‘50s’ for scrap

BR sold 16 Class 50s for scrap in the five years between the withdrawal of 50011 in 1987 and 1992. 50006/012- 014/022/ 025/038/047 were scrapped by Vic Berry of Leicester in 1988/89, whereas 50005/009/024/028/032/034/039/041 were cut up at Old Oak Common by Coopers Metals in 1992. 1992 was a key year in Class 50 disposals. 50003 and 50048 were taken to MC Metals in Glasgow in April and scrapped pretty much upon arrival. 50018, 50037 and 50046 followed in June 1992 and were quickly disposed of. Coopers scrapped 50010 at Laira depot in the spring of 1992, whereas 50011 hung about until September. Although it was the first ‘50’ to be withdrawn, it had been retained at Crewe Works as a test bed for overhauled power units. It’s not clear if it was ever offered for preservation or simply punted on to local scrap merchants Texas Metals, which cut it up on site at Crewe. CF Booth bought nine ‘50s’ in early 1992. 50004, 50016, 50020 and 50036 were quickly scrapped in May-july 1992 but 50001, 50023, 50026, 50040 and 50045 remained in Booth’s yard. 50026 moved to the Mid-hants Railway in 1993, but 50001, 50023, 50040 and 50045 wouldn’t be saved until September 1995. Sadly, the word ‘saved’ proved to be somewhat optimistic, for they were acquired by a rather ambitious project called ‘Operation Collingwood’, which had also bought 50029 Renown and 50030 Repulse direct from BR. Operation Collingwood had an elaborate scheme to rebuild the locomotives as part of apprenticeship training schemes, but it foundered and the four deteriorating ‘50s’ were sold back to CF Booth in December 1999, without ever leaving the yard. 50029 and 50030 were sold to the Renown Repulse Preservation Group and moved from the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway (where they had been since late 1996) to Peak Rail in October 2002. The saga still wasn’t over. While 50045 Achilles was scrapped in April 2000, 50023 Howe moved to Barrow Hill. Some work to return it to original condition was carried out but the project was shelved and, in March 2004, Howe was finally scrapped. Now-defunct spot-hire operator and rolling stock broker Cotswold Rail bought 50001 Dreadnought and 50040 Leviathan. 50001 was scrapped in January 2002 by Raxstar, whereas 50040 Leviathan festered at the Coventry Railway Centre from May 2000 until it was finally put out of its misery by Sims Metals of Halesowen in July 2008.