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![]() The seventeen year career of D7573/25223 included allocations to London Midland, Eastern and Western Region depots.
Built: BR Derby Locomotive Works. Allocations D7573 was new to Cricklewood West (14B) on October 26th 1963. Further transfers were:
October 1964 to Derby (16C). Renumbered April 1974. 25223 was moved to Swindon Works on October 10th 1980 (two days after being withdrawn), and broken up at Swindon Works by the first week of November 1980. Works Visits Works visits (records incomplete).
Noted Derby Works March & April 1966 (accident repairs). Highlights
1963 D7573 & D7574 worked their test train to Corby on October 18th 1963.
1965 On April 19th the 15.30 Manchester Central - Sheffield was worked by D7573.
1966
1967 Condition August: green livery with small yellow warning planels, squared upper corners, frame level stripe painted over.
1968 With steam in the north-west rapidly in decline the areas parcels trains were now diesel hauled - the afternoon Leeds City - Patricroft a regular Holbeck Type 2 working, noted in January were D5147 (10th), D5096 (12th) & D7573 (26th). During May D7573 moved to Longsight (9A).
1970
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1971 7573 would spend the remainder of its working life on the Western Region and would become familiar on the secondary passenger duties in the Exeter area, with eight years in this area it is more than likely 25223 covered all the local passenger duties many times over. It would also be very active on the summer holiday extras and assisting the long distance workings out of Penzance & Plymouth from time to time.
1972 On May 29th 7573 worked the 16.05 Exeter St Davids - Barnstable and the return 17.55 Barnstable - Exeter St Davids. On June 10th the through Paddington - Barnstaple service was hauled by 7573 & 7647 beyond Exeter, returning with the 14.40 to Paddington as far as Exeter. This was at a time of a serious shortage of motive power in the west, a number of Hymeks & Warships having been reinstated to cover the shortages. On July 1st 7573 & 7575 worked the 7B34 19.40 Bristol Temple Mills to Ponsandane freight, the 1E21 10.30 Penzance to Bradford passenger service to Plymouth, then light engines to Laira depot and ending with the 7B31 18.20 Plymouth Friary to Par freight. The same diagram as worked by 7573 & 7507 on July 8th. On July 22nd the 7B31 18.20 Plymouth Friary to Par freight was worked by 7573 & 7507. On July 29th 7573 & 7505 worked the 7B34 19.40 Bristol Temple Mills to Ponsandane freight, the 1E21 10.30 Penzance to Bradford passenger service to Plymouth (see image below), then light engines to Laira depot and ending with the 7B31 18.20 Plymouth Friary to Par freight.
![]() September 23rd was a busy day for 7573. It started out with the 08.15 London Paddington - Barnstable forward from Exeter St Davids, returning with the 14.40 Barnstable - London Paddington as far as Exeter St Davids. The followed the 15.55 Exeter St Davids - Barnstable, the 17.55 Barnstable - Exeter St Davids and the 20.55 Exeter St Davids - Newton Abbot. 7573 & 7508 were noted westbound through Liskeard on a damp November 28th with a lengthy train of vanfits, possibly a special Tavistock Junction to St Blazey freight or a sugar beet special from East Anglia to Cornwall.
1973 On July 21st the Kensington Olympia - St Austell motorail arrived at its destination with 7573 & 7574 assisting an ailing 1662. The return working used the same pair of Class 25s as far as??
1975 On Tuesday April 1st a 09.50 Plymouth - Liverpool Lime Street special was noted arriving at Exeter St. Davids with 25223 & 25224. On June 7th 25223 worked the 20.40 Exeter St.Davids - Newton Abbot. July - still with gangway doors, but welded up the middle. On October 29th the St Blazey Class 25s were dispersed as follows: Wadebridge, Liskeard & Hayle 25223; St Blazey - Drinnick Mill 25167, 25220; Goonbarrow Junction 25225; Control Train 25217.
1976 On June 5th 25223 handled an Exeter - Plymouth relief to provide connections from the extremely late arrival of a Waterloo service. 25223 would be noted on many of the local Exeter area passenger workings during the summer season. 25223 was noted at Penryn on August 21st hauling a three car Swindon unit.
