Powerscene
Our authoritative class-by-class review of newsworthy locomotive workings.
CLASS 20
The quartet of Nos. 20007+20205 and 20189+20142 sandwiched IWA barrier wagons on the 6Z20 10.27 King’s Norton-Crewe CS on September 13 and later that evening formed the 5Q21 22.18 Crewe DRS-Kirkdale TMD with Merseyrail units Nos. 777001/8. Three days later, Nos. 20205+20007 formed the 6Z20 12.35 Tyseley-Derby RTC with No. DR98008, prior to the green-liveried No. 20007 teaming up with Type 3 No. 37418. September 19 found the English Electric combination taking saloon Caroline (No. 975025) from Derby to Cricklewood, before trips from Richmond to Shoeburyness, then to Stansted Airport next day. On September 21, the trio travelled from Peterborough to York via Lincoln, Darlington and the Durham coastal route. Back in harness, Nos. 20007 and 20205 could be found at either end of saloon No. 975025 on the 5Z01 06.55 Derby RTC-Doncaster Roberts Road and the 15.43 return on September 27. Having run light from Crewe to Carlisle on September 20, Nos. 20096+20107 replaced No. 86101 on the 1Z62 07.27 Crewe-Stranraer ‘Ayrliner’ special next day, handing back the 1Z64 17.09 Girvan-Crewe to the AC electric at Carlisle that evening.
CLASS 33
While ‘Jubilee’ 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas may have looked out of place arriving at Weymouth on September 1 (although the odd member of the type did reach the Dorset town in the 1960s), ‘Crompton’ No. 33025 at the rear of the 1Z82 08.45 from London Victoria was merely back on its former territory. The Type 3 then hauled the return at 16.35 as far as Southampton.
CLASS 37
September began with a Branch Line Society tour that employed West Coast’s Nos. 37516 and 37676. Setting off from Lancaster on September 3, the pair took the special to Crewe, Manchester Airport, Preston, Tuebrook Sidings and Garston Container
Terminal, later visiting Stafford, Ormskirk and Blackpool North. The next day’s itinerary took in the Blackpool South line, Colne, Keighley, Neville Hill and Bradford Forster Square.
Five days later No. 37676 teamed up with No. 47746 on the 1Z62 08.25 YorkCarlisle, the Type 3 then ‘tailing’ the train from Hellifield over the S&C, with steam power provided by Pacific No. 35018. There was another outing for No. 37676 on September 20 on the 1Z52 07.32 Chester-Carlisle as far as Hellifield with No. 47812. Both diesels were removed in favour of No. 35018 and ran to Carnforth for the evening return, although
No. 47245 accompanied No. 37676 on the leg back to Chester.
On standby at York for several weeks, No. 37706 was called to action on September 14, when No. 68023 failed at Seamer with the 1F52 05.32 Scarborough-York. The Type 3 was sent out and hauled the Class 68 and its now empty coaches to York, Holgate Sidings. On September 16, No. 37685 towed ‘Royal Scotsman’ vehicle
No. 99969 from Hamilton to Carnforth for tyre turning.
No. 37418 regularly partners saloon No. 975025 Caroline (also see
Class 20 above) and on September 6 the duo set off from Derby RTC travelling to Exeter. The following day they reached Fowey Docks, thereafter forming the 2Z03 10.29 to Kingswear. With five MRA wagons in tow
No. 37418 powered the 6Z37 13.53 Doncaster Up Decoy-Derby RTC on September 15. Nos. 37218 and 37419 undertook two Beilhack snowplough test runs between Doncaster and Knottingley on September 6 and next day visited Malton with independent drift ploughs Nos. ADB965217/240.
With the autumn fast approaching Nos. 37422 and 37425 reached Scarborough with a railhead treatment run on September 28. Back in use for the first time this year, No. 37254 partnered No. 37421 on a test train running from Gascoigne Wood to Scarborough and then to Milford Sidings and York on September 19.
No. 37884 (GROG) towed the 1A09 07.15 Leeds-London King’s Cross into Doncaster station on September 13, the service terminating there after the failure of No. 91110. Ironically, No. 37884 required assistance itself later that same day, when hauling six Mk.4 coaches (including DVT No. 82204) as the 5Q79 14.33 Doncaster WabtecLandore. The Type 3 stopped at Camden Road and needed No. 66198 to assist to Wembley. Next day
No. 37510 arrived to haul both its stable companion and the coaches to Swansea. Its fault repaired, No. 37884 was in Scotland on September 19
transferring Class 318 units between Kilmarnock Bonnyton and Yoker, before taking two Class 322 sets from Ilford to Newport for scrapping on September 21, and two Class 466s from Slade Green to Doncaster three days after.
