The twenty year eight month career of D7561/25211 was spent entirely allocated to London Midland Region depots.
Built Derby Locomotive Works
Sheeted over Boiler Room Grilles (prior to 1976?) - normally applied to vacuum braked locomotives.
Dual brake equipped (December 1978).
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: 90 months.
Time between withdrawal and scrapping: 108 months.
Allocations
D7561 was new to the Nottingham Division (D16) on October 23rd 1965. Further transfers were:
April 1967 to London Division (D01).
March 1968 to Birmingham Division (D02).
November 1970 to Nottingham Division (D16).
May 1973 to Toton.
March 1979 to Longsight.
July 1984 to Bescot.
July 1985 to Crewe.
Withdrawn June 27th 1986.
Renumbered November 24th 1973.
25211 was the 285th Class 25 withdrawn, the only one withdrawn during June 1986.
After withdrawal 25211 was stored at Crewe before moving to Bescot Yard during October 1986. Along with several other Class 25s dumped at Bescot, 25211 was sold to MC Metal Processing, Glasgow about September 1993, however two more years would pass before the locomotives left Bescot. On June 14th 1995, after seven years dumped at Bescot 25211 was taken by road to MC Metals, Glasgow. By the first week of July 1995 25211 had been scrapped, the last Class 25 to be broken up.
Works Visits
Works visits (records incomplete).
Noted Derby Works October 1966.
Noted Crewe Works August 1969.
Noted Derby Works October 1972.
Noted Derby Works November 1973.
Noted Derby Works February 1976.
Noted Derby Works November & December 1978 (including dual braking).
Noted Derby Works September & October 1982 (N4 & collision repairs).
Highlights
1965
The frames for D7561 were laid down at Derby during May 1965, being completed and released to traffic towards the end of October, the initial allocation was to the Nottingham Division (M16/D16). This locomotive had been assigned No. 24 of order N5705 but this number was used for D5299, which had originally been scheduled for item No. 40 of order N5704.
1966
On July 2nd D7561 & D7511 were in charge of the 08.36 Nottingham - Llandudno Town and return working.
1967
The New Year began with the continued removal of withdrawn steam locomotives from various locations. Dispatched from Colwick depot to Draper’s at Hull on March 17th was D7561 hauling 48370 & 48651.
1973
When the LMR discontinued the 'Division' allocation of its locomotives during May, 7561 became allocated to Toton.
On July 5th the 13.35 Banbury - Marylebone diesel multiple unit required the assistance of 7561 throughout following the failure of the unit.
When the 08.01 Manchester Piccadilly - St. Pancras failed at Derby on October 23rd behind Class 45 No. 132 the train was taken forward to Leicester by 7581, here the Class 25 was replaced by a Class 45.
7561 was noted at Derby Works during November, it was renumbered on November 24th, presumably when it was still in Works.
1974
25211 was noted at Exeter on January 5th with a sugar beet special from the Eastern Region. It was still at Exeter on January 7th.
The evening Huddersfield - Wakefield parcels was worked by 25211 on April 12th.
A late evening working on May 31st found 25211 assisting 46023 between Birmingham New Street & Derby on the 19.30 Bristol Temple Meads - Newcastle.
It was a trip to the seaside with 25046 on August 3rd working the 12.30 Skegness - Leicester having presumably worked out on the 08.52 from Leicester.
Late on the evening of December 19th Class 25s present at Exeter stabling point were 25171, 25211 (Toton allocated), 25224 & 25275.
1975
During the summer of 1975 there were several trips to the seaside for 25211. On June 28th with 25130 it was noted on the 12.30 Skegness - Leicester, presuambly having worked out on the 08.82 from Leicester. The next month, on July 12th it worked the 1D30 07.35 Nottingham - Llandudno Town and 13.00 return. Then on August 16th with 31200 it worked the 1E86 08.52 Leicester - Skegness and 12.30 return.
1976
25211 was noted at Derby Works during February.
On June 12th it was off to Norwich with 25065 on the 08.00 Walsall - Yarmouth, returning from Norwich with the 14.15 Yarmouth - Derby.
On August 14th 25211 & 25029 had quite a day out working the eleven coach 1V77 09.49 Nottingham - Paignton throughout. Its not recorded how the Class 25s returned from the West Country.
1977
A charter working on July 17th saw 25211 & 24023 working the 18.45 Rhyl - Walsall.
On November 16th worked a roundtrip Whitemoor - Temple Mills freight.
1978
On the early morning of January 21st 25211 was noted southbound at Crewe with a parcels train.
