The sixteen year career of D7624/25274 started out on the Eastern Region, transitioned to the Western Region before moving to the London Midland Region for the remainder of its career.
Built; Beyer, Peacock Co. Ltd, Gorton, Manchester; No.8034
Boiler room grilles sheeted over.
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: 26 months
Allocations
D7624 was new to Tinsley (41A) on July 30th 1965. Further transfers were:
April 1966 to Wath (41C).
August 1967 to Leeds Holbeck (55A) initially on loan but then made permanent.
November 1970 to Newport (86B).
December 1972 to Laira (84A).
September 1973 to Bristol.
March 1974 to Laira.
August 1975 to Bescot.
May 2nd 1982 - withdrawn.
Renumbered May 1974.
25274 was the 128th Class 25 withdrawn, leaving 199 remaining in service.
After almost seven years allocated to Bescot 25274 was retired and moved to Derby Works. On February 4th 1985 25274 joined a convoy of withdrawn locomotives being moved to Swindon Works for scrapping, which for 25274 took place by the end of April 1985.
Works Visits
Works visits (records incomplete).
Noted Derby Works July 1967.
Noted Derby Works December 1971.
Noted Derby Works January & February 1975 (accident repairs, ex-works).
Noted Derby Works January - March 1980, intermediate repair.
Highlights
D7624 was the first of thirty five Class 25s to be built by Beyer Peacock.
Delivered new with blanking plates fitted?
25274's recorded passenger workings were not that prolific and very much run of the mill, particularly after its allocation to Bescot. It made the familiar trips to Skegness, Norwich (for Yarmouth), Barmouth, Aberystwyth, Llandudno & Blackpool.
1968
On July 17th D7624 & Stanier 5MT 4-6-0 No.45206 doubleheaded Heysham - Neville Hill (?) oil tank train.
Condition July: green livery with small yellow warning panels, exhaust in original location.
1969
On September 11th 7624 worked the 02.55 Healey Mills - Carlisle freight.
1970
On June 11th the 10.20 Bournemouth - York SAGA special was worked forward from Birmingham New Street by 7624.
1972
On August 19th 7624 worked the 6B66 11.20 Barnstaple Junction - Exeter vans and later worked the 6B24 15.00(?) Lapford - Exeter milk (five tanks).
At about noon on August 16th 7657 (86B Newport allocation) was on Exeter stabling point and would work the 6B67 freight.
About noon on August 17th 7657 (Cardiff 86A allocation) & 7624 (86B Newport allocation) were on Exeter stabling point. 7624 would later work the 17.15 Hemyock - Exeter milk.
7624 (86B Newport allocation) was noted at Exeter stabling point on the afternoon of August 22nd.
1973
On January 26th 7624 worked the 6B64 13.45 Plymouth Friary - Exeter Riverside freight.
On February 10th 7624 worked the 6B17 16.45 Hemyock - Exeter milk.
On March 29th 7674 worked the 6B66 10.40 Barnstaple - Exeter vans (four vans). It later worked the 6B70 13.15? Exeter Riverside - Hemyock milk empties and presumably returned to Exeter with the loaded milk.
On August 25th 7676 & 7624 worked the 4B17 13.20 Penzance (?) - Bristol vans as far as Plymouth.
At about 17.45 on September 9th 7624 & 7575 were noted passing Liskeard with the ?Z86 ballast train for Tavistock Junction.
On November 17th 7624 worked the 6B27 17.05 Hemyock - Exeter milk.
At about 10.30am on December 11th 7624 was noted at Exeter with the 10th's 14.30 6Z00 York - Plymouth, 7624 came off at Exeter with the train going forward with 1069.
At the end of December 7624 was noted on local traffic workings from Tyne Yard.
1974
On the afternoon of February 25th 7624 was stabled at Newton Abbot.
On the afternoon of March 21st 7624 was noted in the milk siding at Lostwithiel.
On April 18th 7674 was noted at Lostwithiel.
On May 15th the 20.40 Exeter St. Davids - Newton Abbot was worked by 25274.
On the afternoon of May 18th 25274 was stabled at Exeter stabling point and later worked the 2B99 15.55 Exeter - Barnstaple and 17.55 Barnstaple - Exeter.
On the afternoon of May 29th 25274 was noted passing Plymouth with an up freight.
During the morning of June 25th 25274 was noted at Liskeard and St Erth on special inspection working 9Z01 Paddington - Penzance with KDW 150266. This special had been noted earlier in the day westbound at Exeter with 31254.
On July 27th 25274 worked the 2B99 15.55 Exeter St Davids - Barnstaple and the 17.55 Barnstaple - Exeter.
