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.

A lovely shot, David (as ever!), but J1115 is not D68 (Class 45). It's a 46, from the grille arrangement and the lack of X moulding on the battery boxes. I thought that it looked like D182 - but that was still green in September 1967. It's unlikely to be D162 - which was blue - but that was a Midland loco still, at the time, so more likely to be Gateshead's D192 - which was blue (I would suggest).

It definitely isn't D88 - because that loco was one of the large batch fitted with split headcode indicators (D16-D30, D68-D107), a legacy from the days when connecting doors were intended to be fitted. Looking at the grill pattern, the loco is a class 46. The loco in the image has a single, central headcode panel, which was only fitted, from new, to class 46s from D174-D193. However, this could have been an early class 46 refurbishment, as part of which the previous style of central headcode panel, with a solid bar dividing the panel into two panes, was replaced by the later, single glass style of panel. Looking at the image, I'd say that it's D188, which was a Gateshead loco.

Good evening, David. I'm just catching up on all of the good things posted since Christmas Eve. Regarding Tuesday's postings, I've spotted the following: J3012 - is a Class 08, rather than an 09. All of the 09s were Southern-based and had high level pipes, for compatibility, so are quite easy to spot. The remaining three Class 10s at March had all been withdrawn by August 1972, the last ones going earlier that year. C1751 - is 55 013 "THE BLACK WATCH", given away by the lack of nameplate crest. Coincidentally, there is a photograph on "The Chronicles of Napier" of the same loco on the same train, a few days earlier. C3878 - is our old friend 55 022 "ROYAL SCOTS GREY", the only remaining Haymarket single line nameplate Deltic which had not had its headcode panel plated over by May 1978 (and, of course, identifiable by the different-shaped front footstep, fitted into the former headlight recess). Happy New Year (if a bit belated!).

Thank you for your sterling work, this year, David. It has been a joy, once again, to visit some old, familiar locations and times, together with many unvisited locations and historic images, courtesy of your Tardis. I shall be away until the New Year, so best wishes for Christmas and for good health and many more postings in 2024.

I can't get enough clarity from C869, C0978 or C0999 to be able to ID them for you. Zooming, C0978 looks very much like one of the 11xx batch - at that time most of the non-Deltic hauled trains, requiring electric train supply, would use this batch (barring 1100), along with the 'Generators' (1500-1519) - it's not one of those, the ETS jumper being in the wrong position. In July 1972, only 1100, 1101, 1107 and 1111 were blue - my suspicion is that it possibly could be 1101.

Beat me to it. I was going to raise a query on the same ID. D1669 was "PYTHON" and was named on 31st March 1966 at Old Oak Common.

Just to echo what Rob has said, a very interesting set of photographs from France, today. By complete coincidence, I was recently looking at some records from my own trip down to that part of the world, which was twelve months later than yours. I do wish that my notes were more complete and that I had taken more photographs! We travelled to Chamonix for a week, by train, ferry and train, from the UK, in 1979. During the week, we also took the train into Switzerland, to Martigny and up to Montreux and, on a separate occasion, to Geneva, via Annemasse. The Chambery-based BB25150s seemed to be the standard traction on just about everything around that area.

Not 9, Andrew. Lots of photographs of 9 show that it still had twin windscreen wipers and sandbox filler flaps, into 1978. I think that it might be 7 (which had neither). Actually, looking through the racehorses on "Napier Chronicles", 18 was in works in August 1977 and all of the others, bar 7, still had twin wipers (although some had had the sandbox fillers removed).

This would, probably, have been one of the last photographs of "CREPELLO" with dominos in the headcode panel. On the 20th of the month she went into works, where the headcode panels were plated over and the dominos replaced with marker lights.

Can't argue with that 😁 - I was in hospital, about 200 metres away, at the time. The 37, in the final picture (C1728), would have been 37 102, again. The earlier picture (C1715) will be of it, having arrived on the Harwich Parkeston Quay to Peterborough service (1B13), waiting to set back into Nene Sidings, to run round. The final image will be of it waiting to head back to Harwich on 1C15, the Deltic being on 1E11.