During November & December 25211 was at Derby Locomotive Works for its last Classified repair which included the fitting of dual braking equipment. During this final Classified repair the boiler room grilles were sheeted over, an alteration not frequently carried out on the later build of the Class 25/2s.
1979
25211 was noted on a northbound tanker train on January 23rd on the WCML in the London area. Little was moving this day due to an ASLEF strike. On Monday January 29th 25211 worked the 09.55 Willesden to Norwood and the return 12.00 Norwood to Willesden.
During March 25211 was reallocated to Longsight.
During April 24081 was a regular visitor to Hereford. It arrived with 25211 on 9th on a freight from Stoke to South Wales, returning north with the 15.10 Radyr – Shotwick. On Easter Monday April 16th the good weather saw large numbers of visitors spend a day at Blackpool. This was great for business but overwhelmed the passenger services when it was time for everyone to go home. To ease the crowded conditions the police asked BR to provide additional services to assist in getting the crowds home. With the evening’s final diesel multiple unit services imitating sardine cans emergency resources produced 25211 with eight coaches and 40151 with elevens coaches, both bound for stations to Manchester Victoria.
There were more trips to the seaside during August, on 11th 25211 replaced 25133 at Derby with the 07.30 Nottingham - Llandudno Town and returned with the 13.00 to Nottingham. On August 15th 25211 & 25221 worked a Cliffe Hill - Hayes freight. The next day (16th) the same pair were off to the East coast on a roundtrip Derby - Skegness relief (the 09.53 from Nottingham which this day started from Derby) and the 18.15 return to Derby.
On September 9th 25211 & 25106 worked an Ellesmere Port - Cranmore bitumen tank train. The next day (10th) 25211 was noted at Bristol Bath Road depot. September 14th found 25211 in charge of the 15.15 Plymouth - Manchester Piccadilly between Gloucester and Birmingham New Street, requiring a pair of Class 37s to assist the train up Lickey Incline. 25211 would recieve an 'E' exam (its last?) at Reddish during September.
A month later on October 14th 25211 worked the 15.15 Flint - Euston as far as Crewe. This train normally started from Holyhead. The next day (15th) the 13.22 Norwich - Birmingham New Street failed behind 25211 at ??, 31417 pushed the service to ??
1980
On February 17th 25211 was stabled at Reddish and on February 19th was noted light engine at New Mills South Junction.
On the afternoon of July 20th 25211 was noted at Manchester Victoria with a ballast train.
On September 9th 25211 & 25106 worked the Ellesmere Port - Cranmore bitumen tanks.
1981
25211 received attention at Reddish on August 30th.
1982
On February 2nd 25211 was noted eastbound at Llanwern with empty steel carrying wagons, the Class 25 was smoking rather badly from the exhaust.
25211 was stabled at Shrewsbury station on March 21st.
25211 was noted on empty coaching stock duties between Birmingham New Street and Vauxhall & Duddeston on August 19th.
25211 was noted at Derby Works during September & October for N4 and collision repairs.
On December 5th 25211 & 25083 were noted at Wolverhampton High Level with a ballast train. 25211 was stabled at Warrington Arpley on December 28th.
1983
January 6th found 25211 making a couple of short passenger trips, noted on the 09.03 Cambridge - Birmingham New Street between Nuneaton and Birmingham with 31423. Later that day the same pair worked the 15.08 Birmingham New Street - Cambridge as far as Nuneaton, both locomotives were replaced by another Class 31.
A month later on February 20th 25211 & 25196 were on hand to assist 86318 between Tring & Bletchley after it had failed on the 09.40 Euston - Wolverhampton. At Bletchley 47537 replaced the three locomotives.
On March 7th 25211 was noted passing Manton Junction with a train of PCA cement tanks from Ketton. On March 24th 25211 & 25242 were noted at Warrington Bank Quay with bogie oil tankers. 25211 was noted at Stonebridge Park on March 30th.
25279 & 25211 were noted at Leighton Buzzard on a damp May 8th with a ballast job. On May 18th 25211 & 25051 worked the Cranmore - Ellesmere empty bitumen tanks.
The Cambrian lines were visited on June 4th when 25211 & 25202 worked the 07.35 Euston - Aberystwyth forward from Wolverhampton, returning from the coast with the 14.00 Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury. Two weeks later on June 18th 25210 & 25211 were part of the Manchester Railway Re-union railtour, top and tailing the short Carnforth - Morecambe/Heysham section. Jubilee 5690 ‘Leander’ had brought the train into Carnforth.
