RMweb Premium Alex TM Posted September 10, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 10, 2021 Hi everyone, On the Class 26 & 27 photo thread there are some great photos of class 26s operating down as far as Workington during the period in question. My question, though, as given in the title of this thread is: did the class operate onto Eastern region metals at this period and, if so, where did they get to? Information on services would be of interest too. Thanks in advance for any information, or pointers to other sources. Regards, Alex. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 I'm pretty sure I saw at least a couple on Carlisle- Tyne Yard Speedlinks in the early 1980s, when we lived near the line. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 They would come across from Kingmoor on the trip with the intention of making sure that the loco couldn’t be used for anything other than the return trip as no Tyne men signed them, rather like 56’s to Millerhill before the Scottish drivers learnt them! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiths park Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 Apologies for this very bad photo (taken on my first camera, a 110 film camera) but this would have been the very first Class 26 I ever saw let alone the first one I saw in Newcastle. 26.015 in August 83 about to head over the King Edward Bridge having hauled in a failed DMU off the Tyne Valley line. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 65179 Posted September 10, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 10, 2021 (edited) The DerbySulzers site is your friend here to some extent: https://derbysulzers.com/class26d.html There's a number of references to Class 26s and 27s making it to Tyne Yard etc in the 1980-87 period. The info after that is a little thinner on the ground, but also reflects the withdrawal of the 27s and the rundown of the 26s, together with the impact of sectorisation. Simon Edited September 10, 2021 by 65179 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltic17 Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 (edited) A fair few made it down from Edinburgh (& via the Tyne Valley as others have mentioned) as the 1980's progressed. They were still very rare at Newcastle but they did appear every now and then.... Edited September 10, 2021 by deltic17 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 65179 Posted September 10, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 10, 2021 You can also work your way through this lot: https://6lda.wordpress.com/test-history/26041d5341/ The link takes you to 26041's history (still reaching Newcastle in 1991), but go to the main menu for other 26s. Simon 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Alex TM Posted September 11, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 11, 2021 Hi everyone, Many thanks for the comments and all the help. It is much appreciated. Regards, Alex. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallwonder Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 Between 1987 and 1990 I didn't see a 26 head beyond Cockenzie except occasionally to Oxwellmains (cement works at Dunbar). When a 26 made it to Carlisle in those days it was still noteworthy enough for a mention in "Rail", but again I can't remeber seeing any sightings on the East coast. In early 1990s 26s piloted 56s on coal trains south on ECML from Millerhill but only as far as Granthouses. In the 600 or so pages of Dave F's photos in the Prototype Discussions section that I have been through I can't recall seeing a 26 or 27 and he has a lot of coverage of ECML north of Newcastle in that period. But there again I can probably account for less than 0.1% of services in that period so would be quite easy for many to have slipped down the line (and it seems from he responses above that they did especially via Carlisle). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium drjcontroller Posted September 12, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 12, 2021 26046 at Newcastle after arriving with the evening stopper from Edinburgh, 16/11/84. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1023 Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 (edited) I can remember in the late eighties being taken to Scotland on the train. We were somewhere north of Berwick and all of a sudden there was a class 26 on its side covered up with a tarpaulin in the middle of nowhere. It was on the upside so I have no idea how far south it was intending to go. It was at the the time the ECML was being electrified so it could have been engineers train. It was my first ever class 26 for sight. Edited September 18, 2021 by steve1023 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
64F Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 11 minutes ago, steve1023 said: I can remember in the late eighties being taken to Scotland on the train. We were somewhere north of Berwick and all of a sudden there was a class 26 on its side covered up with a tarpaulin in the middle of nowhere. It was on the upside so I have no idea how far south it was intending to go. It was at the the time the ECML was being electrified so it could have been engineers train. It was my first ever class 26 for sight. I remember seeing that going to visit my Gran, and getting my parents to stop so I could photograph it (luckily I had my camera, unluckily I was a rotten photographer and the camera was awful...) It was 26029 which came a cropper on the catch points running down on the Grantshouse up loop with an electrification train, and was withdrawn as a result: http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/photo/scaled/3899/ Class 31s in Edinburgh were as rare as 26s in Newcastle, if not more so. I only ever saw one, delivering a HST power car at Craigentinny and immediately heading south light engine. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
64F Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 In my teenage spotting days at Drem circa 1988-91 it was relatively rare to see a 26. They occasionally showed up in lieu of a 47 (usually 47017 or later 47210) on the Millerhill-Oxwellmains cement trips, but other than that they tended not to venture south of Blindwells Opencast on the ECML during that period. Obviously engineering trains would be an exception. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken.W Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 (edited) On 10/09/2021 at 15:20, Mark Saunders said: They would come across from Kingmoor on the trip with the intention of making sure that the loco couldn’t be used for anything other than the return trip as no Tyne men signed them, rather like 56’s to Millerhill before the Scottish drivers learnt them! And class 31s before that on Edinburgh turns, popular on turns booked back passenger, as you were told take that thing back!! Which made it mileage bonus Edited October 6, 2021 by Ken.W 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken.W Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 On 10/09/2021 at 15:34, smiths park said: Apologies for this very bad photo (taken on my first camera, a 110 film camera) but this would have been the very first Class 26 I ever saw let alone the first one I saw in Newcastle. 26.015 in August 83 about to head over the King Edward Bridge having hauled in a failed DMU off the Tyne Valley line. On one occasion l got the job of route conducting a Carlisle man on a 26/27 (not sure which now) which he'd hauled in a failed DMU with, from Central to Heaton C.S and back LE for him to return to Carlisle with it... No use it being left here as no-one knew them 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now