35A

J656 - interesting to see another shot of "Pinza" with the horns mounted, experimentally, in the top corners of the nose. This must be the third or fourth that I've seen in this thread, over the years - I think that I'd only ever seen one image of D9007, in that state, before.

This was the standard test train for the Romanian class 56s. It ran to Peterborough (arriving mid-morning), set back into the West Yard, then returned north at around lunchtime, via the fly-ash loop at Fletton - to avoid having to remarshal the ex-Pullman vehicle. I have a number of photographs of several of 56 001 to 56 015, on the up working, but I never got one of the return working - probably because, at the age of 18, lunch was more appealing 😁. By the time of David's photograph I would have been at work, all day, so I missed the later locos of the batch.

Specifically, Eastern Region intra-regionals. Anything inter-regional used Z.

Evening, David. J4506 can't be 25151, as that was the former D7501, built with cantrail grilles and a full central cab window. It would have to be from the batches 25026-082 (built with connecting doors and horns mounted either side of the headcode panel) or 25218-247 (built at Darlington, to the earlier design).

As Rob says, that Monkton Cokeworks shot (C7135) is a lovely shot. It was only after a few views that I realised that the class 03 appears to have been dumped off the track. There could be some under it but there is no evidence of any pointwork leading from the adjacent tracks. J2087 is 9004 - interestingly it appears to missing a crest on that side, not something that I remember and it certainly had it in later years (perhaps damaged and removed for safe keeping). C0994 looks, like the previous image, to be one of the Gateshead batch (1989-1999). I'd say that it was 1997, looking closely at it.

I'm going to stick my neck out on C5198 (not encouraged, I know 😁) and suggest that it's 55 019 - ICBW. Looking at the nameplate, it's a two line plate with one short word on the top line. The only Deltic that comes to mind with that pattern is 19, with the 'ROYAL' of 'ROYAL HIGHLAND FUSILIER' on the top row and a lot of space either side of it.

I'm going to challenge you on that one, Andrew. I think that it has got a crest and I think that it's 4. That nameplate looks too long to be anything else, to me. However, 4 was in works for the second half of that month, so it depends upon the date of the shot. 😀

J5746 - according to RailGenArchive, 20 135 only worked during August 1977 on 4th, when it was paired with 20 068, on a Derby -Skegness run.

Looks like a good collection of Barton buses there, in C3768.

I hope that tomorrow goes well for you, David. Also, that your recuperation is speedy and without discomfort. We'll very much look forward to seeing you back here, when you feel up to it, again. (on an entirely trivial note, there's a typo on J5073 on the previous page: it's 45 063, rather than 083 - the series ended at 45 077).

It's 55 005. 2 had single windscreen wipers by August, whilst 5 still had twin wipers. Also, the distance between the edge of the nameplate and the lettering on the top line matches 5 moreso than 2.

Another lovely afternoon selection, David. J2448 would be a down fly-ash empties, from Fletton to West Burton, I would suggest.

A fine study of "BALLYMOSS" in J1122, caught during the period when it was carrying the experimental, bonnet-mounted horns, in the position that became standard, later in the year. At the same time, "PINZA" was carrying the other experiment, with them mounted, flush, into the top of the nose-ends - an experiment that was deemed less successful and discontinued at the next overhaul. Interesting to see all of the engine room windows in the open position. The air flow around the engine room must have been utterly chaotic! Later, the practice was very much discouraged, as more about air management became understood.

David, Doing some research into the UID Deltic in C1459, I've come up with the following: Surprisingly, all 8 of the Finsbury Park Deltics were available for traffic, throughout January 1974 (C1459 is obviously one of those, from the nameplate style and length). It can't be 9003, 9007, 9009 or 9020. The plate is too long to be 9003 or 9007. 9009 was already carrying the 'domino' headcode modification, by that time. 9020 had been renumbered to 55 020 in November 1973 (most of the rest were renumbered in the last week of January 1974 or the first week of February). Helpfully, there were ASLEF strikes in progress, through December 1973 and January 1974, causing many services to be cancelled (sounds familiar!). There wasn't a lot of work for Deltics to do. Of the other four Finsbury Park Deltics, 9015 and 9018 are not recorded as having worked 1S14 during January 1974 (that doesn't guarantee that they didn't - records, on the "Chronicles", at that time, are taken from observations, rather than TOPS records). There is one record of 9001 "ST. PADDY", on 3rd January and three of 9012 "CREPELLO", on the 14th, 18th and 19th of the month - so, perhaps, that might give you a clue.

Certainly looks like it. The last of the Nottingham Division (D16) ones had left for the Western Region a few months earlier (D161-3). As it's showing a 1E headcode, it's probably a Gateshead one waiting to take over a reversing working that heads further north than Sheffield.