorded:

Water levels to set, A side low
ESV air pipe loose at ??
Rocker covers leaking
All cab door seals, gaps on hinge side
Blower circuit tips and connections to check, blue lightup intermittent
No.2 end vac dummy solenoid??

On the morning of November 25th 25313 was stabled at York.

1978
On June 14th 25313 worked 5.35 Cardiff - Crewe.

On Thursday October 12th 25313 worked the 09.55 Willesden to Norwood and the return 12.00 Norwood to Willesden. On Monday October 30th 25313 (presumably) worked the 09.55 Willesden - Norwood and the 12.00 Norwood to Willesden.

On Wednesday November 1st 25313 worked the 7.05pm Willesden to Norwood. On Tuesday November 14th 25313 (presumably) worked the 12.25 Willesden - Norwood and the return 14.00 Norwood to Willesden.

On Wednesday December 20th 25313 worked the 09.55 Willesden to Norwood and the return 12.00 Norwood to Willesden.

1979
On Friday March 16th 25313 worked the 09.55 Willesden to Norwood and the return 12.00 Norwood to Willesden.

On August 31st 25313 worked the 07.50 Cardiff - Crewe.

25313 received an 'E' exam at Tyseley during November.

1980
On April 18th 25313 removed the empty coaching stock of the 06.38 ex-Bedford from St Pancras.

On September 2nd 25313 was noted at Edge Hill with a permanent way train.

On the early afternoon of September 29th 25313 was noted on a permanent way train at Northampton.

In early November the BR/LT diesel multiple unit service north of Rickmansworth suffered from leaf-fall on the section of line that climbed through the Chilterns. A number of Class 25s, including 25313 (4th) and 25251 (6th) were used to assist northbound diesel multiple units, the commuter service being considerably disrupted.

1981
Noted at Bletchley on January 24th were 25175, 25251 & 25313.

On February 5th 25313 & 25316 were noted at Bedford with the northbound Fletliner.

On May 12th 85022, running light at Speke Junction, collided with 25316 & 25313 working the 00.19 Garston – Forders brickliner. 25316 sustained damage and moved to Derby Works two days later.

At about midday on June 16th 25313 was noted westbound at Guide Bridge with a mixed Class 8 freight and was later noted that evening at Buxton depot.

25313 & 25326 were noted northbound through Madeley on August 3rd with the Stewartby - Liverpool 'Fletliner'.

N4 repairs were carried out to 25313 at Derby during August.

During the early hours of November 21st 25313 was noted at York station.

1982
25313 was noted northbound through Nuneaton on May 21st (and also May 25th?) with a 'Fletliner'.

The surplus of Type 4s and the recently arrived Class 31s on the Midland did not prevent the use of the Class 25s on some odd workings during August. Passenger services featured Class 25 haulage, August 13th’s 8.28 St Pancras – Nottingham saw 25313 assist 45138 from Bedford, whilst the next day’s 08.10 St Pancras – Leicester used 25326.

The 1M26 16.05 Leeds - Carlisle on September 7th was hauled by 25313, the inbound working had arrived behind 47113, presumably Holbeck had a more profitable use for it than to send it back to Carlisle on a 'local' working. 25313 was noted at Gateshead depot on September 10th and would later work empty coaching stock from Heaton to Carlisle Upperby. On September 11th 25313 worked a Newcastle - Carlisle mixed freight which included 55002.

1983

On April 2nd (the Easter weekend) the Settle & Carlisle was used as a diversionary route for the WCML. 25313 was noted southbound with a ten bogie coach parcels train, being either the Stranraer - Euston empty vans or the 08.14 Perth - Red Bank vans. On April 7th 25313 was noted eastbound at Warrington Low Level with empty Cartics. The next day (8th) whilst en-route to Parkeston, 25313 came to the rescue of the 14.53 Cambridge – Harwich Town diesel multiple unit (E51298/E56468) which had failed at Six Mile Bottom. The passenger service was cancelled upon reaching Ipswich two hours late, allowing 25313 to return to Parkeston to take up the 20.53 Speedlink service to Widnes.

25313 was noted at York on April 16th.

Visitors to Exeter on the bitumen tanks from Ellesmere Port included 25213 & 25210 on June 1st and 25236 & 25313 (3rd).

25313 with the Manchester binliner was noted southbound at Agecroft on July 1st. On July 12th 25313 was noted at Skelton Junction running round the Northenden cement empties. 40131 & 25313 worked the westbound BOC tank train from Broughton Lane to Ditton July 16th.

