TT100's behind the scenes retrospective

[TT100 Diesels]

Hi,

 

This thread is intended as a casual look back over the years at what at the time was the brave new world of traction and rolling stock. A few of the pics should have some minor railway history significance, so hopefully will be of interest and perhaps even inspire folk to model them? Who knows.....

 

Anyway, just to start the ball rolling, we start with the Sprinterisation revolution.

 

 

The vanguard of Sprinterisation, 150001, the first prototype fitted with the Cummins / Voith engine and power train, which was adopted for series production units.

 

On 17/08/1984, 150001 finds itself inside the train shed at London St Pancras station, for the first time ever, having worked a VIP special in from Derby. Of course, today, this area of the station is the domain of Eurostar trains.

 

 

Meanwhile, over at the Mickleover test track (now a rather pleasant cycle trail), sister prototype, 150002 with the Rolls Royce / SCG engine and powertrain is being tweaked between development runs on the test track. 

 

The date is 07/09/1984 and its the first day of test running for this unit. 150002 eventualy became the test bed for the class 158 engine / power train, becoming another class of prototype, 154001.

 

I will leave it there for the moment, but there is more to come, and hopefully of some interest.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

 

Please note that all photos on this thread posted by me are my own.

Edited April 2 by TT100 Diesels
Photo ownership note

[TT100 Diesels]

Still staying in the mid 1980's, blown the dust off a few more pictures. this time, its a peek inside the Engineering Development Unit (EDU) at the RTC, Derby. 

 

 

BRE/Leyland railbus unit, 141001 is prepared for its next test run. This unit remained as the official Type Test unit for an extended period of time and ended up being the last of the fleet to carry the original Blue / Grey livery, while its Neville Hill allocated class mates had gone over to the Green and Cream livery.

 

 

An unusual visitor, 31431 was in for investigations to resolve rough riding. 

 

 

Both of the prototype sprinter units ran Type Tests configured as 3 car and 2 car formations. The middle car of 150001, MS, 55400 is stored in the EDU during a period of 2 car unit running for 150001.

 

All photos dated 18/09/1985.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[TT100 Diesels]

Back to early Type Testing of 150001, seeing it out and about on the network.

 

 

It's back to 18/09/1984 at Bromsgrove, with 150001 reduced to a two car formation for traction performance tests on the Litchfield City - Bromsgrove axis. Lickey incline was a regular traction test site used by all the new classes of units of this era of change.

 

Speaking of change, this location has changed completely since this picture was taken, which shows the Sprinter recessed in the sidings on the fuel tank farm side of the line while a pair of 37's start to dig in to bank the 07.30 Penzance to Aberdeen, with 47029 being the train engine. The 37's are 37244 and 37275.

 

 

Later in the day, 150001 is back at Bromsgrove, this time the day's testing completed and it awaits its path back to Derby RTC. But first, a conventional DMU needs to clear after making a call at the single platform.

 

 

A few days later, on the 25th September, 55200 finds itself in company with 317335 and 317325 at Bedford depot. 150001 was on a Derby RTC to Bedford rtn test run.

 

The family DNA can be seen between the MKIII steel build EMU's and the new kid on the block underfloor diesel hydraulic powered brethren.

 

 

The next day saw 150001 up on the WCML, on another regular test site, this time, the slow line between Crewe and Winsford. It is probably most notable as being the test site for slip brake testing of freight rolling stock, but was also used for other stock as in this case. 

 

A possession of the slow line thus allows plenty of scope for shuttling back and forth monitoring stopping distances against the relevant technical specification. In this photograph, 55300 makes a striking comparison with a venerable old Class 304 EMU, 024. Due to a train crew changeover, the 150 had to be worked back out the possession into the station at Crewe to facilitate this.

 

Hope these old pictures are of interest.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[TT100 Diesels]

As I said in the first post, this thread is a casual look back in retrospect, so I intend to mix things up and jump about a bit rather than following a strict chronological order.

 

So off into the time machine to sample the eavy' metal scene in the mid 1980's, in fact the very heaviest available at that time, 4,300 tons of it !

 

 

So here we are, its late evening on 28/05/1986 and two class 59's stand outside the rail shed at Foster Yeoman's Merehead quarry. 59004 on the left and 59001 on the right. 59001 was booked on the 00.15 Merehead - Acton - Purfleet, loading 43 PTA bogie open box wagons between Merehead and Acton, where the train was split and some (cant remember exactly how many) continued to Purfleet.

