D7598, 7598, 25248
D7598, 7598, 25248
The first of eighty Series 3 machines

Photograph collection of Roger Geach.
25248 arrives at Horwich Works at the end of the short branch from Blackrod Junction with the Wigan Springs Branch depot Breakdown/Re-Railing Train, an exhibit for the Horwich Works Open Day on August 16th 1980. The tracks are now lifted and the area concreted over for storage of lorry trailers, as part of an Industrial Estate.

Apart from the first eighteen months, when D7598/25248 was allocated to Eastern & Scottish depots, the remainder of the time belonged to London Midland Region depots.

Built: BR Derby Locomotive Works.
Final exhaust roof panel: raised 'L' shaped.
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: 91 months.
Time between withdrawal & scrapping: 53 months.

Allocations

D7598 was new to Tinsley (41A) on February 5th 1966. Further transfers were:

October 1966 to Eastfield (65A) on loan.
September 1967 to London Midland (Midland) Lines.
September 1967 to Birmingham Division (D02).
January 1971 to London Division (D01).
February 1971 to Nottingham Division (D16).
October 1971 to Manchester Division (D09).
October 1972 to Nottingham Division (D16).
November 1972 to Manchester Division (D09).
May 1973 to Longsight.
May 1973 to Kingmoor.
August 1973 to Springs Branch.
January 1976 to Crewe.
May 1976 to Springs Branch.
October 1978 to Toton.
Withdrawn November 28th 1982.

Renumbered February 16th 1974.

25248 was the 153rd Class 25 withdrawn, one of twelve Class 25s withdrawn during November 1982.

After withdrawal 25248 was stored at Crewe depot until February 3rd 1983 when it was moved to Derby Works with 25093, although it would be stored at Etches Park. On July 23rd/24th 1985 45060 hauled the third large consist of withdrawn locomotives from Derby Locomotive Works to Swindon Works as the 9X12 17.05 movement comprising 25093, 25105/164, 25234/248/260, 25312/319. By the end of April 1986 25248 had been scrapped.

Works Visits

Works visits (records incomplete).

Noted Derby Works April 1970.
Noted Crewe Works March & April 1975 (Classified assumed - full repaint).
Noted Derby Works May - September 1976 (collision damage).

Highlights

1966
October 1965 saw Derby Locomotive Works lay down the frames for D7598, the first of order N10001. These machines would later be designated Class 25/3, a total of eighty would eventually be built. They still carried the RTB 15656 generator, now a ten pole machine with a modified assembly that was now incompatible with earlier equipment. The latter half of the 1960's had seen the widespread introduction of solid state electronics with transistors making such equipment accessible and affordable to increasing sectors of industry. Thus these machines were to incorporate an infant electronic control system, whereby speed was detected electronically rather than mechanically. This was then used to activate the field weakening process in the motors, rather than through contacts and relays as in earlier types. Maximum tractive effort was adjusted to 41,500 lb allowing maximum speed between 7 and 80 mph. Only two stages of field weakening were employed, previous machines employed six fields, these were later reduced to two. Mixing of the main generators between class 25/0 & 25/3 was not allowed.

D7598 was constructed at Derby Works during the winter of 1965/66, part of a batch of thirteen machines (D7598 - 7610) destined for Tinsley (41A), all were released to traffic during February 1966.

On February 20th stabled at Tinsley were 73 diesels including D5207, D7598, D7599, D7624 - D7626, D7628 - D7630, D7632, D7641 & D7643.

On the afternoon of April 7th D7598 was stabled at York.

With D7598 allocated to Tinsley some of the Sheffield area summer dated services were diagrammed. On July 9th D7598 worked a Sheffield - Chinley local. A week later (16th) the 09.28 Sheffield - Llandudno Town and the return 14.28 Llandudno Town - Sheffield were worked by D7598. On September 3rd D7598 again handled the 09.28 Sheffield - Llandudno Town and the return 14.28 Llandudno Town - Sheffield. The next day (4th) D7598 was noted at Rhyl presumably with an excursion from the Sheffield area.

In October D7598 was loaned to Eastfield (65A), the loan lasted eleven months.

1967
In September the Scottish Region swapped D7598 - 7601/11/12 for D7576 - 79/81/83/84, the latter being boiler equipped, allowing them to replace the ailing NBL types on the Glasgow - Dundee run, with D7598 & D7599 moving to the Midland Lines. D7598 was then immediately transferred to the Birmingham Division (D02).

1968
On May 15th D7598 with a brake tender worked the 8V70 Banbury - High Wycombe and the balancing return working, this was normally diagrammed for a Western Region hydraulic.

7598 was noted on the Gosford Green branch freight on September 19th.