CLASS 40
Stretching its main line legs for the first time in three months, No. 40013 hauled the 1Z40 06.00 Lancaster-Bristol Temple Meads on September 13.
The return journey (1Z44 15.06 from Bristol) was double headed by steam locomotives as far as Crewe, where
No. 40013 took over, having run light from Bristol West Junction.
CLASS 43
RailAdventure power cars Nos. 43465+ 43484 ran light from Eastleigh to
Kings Norton on September 9. Six days later and having moved to Toton, they collected a single YDA feeder wagon and transported it on the 6X43 13.17 Toton Yard-Burton Wetmore. Then, on September 28, the pair hauled two ferry vans as the 6Z44 14.32 Worcester-Leicester Humberstone Road, later heading to Tyseley. A move of interest on September 16 saw power cars Nos. 43048 and 43159 sandwiching Mk.3 coach No. 40741 on a trip from Butterley to Old Dalby, returning the vehicle to the Midland Railway Centre that afternoon, having collected four other HST trailer coaches. A ‘Midland Pullman’ special
powered by Nos. 43046 and 43047 ran from Perth to York via Hexham on September 10, and back as the 1Z42 17.03 York-Perth over the Settle & Carlisle line. For a naming special at Kidderminster SVR on September 27, CrossCountry power cars Nos. 43184 and 43366 and the XC02 coaching set ran as the 1Z43 08.02 from Leeds and later travelled from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth and back before returning to Yorkshire (see Headline News p8).
CLASS 47
As usual, railtours dominated the workload for the Brush Type 4 during the month that marked
60 years since their introduction. Locomotive Services’ Nos. 47593 and 47853 powered the ‘Torbay Riviera Statesman’ from York to Penzance on September 23, spending the weekend in Cornwall and Devon, before heading back north two days later. The same pair had covered the 1Z60 05.45 Crewe-Kingswear on September 3, with Pacific No. 70000 Britannia replacing No. 47593 at Norton Fitzwarren, while four days later the two diesels worked from Poole to Bristol, whereupon it was Nos. 70000 and 47853 forward to Shrewsbury. Nos. 47501+47805 hauled a Milton Keynes-Appleby tour on September 3, but four days later
No. 47501 suffered a bogie fire near Tamworth when the pair were in the process of taking empty stock from Southall to Crewe. It remains to be seen if 47501 can survive to see further use. The Conwy Valley played host to Nos. 47828 and 47853 when they ‘top and tailed’ the 1Z28 05.45 High Wycombe-Blaenau Ffestiniog on September 14.
The ’Northern Belle’ continues to see a mix of Class 47 and 57 types, with three of the latter being overhauled at Carnforth. Nos. 47746 and 47815 began the month by taking the ‘Belle’ from Swansea to Paignton on September 1, from Hereford to Fishguard Harbour next day and Birmingham International to Paignton on September 3. That same day No. 47813 accompanied Pacific
No. 6233 Duchess of Sutherland on a tour from Norwich to Chester, while ‘Jubilee’ No. 45596 Bahamas and
No. 47804 powered the 1Z82 08.45 London Victoria-Swanage throughout on September 22, while further north that morning Nos. 47848 and 47245 covered the 1Z62 08.25 York-Carlisle to Hellifield, where No. 46115 Scots Guardsman took over the mantle. A ‘Castle’ class steam locomotive in the shape of No. 7029 Clun Castle reached Liverpool Lime Street on September 10 ‘tailed’ by No. 47773 with the ‘Mersey Explorer’ 1Z70 08.14 from Tyseley.
CLASS 50
Taking to the main line for the first time since late April, No. 50008 Thunderer was noted at Chesterfield on September 1, in charge of Mk.3 coach No. 12091, forming the 5Z50 11.09 Brush, Loughborough-Gascoigne Wood. Later, No. 50008 ran light to Knottingley TMD.