 

 

On 29/05/1986, its still dark, just, as 59001 stands at Slough, after being stopped for causing a hot axlebox activation en route. Happily, it was physically confirmed to be ok by the driver.

 

 

Just another shot of 59001 standing at Slough while the driver attends to the HABD issue in the train. Not long after this run, another 3 wagons were added to this diagram, and ultimately, it went to 50 wagons, 5,000 t. Very impressive, indeed.

 

 

Later in the day 59001 is seen stabled at Purfleet station, awaiting the wagons to be unloaded, before working the empties back to Merehead quarry via Acton yard.

 

A class 302 EMU, 283 departs from the station heading out on an LTS service.

 

 

And finally, on the return empties, running along the Berks & Hants, not too far off Savernake summit, passing the 14.18 Merehead Quarry to Theal loaded working, with another of the original quartet of EMD heavy haulers in charge. Looks like the local farmers are having a free lime top up!

 

So, this time,  a bit of a change from prototype Sprinters. Hope it's of interest.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[TT100 Diesels]

So for this post, we continue to examine the eavy' metal scene in the late 80's. Except this time its home grown traction, featuring the last loco to be built at Doncaster, 58050.

 

 

Toton's re-railing school's compound sees 58050 spending some time there on static run up testing. It was a good place to shove 050 out of the way to facilitate run up development and test work carried out by Brush Traction engineering staff. 27/08/1987.

 

58050 was built as a standard spec loco then converted to "sepex" control by Brush with the removed standard components locked away in quarantine. Once Brush finished the 'sepex' programme, 050 was reverted back to standard trim.

 

 

On 16/09/1987, 58050 pilots 58039 on a Bentinck pit to Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station MGR working. Seen here waiting to go through the rapid unloader. 

 

The modus operandi for 58050 running trials was to tie onto an existing service, and do the work. Mostly it was a case of arranging to stop something at Toton Centre and run over light loco and tie on. Then after a coal plan circuit, detach again back at Toton Centre.

 

Whenever 050 played up, it was a case of whistling up for the train engine to assist till 050 was sorted and ready to take over again (this was often and usual, hence not sending it out on its own!).

 

 

18/11/1987, sees 58050 gone all triple grey coal sector livery at Bentinck pit rapid loading bunker. 050 is doing the work propelling the MGR's back through the loading bunker, with the train engine being 58033. 

 

 

Later, after the hoppers were loaded, the locos ran round the train, and 58050 piloting  58033. Seen standing at the Bentinck pit branch junction with the Kirkby Lane End Junction to Pye Bridge Junction freight line. 

 

Once its got the road, its back down "the wash" to feed the dragons belly, aka Ratcliffe on Soar PS boilers.

 

From a modelling viewpoint, if I were ever to do a 58, it would have to be the Railfreight red stripe livery for me. The livery was designed around the 58 class and it carries it well.

 

Need to dig out some more pictures and notes so I can do some more updates in due course, but hope these few posts have been interesting.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

Edited Tuesday at 18:20 by TT100 Diesels
2nd pic revised text (with thanks to Big Jim).

[TT100 Diesels]

So, back to Sprinter prototypes, who remembers these long forgotten units, the Met Camm Class 151's?

 

These made up the quartet of Sprinter prototypes, with the two BREL York MKIII derived 150001 & 2 with different engine & power train combinations, and two identical Class 151's, 151001 & 151002. These both had Cummins engines and Twin Disc transmissions. 

 

These became somewhat of a white elephant and joined the long list of short lived traction on BR.

 

 

On a snowy 08/02/1985, brand new 151001 (55202 vehicle) is seen at Platform 1 at Derby, having arrived from Washwood Heath being hauled by a Class 25. Its just waiting the road for a propelling move into the RTC yard. First time one of these units was at Derby.

 

Locomotive haulage of all 4 sprinter prototypes was easy, as apart from having to use the adapter coupling it was s standard two pipe auto air brake system on the units. If you look carefully at the air connection block on top of the BSI auto coupler, two air connection ports can be seen, the bottom one is the main reservoir pipe, present on all sprinter and pacer fleets, but on the prototype sprinters, the top one was the air brake pipe, for working in multiple.

