The sixteen year six month career of D5121/24121 was spent allocated only to Scottish Region depots.
Built BR Derby Locomotive Works (batch D5114 - D5150).
Shortened fuel & water tank (first of Class to receive this modification from new).
Four upper and four lower air filters on non-BIS side, three upper and four lower on BIS side.
Scottish 'Highland' modifications: twin headlights, tablet catcher, cantrail water filler sheeted over, winterisation features: boiler room grille, gangway door weatherstripping, headcode box weatherproofing.
Circular gauge added to fuel & water tanks.
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: ?? months.
Time between withdrawal & scrapping: 16 months.
Allocations
The frames for D5121 were laid down at Derby Locomotive Works during April 1960, D5121 was new to Inverness (60A) on June 11th 1960. Further transfers were:
October 1975 to Haymarket.
October 22nd 1976 to store (unserviceable at Polmadie).
October 22nd 1976 reinstated to Haymarket.
October 31st 1976 to store (unserviceable).
December 31st 1976 withdrawn.
Renumbered May 2nd 1974.
After withdrawal 24121 was stored at Polmadie from January 1977 until November 1977 when it moved to Carlisle, being stored there until February 14th 1978 when it moved to Doncaster Works and broken up by May 1978.
Movement: 24019/66, 24102/121 07.00 Carlisle - Doncaster 9Z14 February 14 1978. (25191 to Skipton, then 31183 to Doncaster)
Works Visits
Works visits (records incomplete).
Noted Inverurie Works February 1962.
Noted Glasgow Works August & October 1970.
Noted Glasgow Works May 1973.
Noted Glasgow Works May 1975 (full repaint, headlights retained).
Highlights
1961
D5121 worked the 10.45 Kyle of Lochalsh - Inverness on September 6th.
1962
1964
D5120 & D5121 were northbound at Aviemore with a service for Inverness on April 1st.
1965
1966
D5121 worked the 13.15 Glasgow Buchanan Street - Dundee on June 18th.
Condition July: green livery with small yellow warning panels, curved upper corners, blanking plates fitted (five slats), hand/footholds present, shortened fuel & water tanks, exhaust located above engine room, ridge sided sandboxes, three-rung bogie mounted footsteps, three-piece miniature snowploughs fitted.
On July 3rd D5121 & D5337 worked the 23.30 Inverness - Edinburgh Waverley service.
D5121 worked the 06.55 Perth - Inverness on August 18th.
1967
D5121 worked the 07.20 Perth - Glasgow Queen Street on May 19th.
D5121 worked the 18.10 Glasgow Queen Street - Dundee on June 20th.
1968
A reasonably ex-works D5121 worked the 14.00 Craigellachie - Aviemore freight on June 18th.
1971
An SRPS special on June 19th encountered difficulties whilst returning from Inverness. The train had been worked up from Glasgow by 5360 & 5372, and these were used for the return. Unfortunately 5372 failed leaving Dalwhinnie, stalwart 5360 soldiered on alone over Drumochter only to expire at Dalguise. Rescue came from 5117 & 5121, fresh off the “Royal Highlander’, pushing the train to Dunkeld, where further assistance appeared in the unlikely shape of 415, a class only recently cleared over this route. Travelers on the special finally reached Glasgow 160 minutes late.
5335 & 5121 worked the 09.20 Edinburgh Waverley - Inverness on August 18th.
5342 & 5121 worked the 14.40 Edinburgh - Inverness on September 11th.
1972
5121 worked a Wick/Thurso - Inverness service on a damp October 10th.
1973
5121 & 5320 worked the 16.35 Inverness - Glasgow Queen Street on February 24th.
On May 12th Glasgow Works held its first Open Day, remarkably there were sixty four diesels on display that day, although twenty seven of those were condemned Claytons. Two class 25s were present, 5178 and 5157, the latter having a replacement cab fitted from withdrawn 5149. Class 24s noted were 5006/19, 5121/27 under repair and elsewhere withdrawn 5067, 5114/49. Parts of 5068 were still present.
On June 26th 5121 worked the 17.50 Kyle of Lochalsh - Inverness service.
On June 27th 5121 worked a morning Kyle of Lochalsh - Inverness service and this day also a Dingwall - Kyle of Lochalsh parcels service.
Condition June: blue/yellow livery, gangway doors sheeted over, headlights fitted, shortened fuel & water tanks, circular gauge glass on fuel tank, blanking plates fitted (five slats), hand/footholds plated over, cantrail water filler sheeted over, three-rung bogie mounted footsteps, ridge sided sandboxes, tablet catcher removed, on non-BIS side there were two BR emblems: one in the center of the bodyside, the other on the driver's cab door.
During August Inverness Type 2s were frequently diagrammed on freight or parcels services to Berwick & Newcastle, so noted was 5121 with a Millerhill - Tyne freight on August 7th whilst on 8th 5115 with an Edinburgh - Kings Cross parcels to Newcastle, returning north with a Kings Cross - Edinburgh parcels.
1974
On August 6th 24121 worked an Inverness - Kyle of Lochalsh service.
On August 16th the 11.08 Kyle of Lochalsh - Inverness with 26029 failed just east of Strathcarron station, the train was able to reverse into Strathcarron loop and await rescue. This issue delayed the 10.36 Inverness - Kyle of Lochalsh with 24121 by about half an hour. Eventual rescue came in the shape of 24118, which took the failed locomotive and train to Inverness, arriving about two and a half hours late!
On August 18th 24121 was noted at Muir of Ord with a mixed freight.
1975
The Glasgow Works Open Day on May 17th included 24117 & 24121 receiving attention.
On May 20th a very ex-works 24121 worked an Elgin - Aberdeen mixed freight.
24121 was noted at Inverness depot on August 6th.
The 17.10 Edinburgh – Berwick continued to run with a wide variety of power, on December 29th 24121 was utilised.
1976
24121 worked the 07.20 Aberdeen - Glasgow Queen Street on February 28th.
April 6th found the double headed 16.35 Inverness – Glasgow Queen Street in trouble at Kingussie when leading locomotive 26034 failed, being removed and replaced by 25029 off a northbound freight. However 25029 was later detached at Stirling after parts from it hit a freight train near Dunblane, leaving 24121 to carry on alone reaching Glasgow two hours late.
On July 18th 24121 was noted running at Townhill.
On September 8th was noted running light at Edinburgh.
On October 1st 24121 was noted on a coal train at Markinch.
On October 9th 24121 was noted with mid-morning empty coaching stock at Perth.
By October 22nd all the remaining ScR Class 24s were officially stored at several locations, the majority (at least fifteen) at Millerhill, leaving the remaining eleven active LMR members all based at Crewe. However their retirement was not entirely because of their unserviceability. 24121 was revived from store at Polmadie on October 22nd to work the 1A53 17.12 Glasgow – Ayr passenger service due to a death on the tracks disrupting the regular diesel multiple unit services.
Condition final: blue/yellow livery, gangway doors sheeted over, headlights replaced with square plates, shortened fuel & water tanks - both equipped with circular gauges, blanking plates fitted (five slats), hand/footholds plated over, cantrail water filler sheeted over, three-rung bogie mounted footsteps, ridge sided sandboxes, three-piece miniature snowploughs fitted (yellow).
24121 was withdrawn on December 31st 1976.
1977
Whilst dumped at Polmadie on the west side of the running lines, withdrawn 24121 was derailed after running off the end of the siding, noted in this state on June 26th 1977.
flk 0122 (2)
Page added August 15th 2016.
Last updated January 12th 2022.