CLASS 55
Pioneer production Deltic No. D9000 (55022) Royal Scots Grey undertook a test run from Crewe to Chester and back on September 22, accompanied by Brush Type 4 No. D1935 (47805) and the pair were seen at Wrexham General next day on a circular trip from Crewe via Shrewsbury and Stafford. Now restored to the attractive green livery carried in the early 1960s,
No. D9000 took charge of the
InterCity ‘Deltic Delight’ tour (1Z55 07.55 Wolverhampton-Newcastle) on September 24 ‘tailed’ by No. 47805. After travelling north over Shap, the special took in the Tyne Valley line and returned by way of York and the Calder Valley (see also Preservation, p33).
CLASS 56
DC Rail’s No. 56091 handled the 4Z21 11.58 Chaddesden-Willesden on September 2, while two days later it hauled No. 60029 to Loughborough. Colas machine No. 56096 took a pair of timber wagons from Baglan Bay to St Philip’s Marsh for tyre turning on September 9, returning them to South Wales two days later. Looking very smart in its ‘standard’ BR blue livery, No. 56081 ‘tailed’ the 5Q11 08.00 Old Dalby-Worksop behind EMU No. 701501 and Type 4 No. 47749 on September 14, the two locomotives returning the translator vehicles to Derby later that day. No. 56081 then hauled classmates Nos. 56104 and 56312 on the 5M56 11.18 LeicesterLongport (‘tailed’ by No. 47749) on September 21 before the ‘56+47’ combination took a Class 720 unit from Worksop to Derby Litchurch Lane next day. Nos. 56081 and 56098 (the latter now sporting large logo blue livery)
had two translator coaches in tow on the 5Z50 11.45 Leicester-Crewe HS on September 30, prior to heading off to the Severn Valley Railway.
An occasional train of timber ran as the 6Z33 14.27 Hellifield
Goods Loop-Chirk (Kronospan) on September 16, behind No. 56113. Rather more unusual, however, was the sight of Nos. 56094 and 56096 down in west Wales in charge of the 6C20 01.00 Haverfordwest-Westbury autoballasters on September 26.
CLASS 57
Acquired by West Coast Railways earlier this year and taken from Longtown to Carnforth on March 17, Nos. 57010+57012 have received maroon livery, and on September 1 undertook a test run from Carnforth to Hellifield and back. Two days later, they were used to take the 1Z87
14.22 Carlisle-Bristol Temple Meads forward from Preston, replacing Pacific No. 34067 Tangmere and No. 57313 Scarborough Castle. The 57/0s later headed for Burton-on-Trent with the empty coaches which No. 57313 had taken in the opposite direction early that morning, before forming the 1Z86 05.36 Bristol-Carlisle. The 57/3 handed over to Tangmere at Carnforth, moving to the rear of the train for the run over Shap and return via the Settle & Carlisle route. Nos. 57313 and 57314 ‘top and tailed’ the ‘Northern Belle’ (1Z40 07.50 Leeds-Carlisle) as far as Carnforth on September 7. Here the latter was replaced by Tangmere for the remainder of the journey over Shap Fell. Nos. 57314 and 47812 passed Wrexham on September 21 with the ‘Belle’ heading from Preston to Cardiff Central. West Coast’s No. 57012 collected a set of blue/grey coaches forming the 5Z95 12.52 Burton Wetmore-Carnforth on September 16, prior to their use on additional services to London Euston over the weekend (see Class 86 below).
Two former ‘Northern Belle’ locomotives have recently returned to action. No. 57305 has been hired to Great Western Railway and operated its first passenger duty late on September 13 when taking charge of the 1C50 23.45 London Paddington-Penzance sleeping cars. The previous day, No. 57312 (which last worked in April) was paired with No. 57307 on a snowplough trial run from Gresty Bridge to Chester and back. Thereafter travelling to the East Midlands, No. 57312 hauled 18
MXA wagons forming the 6K97 19.33 Toton Yard-Basford Hall on the evening of September 12.
CLASS 66
When No. 60087 failed between
Vitriol Works and Castleton early on September 5, No. 66796 was sent to its rescue and returned the Class 60 and its wagons to Merseyside as the 6Z36 10.33 Castleton-Tuebrook Sidings. Later that morning, No. 66716 assisted No. 47739 forward from Basingstoke with the 5Q10 09.16 Derby Litchurch Lane-Eastleigh, formed of a Class 701 electric unit and barriers. Freightliner’s No. 66551 powered the 6Q97 16.39 WolvertonBasford Hall on September 6, with new TfW DMU No. 197008, while
No. 66517 performed similarly two days later, this time hauling
No. 197007. On September 15
No. 66953 moved set No. 197006 from Basford Hall to Donnington RFT and returned with No. 197024.