 

With a loco tied on, emergency mr and bp hoses had a glad hand connector at one end (for loco pipes) and a plug in Schrader connector at the other (for unit emergency connections).

 

 

22/02/1985 sees 151001 stabled at Mickleover between runs on the test track. This unit spent quite a while at Mickleover, carrying out development running trials to enable the engineers from Twin Disc to fine tune the transmission system to the engine output characteristics. At the time Cummins and Twin Disc were in dispute, and Cummins refused to co-operate with TD, hence the need to "reverse engineer" the transmission response. Never did find out the reason behind these shenanigans, that was for the men in suits.

 

 

On 11/03/1985, 151001 ventured out onto the main line on a Derby RTC  to Bedford rtn quality assurance test run. This was the first proper long run for the 151, apart from transit to / from Derby and Mickleover and test track runs.

 

The picture shows it stopped just by Wing tunnel for a planned transmission oil level check.

 

 

Later on the return run, 151001 was stopped on the slow lines at Glendon South Junction, waiting in a que for the road via Market Harborough. In what has got to be a rare picture  of a 150 prototype on the MML south of Leicester,  150002 passes by on the fasts en route from St Pancras to Derby. This unit had been engaged in filming at St Pancras.

 

 

Possibly one of the rarest pictures of a coming together of BREL and Met Camm sprinter prototypes, certainly away from Derby Station or Etches Park depot, and especially being down the MML, sees 151001 in a que, stopped on the slows, while 150002 races past on the fasts.

 

It could not be more different today, with MAS, electrification and the lifting of the lead up to the main lines.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

 

[TT100 Diesels]

Staying on the Sprinter theme, going back to early 1987, production sprinters of the 150/2 variety were fitted with through gangway doors, and otherwise reverted back to a number of prototype Sprinter design features following problems with design changes away from the prototypes on the initial production batch, the 150/1's.

 

 

Principally, the drivers vestibule doors reverted back to the sliding type, it was hinged on the /1. Electrical systems were also reverted back following problems with design changes on the /1. On the /2, the alternators and the control system relays reverted back to prototype configuration. In the early days of the /1's, a slam of the cab door caused no end of energised control relays to 'drop out', oops....

 

And anyone remember this? Early deliveries of the /2's had no 'proper' yellow front ends. The through gangway door was yellow, but the perspex fly screens can soon get scratched and ingrained with grime. Early units were released for traffic after commissioning, but it was not long before new units were arriving from York works with the regular full yellow ends and these few oddballs were shown a brush and a tin of yellow paint.

 

A very short lived precursor to the non yellow ends in fashion on todays railway (albeit with enhanced forward facing lighting).

 

In the picture, 150225 is seen stabled at Sheffield Midland station light maintenance depot berthing sidings, between driver training runs on 03/03/1987.

 

 

A month or so earlier on 12/01/1987, another 'yellow end-less' /2, this time 150218 in the yard at Neville Hill depot.

 

 

The first batch of 150/2's represented the Sprinterisation 'brave new world' for the north of England. Incredibly, these brand new two car units phased out loco hauled Trans-Pennine workings. Whilst down the yard with 150218 (previous pic), 45114 hurries by Neville Hill depot towards Leeds on a Trans -Pennine working, in the twilight of the old order.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[keefer]

Rare to see pictures of Sprinters with grey ends, well done for photting them! 

I know what you mean with them replacing l/h trains - the 4-coach (cl.27 or 47 with vb Mk1/2z) Dundee-Edinburgh trains became 150/2 from 1987-8. 

Usually a single unit even on the busy trains!

[TT100 Diesels]

Thanks for your comments and interest @keefer.

 

Staying on the steel build MKIII derived multiple unit stock theme, we take a trip to Scotland to have a peek at the new class 318 EMU's.

 

 

It's 03/09/1986 and we find brand new 318262 undergoing static commissioning at Glasgow Shields depot. These new build units were initially procured to support the extension of electrification to Ayr.

 

 

At the time, the new 318's represented the third generation of units on the Glasgow electrified network. In this view taken on the same day in the yard at Shields depot, we find an original 'Blue Train' class 303, PEP derived 314213, and new kid on the block, 318258.

