Diesels on the Southern Region

[Grizz]

10 hours ago, Grizz said:

 

I know that you asked this question back in 2018 but.....With regards to East Sussex, this is the Deep South, Central Division, this is about as exotic as it gets..... 
 

Copies of these photos were kindly given to me. They were taken by an old Sussex Railwayman. gentleman and good friend, now sadly passed away, Colin Packam. 
 

D41, In BR Rail Blue livery, dumped at Pinwell Lane, Lewes, failed on an inter regional service from Newhaven to the Midland region. Later the Midland sent a BR Class 25 to recover this loco and then they sent another BR Class 45 to haul the the train back to the midland. 
 

 

The rescue loco, unidentified in BR Green, passes Lewes on the UP......semaphore frenzy 

 

Further to the above....Derby Sulzer’s page shows this. Apologies for the cut and paste, rather than a link, flipping ipad...

 

This was 1969, the Class 45 was numbered D41. Later it was to be renumbered 45147 under the TOPS numbering system. 

 

Fate was not kind to 45147 as on December 4th 1984 it was involved in an appalling crash at Eccles, Greater Manchester. Involving a collision with an oil tank train, which ignited an led to a huge fire. Luckily the M602 motorway was right next to the track so the emergency services got there very quickly. I remember the bbc news at the time. 
 

 

[Grizz]

What about 10800??? This loco was allocated to Brighton for a while, although by all accounts it wasn’t very reliable. I am sure that I have seen one photo in a book (no idea what one) that showed 10800 on a Central Division passenger working at Isfield, from Brighton, via Lewes and Uckfield. I cannot find it anywhere, however as as the Lewes to Uckfield route was built as a secondary mainline it would have been the ideal testing ground. Well out of the way. 

[Baby Deltic]

12 hours ago, Grizz said:

Further to the above....Derby Sulzer’s page shows this. Apologies for the cut and paste, rather than a link, flipping ipad...

 

This was 1969, the Class 45 was numbered D41. Later it was to be renumbered 45147 under the TOPS numbering system. 

 

Fate was not kind to 45147 as on December 4th 1984 it was involved in an appalling crash at Eccles, Greater Manchester. Involving a collision with an oil tank train, which ignited an led to a huge fire. Luckily the M602 motorway was right next to the track so the emergency services got there very quickly. I remember the bbc news at the time. 
 

 

I remember watching it back then. Just before the fire in a Tunnel involving another tanker train in h thy he same month.

[Grizz]

That was 20th December 1984 and the place was Summit tunnel. The fire was so severe that it vitrified the bricks in the tunnel And melted some of the rails. It was a 13 tank petrol train which derailed, I think due a defect axle, with loco 47125 in charge. The crew managed to uncouple the loco and possibly a few leading wagons and make their way out of the tunnel. The emergency services were in the tunnel with the petrol vapour building up from leaking derailed wagons and the vapour being heavier than air made for an extremely explosive environment. Fortunately everyone made in out before the major fire started. It was so bad the the flames could be seen rising out of tunnel vent shafts. The tunnel was closed for a long time and required substantial work. The locals were invited to walk through the tunnel before it reopened. 
 

 

[Nearholmer]

10800, and most of the other BR(S) period diesels, are covered very well on Semgonline https://sremg.org.uk/diesel/10800_01.html

 

The Oxted Lines were a common proving ground because they were easy to access from Brighton Works, because they offered decent-length runs on non-electrified services, and because a failure wasn’t going to wreak havoc on vast numbers of passengers. They are also quite steep and twisty, so offer good opportunities to stress things.

[MJI]

I travelled behind 45147 and have that train as one of my modeled.

 

 

[Patriot87003]

On 07/11/2018 at 06:47, Guest said:

Football specials brought some unusual visitors to my old depot, Norwood. Not my photo, but I do remember climbing up to take a look in the cab of this visitor. The photo also reminds me what a dump Norwood yard was. It's basically the far end of Selhurst depot that backs onto Tennison Road.

 

45115 Norwood Yard June 6 1985

Small world! My old house as a child overlooked Selhurst depot … and was amazed to see a Class 45 at the Tennison Road stabling point. My Dad took me to get a few pics … apologies for the poor quality; I had just turned 9yrs old!

 

 

While I’m here, a few other pics from my bedroom window! I wish I could have a time machine with a better quality camera … also to have taken some more pics.

 

47488

 

A banger blue 47 …

 

Class 56’s travelled north along the Up Slow (the other side of the embankment) so this service along the Down Slow (this side of the embankment) was quite rare.

 

47209 (taken from the alley way at the back of my old house; the land in the foreground was sold off and is now houses along Towpath Way)

 

During Feb 1988 a very rare visit of a pair of 37’s to use the Down siding (with the old Tennison Road bridge in the background; since replaced with a new bridge)

 

 

 

[Nearholmer]

My memory may be playing tricks again, but I’m sure Peaks used to turn-up at Norwood on goods trains from Brent in the 1970s, sometimes with brake tenders.