No. 66061 had two blue/grey coaches (Nos. 1671 and 3325) in tow, forming the 5Z45 09.48 Eastleigh Arlington-Knottingley (September 13), later hauling the 5Z48 17.20 Knottingley-Burton Wetmore with
three vehicles, having attached No. 3386 at Knottingley. At the head of seven coaches, No. 66044 powered the 5Z60 09.00 Knottingley-West Hampstead on September 25.
Running as a staff training exercise on coaching stock, 5Z60 observed nine station stops on its five-hour journey. Normally a Class 68 turn, the 6V74 02.00 Crewe CLS-Bridgwater and 12.00 return had Nos. 66423+66425 on September 7. On transfer to GBRf, Nos. 66304+66305 left Gresty Bridge for Merseyside on September 22, going forward with No. 60056 on the 6E17 12.58 Liverpool Terminal-Drax two days later, bound eventually for Roberts Road.
CLASS 67
Having travelled from Scotland to Doncaster at the end of August,
No. 67023 was recorded at Chesterfield between Nos. 66759 and 66715 on the 6O01 10.18 Scunthorpe Trent YardEastleigh Yard freight on September 2. Following a spell at Eastleigh Arlington, No. 67023 (still sporting unbranded Colas livery) ran light back to Doncaster on September 24. Four days later it was seen with ‘ED’ No. 73968 forming the 1A25 04.39 Edinburgh-Aberdeen sleepers. Meanwhile, its companion,
No. 67027, accompanied by No. 56096, travelled from Stoke Marcroft to Westbury on September 5, completing the journey to Eastleigh next day. Purple No. 67007 had charge of the 1Z82 09.47 London Victoria-Newbury ‘Belmond Pullman’ when noted at Hounslow on September 21. No. 67005 reached Shrewsbury on September 9, heading the 1Z66 07.00 from Cardiff, prior to handing over the coaches to Type 3s Nos. 97304 and 97302 for the remainder of the outward leg of the tour as 1Z67 10.17 ShrewsburyPwllheli. Five former LNER Mk.4 vehicles, including DVT No. 82227, were taken from Crewe to Cardiff Canton on September 19, by No. 67029.
CLASS 68
On September 13, No. 68017 became the first member of the class to traverse the Far North Line when running light engine as the 0Z03 04.58 Inverness TMD-Georgemas Junction, arriving there at 12.15 and heading back south next morning. Previously, No. 68017 had moved coach ADB977869 from Motherwell to Derby RTC (September 8). The first Class 68-hauled flask train over the Far North Line ran as the 6S99 05.21 Carlisle Kingmoor-Georgemas Junction on September 20, in the hands of Nos. 68001 and 68 007 and 6M97 return (see Headline News, p11). Having retained a path along the North Wales coast, Direct Rail Services ran the 6D43 07.31 Crewe CLS-Valley NE on September 1, when Nos. 68002+68016 hauled a single flask wagon to Anglesey. The same locomotives visited Hampshire on September 7, with the 6Z62 01.03 Crewe CLS-Winfrith and 16.00 return.
CLASS 69
GBRf’s latest example No. 69006 emerged from Eastleigh Arlington on September 5 and eight days later passed Pulborough in the company of No. 73107 making its initial foray to Tonbridge. No. 69005 had RHTT wagons in tow on the 4E80 12.24 York Works-Peterborough on September 8, going forward with the same wagons as the 4O81 18.05 PeterboroughTonbridge that evening. A similar working on September 16 saw Nos. 66732 and 69001 at either end of RHTT sets heading from York to Whitemoor, before Nos. 69001+66794 formed the 4Z80 PeterboroughTonbridge
next day. With the wagons in place, Nos. 69001 and 69005 undertook a RHTT trip from Tonbridge via Canterbury West, Faversham, Canterbury East and Dover on September 19.