 

 

Not all the commissioning was carried out at Shields depot. Dynamic commissioning test runs were arranged to run out on the Inverclyde routes to Gourock or Wemyss Bay. 

 

Again, on the same day (static work on 318262 and a test run, must have been a busy day !) we were out at Gourock with 318257 and 218263 on commissioning run duties.

 

Thank for the continued interest, and it's quite fun digging back through old photos. How time flies, thick end of 40 years ago 🤔 back then 318's were shiney new things, and today they are the current oldest generation of EMU's on the Glasgow electric network. The relentless march of time.....

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

Edited May 17 by TT100 Diesels
Spelling

[keefer]

I've seen several pics of the 318s on test runs at Carlisle, in DaveF's photo thread. 

p.s. don't know how i managed to miss this thread until now!

Excellent stuff and very interesting @TT100 Diesels, hope there's more to come.

Edited May 17 by keefer

[TT100 Diesels]

6 minutes ago, keefer said:

I've seen several pics of the 318s on test runs at Carlisle, in DaveF's photo thread. 

 

This is interesting, I only ever went Inverclyde and that was all that was booked the times I was around, and one of the reasons they went there was for 'live' cab radio commissioning tests. I recollect that a radio specialist from the regional side came along especially to carry out the radio element of the dynamic commissioning.

 

But I was only relief cover on that job so not on the 318 commissioning all that much. Interesting, all the same.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

 

[keefer]

Luckily, there was one posted recently (just noticed there are two units):

Carlisle 318270 brand new on test 14th April 87 C8276

From DaveF's excellent thread:

 

Edited May 17 by keefer

[TT100 Diesels]

Thanks @keefer for posting this, what a great photo so thanks also to @Dave F for the initial post on his thread. 

 

Interestingly, its a much later unit in the build sequence and into spring 1987. I was on other stuff by then so clearly missed out on a blast down the WCML to the Citadel....... However, not that much later, was coming the other way on class 90's, must do some more digging into old pictures to see what I can find, just be test  run stuff though.

 

Lovely to see these little nuggets of railway history unearthed and shared. Thanks again.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[keefer]

18 minutes ago, TT100 Diesels said:

just be test  run stuff though.

 

All the better! 

Especially when you can provide a bit of background info to them.

[TT100 Diesels]

3 hours ago, keefer said:

All the better! 

Especially when you can provide a bit of background info to them.

 

All this request stuff @keefer !, well go on then, I just had another shuffle about through my old pics and found some 90 snaps. They are quick tab cam grabs of prints so apologies for the poor quality. But hopefully still sufficiently interesting enough to make up for poor quality picture renditions.

 

 

So, here we are close to Bay Horse OLE Neutral section. It brand new 90003 on its delivery run to Shields depot to take up driver training duties. Err except on this occasion its not. Transformer gas detector trip, so its early bath time. Coasted to the peg to declare the failure and request assistance. Date is 22/02/1988.

 

 

Due to the slightly inconvenient location of the failure, 47463 was "thunderbirded" out to us pronto. Seen here at Carnforth UDGL waiting for a path back to Crewe works BREL. Just unlucky really, it had got through light engine and load test commissioning running tests ok, so usually stuff like this would have got weeded out. 

 

 

Had a while to wait at Carnforth and I knew some colleagues would be passing by soon, here it is, 90001 on type testing duty, scuttling back to Crewe on a test run from Crewe to Carlisle and back. Note that "Ten Car" is coupled to the loco and is umbilically mated to it with hundreds of instrumentation connections from inside the the loco's equipment back to the recording kit on board Test Car 10.

 

 

I should probably re name this post as "the naughty nineties". This time its 90001 on type test duty on 07/03/1988. Location, Beattock summit loops - Edit note, looked again, clearly not in the summit loops, duff notes! Most likely its while awaiting the 'duff' to arrive to give assistance. Note end - 90001 is engaged on traction testing elements of the type test programme and was based out of Polmadie depot. Well loco and hard wired Test Car 10. It was a case of running light to Mossend yard to tie onto the test load, 21 Freightliner flats loaded with rails. 

 

Testing then carried out on a return to Carlisle with 47466 at Carlisle tying on the back to assist turning the entire ensemble on the triangle options available. The 47 was stationed at Carlisle New Yard for this manoeuvre. It was then booked to shadow us back north as far as Beattock summit. 