On August 1st & 2nd 25274 was noted on Exeter stabling point.
The Barnstaple - Cheltenham Spa return leg of a day excursion was worked to Exeter St Davids by 25274 on August 4th.
On August 10th 25274 worked the 2B99 15.55 Exeter - Barnstaple and the 17.55 Barnstaple - Exeter.
During the early evening of August 13th & 16th 25274 was noted at Exeter stabling point.
On September 28th 25274 worked the 2B99 12.20 Barnstaple - Exeter.
Noted during October with no blanking plates fitted.
On October 5th 25274 worked the 6B16 16.25 Torrington - Exeter milk (13 tanks).
On October 8th & 9th 25274 was noted at Exeter stabling point.
On October 11th 25274 worked the 6B67 19.10 Barnstaple - Exeter vans.
On October 12th 25274 worked the 6B66 11.05 Barnstaple - Exeter vans. It later worked the 2B99 15.55 Exeter - Barnstaple and the return 17.55 Barnstaple - Exeter.
On October 14th 25274 worked the 8B74 11.30 Exeter Riverside - Exmouth Junction freight, returned with the 8B74 14.45 Exmouth Junction - Exeter Riverside freight (39 vehicles).
On Saturday October 19th locomotives stabled at Exeter included 25077, 25133, 25151 & 25274. Later 25274 worked the 15.55 2B99 Exeter St Davids - Barnstaple and the return 17.55 Barnstaple - Exeter.
On October 25th 25274 was diagrammed for the 21.50 Exeter - St Blazey freight.
On November 12th 25274 worked the 6B89 14.57 Ponsandane - Exeter Riverside (eight wagons and a brake van).
1975
Collision damaged 25274 was towed from St Blazey to Bristol by 50018 on January 2nd. Later the same day it was noted en-route to Derby Works with two Class 46s (one being 46053) and 08668 & 08937.
Ex-works 25274 was noted at Northwich depot on February 23rd, presumably trying to find a way back to its home shed of Bristol.
On the afternoon of March 7th 25274 was noted on Exeter stabling point.
On the evening of March 12th 25274 & 25262 were noted together at Exeter stabling point.
At about 3pm on March 18th 25018 & 25274 were noted arriving at Exeter light engines.
Easter Saturday, March 29th found 25219, 25274 & 25326 on Exeter stabling point.
At about 18.40 on March 31st 25274 failed at Exeter station whilst working the 5B48 empty stock move, 33024 was found to drag 25274 to the stabling point. About thirty minutes later 25274 came off the stabling point to take up the 5B48 working. However whilst standing in Platform 4 it required restarting at least six times, it was promptly returned to the stabling point. 25219 was utilised to complete the working.
On April 2nd 25274 worked the 6B64 13.03 Plymouth Friary - Exeter Riverside freight (11 wagons and brake van).
On April 26th 25274 was noted at Exeter stabling point.
On May 17th 25274 worked the 2B99 15.58 Exeter St. Davids - Barnstaple.
On May 23rd 25274 was noted at Exeter stabling point.
On May 24th the 2B99 12.20 Barnstaple - Exeter St. Davids was worked by 25274.
On May 26th 25274 worked the 2B48 20.15 Exeter St Davids - Newton Abbot (ten coaches).
On May 29th 25274 worked the 6B71 19.10 Barnstaple - Exeter vans.
On June 4th 25274 was noted at Exeter stabling point.
A diesel multiple unit failure on July 29th saw the 15.16 Newquay - Plymouth assisted from Par by 25274.
On Sunday August 10th the St Austell - Worcester motorail was worked by 25274 & 25275 to at least Plymouth.
1976
On February 28th the Tyne - Kings Norton carflats was worked by 25271 & 25274.
The 10.07 Aberystwyth - Euston was worked from Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton by 25274 & 25039 on September 4th.
1977
On April 12th the electric multiple unit working a Walsall - Birmingham New Street was assisted forward from Bescot by 25274. On September 4th the 08.45 Birmingham New Street - Barmouth was worked to Shrewsbury by 25274 & 25263 returning later in the day from Shrewsbury with the 17.30 Barmouth - Birmingham New Street.
1978
The 08.00 Walsall - Yarmouth to Norwich and the return 14.15 Yarmouth - Derby from Norwich were worked by 25274 & 25248 on July 15th.
1979
On July 1st the 08.45 Birmingham New Street - Barmouth and the return 17.45 Barmouth - Euston to Wolverhampton were worked by 25274 & 25263. On the afternoon of July 22nd 25274 was noted at Crewe station with a wiring train.
