The sixteen year three month career of D5299/25149 included allocations to several London Midland Region depots, with a predominance of those in northern England.
Built: BR Derby Locomotive Works.
Delivered out of chronological sequence - see Highlights section below.
Angled strip at bottom of cab doors.
Final exhaust roof panel: flush (previously raised 'L' shaped).
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: 34 months.
Time between withdrawal & scrapping: 16 months.
Allocations
D5299 was new to the Nottingham Division (D16) on October 16th 1965. Further transfers were:
October 1967 to London Midland (Midland) Lines.
June 1968 to Nottingham Division (D16).
November 1969 to Preston Division (D10).
May 1973 to Kingmoor (KM).
January 1975 to Kingmoor (KD).
Withdrawn January 10th 1982.
Renumbered September 14th 1973.
25149 was the 122nd Class 25 withdrawn, the only Class 25 retired during January 1982.
After withdrawal 25149 was stored at Toton until April 26th 1982 when it was moved (see details below) to Swindon Works and scrapped there during the last week of May 1983.
25129/149 Toton – Swindon Works April 21st 1982 with 20068/88.
Works Visits
Works visits (records incomplete).
Derby Works August & September 1973 ?? (full repaint); noted very ex-works September 1973 (presumed green to blue livery).
Noted Glasgow Works February & March 1979 (General repair).
Highlights
D5299/25149 had been earmarked as the testbed locomotive for a prototype Sulzer six cylinder power unit producing 1,700hp.
In 1962 Sulzer, seeking to increase the output of the LDA & utilising ideas already incorporated in the LVA series, produced two six cylinder prototypes rated at 1,700hp at 850rpm. Of similar size to the 6LDA28 engine it was planned to be offered only in the six & eight cylinder inline types, and aimed at those world markets where simplicity and ruggedness were essential. Designated as the LDA28-R the cylinder bore remained at 280mm, the stroke altered to 330mm to keep the mean piston speed within acceptable limits. Built by Vickers Armstrong one unit was sent to Winterthur for testing (and later to Zurich University?) and later scrapped, the other was to be installed in a Class 25. The development was cancelled in 1967 when resources were reallocated to deal with the major problems affecting the 12LDA28C engine and more interest lay in the further development of the LVA line. D5299, the Class 25 chosen as the testbed would be delivered out of sequence and powered by a standard 6LDA28B engine.
From within Sulzer the opinion was that the 'R' engine was only built to prove that it was possible to design and build an LDA28 without all the problems associated with the earlier engines. Only two six cylinder 'R' series engines were built. The power unit intended for D5299, remained at Vickers until about 1970 when it was sold to a North Wales scrap merchant. It was not immediately dismantled, later receiving a new lease on life following the industrial disputes of the 1970s that affected the electricity supplies. It was purchased by Kays Mail Order to power a standby generator at their warehouse in Worcester. The eight cylinder version of the 'R' engine, rated at 2,300bhp at 850rpm was never built. It only existed on the drawing board and publicity brochures.
The final date to traffic for D5299 was October 16th 1965, between D7560 (delivered September 18th 1965) and D7561 (delivered October 23rd 1965), almost one year after it would have been delivered if it had been fitted with a normal power unit.
1965
On Sunday December 5th a visit to several East Midlands area installations produced the following Derby/Sulzer Type 2s:
Derby Works:
D5054, D 5087, D5135
D5166
D5268, D5298
D7562, D7564, D7566, D7567, D7576, D7588, D7598, D7599, D7600, D7601, D7602
Derby shed:
D5011
D5185, D5189, D5198, D5205, D5224, D5230, D5293
D7505, D7521, D7529, D7532, D7538, D7540, D7543, D7548, D7559, D7560, D7569, D7572, D7582, D7591, D7594, D7634
Toton shed:
D5186
D5201, D5228, D5231, D5235, D5237, D5240, D5242, D5256, D5259, D5261, D5265, D5267, D5272, D5280, D5284, D5285, D5287, D5288, D5299
D7504, D7527, D7542, D7544, D7545, D7558, D7561, D7571, D7577, D7579, D7597
Nottingham shed:
D5209, D5270, D5290
D7511, D7533, D7563
Colwich shed
D5195, D7554, D7557
1966
Observation made at Stenson Junction on March 19th between noon and 1pm included:
D7553 & D7550 up light engines
D7526 up freight (8Z34)
D5236 up parcels (3C04)
D5299 & D5272 down trip freight (9T34)
D7578 up light engine (9T08)
D5204 up freight (7P04)
48177 down H freight
Noted at Derby station on March 24th between 4.30pm & 7pm were about fifty train and locomotive movements involving diesel Classes 08/25/37/45/46/47. Class 25s and steam locomotives included:
D7528 shunting empty coaching stock
48350 up freight - oil tanks
D7548 down light engine
D7561 down light engine
D5188 Nottingham?? - Derby passenger (2P92)
D5299 empty coaching stock for Derby - Bakewell service
D5190 empty coaching stock for Derby - Sheffield service
48143 down light engine
D7584 up freight (5G52)
45211 up light engine
D7511 & D7565 down freight (9T44)
48672 down light engine
D7505 up light engine
48103 down freight, later retiring to the shed
48646 up freight
92008 up light engine
48752 down freight
D7572 shunting empty coaching stock
76043 down light engine
D5206 up local
D5204 Sheffield - Derby passenger (2M76)
48214 down special freight
48177 down movement with brake van
45224 down light engine
D7502 up light engine
D5223 up local (2P53)
D68 & D7583 19.45 Derby - St Pancras
Amongst the locomotives on shed during this period included 12039, D2504, D7514, D7572, D7581, D7585, D7646, E6022 & 48064.
