35A

My first impression was that it was 25 243 - but that was a class 25/2 and one of the Darlington batch, built to original design with bodyside grilles and a small central windscreen (and non-existent connecting doors). It isn't fully clear, even at the maximum resolution that I could get, but I wonder if it is 25 248 (the first of the 25/3s)? It certainly looks as though it is 25 24-something (to me - BICBW).

C8265 - I had forgotten that the loco-hauled diagrams off Heaton went on for quite so long in 1987. I remember that they were still running later in the summer/early autumn, diagrams tied in with the Middlesbrough services. I recall catching a Newcastle - Middlesbrough mid-afternoon service that worked back as far as Hexham, on one occasion. Congratulations, David, on notching up another milestone!

Yes, likewise. I made quite a few visits to Reddish, Guide Bridge, Wath, Rotherwood & Tinsley during the 70s but only ever saw any 76s working on a handful of occasions at the latter two locations plus at Godley Jn. I also saw the odd one on Crewe Works during visits but that was about it. I've got plenty of photographs but all of mine are static, barring one taken from above as one threaded through the cutting into Tinsley Yard. I never got to ride the Woodhead route and never got out onto it properly for photography. As you say, a lasting regret.

Hee hee. Want to bet? Another cracking set of pictures, by the way. We so often forget that a good photograph doesn't have to be a close-up, trains in the countryside look great. I'm going to be a pain and challenge the identification on J2192. The nameplate is too short for 9004 - which had four alpha characters clear of the outer edges of the battery box vents, on each side. 4 was also in Doncaster Works from 3rd to 21st August 1970, lessening the likelihood. I can't definitively identify it, as it doesn't magnify too well without losing definition. However, being in blue with a crest, it can't be 9013. It can't be 9016 as, at August 1970, that was the last Deltic running with a 'D' prefix in the number, which it carried into 1971. Looking at the wording layout of the nameplate in as high magnification as I can get, I would say the pattern fits ROYAL SCOTS GREY better (it looks like a three word name). The usual ID point, the footstep on the front, is somewhat in shadow but I think looks to have the squarer corners that 9000 has, rather than the slightly wider recess and rounded corners of the rest. So I think that its 9000. Sorry, David! (ducks and runs for cover!!!)

Absolutely! Apart from the wonderful, memory-jerking photographs, one of the fun things about looking at this thread every day is to see if we can contribute any useful additional information, identities etc. My 1970s/1980s notes have never seen so much reference to them - sadly I very rarely find occasions when we were both in the same area at the same time.

Apologies for restating something that had already been raised. I thought that I was on the last page when I responded and missed the earlier, similar replies! It's an age thing.

I would politely query the ID on that one, given that D1669 was named "PYTHON" in March 1966, less than a year earlier, and the loco in the photograph shows no sign of having carried nameplates. It wasn't unknown for the Western 47s to shed one or both plates but, AFAIK, "PYTHON" didn't lose its plates until 1972/1973, after which it never carried them (or replacements) again.

IIRC 1M80 (in C658) was the Yarmouth - Walsall summer Saturdays holidaymaker, the return working of the morning 1E91 Walsall - Yarmouth, in which case that picture would have been taken at around 17:45 - 18:00. This was the Midlands - East Anglia equivalent of the "Jolly Fisherman" trains to Skegness and was a 2xClass 25 turn for many years, only very occasionally turning out something else, usually a Brush 4. However, during its last couple of years it became a fairly regular 47 turn.

C1725: 1C15 was the 16:48 or 16:52 (probably the latter by 1974) Peterborough to Harwich Parkeston Quay, rather than Norwich. 27th must have been a Saturday as it had a 37 on it, usually a 31/1 on weekdays. C1727: I agree with Rob (#9531), I was going to suggest 55 012 as well.

..... and the leading class 20 in C1936 looks like 20 088. You're spoiling us at the moment, Dave. Loving that GN viaduct shot today. Thanks, as always.

It's not surprising that they had so many problems with the diesels in the 1960s, given the disgusting state that they were allowed to get into, the result of sharing shed space with steam traction (J660). J799 - what a gorgeous shot!

A bit late to the party, I'm afraid, as I've been away for the last week. With reference to the Peterborough photographs, the class 08 in C1693 would be 08 324. The class 37 on 1B13 (later returning to HPQ as 1C15 at 16:48 or 16:52, depending upon the year) confirms that the 27th was a Saturday. On a weekday 1B13/1C15 was, almost without exception, a class 31/1. On a Saturday it varied between a 31/0 or a 37.

FYI - I just tried to edit an earlier posting. Save Changes is not actioning and it isn't possible to delete the warning message, in this instance. I haven't time to find a work around at the moment, so will have to leave the strikethrough of my incorrect info (re: TRUBs) in my original post. Apologies.

Thanks for that. The numbers that you quote sound familiar to me, from distant memory. I'd forgotten about the initial renumbering, as well - you are (of course) right.

That rings a bell now. Thanks. I was trying to find my pre-1984 coaching stock books, to refresh my memory, but I seem to have mislaid them. Didn't the displaced TRSBs go to the Western (or were they used in the NE-SW sets)? I've got the dimmest of memories of those details! Also, the TRUKs that ended up as WCML RFMs were numbered in the 102xx series (the first ones in that series, the later ones were new build), not the 100xx series, as I stated earlier.