25152 & 25313 were noted at Bedford on August 26th.

On Boxing Day 25313 was stabled on London Road curve, Derby.

1984
During January 25313 was moved to Longsight, then on to Bescot during July.

25313 was noted at York on March 18th with loaded bogie ballast wagons. 25313 worked the 6C65 12.45 Glascoed - Severn Tunnel Junction on March 22nd, comprised of three vans. 25313 was the Manchester Victoria station pilot on March 26th. 25313's first passenger haulage in 1984 was believed to be on March 30th when it rescued an ailing Class 47 at Bolton whilst working the 10.16 Barrow - Nottingham, taking the train forward to Manchester Victoria.

25313 was stabled at Saltley on April 27th & 28th.

More haulage occurred on May 13th when engineering work required 25313 to assist 85008 and its Euston - Liverpool service between Northampton & Coventry.

25313 was stabled at Frodingham on June 30th.

The summer dated Cambrian line services saw two visits by 25313. On July 21st it worked with 25279 the 07.44 Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth, returning on the 10.10 to Euston as far as Shrewsbury. A month later on August 18th it was with 25268 on the 10.10 Euston - Aberystwyth forward from Wolverhampton and returning with the 17.05 to Shrewsbury. Ten days later (28th) it covered for a failed diesel multiple unit on the 15.40 Carlisle - Newcastle service.

25313 was stabled at Birkenhead on September 23rd.

October 5th's 17.36 Great Malvern - Birmingham New Street service required the assistance of 25313 from Stourbridge when the diesel multiple unit failed. 25313 was noted at Bescot on October 19th.

November 19th found 25313 & 25262 at Hereford in charge of South Wales bound load of steel coils.

1985
25313 was noted at Carnforth on January 12th.

25313 was noted at Gateshead on February 11th.

25313 & 25316 were noted southbound past Springs Branch with shortwheelbase oil tankers on May 1st, probably headed for Stanlow.

WCML diversions over the Settle and Carlisle on May 3rd saw 25313 on standby duty at Blea Moor. Later the same day 25313 & 25316 took forward the 12.05 Bristol - Edinburgh relief from Carstairs. Although the summer dated Cambrian line services were now in the hands of Class 37s the unadvertised 1G82 16.05 Saturdays only Shrewsbury - Wolverhampton featured Class 25 haulage during the early part of the season, on May 25th 25313 & 25195 were in charge - this was the 13.40 ex-Aberystwyth extended due to late running.

July 9th proved to be a banner day for 25313 in the north-west, due to a diesel multiple unit failure it covered two Manchester Victoria - Blackpool round trips.

Date?? 25313 was noted running round its train at Warrington, headed to Arpley Yard with T69 which was the Folly Lane trip (?) with ICI tanks and salt hoppers in tow.

25313 was noted northbound at Kingsbury Junction with a freight on August 13th. 25313 continued to soldier on rescuing a Worcester - Birmingham New Street diesel multiple unit at Stourbridge Jct on August 19th.

25313 was transferred to Crewe during September, its last transfer.

1986
On February 6th 25313 was noted at Stoke on Trent. On February 13th 25313 was noted at Ketton with a mixed freight of mostly cement tanks and was also noted this day on the Tallington trip.

On March 12th 25313 was noted at Stoke on Trent.

Its March 19th 1986 and Driver Gary Wilson leans out of the second man's side of 25313 at Duke Street Sidings, Birkenhead, as Guard George Boyland walks back to get the train ready. Having worked in 6F19 from Ellesmere Port and then gone on to Birkenhead North to drop off a couple of ballast wagons at Moreton Sidings, 25313 is now back at Duke Street at the head of 8L10 - the Ellesmere Port ballast trip. Today Target 10 will convey 30 loaded ZDVs weighing 827 tons (including the locomotive) on a short trip to Helsby where the wagons will be left before being taken forward to Ince Moss tip by another of the Civil Engineer's trips. By this time the Class 25s were becoming less common and, on the following day, Target 10 was being used for driver training and was headed up by 31119. (Details courtesy Mark Coyle).

On July 23rd 25313 worked a Carlisle - Tyne Yard freight. 25313 was noted southbound at Warrington Bank Quay with a train of track panels on July 29th.

August 20th saw 25313 turned round at Hereford having arrived on a Carlisle – Severn Tunnel Junction freight, going back north with empty tanks for Stanlow.