 

Just as well really as on the ascent of Beattock from the south, 90001 slipped to a stand at MP 44 1/2 on load 1,078 tons. So 47466 was "Thunderbird - No. 2" in this case ! And banked us the rest of the way to the summit. 

 

 

The next day, 90001 was out to play again on the exact same diagram, but with one exception, it needed to visit the diesel refuelling point at Kingmoor depot. Errm, getting into the 'prototype for everything thread' territory now ! Well, its all above board, it was a planned pit stop to top up the fuel tanks on Test Car 10 for the gen sets. 

 

The wagon load was stabled out of the way while the fuelling move was carried out. 

 

 

On the run back to Mossend and Polmadie, deep in the splendid Southern Uplands, a 47 hauled freight heading south passes us by.

 

I also have some fun and games on Beattock with a 91, defo hard core 'prototype for everything', but that's for another time 😉.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

Edited May 17 by TT100 Diesels
Added note to pic 4 in the sequence, location error

[TT100 Diesels]

Hi folks,

 

I have dug out pics for the 91 Beattock shenanigans, as hinted at in the above Class 90 post, its a whacky ensemble, would love to see anyone model this in any scale..... 

 

Like with 90001 above, when 91009 was used to carry out the traction testing element of the type testing, it was based off Polmadie depot and ran to and from Carlisle on the WCML  to take in Beattock on a couple of days. The core formation based off Polmadie was 91009 hard wired to Test Car 10, then six MKIII sleepers and Class 43 "ma set DVT" (i.e. unpowered and control supplies tapped off a coach ma set in the former guards brake area).

 

The previous day, an additional 10 MKIII sleepers were added to the formation, just for that days testing but on this day, 27/04/1989, something quite different was cooking in the pot........

 

 

Here we are in the loops at the former Beattock station. 91009 / TC10 / 6 x MKIII sleepers / 43014 has eased up to the rear of a train comprising 85015 heading 9 x bogie flats loaded up with rails.

 

The shunter is busy coupling up while the crews are discussing the plan of action.

 

 

Zero hour approaches, we are all ready to depart from the former Beattock station, with 91009 doing the work, and 85015 staying off the power unless we got into difficulties.

 

Just in case, 86502 over on the right has been assigned as an additional "Thunderbird", the insurance policy if you like. Not a bad idea given 47466 had to rescue 90001 on one of its Beattock traction tests a little over a year earlier (see above post). We get a cheery wave from the 86's driver.

 

 

Digging Into the climb, a "train surfers" eye view of the world, well actually the comfy 'B' drivers seat (second mans side) in 91009 !

 

Already gaining height, the M74 can be seen well down below in the valley. Up towards the summit, it started to drizzle and 91009 started to slip quite a bit, but managed to keep the ensemble moving and made it into the summit loops without disgracing itself.

 

 

The 85 and its train have been detached and are already away to Mossend while 91009 and its train are sat in the summit loop, awaiting the road to clear for the run back to Polmadie.

 

However, all was not well, as we took power, a general fault flagged up, and the usual pan up resets auto locked out a bogie group (pair of traction motors, cannot remember which group, it was too long ago.......). I discovered a pair of main traction fuses had blown, so it was back to Polmadie on half traction power. With good old Red Star parcels available, was able to get a replacement pair of traction fuses whistled up overnight from Bounds Green to Glasgow Central, and then fitted before departure time (I do remember having to skip breakfast that morning to sort this out). At the time, quite a few 91's blew bogie group sets of main traction fuses, and a fleet mod solved the issue soon afterwards.

 

So, definitely 'prototype for everything' as far as I am concerned 😉,  hope this has been an interesting interlude, again, apologies for the not brilliant tab cam print grabs.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

Edited May 19 by TT100 Diesels
Spelling as usual....

[TT100 Diesels]

Hi, after all this electric loco fun and games on the WCML, it's back in time again catching up with the Sprinter prototype units. This post looks at 150001 on a special working on 04/10/1984 from Derby to Wirksworth and return.

 

The reason for the working was twofold, the run was to pick up VIP's at Wirksworth for a run back to Derby, and 150001 was also 'doubling up' to take over the duties of an inspection saloon which had been booked to traverse the branch the same day.