When they were first delivered the ECML HSTs had a TRUK (Trailer Restaurant Unclassified with Kitchen - 405xx series) and a TRSB (Trailer Restaurant Second with Buffet - 404xx series) in the formation. The former was usually formed between the second class and first class vehicles and the latter in the middle of the second class vehicles. Fairly quickly they were reformed and the catering vehicles placed adjacent to each other. In the early 1980s it was decided to dispense with the kitchen car and use the TRSB for everything. Most of the TRSBs were reclassified TRUB (Trailer Restaurant Unclassified with Buffet - renumbered into the 407xx series). The TRUKs were withdrawn and replaced with a second class (around the same time reclassified to standard class) vehicle. Many of the TRUKs were modified, rewired, renumbered and added into the WCML loco-hauled catering fleet (100xx series). Vehicle 40513 became the Executive Saloon, which could be hired and inserted into any HST formation for corporate use (or, at least, that was the intention - it wasn't used much!). IIRC a couple of others were also held back, although I forget why exactly.

Interesting that the leading class 20 in C4580 has its number above the double-arrow, whilst the following loco has them reversed. The former is the standard application and I don't actually recall seeing any 20s, post-renumbering, in the style of the second loco, although I do remember some of the early blue applications in the D-era having them that way. I wonder if it's one of the Scottish ones that migrated south?

C4566 - does anyone know if that is that the verandah coach that's at the Nene Valley now? After ages of searching online I can't find the answer! Thanks.

As always, some lovely shots on the ECML. Unfortunately, difficult to pin down any identities in this batch. The class 40 in J2665 is most probably a York or Gateshead machine (an outside chance of it being a Healey Mills one) - by May 1971 the only remaining green examples, of the disc-fitted series, were 239, 247, 252, 254 and 257. Similarly, the Deltic in J2731 appears to have a Gateshead style twin line nameplate, which narrows it down to 2, 5, 11, 14 or 17. All were in traffic throughout August 1971 (11 was ex-works during the first week). It's impossible to make out any of the lettering and, given the angle, I wouldn't even make a suggestion based on the plate size. The only observation that I would make is that Gateshead were renowned for the poor external cleanliness of their locos and that this one looks quite presentable! The class 47 in J2733 appears to be one of the Finsbury Park D1760-1766 batch. Again, unfortunately, the entire batch remained green at this time. However, 1763 had the newer, standard numerals and no D prefix, so that can be excluded.

Nice to see the old Fenchurch Street again, flooded in light, instead of the oppressive low roofs of today!

Again, re C3230, that fits in with the diagrams reported on Chronicles. All of the other FP Deltics are eliminated by virtue of being on Anglo-Scottish diagrams, depot or works, apart from 18, which was doing a Leeds run in the opposite direction at the time that 1A14 was heading in. "Alycidon" was reported as working 1E11, 08:50 Aberdeen - King's Cross, from Edinburgh, on 4th March 1977, then 1N24, 16:10 King's Cross - Newcastle on 5th. It's entirely feasible that, after arrival in London on 4th, she did an unreported run to Leeds, returning the following morning on the working that we now have two photographs for, as evidence.

Very much the same here, Dave & Phil. Last year I took a grand total of 4 railway photographs. Unheard of, for me, when I used to take 250-350 a year and even recently have still averaged 100-150 a year. I think that it's probably down to the lack of locomotive haulage these days, our age and the weather. Certainly I tend to go out less now than I used to, especially on bad weather days, and even when I do I'm much more picky about taking pictures - I've got enough shots on gloomy, damp, characterless days as it is.

Well spotted, Paul. Absolutely right. I've now done the same check (I didn't think to check the sandbox fillers last night!). Back then to my original thought - I was convinced, before even enlarging the picture, that it was Deltic 9 - but I managed to talk myself out of it after I enlarged the picture slightly. I'm now convinced, by a process of elimination, that my first thought was right. See the following picture: http://www.napier-chronicles.co.uk/9_25-2-78.htm taken on 25th February. Glass headcode panel, twin wipers, sandbox fillers and OHL flashes. However - this clashes with the reported down working in the Chronicles (no timetables to hand but I can't see the timings working), so the mystery deepens!!! It can't be no 1 - that had already been retired, at Doncaster Plant. It can't be no 3 - firstly, 3's plate was too short; secondly, I was actually behind it on our way back from Newton Abbot to Paddington, on the "Deltic Ranger" railtour (rerun) that day. It can't be no 7 - 7's plate was too short and it had already lost its sandbox fillers. No 9 - see above. It can't be no 12 - that had already lost its sandbox fillers and had had its headcode panel plated over - it was also reported in Newcastle the previous night and didn't work back until teatime. It can't be no 15 - that was failed at FP all day, following an aborted 07:30 attempt to get to Hornsey C.S. It can't be no 18 - again, that had already lost its sandbox fillers. It can't be no 20 - for the good logic and evidence that you provided above.

Agreed. Obviously not 8 - wrong nameplate lettering style, too short and no crest. 9 was otherwise occupied. 15 was at FP all day, apart from an abortive move to Hornsey C.S. when it failed with brake problems and returned to FP. 20 was on FP on a 'B' exam from 5th - 10th, as you say, but had previously been recorded on Holbeck on 2nd, so must have worked south at some point over those three days (N.B. only three weeks prior to its effective withdrawal/storage - it never worked again after 30th). Enlarging the picture slightly, I also think that it's 20 - presumably on its up working, prior to exam. I'll forward the picture to Paul and get him to update the Chronicles, if we are all in agreement.

Sounds about right, Mark. Although I didn't say it before, the bell that it rang was that it was a SO working. I recall an early afternoon down ECS working which would have left London around 13:00, based upon the time that I saw it. Your logic seems very sound. I'd stake my house on that being the correct explanation. AFAIR a Deltic on it was very unusual. IIRC it was usually a class 40 (certainly when it ran to Scarborough, in service). I do remember both the service & ECS being class 31 worked on occasions. I wonder whether the Deltic was a partial failure and had been swapped for the incoming loco at King's Cross and was being sent back north for attention? 21 did have a power unit swap during the last week of April 1971 and then another one (of the replaced unit) over 10th/11th/12th May 1971.