It was back to the Cambrian metals on July 2nd when 25211 & 25154 worked the 07.44 Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth, 25154 failed outside of Aberystwyth. 25211 continued with the diagrammed 10.10 Aberystwyth - Euston as far as Wolverhampton. 25211 was back at Carnforth on July 13th assisting the 09.19 Morecambe - Leeds diesel multiple unit forward from Carnforth to Leeds due to lack of fuel on the unit.
25211 was noted at Newport on August 6th as a participant in the local Open Day, being coupled to 31315 & 40044. On August 22nd 25211 was noted westbound at Stenson Junction with a short freight.
25211 was noted at Manchester Victoria on September 11th.
There were two short passenger turns in October. Firstly from Ashton-under-Lyne to Manchester Victoria in providing assistance to the 17.10 York - Manchester Victoria. Secondly on the same route on October 15th when 45077 working the 08.05 Liverpool - Newcastle required assistance from Stalybridge to Leeds, where both were replaced by 46045.
On November 1st 25211 provided assistance to the 07.40 Norwich - Birmingham New Street from Nuneaton to Birmingham New Street after 31419 had failed.
More failures in December, again in the Manchester area brought more unexpected passenger haulage for 25211. When the 22.34 York - Shrewsbury with 45103 expired at Standedge Tunnel, it was 25211 that took the train on to Crewe. On December 24th 25211 was noted at Manchester Victoria with coaching stock. Shortly after Christmas on December 28th 46026 expired at Manchester Victoria with the 08.05 Liverpool - Newcastle, 25211 took the train on to Leeds.
1984
January 3rd saw the first Class 25 passenger haulage for 1984, with 25211 taking over a failed Class 47 at Manchester Victoria with the 09.05 Liverpool - Scarborough service, the Type 2 working as far as Leeds. On January 20th 25211 worked the 8M07 11.04 Whitemoor - Toton, comprising seven wagons and a brakevan when seen passing Melton Mowbray. On January 27th 25211 worked the late evening Parkeston - Ditton freight.
Class 25s were still frequent visitors to Parkeston, often heading back to the LMR on the evening Parkeston – Ditton working so noted was 25211 on January 27th. Pairs of Type 2s were still common on the Ellesmere Port – Riverside bitumen tanks, so noted were 25244 & 25211 on February 14th.
When 47413 failed at Kilmarnock on March 14th with the 21.50 Glasgow Central - Euston 25211 worked the train forward to Carlisle. On April 9th Edge Hill could provide nothing bigger than 25211 for the 09.05 Liverpool - Scarborough which it worked as far as Leeds before being replaced. The next day (10th) 25211 was the Manchester Victoria pilot and was on the same duty on April 12th.
On May 22nd 25072, 25201 & 25211 had been noted in the Rugby area working permanent way trains, in the evening they ran light to Bescot. 25211 was noted passing Bletchley on the afternoon of May 30th with empty container flats.
The failure of a Class 31 at Nuneaton on June 29th whilst hauling the 12.10 Cambridge - Birmingham New Street saw 25211 on hand to take the train forward to New Street.
25211 was reallocated to Bescot during July.
On July 5th 25211 & 25144 were noted at Cwmbran with the 6S78 18.10 Severn Tunnel Junction - Mossend freight. 25211 & 25178 were noted on Sunday engineering work at Abergele & Pensarn on July 8th
On August 1st 25211 was stabled at Severn Tunnel Junction. August 20th found the 18.20 Severn Tunnel Junction – Whitemoor ‘Speedlink’ service, normally a Class 37 turn, in the hands of 25211 & 25258. 25211 was still in the area on the 23rd when it started a three day turn on the Cardiff - Crewe services, starting with the 23rd's 11.45 Cardiff - Crewe from Abergavenny after 33008 failed. Another seven workings followed, ending on the 25th with the 10.03 Crewe - Cardiff, a total of approximately 1,080 miles over these three days. On August 27th 25211 assisted the 20.36 Lichfield City - Longbridge from Lichfield City to Birmingham New Street after the diesel multiple unit failed at the outset.
25211 was the banker at Manchester Victoria on September 8th.
On the evening of December 28th 25311 was stabled at St Pancras.
1985
On a snowy January 19th 25211 & 25198 were noted at Basingstoke with empty coaching stock for Birmingham.