 

 

View from the cab of the leading vehicle, 55300. Running In off the Wirksworth branch loop into the remaining original platform.

 

Nowadays the main line connection is gone and the branch station has been transformed by the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

 

 

150001 stands at the branch platform at Duffield while the driver deals with the tablet and signal unlocking.

 

 

55300 waits at the signal protecting the branch at Duffield station.

 

 

View from the cab of 55300 as we run into the former Wirksworth station and the freight yard, but no freight about today!

 

Again, this scene has been transformed by the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, where this site is now its main operating base.

 

 

150001 with 55200 leading waits to work back to Derby, seen in the freight yard at Wirksworth.

 

This was the first ever Sprinter up the Wirksworth branch and pre dated the series of 'Wirksworth Phoenix' special excursions which used both class 150 and 151 prototype units some time later.

 

Again, it is something a bit different, and I vaguely remember it being a bit of a 'jolly' to be honest. Hope it's of interest.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[balders]

Loving this topic. Thanks very much for taking the time to post on some very interesting subject matter! 

 

Regards

 

Guy

[Max Legroom]

I've just discovered this thread. Thank you for all of the interesting photos and info. I can't believe this was so long ago!

[TT100 Diesels]

Thanks @balders and @Max Legroom, glad the subject matter is of interest to you. The post above got me interested in the "Wirksworth Phoenix" specials, so I dug out a few pic's I took on a couple of occasions.

 

Not strictly behind the scenes as such, just taken from public access points, but given the synergy with 150001's run up the branch above, I thought that it might be an interesting follow on subject.

 

 

During May 1985 there were 3 days of specials from Derby to Wirksworth. On 25/05/1985 the 12.13 Derby to Wirksworth passes the former Shottle station worked by 150001.

 

 

Seen at the former Wirksworth station.

 

 

And working the 13.03 Wirksworth to Derby, running past Callow Park.

 

 

A year later, the May "bank holiday specials" were repeated, this time with 151001 as the allocated unit. On 25/05/1986, a Derby to Wirksworth trip approaches Hazelwood.

 

 

And after passing under the bridge, runs past the site of Hazelwood station.

 

And I daresay, pictures of the Met Camm Sprinter prototypes in service are not very common. In digging out the above, I found quite a few 151 pics at the tech centre, on test runs, first passenger services etc, so can look at doing a few features on them in future posts.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[TT100 Diesels]

Sticking firmly to the mid 80's , we take an overview look at the RTC yard, Etches Park sidings and Derby Loco works, on 15/01/1985. In fact it is literally an 'overview' as the pictures are a series of overlapping shots taken from the top floor of Brunel House in the RTC.

 

 

We have the Way and Works end of the RTC yard, then just across the MML in the middle right is the BREL Loco Works weighbridge (vertical black and white stripes on doors).

 

Then Etches Park carriage sidings. Going towards the top left we have the locos stabled on 'Derby Curve' then back across the running lines to the top left corner with St Andrews goods shed.

 

Just visible across the top is Derby Midland station.

 

 

Next shot panning right....

 

In the foreground, the RTC yard with the 'Mag Lev' vehicle and track. Above is the Etches Park carriage sidings, then just top left of them is the 'wind tunnel', the fuelling point at 4 Shed.

 

Behind that is the BREL Loco Works, with 7 Shop notable. The separate brick building with ventilators to the right of it is the locomotive test house.

 

 

Next shot to the right...

 

Etches Park carriage washing plant, behind that is the shunters bothy, then the fuel storage. 

 

Above that, its into the Loco Works again. The large newish building to the top right is the Heavy Machine Shop, and sticking out behind that is the brick built 25 Shop (railcar engine overhaul). To the right of these buildings is 'Spike Island', a place of doom for many a loco, for it was the domain of the gas axemen.

 

 

Final shot of the sequence....

 

More of the RTC yard, notable in the bottom right corner is the Leyland bus body on a MKI underframe prototype coach.

 

A four car DMU formation runs into Derby on the MML, while behind are the depot buildings of Etches Park maintenance depot. The chevron doors are the DMU shed and the grey doors just in front are the carriage shed.

 

Further up the picture beyond the railway installations are the gasworks building and one of the gas holders.

