25099 stabled in the yard at Peterborough, 6th March 1976. 25099 was originally D5249 and the frames were laid down at Derby in the last quarter of 1963. It was part of a large batch of diesels destined for replacing steam traction on the lines northwards from St Pancras and as they were intended primarily for freight working they were built without train heating boilers.D5249 was delivered to Toton in February 1964. Prior to November 1980 class 25 withdrawals had mainly been from the first twenty five locomotives from the class 25/0 sub class or accident damaged locomotives. This changed drastically in November 1980 when the London Midland Region condemned seventeen class 25's from a variety of depots (predominantly vacuum braked examples that were in need of classified repair). This was followed in December 1980 when a further seventeen class 25’s were withdrawn (including the final six class 25/0’s) and five of these were surprisingly dual braked locomotives. One of these dual braked locomotives was 25099 which had been dual braked at its last classified repair at Derby works in July 1975. Following withdrawal it was dispatched to Swindon works and was broken up within two months of withdrawal in February 1981.

Entering Nottingham Wilford Road yard light engine on the 1st March 1976 is 31180. Built by Brush at Loughborough as D5601 it entered traffic in March 1960, allocated to Hornsea for Great northern suburban passenger, empty stock and local duties. It was built with a Mirrlees JVS12T 1250bhp engine with Brush electrical equipment. The Mirrlees engines were not successful and in 1964 a programme of works commenced to re-engine the fleet with the 1470bhp English Electric 12SVT engines. Transferred to Finsbury Park when it opened it would remain there through out the 1960,s until transferred to Immingham where it would be allocated for most of the next twenty years. 31180 received its last classified repair at Doncaster works in February 1987 and after almost thirty five years service it was withdrawn from Toton in January 1995. After spending five years dumped around Toton it was towed on the 25th February 2000 with 31187 and 31569 by 47775 to TJ Thompson’s yard at Stockton where it would linger until June 2003 when it was broken up.

Split headcode Peak 45115 awaits departure time at St Pancras with a Midland Main Line express, 29th February 1976. This part of St Pancras, the Barlow trainshed which towers over 45115 has been refurbished and is now part of the International station with the Midland Main Line services “banished” to the northern extension of the station. The Midland Railway certainly knew how to make an impression when it reached London, especially compared to its rival the Great Northern next door. Originally D81 it was built at Crewe and entered traffic, allocated to Derby in 1962. In 1974 it was fitted with electric train heating and became 45115. Following twenty six years service, the vast majority on Midland Main Line duties it was withdrawn in June 1988 (only a few weeks before the class became extinct in normal service in August 1988). Following withdrawal it was dumped at Tinsley until in March 1990 when 45103/107/110/113/115 were towed away to MC Metals at Glasgow and 45115 was broken up on arrival.

45114 arrives at Leicester with an express for London St Pancras, 29th February 1976. Originally D94 it was built at Crewe in 1961 and would be withdrawn after twenty six years service in February 1987. By June 1987 it was dumped at March where it would remain for nearly seven years before finally on the 4th February 1994 it was towed with 45013 and 45122 to MC Metals, Glasgow and broken up on arrival.

20196 leads 20082 through Colwick woods with a train of unfitted coal hoppers, 7th May 1977. 20196 was originally D8196 and was built by English Electric in 1967. It was allocated to Toton from new and spent virtually it whole career allocated to this Nottinghamshire depot. However it would spend over eighteen months stored unserviceable until given a classified repair at Glasgow works in October 1984. It was briefly renumbered 20308 in the late 1980’s when dedicated to Peak Forest aggregate duties but had reverted back to 20196 prior to withdrawal in January 1992. It was broken up by MC Metals in September 1993. 20082 was originally D8082 and was built in 1961. It would survive in service until February 1992. It was broken up by MC Metals in March 1995.

