December proved to be a quiet month for Class 25 withdrawals, it was not until December 22nd that the elder statesman of the class, 25034 succumbed leaving the approaching New Year with just twenty six active Class 25s remaining in service. With the withdrawal of 25034 it would be left for 25035 to become the elder statesman of the Class, an honour it would not relinquish.
26/301.
With the New Year came the fact that it had now been over six years since any of the remaining Class 25s had received classified repairs. Many had acquired components from long gone sisters to keep them running, however from the condition of the bodywork of these final few it was clear that the end was near. Seven years of your average English weather had clearly taken its toll.
22/305.
306 - 308 : February 1987
25058 CD withdrawn February 3rd 1987
25199 CD withdrawn February 9th 1987
25288 CD withdrawn February 19th 1987
The trickle of withdrawals continued on into February. The withdrawal of 25058 broke up the last consecutively numbered block of Class 25s, 25057/58/59. Two pairs would remain in service until the end: 25278 & 25279 and 25912 (25322) & 25323.
19/308.
309 - 327 : March 1987
25035, 25057, 25059, 25109, 25173, 25176, 25191, 25213, 25265, 25278, 25279, 25313, 25323 all CD
25901, 25902, 25903, 25904, 25910, 25912 all KM
And so it was that in March 1987 the word came down from the BRB that the remaining members of the Class 25 fleet were to be taken out of service. Several had already fallen by the wayside prior to the decree from the BRB being issued.
March 2nd 1987
309: 25902 (25268)
18/309.
March 9th 1987
310 - 311: 25176 & 25323
16/311.
March 11th 1987
312: 25109
15/312.
March 15th 1987
313 - 314: 25035 & 25057
13/314.
March 16th 1987
315: 25901
12/315.
March 17th 1987
316: 25278
11/316.
March 18th 1987
317 - 322: 25191, 25265, 25279, 25313, 25903 & 25910
5/322.
March 19th 1987
323 - 324: 25173 & 25213
3/324
March 20th 1987
325: 25059
2/325.
March 23rd 1987
326 - 327: 25904 & 25912
0/327.
Well as usual this series of pages started off as a bit of a lark, with the serious intent to record in chronological order the demise of the Class 25s, and then of course to see whatever things might develop from this task. As usual it went from strength to strength and tended to be a bit of light relief between other major projects being worked on. But late in 2006 there seemed to be a sense of urgency to get this thing finished. So I ploughed on and on reaching what was the sixth page (withdrawal of the 251 - 300 Class 25s) it occurred that maybe the calculations & research should be reviewed to ensure when the 327th withdrawal was reached it would be the right one! After all the project had started off somewhat unplanned and unstructured. After several recounts and checking of the withdrawal listings all was found to be in order and all Class 25s were accounted for!!
Page added March 23rd 2007
Last updated April 11th 2007
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