The seventeen year six month career of D5203/25053 was spent allocated only to a variety of London Midland Region depots.
Built: BR Derby Locomotive Works.
Boiler equipped.
Dual brake equipped.
Royal Train cabling modification (cab front access panel).
Carried green livery with TOPS numbering.
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: 72 months.
Time between withdrawal and scrapping: 11 months.
Allocations
D5203 was new to Toton (18A) on June 1st 1963. Further transfers were:
July 1963 to Cricklewood (14A).
August 1963 to Toton (18A).
September 1963 to Nottingham (16A).
March 1964 to Nottingham (16D).
January 1965 to London Midland Midland Lines (LMML).
November 1967 to Springs Branch (8F).
June 1968 to Liverpool Division (D08).
November 1970 to Manchester Division (D09).
May 1973 to Longsight.
May 1977 to Cricklewood.
August 1980 to Bescot.
November 3rd 1980 to store (unserviceable) at Swindon Works.
Withdrawn December 1st 1980.
Renumbered February 23rd 1974.
25053 was the 74th Class 25 withdrawn, one of seventeen retired during December 1980.
After withdrawal 25053 was already at Swindon Works, it was broken up during the third week of November 1981.
Works Visits
Works visits (records incomplete).
Noted Derby Works August 1964.
Noted Derby Works April 1966.
Noted Crewe Works October - December 1969 (minor collision damage).
Noted Derby Works January 1973 (collision damage No.2 cab?).
Noted Derby Works February 1974.
Noted Derby Works October & November 1974 (dual brake equipment fitted, gangway doors sheeted over, green to blue).
Noted Derby Works December 1978 & January 1979.
Highlights
1964
On Sunday July 5th stabled at Nottingham were: D5193, D5199, D5203, D5224, D5231, D5239, D5258, D5264, D5289, D7568, D7583, D7585, D7590 & D7591.
1965
Condition June: green livery with frame level stripe, small yellow warning panels with curved upper corners, bottom of warning panel covers frame level stripe.
1966
On the afternoon of March 19th D5203 was at Duffield with an up freight (5E00).
On August 7th D5203 towed a Deltic from Holbeck to Doncaster Works for attention.
On the evening of August 16th D5203 was noted at Peterborough.
1967
D5203/25053 acquired a very modest list of passenger workings, despite its allocation to several London Midland depots that could produce many such workings.
On the early afternoon of May 13th D5203 was stabled at Crewe.
On the afternoon of July 5th D5203 was at Uttoxeter with a down parcels (3K09).
On the night of July 22nd passengers on the 09.20 St Pancras - Glasgow received D5203 for the run north of Carlisle, presumably the Class 25 was deputising for a Type 4.
On the afternoon of September 6th D5203 was southbound at Dringhouses with a freight.
Stabled at Trafford Park on December 31st were D5142, D5203, D5275, D5276, D5278, D7586, D7642 & D7677.
1968
On the morning of March 23rd D5203 was at Springs Branch.
On April 29th D5203 worked the 3J30 Wigan - Ashton Moss vans.
On the morning of December 14th noted at Preston were 5200, 5203, 5264 and 7556 at nearby Ribble sidings.
1969
On January 4th the Liverpool portion of the 17.25 Glasgow - Liverpool/Manchester was worked forward from Preston by 5203 with nine coaches.
On the afternoon of January 18th 5203 was light engine at Warrington Bank Quay.
5203 worked the retimed 1F51 21.30 Preston - Liverpool Exchange on the evening of May 27th.
On September 6th 5203 & 5177 worked the summer dated 07.35 Nottingham - Llandudno Town and 13.52 return.
On September 24th 224, 5203 & 330 were noted light engines at Crewe, 5203 had suffered minor collision damage.
1970
Condition March: green livery with frame level stripe, full yellow cab fronts.
On the afternoon of May 4th 5203 was at Crewe with an up freight.
1971
On the late afternoon of May 8th 5203 was light engine at Stockport.
On May 14th 5203 was the Manchester Victoria banker, whilst on May 17th 5203 & 5276 were the Manchester Victoria bankers.
5203 was the Manchester Victoria banker on June 1st, 2nd & 3rd.
5203 was the Manchester Victoria banker on July 15th & 16th.
1972
5203 was the Manchester Victoria banker on January 19th, 24th & 28th.
At about 7am on February 17th 5199 & 5203 were noted passing Manchester Victoria with an up freight (6H62).
5203 was the Manchester Victoria banker (T43) on March 14th.
At about 6pm on October 2nd 5203 was noted passing Miles Platting with a down hopper train.
A roundtrip charter train from Manchester to Norwich on December 2nd was worked by 5203 & 5200, its not certain how far the Class 25s worked.
1973
At about 6pm on April 27th 5203 was noted passing Manchester Victoria with an up freight (9T51).
During April 5203 was noted in green livery with frame level white band apart from on the No.2 cab, which had been recently replaced, the gangway doors were sheeted over on this cab and all brackets removed apart from the two at frame level inside of the buffers. The No.1 end cab still retained its gangway doors.
At about 9am on June 15th 5203 was noted passing Stockport Edgeley with a down van train. On June 19th 5203 was noted with an Inspection saloon at Stockport Edgeley. At about 6pm on June 27th 5203 was noted passing Manchester Exchange on a down van train (4P05).