1969
On the morning of August 24th 7598 was noted at Coventry.

1970
Derby Works was host to 7598 during April for repairs.

1971
Three transfers occurred for 7598 during 1971; to the London Division (D01) during January, to the Nottingham Division (D16) during February and to the Manchester Division (D09) during October.

On June 29th 5242 & 7598 worked the 02.29 Toton - Eastleigh throughout, the normal exchange of power at Banbury did not occur as there were no replacements available. The Type 2's returned on the 14.30 Eastleigh - Washwood Heath.

1972
7598 was the Manchester Victoria banker (T43) on January 20th & 21st.

7598 was noted passing Manchester Exchange on March 16th about 6pm with a down van train.

Passenger workings during August included on August 5th the 09.20 Manchester Piccadilly - Yarmouth to Lincoln Central, returning from there with the 09.28 Yarmouth - Manchester Piccadilly, hauled by 7598 & 5211. The following weekend (12th) the 08.48 Manchester Piccadilly - Skegness and the return 15.04 Skegness - Manchester Piccadilly were worked by 7598 & 5152.

1973
7598 was noted passing Manchester Victoria on September 4th about 7am with a down freight.

At about 5pm on December 12th 7598 was noted at Liverpool Lime Street with a down van train (4F15).

1974
On July 12th the 23.00 Birmingham New Street - Yarmouth relief was worked to Derby (and possibly further) by 25248 & 25240. On July 22nd the 11.30 Poole - Newcastle was worked between Reading & Birmingham New Street by 25248 & 25141.

1975
On January 18th 25248 was noted at Manchester Victoria with the 7M46. On January 31st 25248 was noted at Manchester Victoria with the 4P28.

On February 6th 25248 was noted at Manchester Victoria. On February 7th 25248 was noted at Manchester Victoria with the 8J02.

A lunchtime March - Doncaster freight was worked by 25248 on March 23rd.

Crewe Works was visited by 7598 during March & April.

On May 27th 25248 was noted at Lancaster with coaching stock.

On July 5th 25248 & 25147 worked the 09.20 Manchester Piccadilly - Yarmouth to Lincoln Central and from there the return 09.30 Yarmouth - Manchester Piccadilly. At about 7am on July 10th 25248 was noted at Manchester Victoria on a down freight. On July 19th 25248 worked the 14.20 Barrow-in-Furness - Manchester Victoria. The 21.15 Manchester Victoria - Blackpool North was worked by 25248 on July 30th.

The 05.07 Leeds - Manchester Victoria vans was worked by 25248 on September 5th.

1976
25248 was noted stopped at Hexham on December 14th with the cement train from Clitheroe. A derailment near Haydon Bridge had blocked both lines, the cement train not moving on until the next day.

1977
On May 7th a roundtrip Manchester - Spalding day excursion special was worked by 25248 & 25253.

On the afternoon of June 14th 25199 & 25248 were stabled at Guide Bridge.

1978
On July 15th the 08.00 Walsall - Yarmouth to Norwich and the return 14.15 Yarmouth - Derby from Norwich were worked by 25248 & 25274.

During late July 25248 had reached the West Country, on July 24th it worked the 2B54 21.52 Exeter St Davids - Newton Abbot, on the evening of July 25th it was handling empty coaching stock at Exeter St Davids, on 28th 25248 worked the six coach 09.55 Exeter St. Davids - Paignton, the 11.08 Paignton - Exeter St. Davids, the 14.10 Exeter St. Davids - Paignton, the 17.30 Paignton - Exeter St. Davids and the 18.44 Exeter St. Davids - Paignton for a total of 140 passenger miles! The next day (29th) 25248 worked the 10.00 Barnstaple - Exeter St. Davids, the 13.40 Exeter St. Davids - Barnstaple and the 15.52 Barnstaple - Exeter St. Davids for a total of 117 passenger miles. On the afternoon of July 30th 25248 was stabled at Exeter. On July 31st 25248 worked the 09.55 Exeter - Paignton, the 11.10 Paignton - Exeter and the 17.30 Paignton - Exeter.

On the morning of August 5th 25248 was stabled at Exeter.

At about 9.30am on August 26th 25057, 25058 & 25248 were stabled at Exeter shed.

The first week of September was hectic for 25248 & 25257. On September 2nd they worked the 09.19 Manchester Piccadilly - Yarmouth to Lincoln Central, returning from there with the 09.15 Yarmouth - Manchester Piccadilly. The next three days saw roundtrips to Skegness, from Derby (3rd & 5th) and Burton (4th). On the morning of September 16th 25248 was stabled at Nuneaton.

On October 9th 25248 was transferring Class 313 multiple unit 313061 from Horwich back to its home on the Eastern Region.

25248 moved to Toton in October, this would be its last transfer.

