The seventeen year five month career of D7538/25188 included allocations to a modest number of London Midland Region depots.
Built: BR Derby Locomotive Works.
Angled strip at bottom of cab doors.
Final exhaust roof panel: flush.
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: ?? months.
Time between withdrawal & scrapping: 53 months.
Allocations
D7538 was new to Toton on March 20th 1965. Further transfers were:
May 1968 to Longsight (9A).
June 1968 to Manchester Division (D09).
October 1969 to London Division (D01).
January 1971 to Birmingham Division (D02).
May 1973 to Bescot.
January 1980 to Longsight.
Withdrawn August 15th 1982.
Renumbered April 1974.
25188 was the 135th Class 25 withdrawn, one of three retired during August 1982.
After withdrawal 25188 was stored at Springs Branch until moved (see details below) to Swindon Works on June 27th 1984, and broken up there by the first week of February 1987.
25130/141/179/188 Springs Branch - Swindon Works June 27th 1984.
Works Visits
Works visits (records incomplete).
Noted Derby Works September 1972 (to blue/yellow livery?).
Noted Glasgow Works date?? (before 1978)
Noted Swindon Works March 1980 (N4 repairs).
Noted Derby Works September 1980 (N1 repairs).
Highlights
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
On February 24th Burton shed was host to 44 locomotives, 21 steam (all in service) and 23 diesels comprised of D9, D135, D143, D1650, D2384, D3572, D3586, D3778, D4150, D5202, D5212, D5293, D7509, D7511, D7514, D7532, D7533, D7536, D7538, D7542, D7544, D7567 & D7594.
On June 11th the roundtrip (?) Nottingham - Llandudno was worked by D5280 & D7538.
Noted at Toton on Sunday September 18th were D5237, D5295, D7538 & D7567.
On the afternoon of October 28th D7538 was light engine at Derby.
1968
On May 9th D7544 & D7538 were noted northbound at Great Oxendon with a freight.
On the evening of June 8th D7538 & D7647 were eastbound at Mirfield with a freight (6N45), later that evening they returned west light engines.
On July 20th 7538 was noted on the 08.23 Derby - Yarmouth as far as Norwich. On August 4th 7538 worked the 3H82 01.17 Manchester Piccadilly - Cleethorpes newspapers.
1969
On July 19th 7538 & 5156 worked the 09.27 Manchester Piccadilly - Yarmouth to Sheffield, returning with the 11.55 Yarmouth - Manchester Victoria.
On August 16th 7538 & 7539 worked the 1E34 09.27 Manchester Piccadilly - Yarmouth to Sheffield, returning from there with the 1M74 11.15 Yarmouth -Manchester Piccadilly.
1970
On the afternoon of April 12th 7538, 7660 & 7669 were noted at Willesden.
Noted in the vicinity of Willesden on the afternoon of June 6th were 7529, 7533, 7534 & 7538.
7538 was the Euston parcels pilot on October 4th.
1971
On January 5th 7538 was on parcels stock duty at Euston.
On the afternoon of October 17th 7538 was light engine at Rugby.
1972
On July 6th 7538 was noted at Perry Bar with freight 9T37. Locomotive was in two-tone green livery with full yellows ends and 'D' prefixes.
On September 4th & 8th 7538 made a test run from Derby Works.
The snag sheet for September 4th recorded:
| 7538; September 4th 1972; time 9.45 | |||||
| Load | Speed | Amps | Volts | Notes | Other |
| 1 | 30 | 750 | - | - | - | 2 | 37 | 750 | - | - | - | 3 | 42 | 800 | - | - | - | 4 | 49 | 900 | - | - | - | 5 | 62 | 900 | - | - | - | 6 | 66 | 900 | - | - | - |
A Bank crankcase door
No.1 DSD pedal
No.1 cab W/W
Buffer beam air pipes set
Fuel T/P union leak
Main generator flashover to check. Cleanup
Radiator tanks, No.1 bank low.
The snag sheet for September 8th recorded:
| 7538; September 8th 1972; time 1.50 | |||||
| Load | Speed | Amps | Volts | Notes | Other |
| 1 | 30 | 800 | - | - | - | 2 | 40 | 770 | - | - | - | 3 | 43 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 53 | 800 | - | - | - | 5 | 66 | 900 | - | - | - | 6 | 72 | - | - | - | - |
1974
On August 12th 25188 was noted at Birmingham New Street.
1975
A day excursion on March 31st found 25188 & 25038 working a ten coach Leamington Spa - Paignton roundtrip for a total of 444 miles.
On June 21st 25188 & 25308 worked a roundtrip Leicester - Skegness.
On July 14th 25188 was northbound at Low House (S&C) with a mixed freight.
On the afternoon of June 23rd 25188 was stabled at York.
On November 19th 25188 was at Banbury with a single parcels coach.