 

Remarkably, today, most of this is still here, the RTC offices and sidings have reinvented themselves and still thrive, Etches Park depot has been remodelled and expanded with an additional  maintenance shed (for the Class 222 Meridians) built on the carriage sidings (and recently expanded further still for the "Midland Zoomas"). 

 

However, most of the Loco works has gone, but at least its a major business park so lots of folk can at least earn a crust on the same land. But the Roundhouse and General Stores buildings have been retained and incorporated into a new Derby College site.

 

No doubt many RMWebbers will be familiar with the Roundhouse when the major Railex was held there in the pre covid era.

 

So, quite a few memories for anyone associated with the railway side of Derby in these views.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[big jim]

1 hour ago, TT100 Diesels said:

 

Next shot panning right....

 

In the foreground, the RTC yard with the 'Mag Lev' vehicle and track. Above is the Etches Park carriage sidings, then just top left of them is the 'wind tunnel', the fuelling point at 4 Shed.

 

Behind that is the BREL Loco Works, with 7 Shop notable. The separate brick building with ventilators to the right of it is the locomotive test house

with an APT powercar lurking too! 

 

1 hour ago, TT100 Diesels said:

The chevron doors are the DMU shed and the grey doors just in front are the carriage shed

wasn’t the grey door shed the former midland pullman shed? 

 

On 10/04/2024 at 22:40, TT100 Diesels said:

On 16/09/1987, 58050 pilots 58039 on a Bentinck pit to Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station MGR working. Seen here with most the train having gone through the rapid unloader. 

Doesn’t that picture show the train before the unloader? (Unless of course the unloading procedure was different in the 80) 
 

On 16/05/2024 at 22:53, TT100 Diesels said:

And anyone remember this? Early deliveries of the /2's had no 'proper' yellow front ends

A rare pic of one in Chester in iirc 1986

 

On 17/05/2024 at 16:48, keefer said:

don't know how i managed to miss this thread until now!

i concur, some amazing photos of an interesting time, I would have been in my early teens when most were taken which was a time I would have been on the platform end with my dad seeing these workings! 

 

for example…..

my dads friend, Chris warburton was involved with the class 90 testing as he was an electrician in crewe works at the time, he’s only just retired from DRS as a driver in the last couple of years 

original 150 in crewe

 

Little me cabbing the 151 in derby, funny to think years down the line I’d be driving trains through there (even based in chaddesden with fastline) and I’d sign etches park and RTC! 

 

And Derby pre rebuild, I don’t actually remember it being like this other than there normally being lines of 08s sat on the stabling point on the curve 

 

Keep the pics coming

[TT100 Diesels]

Thanks for the interesting replies @big jim, yes it was an interesting period. 

 

Nice to see your pictures of Crewe and Derby, featuring the prototype Sprinters and 90001 on test. Good call with the yellow less /2 at Chester, very rare to see out and about like that.

 

Some of your points, the 58's at Ratcliffe PS, down to my memory of the place, its virtually 4 decades since I was going in there, funny, I had the unloader closer to the cooling towers, clearly my fuddled memory........

 

Good spot with the APT power car, if you zoom into the third pic in the sequence, just right of the brown fuel storage tanks, in the loco works looks like a class 41 power car as well. Also to the right, some 25's look to be having an appointment with the mad gas axeman 'down spike'.

 

As for the carriage shed at EPD and Midland Pullman use, afraid I don't know, all I know is when I was working with the Sprinter prototypes it was mainly used for HST's and they used to split the last coach and PC off to get it all in on both roads. It was also a haunt of the Sprinter prototypes, they did not like them getting in the way of the Class 104 and 120's in the DMU shed.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[big jim]

2 hours ago, TT100 Diesels said:

if you zoom into the third pic in the sequence, just right of the brown fuel storage tanks, in the loco works looks like a class 41 power car as well

I don’t actually remember ever going to derby works but I must have done with my dad as I saw the prototype HST there awaiting cutting, I’d have been about 9 or 10 in this pic so 1984-85ish i think 

 

 

[Covkid]

Thanks very much "TT100 Diesels" for such a fascinating photoblog.  I was enjoying my career as TOPS servant at this time.  I did know of all those special toys at the RTC and on the odd occasion of passing, would always look out for the wealth of intrigue on there. 

 

Please keep em coming !!