CLASS 70
Colas locos Nos. 66849 and 70804 handled the 6F25 14.11 Cowbridge Road (Bridgend)-Westbury Yard engineer’s train on September 3. No. 70804 had returned to use only four days earlier after spending 17 months at Nottingham Eastcroft under repair, having been towed there on April 23, 2020. Classmate No. 70812 passed Cardiff Central at 21.45 with a similar train, running as the 6F26 19.15 Cowbridge Road-Westbury. Nos. 70810 and 56113 had charge of the 6C90 07.50 Earles Sidings-Doncaster
Belmont on September 5, while
No. 70817 moved new JNA wagons from Shirebrook to Redcar on September 21. A number of Colas Class 70s were to be found on engineering duties around Sleaford on September 25, Nos. 70807/8, 70810/14 being recorded, with No. 70807 and 56090 ‘top and tailing’ the 6C50 11.00 Sleaford-Doncaster Up Decoy.
CLASS 73
A rake of 20 new TEA wagons formed the 4Z94 10.30 Dollands MoorEastleigh on September 1, hauled by ‘EDs’ Nos. 73136+73128. While long-withdrawn classmate No. 73134 was being moved from Worksop to Rotherham for scrap on September 15, (only the 11th example of the original 49 Class 73s to meet this fate), Nos. 73119+73213 were setting off with Nos. 69005+69006 and several empty flat wagons on a circular GBRf training run from Tonbridge via Ramsgate, Faversham, Dartford, Sidcup and Orpington. The itinerary was repeated the following day using the same locomotives. On September 22,
Nos. 73109 and 73128 had two RHTT wagons for company on a trip from Tonbridge to Ashford, Ramsgate, Sittingbourne and Dover. Caledonian No. 73970 returned to Scotland between Nos. 66746 and 66737 on September 16, (15.33 DoncasterMillerhill) following attention at Leicester.
CLASS 86
With so many wishing to pay their last respects to the Queen, several additional trains ran from the north west to London prior to the funeral. In preparation, West Coast Railways’
No. 86401 ran light from Carnforth to Preston and back on September 14 in the company of No. 47848. On September 17, the AC electric locomotive set off with the 1Z86 08.15 Lancaster-Euston, the return at 17.51 being powered by No. 86259.
Next day No. 86259 left Lancaster at 10.22, while No. 86401 took charge of the return trip and the 05.40 from Lancaster on September 19. The two 86s ‘top and tailed’ the 1Z89 17.36 Euston-Lancaster that evening, with
No. 86259 being detached at Rugby. The next outing for Les Ross/Peter
Pan came on September 24 when
No. 86259 hauled the 1Z86 07.08 Euston-Carlisle throughout, handing over to ‘Black 5’ No. 44932 for a jaunt around the Cumbrian coast. Locomotive Services’ No. 86101 had not been used on a passenger train for over 12 months before leaving Crewe on September 21, with the InterCity ‘Ayrliner’ (1Z62 07.27 Crewe-Stranraer). Accompanied by
No. 47828, which remained on the tour all day, the ‘86/1’ handed over to diesel power at Carlisle.
CLASS 90
No. 90002 Wolf of Badenoch powered the ‘Friday Charter’ (Crewe to London Euston and back to Manchester Piccadilly) on September 2, (see p12, October issue), while No. 87002 Royal Sovereign had charge of 1Z40 the following Friday and No. 90001 Royal
Scot was recorded on September 23. A week later No. 90001 was back on the job after replacing defective DVT
No. 82139, so ‘top and tailing’ the
1Z40 14.16 Crewe-London Euston with No. 86101. Meanwhile, No. 90002 began a series of trips between Manchester and London Euston on September 15, running in connection with the build up to the Queen’s funeral, the Class 90 operating two return trips for six days. No. 90047 hauled No. 90016 from Basford Hall to Wolverton for repainting on September 12, and returned with the 6Q97 16.39 Wolverton-Basford Hall formed of reliveried No. 66509 and TfW diesel unit No. 197006.
CLASS 92
Having hauled the 6L27 05.25
Dollands Moor-Ripple Lane on September 2, No. 92032 had 30 new Wascosa MLA wagons in tow the following day, forming the 6Z92 03.45 Dollands Moor-Wembley. Two Caledonian blue examples Nos. 92018 and 92038 reached Leicester on September 10, having been hauled from Wembley by No. 47749. They were taken forward to Loughborough for wheelset attention five days later by the Type 4, along with No. 73970, the latter being deposited at Doncaster on the way. Two daytime sleeping car moves took place on Sunday, September 18. No. 92043 passed Rugby at 09.40 hauling four coaches forming the 5Z26 08.35 Wembley-Polmadie, while in the opposite direction No. 92033 had eight sleepers in tow on the 5Z11 09.00 from Polmadie, when the two trains passed one another just south of Preston at midday.