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1977 On Saturday July 2nd 25223 & 46022 were noted at Truro double heading a Penzance – Paddington service, no doubt they were replaced at Plymouth. The local Round Table in the Barnstaple area ran a special on August 29th from Barnstaple to Meeth. The ten coaches were 'top & tailed' by 25223 & 25052! On September 17th 08.08 Wolverhampton - Penzance and the 09.35 Penzance - Wolverhampton were worked by 25223 & 25224 west of Plymouth. The West Country hosted a number of enthusiast specials during the early part of October. 40081/84 worked a special from Paddington to Exeter on October 9th, replaced here by 25052 & 25223 for the round trip to Paignton for the Kingswear branch.
1978 On the morning of May 6th 25223 was stabled at Exeter. 25223 was noted at St Erth on June 19th with milk tankers. On July 29th 25223 worked the 09.50 Exeter - Barnstable, the 11.57 Barnstaple - Exeter, the 16.38 Exeter - Barnstaple and the 18.03 Barnstaple - Exeter. The next day (30th) 25223 worked a similar diagram, the 11.10 Exeter - Barnstable, the 12.28 Barnstaple - Exeter, the 14.20 Exeter - Barnstaple and the 16.45 Barnstaple - Exeter. On August 1st 25223 worked the 16.40 Plymouth - Paignton. On August 5th 25223 worked the 13.40 Exeter - Barnstaple and the 15.52 Barnstaple - Exeter. On September 9th 25223 worked the 18.00 Torrington - Exeter milk tanks. On the evening of September 13th 25223 was stabled at Exeter. The year closed out with bad weather on December 29th. Heavy snow over the New Year plagued services with delays and faulty equipment made life even more difficult to maintain the timetable. In the West Country Exeter proved to be a graveyard for frozen up locomotives, with temperatures reaching down to -13C most things simply froze up. The 00.05 Paddington - Penzance was reported sixteen hours late at Plymouth, 50046 had left Paddington 150 minutes late continuing to loose time throughout the journey, before expiring completely at Brent, with 47106 coming to the rescue. The train was cancelled at Plymouth with Penzance passengers connecting with the 10.30 from Paddington, arriving at Penzance some eighteen hours late! At Exeter the local services were cancelled with the dmu's frozen solid. The diesels fared little better with eighteen frozen up locomotives including 25052, 25206/225/263, the only serviceable machine being 46020, which had been equipped with steam lances for the freeing of pointwork and rodding.
1979 On February 5th & 9th 25223 worked the 19.30 Exeter St. Davids - Paignton. 25223 visited Derby Works during April. After arriving at Exeter with the milk service from Chard, 25223 was used to bank an early evening Exeter - Waterloo service upto Exeter Central on May 5th. 25223 continued its work on the local passenger services, this would be its last full year in service. On June 16th 25223 was noted in charge of the 10.38 Newquay - Paddington between Newton Abbot (?) and Exeter St. Davids. On October 20th a WRC 'Atlantic Coast Express' railtour from Crewe to Meeth & Meldon Quarry was worked between Exeter St. Davids and Meeth/Meldon Quarry by 25223 & 25052.
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1980 25223 continued its passenger workings in south Devon, although the recorded workings were not as frequent as previous years. On April 9th a late afternoon Barnstaple - Exeter St. Davids service was noted behind 25223 & 33013. On July 8th 25223 worked the 14.16 Exeter St. Davids - Paignton and the 16.05 Newton Abbot - Paignton. October 5th saw an Alfreton - Barnstaple charter handled by 45061 to Exeter with 25223 & 25080 working the train roundtrip to Barnstaple. Later this day 25223 was withdrawn! The TOPS reports reveal 25223 was turned off for good on October 7th, 25223 was promptly moved to Swindon Works and was quickly broken up by the first week of November. Along with 25052 & 25225 these were very quick disposals.
55/2337 Not all known passenger workings are recorded on this page.
Page added June 21st 2002.
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