1979
The local 'derby' between Derby County & Nottingham Forest on April 14th found 25248 & 25073 working a football special from Nottingham. In front of the record crowd for the season (30,256) the Rams lost 2 to 1.

As mentioned in the notes above 25248 & 25073 worked a Nottingham Forest - Derby County football special on April 14th 1979. As with most football specials at Derby, Platform One was used.

On May 22nd 25248 worked the 20.38 Whitemoor to Temple Mills freight via Cambridge and Broxbourne, returning with May 23rd's 00.30 Temple Mills - Whitemoor freight.

On June 9th the Derby - Norwich - Yarmouth - Norwich - Walsall diagram was worked by 25248 & 25302.

On July 14th & 21st 25248 worked the 08.52 Leicester - Skegness and the return 12.32 Skegness - Leicester with 25294 (14th) and 25123 (21st).

On July 28th the roundtrip Leicester - Blackpool North service from/to Nottingham was worked by 25248 & 25280, this was a recently established diagram for a pair of Class 25's, the outward trip made via Stoke & Crewe, returning via Chesterfield.

The 17.10 Poole - Nottingham on August 31st was worked from Birmingham New Street by 25248. Just over a week later on September 8th 25248 worked the 09.00 Llandudno Town - York.

When an afternoon Manchester - Paddington service failed at Coventry on October 13th the nearest help was 25248 & 25305, the pair working all the way to Paddington. They returned north on the 19.00 Paddington - Manchester as far as Birmingham New Street.

On the afternoon of November 2nd 25248 was noted in York maintenance shed.

1980
The summer season trains began on May 24th with the 08.02 Walsall - Yarmouth to Norwich and the return 14.15 Yarmouth - Derby from Norwich in the hands of 25248 & 25274. The following day the same pair worked the 08.25 Leicester - Skegness & 18.30 return.

On the afternoon of August 4th 25248 was stabled at York.

25248 was noted at Cockshute on October 3rd. 25248 was noted at Grantham on the afternoon of October 7th with a van train, presumed headed in the Nottingham direction. Three days later (10th) the 06.28 Birmingham - Lancaster failed at Warrington behind 83001, 25248 assisted the train forward. On the morning of October 11th 25248 was noted at Chester on an up van train.

25248 runs light engine through Crewe station on October 25th 1980.

On the afternoon of December 2nd 25248 was at York with a trip freight.

On the morning of December 4th 25248 was stabled at York.

On the morning of December 19th 25248 was northbound at Peterborough with an electric multiple unit.

1981
On the afternoon of February 4th 25248 was stabled at York.

25248 was noted at Preston on March 3rd with parcels traffic.

25248 was noted at Chester on August 3rd. For three days in the middle of August 25248 was quite busy. It started on August 13th with 25248 working the 10.15 Birmingham New Street - Norwich and the return 15.32 Norwich - Birmingham New Street. The next day (14th) a Leamington Spa - Edinburgh day excursion was worked to Birmingham New Street by 25248 & 25262. The same pair, on 15th worked the 10.10 Euston - Aberystwyth from Birmingham New Street, returning with the 18.00 Aberystwyth - Wolverhampton.

On August 28th 25248 and another Class 25 were northbound at Derby with a freight of empty? steel bolsters.

On September 18th 25248 assisted the diesel multiple unit working the 15.50 Banbury - Marylebone.

25248 was noted parked just outside Bradford Exchange on December 20th whilst heavy snowfall was occurring.

1982
25248 was noted near Gisburn on March 28th with seven ballast empties.

On April 8th 25248 was noted at New Mills South Junction with an empty hopper train for Peak Forest.

On August 12th 25248 was noted at Llandudno Town with passenger stock, whilst on August 25th 25248 was noted northbound through Lancaster station with an inspection saloon. On August 26th 25248 was southbound at Preston with coke hoppers.

Photograph courtesy P Ryan.
A portrait of 25248 at Preston on August 27th 1982. The paint job and number position suggests 25248's last Works repair was carried out at Crewe Works, probably in the mid 1970's. This is the last summer in service for 25248, within a few months it will be withdrawn.

On September 7th the 08.57 Leeds - Carlisle failed in the Skipton area with 25248 assisting from Skipton and returned with the 15.37 Carlisle - Leeds. On September 13th 25248 was busy in North Wales working the 09.45 Manchester Victoria - Bangor (for Holyhead?), the 13.58 Bangor (ex Holyhead?) - Manchester Victoria and the 17.45 Manchester Victoria - Llandudno Town.

25248 was withdrawn from service on November 28th and stored at Crewe.

A builders plate (Derby 1966) from 25248 sold on Ebay for £295 during November 2017.

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flk 0717 (1)

Not all known passenger workings are recorded on this page.

Page added May 6th 2000.
Last updated May 11th 2023.

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