At about 7.30am on July 3rd 5203 was noted passing Edge Hill with an up freight (9T96). 5203 was the Manchester Victoria banker (T42) on July 9th, 10th & 11th.
On November 17th 5203 was noted at Ravenhed Junction, St Helens.
1974
On the morning of March 18th 5238 & 25053 were stabled at Guide Bridge.
Condition May: green livery with full yellow cab fronts and frame level stripe.
On May 10th 25053 was noted passing Grange over Sands with a parcels train.
On May 24th the 15.30 Euston - Llandudno relief was worked forward from Crewe by 25053.
A late evening Trans-Pennine working on June 17th saw 25053 working the 21.50 York - Manchester Victoria.
On July 22nd the 23.40 Liverpool - York was worked by 5203.
1975
On January 21st 25053 was noted at Manchester Victoria with the 4J10.
The Royal Train was in use on March 18th taking Princess Anne from St Pancras to Bolton, powered by 25053 & 25054. On the evening of March 19th 25053 & 25054 were noted at Longsight with the down brickliner.
On May 16th 25054 & 25053 were noted at Manchester Victoria with the 1L01. On May 28th 25051 & 25053 transferred the Royal Train empty stock from Wolverton to Bristol.
On June 17th 25051 & 25053 brought the Royal Train empty stock back from Edinburgh to Wolverton, via the ECML.
25053 was the Manchester Victoria banker (T42) on July 9th, 23rd & 24th.
1976
On February 20th four Royal Train coaches were brought into Edinburgh by 25048 & 25053.
On June 5th 25053 & 25257 worked the 09.20 Manchester Piccadilly - Yarmouth to Lincoln Central, returning from there with the 09.15 ex-Yarmouth.
25053 was stabled at Crewe Diesel depot on June 20th.
25053 was noted at Huddersfield just after midnight on August 1st having arrived with three mail vans from Preston, two mail vans would later be added for their journey to Carlisle.
1977
A short working on August 6th saw 25053 & 25051 handle the 08.52 Leicester - Skegness as far as Nottingham, returning with the 12.35 ex-Skegness from Nottingham to Leicester.
On the evening of September 14th 25053 was stabled at York.
1978
On January 3rd 25053 was on parcels duty at Euston.
On Tuesday June 27th 25249 & 25053 worked the 12.25 Willesden - Norwood and the 14.10 Norwood to Willesden.
On Wednesday September 13th 25053 worked the 09.55 Willesden to Norwood and the return 12.00 Norwood to Willesden.
On October 12th 25053 was noted at St Albans shunting a solitary parcels van. During the late morning of October 28th 25053 was noted at Bedford with a southbound permanent way train.
1979
On March 21st 25053 was noted northbound at Helpston on the line to Oakham with a train of six Research Department vehicles.
On April 14th 25053 was stabled at March.
On May 3rd 25053 was stabled at Bristol Bath Road.
On May 4th 25053 worked the 4B10 15.55 Bristol - Plymouth parcels.
The late afternoon of May 7th proved to be a busy time at Exeter St Davids. At about 3.50pm the 1Z33 07.40 Newcastle - Torquay charter with 45068 failed at the north end of the station with a stopped engine. A few minutes later the 1B82 13.30 Paddington - Penzance failed in the station with the engine of 50035 stopped. 08955 came off the stabling point, coupled up to 45068 and pulled the train to the west signal gantry. Here 45068 was removed from the train, then 08955 with 45068 backed on to 50035 and uncoupled it from its train. Then 08955, 45068 & 50035 retired to the stabling point. 25053 & 25057 came off the stabling point and coupled to the 1B82, but on departure the brakes on the leading BG were found to be seized. The train stopped at the outer home signal for the brakes to be released, then departed normally, the Class 25s worked as far as Plymouth. 45040 had already come off the depot to take up the 1Z33 charter, following the 1B82 westwards.
On May 8th 25053 worked the 7M22 08.50 Exeter Riverside - Walton Old Junction freight (noted at Cowley loop).
On July 28th 25053 & 25179 worked the 08.52 Leicester - Skegness as far as Nottingham.
25053 & 25203 top and tailed an electrification train at West Hampstead on August 28th.
On September 29th 25053 worked the 'Anglian Explorer' railtour from Bletchley to Liverpool Street where 47170 took over, ultimately for Lenwade.
On November 24th 25053 was noted at Derby with a passenger train.
1980
Class 25s stabled at Leicester shed on the afternoon of January 13th included 25053, 25061, 25122, 25126, 25137, 25152, 25291, 25298 & 25303.
25053 was noted running light at Harpenden on July 28th.
During 1980, 25053's last year in service, 25053 visited the Cambrian lines for one weekend. On August 9th 25053 & 25194 worked the 04.10 Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth returning with the 10.07 Aberystwyth - Euston to Wolverhampton. The next day (10th) the same pair worked the 08.45 Birmingham New Street - Aberystwyth returning with the 18.00 Aberystwyth - Euston to Wolverhampton.
On the evening of October 30th 25053 was southbound at Coventry with a lengthy coal train.
By November 25053 had reached Swindon Works, whilst here it was stored unserviceable, then withdrawn on December 1st 1980.
During June 2018 a builders plate from 25053 sold for GBP 265.00 on Ebay.
17/1362
flk 0522
Not all known passenger workings are recorded on this page.
Page added May 4th 2013.
Last updated May 8th 2022.
Back to 25052
Forward to 25054