The sixteen year seven month career of D7644/25294 began with about a year allocated to Sheffield area depots followed by the the remainder allocated to London Midland depots.
Built: Beyer Peacock, Manchester, No.8054.
Boiler room grills sheeted over (1976).
Final exhaust roof panel: raised square.
Carried TOPS numbering whilst still in green livery.
Reportedly the last diesel locomotive to leave Reddish Depot.
Time between last Classified repair and withdrawal: 79 months.
Time between withdrawal & scrapping: 31 months.
Allocations
D7644 was new to Tinsley (41A) on February 23rd 1966. Further transfers were:
April 1966 to Wath (41C).
March 1967 to London Division (Western Lines) (D01).
May 1970 to Birmingham Division (D02).
May 1973 to Bescot.
June 1974 to Longsight.
October 1975 to Crewe.
Withdrawn October 10th 1982.
Renumbered May 23rd 1974.
25294 was the 140th Class 25 withdrawn, one of four retired during October 1982.
After withdrawal 25294 was stored at Reddish from October 1982 until May 18th 1983 when it moved to Ashburys Yard, Manchester. By the first week of July 25294 had reached Derby Works. It was sent to Swindon Works on February 4th 1985 (see movement detail below) and scrapped there by the second week of May 1985.
25050/062, 25129/133/146, 25220/233/274/294 9X12 Derby – Swindon, February 3rd & 4th 1985.
Works Visits
Works visits (records incomplete).
Noted Crewe Works April 1970.
Noted Derby Works February 1971.
Noted Derby Works April & May 1974.
Noted Derby Works February 1976 (classified, full repaint).
Highlights
1966
On the afternoon of May 28th D5294 & D7505 were stabled at Hasland whilst D7637 & D7644 were passing on an up freight.
1967
On August 10th D7562 & D7644 were stabled at Nuneaton.
1968
Noted on January 14th at Nuneaton were D7644 on a wiring train and stabled were D7663, D7668 & D7669.
On the afternoon of March 25th D7644, D7653, D7658 & D7667 were noted at Nuneaton.
On April 29th D7644 worked the 17.59 St Pancras - St Albans, non-boilered locomotives on these commuter services was not too common.
On the afternoon of June 9th D7645 & D7664 were on permanent way trains at Nuneaton whilst D7644, D7646, D7647 & D7660 were noted in the station area.
On the morning of June 13th D7644 was southbound at Rugby with a freight.
On the morning of July 28th D7644 was at Rugby with a permanent way train.
1969
Condition March & September: two-tone green livery with small yellow warning panels, BIS side has received repaint around the radiator panel from top to bottom of side in strange green paint, blanking plates fitted, hand/footholds present, straight sided sandboxes, three rung bogie mounted footsteps, 'D' prefix present, engine exhaust in original location.
1970
On the evening of June 14th 7644 was noted at Nuneaton.
1971
On the morning of October 11th 7644 was stabled at Crewe.
On the morning of November 25th 7644 was shunting at Bournville.
1972
Observations on Saturday April 15th 1972 from a St Pancras - Leeds Merrymaker (1Z94) include:
Kettering: 5243
Leicester Shed: 5266, 7593, 7619
Toton Depot: 7559
Leeds area: 5162, 5165, 5174, 5185
Holbeck: 7571
York shed: 5172
Leicester shed: 5279, 7521, 7593, 7619, 7626, 7644
1973
On the afternoon of September 10th 7644 was light engine at York.
On the morning of November 14th 5693 & 7644 were northbound at Doncaster with a freight.
1974
D7644/25294 recorded only a few passenger workings, mostly in the latter half of its career. Maintenance work in the Birmingham area on February 17th 1974 found 7644 & 5189 assisting a couple of trains. The 08.52 Liverpool - Euston required their assistance between Hednesford & Birmingham New Street when 47506 failed whilst towing 86022. Later that day they assisted a Glasgow Central - Euston service with 86043 between Crewe - Nuneaton (via Cannock & Water Orton), again because the power was off.
7644 worked a morning Bescot - Exeter Riverside freight on March 27th.
On June 17th 25294 was working Bescot's 9T56 tripper for the Langley Green / Stourbridge area.
On December 31st 25294 was noted at Newton Heath depot.
1975
At about 6pm on January 2nd 25294 was at Manchester Victoria with an up freight.
On March 8th 25294 was noted at Manchester Victoria with the 5J42.
On April 21st 25294 was light engine at Derby station, showing headcode 8D09.
On June 5th 25294 was stabled at Newton Heath.
Condition June: two-tone green livery with full yellow, blanking plates fitted, straight sided sandboxes, three rung bogie mounted footsteps, with TOPS numbering and blue TOPS classification panel sticker.
On June 23rd & 24th 25294 was noted at Manchester Victoria with the 6Z07.
