An update on my life mission, which is a work-in-progress, to grip the true flavour of the WR's diesel era.

Part One, the Last Summer and Twilight: May '68 - Jan '69.

CLASS 17.

Roughly half the class worked over the WR, principally by virtue of 64B's substantial allocation, for some time the largest at a single shed. Although their WR heyday (1966-67) was behind them by this time, they were prolific performers and usually worked in pairs, and I'm judging their numerous trips to make them responsible for approximately 40% of the Class 4 traffic between Kingmoor and Millerhill.

CLASS 20.

I doubt there was ever a regular through working of this type, except maybe by a 65A/66A stray despatched by Kingmoor, who we know poked the odd chopper up the Langholm branch. Some Lothian coal trips may have occupied the 64B contingent on the northern reaches.

CLASS 24.

By this period, just shaded into second place on the Class 2 traffic by BRCWs. The 15 strong 64B fleet was on the wane by '68, having been staple power since '63. This small minority of the class put in thousands of miles over WR metals, and from May '68, the 60A HBS population was regularly diagrammed onto 2M52 and 2S52. Fifteen of its 19 charges performed, making the nicely varied 24 stable responsible for approximately 40% of the Class 2s and regular parcels services.

CLASS 25.

Apart from the 64B 'Seven' (D7602-08), the use of this class was relatively insignificant on the WR. In 'trip' terms, it looks like 12A used 65A machines as kick-outs along with a handful of its own and borrowed LM locos. Upwards of thirty foreign Rats made it over the Waverley, it is possible that some of these worked more than once on the cartrains. I'm prepared to bet that the only common engines were the 'Seven' and these principally on Class 8s with general merch, coal and fuel.

CLASS 26.

Majority motive power on the Class 2 and Class 3 turns. The most intensively-worked class over the WR. By maths alone, the BRCW base model is the signature diesel of the route and it was daily power for a full six years, with 80% of the class performing during this period, and the majority of 60A's machines 5320-46 joining the fun from May '68.

CLASS 27.

10% of the class appeared on WR metals. These were probably one-offs or fill-ins, deputizing for non-availability. In one famous instance appearing on the Royal Train to Gala, other occasions look like 12A was keen to send someone else's GTi off to Edinburgh, although as we know their temperamental boilers thwarted this on occasion!

CLASS 37.

15% of this large class is believed to have appeared on the route. 64B's significant allocation is instrumental in this, as was 12A's borrowing policy of Eastfield/Polmadie locos. On face value their use looks similar to the 25s, but their trip freight use is shaded by the tractor power being applied to the Class 4 freights, very effectively in the final few years, in fact it looks like their use was on the increase, replacing the unhappy Claytons. So they take their place as a key ingredient of the twilight Waverley's fast freight portfolio, powering 10-20% of the diagrams. Famously, first ScR tractor in eBFYE D6845 worked passenger too on the 0658 Hawick, as captured in the recent Cross tome.

CLASS 40.

The Waverley Route Maid of All Work. By far the most statistically significant single class of diesel to traverse the line, with upwards of 180 having performed. They achieved this as a genuine mixed-traffic locomotive. LM and ER examples passed through on car trains and expresses, the latter very much in the shade of the BR Type 4s. By anecdote, the 1M42 sometimes produced Class 40 power on this, the last up train of the day (beds excepted). Heavy use was also made of the forties on the class 4s, with the 64B locos pretty much sharing top-billing with the Claytons, and regular service on the 2MS52 circuit.

CLASS 45, 46.

The Waverley and Sleeper principal motive power, mainly from NER sheds, their regional predominance reflecting their specific allocations. Peaks are truly the signature Class 1 motive power on the WR, even during the twilight and right down to D60 working the final train of all. Far less common on freight there are sightings on the cartrains, and tanker traffic is also a possibility. 70%+ of the 45s and roughly 85% of the 46s worked the route.

CLASS 47.

60% of the huge class using the line makes the standard Type 4 numerically the most numerous loco class to work it, over 300 locos doing so. However, many of these will have been single trips from ER and LM sheds. The 64B 'Nine' were clearly prolific performers on freight and passenger but these are the only real signature locos, although there are obvious poster-stars including early blue 1536 and 1547. Locos on WCML diversion do pad-out the numbers. By the last summer, I'm suggesting 20% of class1, 10% of class 3 and 4 and diversionary appearances characterise the locos' Waverley activities.

CLASS 50 and 55.

Diversionary use only, plus occasional Edinburgh control fixes for Deltics working out and back to Hawick.

This blog will be revisited later with more detailed stats that I'm using for the purpose of shaping my fleet for Teviotbank.

Ciao Waverlites!