Four Class 25s took part in the very last Class 25 railtour, Hertfordshire Railtours ten coach ‘Mersey Ratcatcher’ (1Z30) of September 28th. The tour started in Euston behind 25313 & 25249 running as far as Birmingham International where 86237 took over for the trip to Birmingham New Street. This odd move was created due to construction at New Street closing the west end of the station making run rounds difficult. 25313 & 25249 came back on the train heading off to Leicester, Derby, and over the Hope Valley line to Manchester and Liverpool Lime Street. Here 25904 & 25910 made the short run down to Crewe, via Chester, where the original pair took up the final run to Euston via the Trent Valley line, completing a day of 490 miles of Class 25 haulage. Both 25313 & 25249 would continue in service into 1987, both reached Vic Berry’s during the summer of 1987, for 25249 it was the end, the more fortunate 25313 would reach preservation.

25313 was noted at Warrington Arpley on October 3rd.

1987
For 25313 the New Year was spent in the Llandudno area, by the afternoon of January 8th it was at Wigan, three days later (11th) it was noted at Warrington. On a snowy January 15th 25313 was stabled at Rugby station with a good quantity of snow on the No.1 end buffer beam, it was to work a turn to Llandudno Junction on the 16th. The following morning (17th) it was at Willesden to work the 1A02 to Bletchley and the 3L49 to Camden Carriage sidings. On January 23rd 25313 worked the empty Cawoods coal containers from Ellesmere Port as far as Hereford. By the early morning of 24th it was at Shrewsbury followed by a trip to Machynlleth.

On January 27th 25313 rescued ex-works 37895 on the 1E16 15.16 Llandudno – York, after the latter failed at Chester. From York it was allocated the 5Z07 to Oxford Carriage sidings. on 29th it was in the Birmingham area working off Saltley.

Bescot was visited on February 1st, on February 6th 25313 was noted at Longport with a train of short wheelbase wagons, the Stoke and Crewe areas were visited on February 10th - 12th. By 15th it was at Tebay on the 6L61, then heading north to Carlisle, where on the late evening of 18th it was sent off to Stranraer, it spent several days around Ayr before returning to Carlisle at tea time on February 23rd. It then made a couple of round trips to Dumfries before being seen at Preston during the early hours of March 1st. It was at Manchester Victoria late on the 3rd, diagrammed to work the 1P55 02.28 Manchester Victoria - Barrow and return 5P55 to Red Bank. It was noted as the Manchester Victoria pilot on March 4th. The next six days were spent in the Crewe - Chester area. At lunchtime on March 12th 25313 was noted at Manchester Victoria with the 1H07 Bolton - Manchester Piccadilly parcels.

On March 13th 25313 assisted 47532 on 07.07 Newcastle - Liverpool forward from Manchester Victoria. On 16th it spent time in the Liverpool area before working the 4J15 to Red Bank Carriage Sidings after which it worked the 1P55 to Barrow and 5J55 to Red Bank. During the morning of 17th it worked a trip to Bolton and the 1H07 19.34 Bolton - Mayfield vans. Newton Heath and Manchester Victoria were visited on 18th before being sent to Crewe arriving in the evening where it was promptly withdrawn.

By the end of April 25313 was at Basford Hall remaining here until moved as 25191, 25212, 25278, 25313 9L37 10.50am Basford Hall – Leicester Humberstone Road on July 8th, 1987. It remained here until September 11th due to a missing buffer, when it was tripped with 25057 & 25265 as the 9T16 to Vic Berry's yard. It was still present during May 1988 but by the middle of June 1988 it had been removed, travelling by road to Llangollen.

(With thanks to Neil Cannon for making available the TOPS reports for 1987).

Distinguishing Features
BIS side: scrape marks about top of bodyside window height, about one third length of bodyside: at least May 1978 until withdrawn.
No.1 & No.2 cab fronts: carried 25313 in center of cab at same height as the marker lights: at least July 1986 - until withdrawn.

Three piece miniature snowploughs fitted: March 1985, May 1985, July 1985, August 1985, January 1987, March 1987 (ploughs removed after withdrawal).
No ploughs April 1983, July 1983, December 1983, March 1984, April 1984, August 1984, September 1984, October 1984, February 1986, March 1986, July 1986, September 1986, October 1986.

00/00
flk 0217

Page added July 3rd 2004.
Page updated May 14th 2023.

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