The 10.10 Euston - Aberystwyth from Birmingham New Street and the return 16.10 Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury were worked by 25274 & 25195 on August 25th and by 25274 & 25141 on September 15th.
On September 16th (a Sunday) six coal trains were worked from South Wales to Corby. Four of the coal trains were held at Didcot and two at Oxford, with Banbury providing locomotives to work the trains forward to Corby. Two pairs of Class 25s were used, 25141 & 25274 and 25134 & 25212, other types included Classes 20 & 47.
1980
On May 24th the 08.02 Walsall - Yarmouth to Norwich and the return 14.15 Yarmouth - Derby from Norwich were worked by 25274 & 25248. The next day (25th) the same pair worked a roundtrip Leicester - Skegness passenger diagram.
The 18.35 Birmingham New Street - Norwich was worked by 25274 on July 5th. A week later on July 12th sisters 25274 & 25275 worked the 10.10 Euston - Aberystwyth from Birmingham New Street, returning with the 16.10 Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury. On July 19th the 04.10 Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth and the 10.07 Aberystwyth - Euston to Wolverhampton were worked by 25274 & 25263. The next day (20th) the same pair were noted on the 08.45 Birmingham New Street - Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury(?).
On September 1st 25274 worked the 13.40 Manchester Victoria - Llandudno and the 16.42 Llandudno - Crewe, two days later (3rd) it worked the 13.40 Manchester Victoria - Llandudno Town.
On the morning of September 29th 25274 was noted at Bromford Bridge.
1981
25274 was noted at Saltley on January 24th.
On the late afternoon of May 1st 25274 was noted at Wigan on a down freight.
The 21.13 Manchester Victoria - Blackpool North was worked by 25274 on June 9th & 13th. 25274 was the Manchester Victoria banker (T42) on June 16th & 19th.
On the morning of July 13th 25274 was noted at Nuneaton.
On August 22nd the 08.35 Derby - Yarmouth to Norwich and the return 14.20 Yarmouth - Derby from Norwich were worked by 25274 & 25280. Three days later (25th) an Ealing Broadway - Skegness day excursion failed behind 47147 near Burton-on-Trent, 25274 & 25280 dragged the service to Nottingham where 45049 took over. At 04.05am on August 26th 25274 arrived at Holbeck off the E05 turn and was later noted arriving at Holbeck at 11.40am off the K60 tripper.
The 08.35 Derby - Yarmouth to Norwich and the return 14.20 Yarmouth - Derby from Norwich were worked by 25274 & 25323 on September 5th. The next day (6th) the same pair worked the 08.21 Leicester - Skegness and the 18.30 Skegness - Leicester.
1982
25274 was withdrawn from service on May 2nd 1982.
The service life of 25274 after its last Classified repair was only 26 months, its unclear whether it suffered a major failure or whether there was a surplus of vacuum braked Class 25s at this time.
Beyer Peacock - a very brief potted history
Formed by a partnership of Charles Frederick Beyer (1813 - 1876), Richard Peacock (1820 - 1889) and Henry Robertson (1816 - 1888), the engineering firm of Beyer, Peacock Ltd, Gorton, Manchester produced nearly 8,000 locomotives between 1855 & 1966. Gorton Foundry was located at Openshaw on the south side of the railway line opposite to the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway works at Gorton.
Steam locomotives were the mainstay of Beyer Peacock's production, with a total of 7,853 built. The transition to more modern forms of traction came too late for Beyer Peacock, although some orders were recieved (see below), they were not enough and so similar to several other renowned British locomotive manufacturers, production ceased and the workshops closed during the 1960's.
7879 - -/62 Brush Traction prototype (0-6-0 diesel electric)
7884 - 7893 5/60 - 4/62 E3046 - E3055 (82001 - 82008)
7894 - 7938 5/61 - 8/62 D7000 - D7044
7943 - -/61 BSC 90 (0-4-0 diesel electric shunter for Park Gate Iron & Steel Co., Rotherham (1 of 12)
7949 - 8004 8/62 - 2/64 D7045 - D7100
8034 - 8069 7/65 - 8/66 D7624 - D7659 (25274 - 25309)
Although Beyer-Peacock did not complete all of its Class 25 order, it did create the Builders Plates for those locomotives transferred to Derby Works. These Builders Plates were transferred to Derby, but obviously were never used.
36/3495
flk 0716
Not all known passenger workings are recorded on this page.
Resources:
1970s Western Region information courtesy online notebooks of Sean Greenslade.
Page added June 11th 2012
last updated October 24th 2020.
Back to 25273
Forward to 25275