1976
On the afternoon of April 15th 25188 & 25280 were stabled at Saltley.
July 23rd & 24th were busy days for 25188 & 25074. On 23rd a roundtrip Banbury - Aberystwyth day excursion was worked (336 miles), the next day a Cambridge - Aberystwyth day excursion was worked from/to Wolverhampton (222 miles).
On July 31st 25188 & 25038 worked the 08.00 Walsall - Yarmouth to Norwich returning with the 14.15 Yarmouth - Derby from Norwich. The same pair worked a relief Derby - Skegness roundtrip on August 2nd 1976.
On September 4th the 08.00 Walsall - Yarmouth to Norwich and the 14.15 Yarmouth - Derby from Norwich were hauled by 25188 & 25099.
On August 4th 24049/58/62/92 moved as Crewe Banbury - Swindon Works by 25188.
1977
On February 12th 25188 was at Derby station on engineering duty.
On September 16th 25188 worked the Fridays only Washwood Heath - Hethersett tanks, retiring to Norwich depot before returning west. This was a regular Class 25 turn at this time.
On October 23rd 25188 was noted at Edinburgh Waverley with a permanent way train.
On the morning of December 18th 25188 was noted at Frodingham.
1978
On April 25th 25188 was at Oxford with a freight.
On June 3rd the 04.15 Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth and the 10.07 Aberystwyth - Euston to Wolverhampton were worked by 25188 & 25273. The 16.00 Crewe - Cardiff on June 9th was worked by 25188.
On the morning of October 14th 25139, 25153 & 25188 were noted at Saltley.
1979
At mid-day on January 13th 25129, 25132, 25143 & 25188 were noted at Saltley.
On the morning of May 5th 25188, 25262 & 25276 were stabled at Saltley.
On June 26th 25188 worked the 15.08 Cardiff - Crewe.
The late summer of 1979 produced several passenger workings for 25188. On August 26th 1979 25188 & 25147 worked the F&W 'Cambrian Coast Express' railtour (Exeter St. Davids - Pwllheli) roundtrip between Birmingham New Street & Pwllheli, a total of 322 miles. A week later on September 2nd 25188 was back on Cambrian metals with 25129 working the 08.45 Birmingham New Street - Barmouth and 17.45 Barmouth - Euston to Wolverhampton.
On September 9th 25188 & 25032 assisted 40080 with the 1M73 17.00 Edinburgh - Liverpool between Newcastle & York.
1980
The continuing shortage of locomotives, partly caused by a backlog of repairs at the main workshops, led to Swindon Works receiving unclassified repairs for locomotive types it had not dealt with before. On March 9th collision damaged 31124 & 31154 were moved from Doncaster to Swindon. Likewise 25191 and 25236 were also received for repairs. By month end 25188, 25218/221 had also been received by Swindon for repairs.
On October 29th 25188 was noted at Reddish.
25188 was noted at Gloucester on the afternoon of May 5th.
25188 was on display at Horwich Open Day on August 16th.
The only recorded passenger working so far noted during 1980 took place on September 13th 1980 with 25188 & 25121 working a roundtrip Derby - New Clee football special.
1981
On the afternoon of May 19th 25188 worked the 7P12 14.30 Warrington Arpley - Carlisle freight. On May 25th the 17.18 Llandudno Town - Manchester Victoria was worked by 25188.
On June 7th 25143 & 25188 were noted at Whitchurch with an engineers train. On June 14th 25188 was noted at Severn Tunnel Junction.
Another trip over Cambrian metals took place on July 4th 1981 with 25188 & 25207 hauling the 10.10 Euston - Aberystwyth from Birmingham New Street, returning with the 18.00 Aberystwyth - Wolverhampton.
On August 4th 25188 was noted eastbound at Hexham with a mixed freight.
On August 29th 25188 was stabled at Cardiff Canton.
On September 6th a Northampton - Aberystwyth day trip was worked between roundtrip Shrewsbury & Aberystwyth by 25188 & 25123. On the outward leg the the booked locomotives 25201 & 25234 failed at Birmingham.
A diesel multiple unit failure on September 17th saw 25188 assist a Worcester Shrub Hill - Swindon service.
25143 & 25188 were noted northbound at Whitchurch station with a civil engineers train on June 7th.
1982
25188 was noted at Cardiff Canton on April 10th & 13th.
On June 22nd the 1M10 21.50 Glasgow Central - Euston was worked to Carlisle by 47578, at Carlisle 81007 took the train to Euston, but 25188 assisted between Lancaster & Preston. Arrival at Euston was two hours late.
25188 was withdrawn on August 15th 1982.
During March 2016 a builders plate from 25188 sold on ebay for GBP275.00. During June 2017 a builders plate from 25188 sold at auction for GBP201.00.
Not all known passenger workings are recorded on this page.
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flk 0825
Page added August 25th 2013.
Last updated August 15th 2025.
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