Did 50025 Invincible ever visit Portsmouth area?

[gc4946]

Question for the loco-bashers, did 50025, before its unfortunate demise, work any services to/from Portsmouth Harbour station or bypassing by using the northern part of the triangular part of Drayton/Farlington Junctions?

I haven't found any definite proof either by searching Flikr or googling.

[Glorious NSE]

Definate proof I don't have, but there were scheduled services behind 50s out of Portsmouth Harbour, so not at all impossible. I had 26 from Portsmouth Harbour to Crewkerne one network day for example.

[gc4946]

I've seen a few photos of 50s on either legs of a diagram that involved running from Waterloo via the Portsmouth Direct line to the Harbour, then Portsmouth Harbour-Plymouth (or Exeter) during 1987-89 (the Portsmouth Direct line trips ceased after May 1989), or the Plymouth-Brighton services which changed from 50s to 73s at Portsmouth Harbour after May 1989.

 

Just curious to find out as 25 is the only named vac, apart from 7, I would have in my collection. At the time I wasn't that interested in 50s so don't have much stuff about them at home, thanks.

[Glorious NSE]

Ours was the Brighton-Plymouth service, as you say coming in with a 73.

[Glorious NSE]

I guess the other thing to ask is what was 25's allocation - if it was an Old Oak NSE or Laira Departmental pools then it would be much less likely to turn up, if it was ever part of the Laira NSE pool then it's pretty likely.

 

(Folk say that anything could turn up in this era, my experience was the opposite, normally the power was boringly predictable - not just a given type of loco on the train but also only one from the pool responsible, variation only happenning when something went bang!)

[Gwiwer]

Again nothing definite for a specific loco but 50s definitely appeared on and off in the Portsmouth area. As noted they were diagrammed on the Portsmouth - Exeter leg of the Brighton through service after it was diverted via that city (and incurred a lengthy and unpopular time penalty in the process) and would sometimes appear (between Cosham and Farlington Junctions) on diversions from the LSWR main line if the Waterloo - Exeter service was routed via Haslemere for any reason.

[D1059]

 

(Folk say that anything could turn up in this era, my experience was the opposite, normally the power was boringly predictable - not just a given type of loco on the train but also only one from the pool responsible, variation only happenning when something went bang!)

 

That was my impression during the later 80's - to the point that NSE would often cancel an Exeter - Waterloo if there was a problem with the scheduled motive power, even when there were spare 50's from other sectors sitting on the stabling point.

 

STEVE

[Gwiwer]

Hire fees and sometimes modifications to the locos run by other sectors / businesses may have prevented the use of those locos. That has been one of the negative aspects of sector management and privatisation across the board. At least the 50s were quite reliable in their later days on the Exeter route compared with their first few years on BR WR.

[gc4946]

According to http://www.wnxx.com/...als/class50.htm 50025 was allocated to Old Oak Common in the NWRA pool at the time of its withdrawal.

Most images I've seen online of '25 show it working on services either to or from Paddington with the odd sortie on Waterloo services.

[vac_basher]

as 25 is the only named vac, apart from 7, I would have in my collection.

 

Hercules or Edward Elgar?

 

Just to confirm what has been previously said, 50025's final pool was indeed NWRA.

[andy stroud]

April 1988, it was in Cornwall on china clay trains.

[gc4946]

Vac basher - Number 7 - the green machine, Sir Edward Elgar.

 

I've started looking on Flickr for any images of 50s that visited Portsmouth, using the terms 50 and Portsmouth, for everyone's uploads, I found amongst masses of irrelevant results, the following locos that were definite visitors:

 

50001, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 17, 18, 24, 27, 34, 39, 43, 48

 

A search using the terms 50 and Cosham on Flickr produced in addition, 50009.

No searches combining the terms 50 and Bedhampton or Fareham or Havant produced any other numbers.

 

A quick search of Smugmug under terms 50 and Portsmouth, with Photos option, produced images of the following extra locos:

 

50010, 12, 19, 21, 28, 30, 31, 35, 37, 41, 42, 44, 45, 47, 50

 

Michael G. Harvey and Eddie Rooke's book "Portsmouth" (Silver Link, 1997) has a photo of 50020 on p.107

50026 as reported by Glorious NSE (thanks)

 

Additionally, thanks to Alfster's post and supplied weblink, I can also add these confirmed sightings:

http://www.malcolm-s...er/19-u-10.html

 

50005, 16, 23, 25, 29, 33, 38, 40, 46

 

 

The following locos have yet to be confirmed as visiting the Portsmouth area:

 

6, 11, 13, 14, 15, 22, 32, 36, 49

 

That's 9 out of 50 in the fleet to check.

[Alfster]

50025 Was observed on the 12.03 Portsmouth - Paignton train at Southampton at 12:52 on Thursday 23 July 1987.

 

For full information of this and other Portsmouth-Exeter Class 50 working see link below (also gives coach formations and numbers)quite a good sight though no personal link myself.

http://www.malcolm-smith.150m.com/railways/working/sector/west/exeter/exeter.html

 

Recall reading in one of the Class 50 society produced magazines that I had bought on a railtour a full list of all engines that had worked these sevices even occassions when speed restricted departmental pool engies were used (but alas where it is now do not know).

[gc4946]

Alfster, bingo, thanks for confirming 50025 did visit Portsmouth, also others who took photos and passed on gen.

[Not Captain Kernow]

Also working in and around Penzance in April 1988

 

 

[gc4946]

I'll definitely model '25 in NSE livery as in those images, but will use the Hornby model as a basis, having owned and sold the Lima version long ago.