On the afternoon of April 17th D5299 was at Wortley Junction with a brakevan.
1967
Stabled at mid-day at Derby on June 13th were D5281, D5299 & D7533.
1968
On the morning of August 14th 7599 was stabled at Crewe.
1969
On a snowy February 8th 5299 was noted light engine at Nottingham Midland: with 'D' prefixes, two-tone green and full yellow ends.
The number of recorded passenger workings for D5299/25149 were minimal. The first recorded working took place on June 7th 1969 with sister 5298 working the 07.35 Nottingham - Llandudno Town and 13.52 Llandudno Town - Nottingham. On October 2nd 1970 the Stirling - Newton Abbot motorail was worked to Carlisle by 5299 & 5188.
1970
On July 16th 5058, 5299 & 7632 were stabled at Crewe north holding sidings.
1971
Condition February: two-tone green livery with full yellow cabfronts, engine exhaust located above engine room, 'D' prefixes present.
On March 12th 5299 was shunting at Nuneaton.
1972
5299 was noted at Carnforth with a permanent way train on August 5th.
1974
During the evening of August 7th 25149 was noted at Heaton Norris Junction on an up van train (4A20).
1975
On May 14th 25149 worked the 4M03 05.07 Leeds City - Manchester Victoria vans.
1976
At about 1pm on August 7th 25149 was noted at Chester on an up van train.
On the morning of December 5th 25149 was noted at Cheltenham with a permanent way train.
1977
Despite its allocation to Kingmoor, on June 15th 1977 was noted in Devon working the 16.40 Plymouth - Paignton.
1978
On August 11th (8pm) & 12th (4.45pm) 25149 was noted at Kingmoor shed and was noted at Motherwell shed on the afternoon of August 13th.
On December 21st 25149 was noted at Exeter with the 4B10 15.55 Bristol - Plymouth parcels.
25149 was stabled at Exeter on December 25th, 26th & 27th. On the 27th it worked the 6B70 13.40 Exeter Riverside - Chard Junction (four tanks).
1979
On the afternoon of January 1st 25149 was stabled at Bristol Bath Road.
During the early morning of April 14th noted were:
Cricklewood (06.45) 25149 & 25302
Wellingborough (07.45) 25212 & 25214
Leicester (08.30) 25121 & 25267.
On July 2nd 1979 25149 & 25293 worked the 08.46 Burton on Trent - Skegness and 18.38 return. On July 3rd 25136 & 25149 worked a Nuneaton - Scarborough excursion as far as Alfreton where they were failed, 20158 & 20088 provided assistance to?
On August 23rd 25149 was noted at Carnforth with empty ballast wagons.
On August 30th 25149 was noted passing Arnside with ICI tanks.
25149 was stabled at Manchester Victoria on September 22nd.
1980
The 16.08 Derby - Exeter St. Davids relief on July 27th 1980 was worked to Gloucester by 25149 & 25126.
40116 & 25149 were noted northbound light engines at Sellafield on August 25th.
1981
On the morning of March 5th 25149 was noted at Settle Junction coming off the Carnforth line with ballast empties for Hellifield.
25149 was noted at Springs Branch on April 28th.
On the morning of May 21st 25149 was stabled at York.
The last reported passenger working for 25149 took place on July 29th 1981, a Nottingham - Aberystwyth day excursion was worked roundtrip between Wolverhampton & Aberystwyth by 25149 & 25175 (this pair also reported as working throughout?), the working had started out with 25056 & 25270, they also returned the train to Derby.
25149 was noted northbound at Syston with a short engineers train on October 19th.
1982
25149 was withdrawn on January 10th 1982.
Distinguishing Features
Non BIS side: lengthy scrape above number from radiator to side window: September 1979.
Not all known passenger workings are recorded on this page.
8/1000 (or 19/778?)
flk 0417
Page added August 17th 2013.
Last updated March 23rd 2024.
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