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Class 24/25 allocated near Taunton (1960-1980)?


tim-minay

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hi,

i am thinking of doing a small EM project to kick-start me in the gauge, and am planning to model something simlar to Langport East station, but bring it forward to late 60's early 70's (make up some sort of industry that kept the line open), but anyway..

 

I was wondering if anyone could give me some numbers (and possibly pictures!!) of the class 24/25 senn frequently near Taunton (or bristol)at this time.

 

many thanks for your help,

 

Tim

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Hi Tim,

 

Class 25s were first allocated to Western Region depots in late 1971, to replace Class 22s on freight / local passenger working etc. 24s were never allocated to the WR but a couple did get as far as Exeter in 1976.

 

According to my 1972 Locoshed the following WR allocations are listed (info reported correct as of 16/10/71) :

 

5179 86B / Ebbw Jcn (25 029)

5180 84A / Laira (25 030) arrived at Laira October '71 for crew training

5181 86B / Ebbw Jcn (25 031)

5182 86B / Ebbw Jcn (25 032)

7573 'WR' (24 223)

7574 'WR' (25 224)

7575 'WR' (25 225)

7577 'WR' (25 227)

7656 'WR' (25 306)

7675 'WR' (25 307)

7676 'WR' (25 327)

 

Those marked 'WR' went to Laira (except 7577 which went to Bristol) and were outbased at St Blazey in rotation, staying down in the West Country for several years into the Tops period.

 

Post-Tops, a few more went to the WR for a spell :

 

25 048

25 052

25 063

25 077

25 080

25 152 - 25 171

25 206

25 207

25 274

25 275

 

There might have been one or two others, plus the odd LMR allocated one got through occasionally.

 

HTH ;)

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Good point Geoff - of those listed above 7574 and 7577* were definitely in green with full yellow ends at the end of 1971. I'm pretty sure the rest of the 75xx series ones were blue by then, I have a few photos but not many.

 

*Just remembered, there's a b&w photo of 7577 at Penzance in the Bradford Barton book 'Diesls on the Cornwall Mainline' ;)

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Classic prototype for anything but as a departmental loco (eh train heating loco) 24142 as TDB968009 had spells at Penzance, Worcester so could easily be a Taunton visitor in modelling terms. 24142 is one of the later headcode fitted 24's so an interesting model project too. A Taunton spotting list on 170375 includes at Taunton

Steam 0-4-0, steam 0-6-0, 25227/25059 ballast,56169,50413,1022p

cheers

NR www.leightonlogs.org

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Class 25s were first allocated to Western Region depots in late 1971, to replace Class 22s on freight / local passenger working etc.

 

Nidge, the Ebbw Junction contingent goes back to nearly a year before that - Nov '70, although they were intended for ore trains, not as 22 replacements of course

 

 

Classic prototype for anything but as a departmental loco (eh train heating loco) 24142 as TDB968009 had spells at Penzance, Worcester so could easily be a Taunton visitor in modelling terms.

 

How so?scratch_one-s_head_mini.gifNot only did Taunton have no carriage maintenance responsibility, but AFAIK train heating units couldnt move under their own power

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..... the Ebbw Junction contingent goes back to nearly a year before that - Nov '70, although they were intended for ore trains.not as 22 replacements of course

 

Although they were used on Ebbw Vale iron ore workings, the Cl.25s initially allocated to Ebbw Jct. turned up at many places e.g. Severn Tunnel Jct. for working to Parkend and Tintern on stone trains, also freight to Pontypool Road, and the Cardiff - Marshfield - Cardiff milk tanks (a bit later).

 

Brian R

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1973 Locoshed book book shows the following allocated correct to 10 February 1973

 

Newport (Ebbw Jct): 5179,5180,5181,5182,7508,7509,7510,7511,7512,7513,7514,7515,7516,7517,7518

 

Bristol (Bath Rd): 5202,5209,5213,5230,7507,7577

 

Cardiff (Canton): 7502,7503,7504,7505,7519,7520,7521,7569,7588,7677

 

Plymouth (Laira): 7506,7573,7574,7575,7624,7625,7656,7657,7675,7676

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7575 was also green when it arrived on the WR.

