david ellis Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Class 31 5668 and Class 35 7011 in the Westbury Up Yard https://www.flickr.com/photos/46142097@N03/36110322790/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david ellis Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Class 31 5826 at Westbury on a parcels train https://www.flickr.com/photos/46142097@N03/35696548133/in/photostream/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david ellis Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Class 31 5818 at Trowbridge https://www.flickr.com/photos/46142097@N03/35435438194/in/album-72157684989720250/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david ellis Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Class 31 5827 at Crowcombe Station on 20 October 1972 http://cgibin.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/snap.cgi?h=Snapshot&p=1972/19721020_7_atu Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david ellis Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 5827 again at Crowcombe Station on 20 October 1972 http://cgibin.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/snap.cgi?h=Snapshot&p=1972/19721020_6_atu Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david ellis Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 5827 at Bristol. Saturday 1 December 1973 https://www.flickr.com/photos/westernbasher/9310536914/in/album-72157666109580786/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david ellis Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 5823 at Gloucester 15th April 1972 https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiptree-jon/15806405932/in/album-72157649314403611/ Gloucester 15th April 1972 https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiptree-jon/15619977640/in/album-72157649314403611/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Saxton Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 I keep hoping one of these threads will unearth a shot of 31294 in green but it must have been the most elusive loco ever, only one shot is known and that not that great, though unmistakeably 31294.One of these days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallpaul69 Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Apologies for pushing this thread sideways, but has any one any pics of these 31s on the GW mainline in 1960-63, while they were still ER property but came as far west as Didcot on oil trains from the Thameshaven area? I suspect they also in the same period came to Slough/Windsor/Maidenhead area on Excursions from the ER? Any details or pics of these would be appreciated? Many thanks for any pics or info. Best regards Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 Replacing the Class 22s on Paddington ECS workings became a necessity once air-braked Mark 2 stock turned up, and in late 68/early 69 newly overhauled and dual-braked Class 31s 5528/30/35/36/39 were the surprise solution. They remained the WR's only Class 31s until 1971 when 5809/12 arrived at Bristol Bath Road. Both were in green full yellow but 5809 - not mentioned anywhere else in this thread as far as I can see - was the only green one the WR ever got still sporting block serif numbers (without Ds) and BR lion-and-wheel emblems. I have a b&w photo somewhere, at Didcot I think.... I also have a rather grotty colour shot of 5668 at Swindon in Jan 74 still in green, another one which got close to TOPS numbering in green but like 5818 didn't quite manage it. 5827/31294 definitely did though, it was the first mainline diesel* in green with a TOPS number I ever saw, at Reading 16/2/74, the day after it had been renumbered, and if the signal at the end of Platform 4 had been red instead of green I'd have had a photo to prove it but I wasn't quick enough with the camera!! It's now believed to have gone to Doncaster on 6th March not 6th April, in which case it only lasted about 3 weeks in this condition, so it's not surprising that it has achieved almost mythical status. But it did briefly exist, honest! *First green TOPS sighting of all had been 08803 at Didcot the previous day. Next up after the 31 was 47152, at which point I realised things were about to get interesting on the livery front! Regards, Neil 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GERARDTCC Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 (edited) Looking at the early Brush Type 2 arrivals on the WR (Pre TOPS), as Neil says 5809 was the only one to retain lion & wheel and block serif numbers. A large number of the others had gone through works in 1967 and received what some of us jokingly call 'electric green' - it always seemed a slightly different shade, but I'm sure it was an illusion. These all had new style numbers and central arrows and were given refreshes when passing through works again in the 1969/70 period, so these became some of the last survivors in green in 1973/4. The WR batch were 5617/68/90/92, 5803/12/14/18/23/24/26/27/28/42/43. WR transfers in B1 , early blue with cabside arrows were 5528/30/35/36/39 which were all ex works on arrival and also 5684/6/7 and 5837. The early arrivals in standard blue with central arrows were 5554, 5655/82/85/88/89/95. Interestingly this meant the WR received 16 in green and 16 in blue ! Edited July 2, 2020 by GERARDTCC 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted July 4, 2020 Share Posted July 4, 2020 Many thanks for the comprehensive list, I remember seeing all these in the early 70s. Having mentioned green 5827/31294 it's worth mentioning what happened to early blue 5684/6/7 & 5837 at TOPS. On the first three OOC painted out the old bodyside numbers and applied their new TOPS numbers 31256/8/9 above the BR logos on the driver's corners. It was the only depot to renumbered its early blue 31s in this manner. On 5837 Bristol Bath Road painted out the old numbers and also the driver's corner BR logos (only) and placed its new number 31304 there - it wasn't unique in this, Finsbury Park treated 31408 the same way, and I'm sure there were a few others like this. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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