1976
On March 6th 25294 was noted at Crewe Diesel depot in ex-works condition but already with radiator water stains at the No.1 end.
1977
On a gloomy March 31st 25295 & 25294 were noted southbound through Leamington Spa with loaded bogie steel wagons.
On May 24th 25294 was noted at Stafford.
On the early morning of December 3rd 25170 & 25294 were stabled at Exeter shed.
1978
On March 27th a Barrow - Blaenau Ffestiniog excursion with 40015 was assisted by 25294 over the Blaenau Ffestiniog branch.
On March 30th 25294 was noted at Chester dragging an empty Manchester based two-car diesel multiple unit eastbound.
April 1st 1978 found 25201 with five coaches working the 'Hundred of Wirral' railtour out of Liverpool Lime Street to various locations on the Wirral peninsula. Reversals were necessary at West Kirby & New Brighton, with 25294 being added to the rear between Birkenhead North & Heswall.
On the evening of September 22nd 25294 was noted at Crewe with a down freight.
25294 was the Manchester Victoria pilot on November 12th.
1979
The maintenance dispute brought many strangers into South Wales including a number of Class 25’s. So noted towards the end of March were 25294 on the 14.46 Great Bridge – Llandeilo flats (21st).
On April 22nd 25294 was receiving attention at Crewe Diesel depot.
On May 17th 25294 worked the 15.15 Plymouth - Manchester Piccadilly between Gloucester & Birmingham New Street.
On June 3rd 25294 & 25306 were northbound at Crewe station with a coal train.
On June 25th 25294 worked the 12.25 Crewe - Cardiff and the 17.10 Cardiff - Crewe.
On July 14th 25294 & 25248 worked the 08.52 Leicester - Skegness and 12.32 return.
On the afternoon of October 6th 25294 was noted at Crewe with a down van train.
On the morning of November 26th 25294 was noted at Loughborough.
1980
25294 was noted passing Cockshute eastbound on April 28th with a local trip freight.
25294 was noted running light engine through Nottingham on May 15th. On May 20th 25294 assisted in bringing steam locomotives to Bold Colliery for the Rainhill event. Initially 80079 & 35028 were moved Northwich - Chester - Warrington - Bold Colliery, arriving about 1pm. 25294 then returned to Northwich to pick up 4498 & 5000 (both in light steam), taking the same route to Bold Colliery and arriving just before 4pm.
August 18th was a busy day for 25294 working the 09.42 Llandudno Town - Manchester Victoria, the 13.40 Manchester Victoria - Llandudno Town, the 16.42 Llandudno Town - Crewe and the 20.30 Crewe - Bangor, a total of 324 passenger miles.
1981
On the afternoon of March 14th 25294 was stabled at York.
On the early afternoon of May 1st 25294 was noted at Warrington on an up permanent way train.
It was off to the Cambrian line on June 6th with 25294 & 25170 working the 07.40 Euston - Aberystwyth forward from Wolverhampton, returning with the 16.05 Aberystwyth - Wolverhampton. A month later on July 9th 1981 25294 was noted working the 13.22 Norwich - Birmingham New Street forward from Nuneaton.
On August 3rd 25294 was noted at Stourbridge Junction with possibly a Swindon/Gloucester - Bescot mixed freight which included an empty nuclear flask.
25294 was noted at Manchester Victoria on September 8th.
25294 was stabled at Gateshead on October 31st, also on this day during the afternoon 31225 & 25294 were light engines southbound at Thirsk.
On November 2nd the York depot - Crewe LMR light engine move featured 40118 (leading), 25294 and two Class 47s. 25294 was stabled at York depot on November 27th.
On the late evening of November 22nd 25294 was at York with a civil engineers train.
On the morning of November 27th 25294 was stabled at York.
1982
On the morning of February 23rd 25294 was at Burton shed.
On March 7th 25294 was noted at Northwich with a loaded limestone train, being banked by 40061.
25294's last passenger workings took place in 1982. On June 16th 1982 25294 worked the 22.50 Shrewsbury - York to Crewe. On June 27th 1982 40128 failed at Crewe whilst working the 09.20 Birmingham New Street - Rhyl day excursion. 25294 took the train on to Rhyl and handled the return working throughout. Following this 25294 then worked the 21.25 Birmingham New Street - Crewe relief.
On August 6th 25294 was at Euston shunting empty Motorail flats.
On August 20th 25294 worked the 12.58 Curzon Street - Worcester parcels.
25294 was withdrawn on October 10th 1982.
During July 2015 a builder's plate from 25294 sold on Ebay for GBP410.
Distinguishing Features
No.2 cab front: different shades of yellow paint for upper & lower cab front: August 1982.
Not all known passenger workings are recorded on this page.
16/1181
flk 0124
Page added May 15th 2013.
Last updated February 19th 2024.
Back to 25293
Forward to 25295