Class 08 ladders

[malcolmcelyn]

Models of 08 in green have white painted ladders over the nose, whilst blue ones have no ladders. 

Is this a generalisation or fact? I'm wondering if any green diesels ran without ladders. 

[keefer]

As a rough guess, removal of ladders would coincide with the expansion of the 25kV electrification, mid-60s?

Many 08s lasted into the '70s in green, so these would've lost their ladders - and likewise I don't know if any went into blue still with them.

I'm not sure if there's a reference listing when ladders were removed, maybe just a case of finding pics of a particular loco.

[Trainshed Terry]

The ladders on 08/09 where removed with the implementation of over head line equipmment was installed. 

 

I hope that is a help.

 

[malcolmcelyn]

Thanks guys. I’ll have to check pictures. I’m looking for a Western Region, vacuum only, green, wasp stripes, NO ladder. 

[keefer]

BrushVeteran has some great transition-era photos on his Flickr site.

Robert Carroll (robertcwp) too.

Edited April 12, 2020 by keefer

[malcolmcelyn]

Thanks Keefer. 

[keefer]

Aah, my mistake - Brushveteran does have cracking transition-era pics but not specifically of 08s!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/59835095@N02/collections/72157627649183499/

 

And i was thinking there were more in Robert's:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/sets/72157603653354391/

 

Might be something useful for you though.

[corsair]

4 hours ago, malcolmcelyn said:

Models of 08 in green have white painted ladders over the nose, whilst blue ones have no ladders. 

Is this a generalisation or fact? I'm wondering if any green diesels ran without ladders. 

Hello the class 08 /09 were built with bonnet ladders but as overhead live wires became more prominent the ladders were removed due to safety reasons so in some cases green class 08/09 would have been about with out ladders the western and southern regions were late to remove ladders with some locos in blue still with ladders 

[corsair]

D3600 at OLD OAK COMMON not my pic but thank to the photographer

[corsair]

you can tell its a western region loco as the lamp brackets are differnt to standard

[Ray M]

Looks like D3219 was blue, withe ladders.

[Halvarras]

In the early years of BR blue Class 08s with ladders weren't that unusual. Those which stood a good chance of finding themselves 'under the wires' lost them early, e.g. Hamilton's D3284 in March 1968 (see Strathwood's 'Looking Back at Shunters II'), but progress was slower on Regions without overhead wires and so slow at the extremities that St Blazey's green 08840 and Penzance's blue 08928 achieved TOPS renumbering still fitted with them. BZ's blue 08931 is probably another as it still had them in August 1973 and was renumbered 'locally'. Curiously the ladders were removed from BZ's other green TOPS 08 - 08839. A couple of photos of 08928 with ladders can be found on the Cornwall Railway Society website under Penzance/Long Rock.

[Drumyard Dave]

Re the phot of D3284 in the Strathwood book. Is it in green or blue livery? 

[Halvarras]

On 26/11/2021 at 12:47, Drumyard Dave said:

Re the phot of D3284 in the Strathwood book. Is it in green or blue livery? 

 

Blue with cabside BR arrows below numbers, yellow bufferbeams and red coupling rods and cranks - Bachmann's 08243 (ref. 32-111) is almost spot-on for basic colours and details (external hinges and single vacuum exhauster).