On February 2nd 25211 was used to take 31424 from March to Stratford for repair. On a wintry, overcast February 8th whilst 25211 & 25205 were northbound with loaded oil tanks (Stanlow - Bishopbriggs?) climbing Shap, 25205 shut down due to low oil pressure at Scout Green following a 20mph speed restriction. 81017 working the 6S97 assisted from the rear but failed near the summit. 87016 & 86035 were detached from a southbound freightliner held at Hardendale and assisted the northbound freights as far as Penrith. February 10th's 21.44 Preston - Liverpool was worked by 25211.
25211 was noted at Scunthorpe on April 11th and at Manchester Victoria on April 23rd.
When the 14.13 Portsmouth - York arrived at Birmingham on May 2nd Saltley had turned out 25211 to work the service northwards. This good news ended at Derby where a Class 45/1 was waiting to take over. At the end of the month 25211 was back on the NE/SW route, this time however the Class 25 was allowed full access to the route working May 28th's relief 14.25 York - Plymouth as far as Bristol Temple Meads. What a delight that must have been, happy days - until a Class 31 (31202) replaced 25211 at Bristol Temple Meads!
25211 was noted westbound at Water Orton with a short freight on June 25th. 25211 was noted passing through Stafford during the afternoon of June 29th with a parcels train.
The last transfer for 25211 came in July when it was allocated to Crewe.
On July 3rd 25211 was noted with a short Coton Hill Yard to Boys and Bowden Yard, Welshpool freight.
On August 4th 25211 was on banking duty at Manchester Victoria.
25211 was north of the border on August 11th when it worked the 13.45 Plymouth - Edinburgh forward from Carstairs. It appears to have stayed in the area for a couple of days as it was noted on empty coaching stock duties at Edinburgh Waverley on August 14th. And on August 19th 25211 was noted shunting an Enparts? van at Haymarket depot.
25211 was stabled at Springs Branch on September 27th, 29th & November 2nd.
1986
25211 was noted at Stoke on Trent on February 13th.
A broken rail north of Rugby on March 3rd caused the diversion of the 13.06 Rugby - Stafford local service via Coventry with 25211 dragging the Class 304 unit to Nuneaton. 25211 was noted passing Springs Branch light engine on March 13th. 25211 worked the 4J15 14.23 Edge Hill - Red Bank newspaper empties on March 31st.
25211 was noted at Frodingham depot on April 11th/12th. On April 30th 25211 worked the 7G42 Leekbrook Junction - Witton sand train.
Many of BRs freight services were frequently withdrawn from the timetable with little fanfare and often mourned only by those locals who knew of their operations. One such working was the Charringtons oil train from Ripple Lane to the small Charringtons depot at Hawkesbury Lane on the Coventry - Nuneaton line. This was generally electrically hauled over the WCML to Coventry where a diesel would take over for the short run to Hawkesbury Lane. The last working of this train occurred on May 7th 1986, after which the depot was closed, its work being transferred to their Brownhills facility. The diesel locomotive on duty this was day 25211 and local enthusiast Ron Kosys was aware of this last working and was able to capture on film both the north & southbound workings. The northbound loaded working was the 6M43 04.05 Ripple Lane - Charringtons, whilst the southbound empties was the 7E53 13.42 Charringtons - Ripple Lane.
25211 was noted at Machynlleth shed on May 29th.
On June 7th 25211 was noted at Barmouth with two ballast wagons.
After 25211's little piece of glory during May working the final Charrington's tanks as described above it was of interest that 25211 would be again in the limelight the next month returning to passenger work on Cambrian metals. On June 11th 37426 failed on the 15.40 Euston – Aberystwyth, the turn being covered by 25211, also taking up the returning working on 12th. The next day 25211 returned west from Shrewsbury, being attached to a now functioning 37426, the Class 25 being required at Machynlleth for permanent way duties. However all was not over for 25211 for it was required on a gloriously sunny June 14th to rescue almost ex-works Railfreight liveried 37509 on the 07.25 Birmingham – Aberystwyth which had failed west of Newtown. Unable to release the train brakes the train was taken to Caersws, with passengers transferred to a following service. The failed train was then forwarded to Machynlleth for repairs.
The end came on June 27th 1986 when 25211 was withdrawn from Crewe. The locomotive was initially stored at Crewe before being moved to Bescot by November 1986, possibly earlier. Here it went into hibernation for nine years, it should have been expected to make the short journey to Vic Berry's at Leicester but the unexpected closure of the facility prompted its continued stay at Bescot.
1988
Distinguishing Features
No.2 cab: 2nd man's side: BR emblem showing through the paintwork: June 1981 - March 1986.
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flk 0821 (1)
Page added February 7th 2009.
Last updated August 31st 2021.
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