 

Geoff Endacott

 

Thanks again Geoff, I found a photo of it this morning!

 

Pennine - I didn't realise Ebbw had them a year earlier, alas my 1970 'spotters book doesn't list the allocations.

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5179/ 5180, 5181, 5182, 7624 & 7625 arrived in South Wales, from Holbeck (IIRC) during the last week of October, 1970.

.

One of the latter pair was displayed at Canton Open Day, 7th. November, 1970 - just inside the west end of the main shed, alongside a Landore Cl.03.

 

I have a poor B+W photo of it somewhere.

.

They eventually spread their wings to such workings as the Cardiff - Pontypridd parcels, which ran via what is now called the 'City Line' as opposed to via Cardiff Queen St.

 

Brian R

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I'm sure the OP understands the major differences between the Sulzer type 2s but just a couple of sublteties ;

 

5179-5182 were the quartet of 25s within the "boilered" batch which were built without them. They were never fitted with the boiler water tank either.

Although 25032 (5182) survived into the 1980s as a dual braker, the other 3 demised in the 1970s and were quite camera shy.

 

24142 mentioned-actually had a class 25 cab roof at one end.

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The best way to answer the original question is probably to list the Class 25s which I actually saw in Taunton during the early 1970s:

 

7623 on 27-03-72

 

7502 on 26-10-72

 

5213 on 29-10-72

 

7577 on 31-05-73

 

5202 on 01-08-73

 

7500 on 25-10-73

 

They weren't very common. I saw more 33s than 25s during this period.

 

Geoff Endacott

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Incredibly useful information relating to the OP here

 

 

www.derbysulzers.com/laira.html

 

relates to LA-based 25s and their movements around the South West. If i need any info on 24/25s the Derbysulzers site is my first port of call

 

As Bristol based in the 1970s Bath road 25s were seen every day, but also were LMR 25s, most probably didn't head further South than Bristol but one relatively common double headed LMR 25 turn was the 0720 Nottingham Paignton. Normally booked for 25s from Nottingham to Derby and a peak onwards, motive power shortages (endemic on summer Saturdays) often meant that the 25s ran the whole service. The Derbysulzers site gives details of some of the locos concerned.

 

I remember seeing the Sat only Nottingham-Paignton on many occasions at Bristol Parkway, and was a service we looked out for, one of those sights that stick in the memory. Surprised by Geoff's comments re scarcity of 25s at Taunton- they were very common in Bristol, and clearly didn't venture much Southbound.

 

Neil

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Classic prototype for anything but as a departmental loco (eh train heating loco) 24142 as TDB968009 had spells at Penzance, Worcester so could easily be a Taunton visitor in modelling terms. 24142 is one of the later headcode fitted 24's so an interesting model project too. A Taunton spotting list on 170375 includes at Taunton

Steam 0-4-0, steam 0-6-0, 25227/25059 ballast,56169,50413,1022p

cheers

NR www.leightonlogs.org

 

Similarly TDB968008 (ex-24 054) was at Laira during the 'seventies. In contrast to the above, my records from a brief layover at Taunton in 1986 amount only to 47152 and the resident "PWM" 97652.

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At more or less the same time the Cl.25s arrived at Bristol, so too had the Cl.31s.

.

I can remember during late 1971 early 1972 taking advantage of the cut price fares offered by BR(WR) to travel on the 16:20 Cardiff - Bristol TM, in order to (i) do Marsh Jct for the stored hydraulics and (ii) get the latest Cl.25s and/or Cl.31s e.g. 5809 & 5812.

.

Whether the Cl.31s tootled west toward Taunton on a regular basisi I never knew, but they were regulars at Severn Tunel Jct. and occasionally made it to Canton.

 

Brian R

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That will be the Taunton Twins for a start, ( a pair of 31s working out of Fairwater Yard on engineers trips)

the pair stabled at Taunton between jobs, returning to Bath rd for fuel and service.

 

cheers

 

 

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