20195 heads a long line of stabled class 20’s at its home depot of Toton MPD, 24th April 1977. 20195 was originally D8195 and was built by English Electric in 1967. It was initially allocated to Toton and was to spend, as far as I can tell, its whole career allocated to here until withdrawn in January 1992. Following withdrawal it would linger for another three years until broken up by MC Metals, Glasgow in February 1995.

By the spring of 1979 green livered locomotives were becoming rare, after all it is thirteen years after the switch to Corporate Blue. However here is 20158, partnered by 20166 heading west at Bardon Hill with a train of 21 ton coal hoppers plus five 16 ton mineral wagons, 14th May 1979. 20158 is one of the later batch of class 20’s built in 1966 and was allocated new to Toton and was withdrawn from Toton twenty three years later in May 1989 having (as far as I can tell) been a Toton engine all its life. It was broken up by MC Metals, Glasgow in January 1991. 20166 is also one of the later batch of class 20’s built in 1966 and allocated new to Toton. Following withdrawal around 1990 it was sold and is currently owned by HNRC and can currently (July 2009) be found on the Wensleydale Railway.

I had thought that by early 1976 the fast Midland Main Line services had started to be formed of Mark IIe/f air conditioned, air braked stock, however as Nottingham carriage sidings pilot on the 8th February 1976 was vacuum braked 08027 perhaps my memory may be at fault and the changeover started at the May timetable change of that year?.08027 was originally 13039 and then later D3039 and was built at Derby in 1953. Throughout the late 1950’s and the first half of the 1960’s D3039 was allocated to Oxley MPD (Wolverhampton) and transferred to nearby Bescot when Oxley closed in 1966. By 1972 it had migrated to Toton where it would remain until withdrawn in November 1980, being broken up at Swindon works in April 1982.

45133 heads towards Leicester just north of Market Harborough with an express from London St Pancras, 12th May 1979.. Originally numbered D40 it was built at Derby in 1961 and would give twenty six years of front line service before withdrawal in May 1987. Following three years storage at March 45133 was purchased in January 1990 by the Class 45/1 Preservation Society and moved to the Midland Railway Centre in May 1990, in working condition. Since preservation 45133 has performed solidly and has represented the MRC at various BR Open Days. The loco has also visited several other preserved railways, as well as covering over 2,300 passenger miles in preservation.

47109 stabled at Nuneaton, 31st January 1976. Built at the Brush Falcon works at Loughborough as D1697 it entered traffic in December 1963, allocated to Cardiff Canton MPD. After spells at Crewe (1966, 1972), Bescott (1968, 1973, 1974), Tinsley (1973), Stratford (1974), Eastfield (1981, 1982, 1986) and Haymarket (1981, 1983) it was an early withdrawal when condemned in August 1987. It was broken up by MC Metals Glasgow in November 1989.

It was unusual to see single class 20’s around Nottingham but here we have 20044 on its own stabled in Nottingham carriage sidings, 25th January 1976. Originally D8044 it was built by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry and entered traffic in November 1959, allocated to Devons Road MPD in Bow, London for cross-London transfer freight duties. On the closure of Devons Road in 1962 it transferred to Willesden. In 1969 it transferred to Toton and I first saw this engine paired with D8045 at Wilford Road, Nottingham on the 3rd April 1969. In 1982 20044 was stored at Leicester, when a large number of Toton’s vacuum braked class 20 fleet were stored due to the reduction in coal traffic from pit closures and the continued introduction of air braked MGR coal wagons. 20044 was re-instated in April 1983 following air brake and slow speed control fitment to enable it to operate MGR coal duties and transferred to Eastfield where it would stay until a move to back to Toton in the late 1980’s. It was withdrawn from Toton in August 1989 and broken up by MC Metals, Glasgow two years later in August 1991.

20006 and 20190 trundle trough Nottingham station with a class 9 unfitted train of empty coal hoppers bound for Gedling colliery, 15th May 1980. 20006 is one of the original batch of class 20 locomotives from 1957and was originally D8006 and was allocated to Devons Road MPD in Bow, London to work cross-London transfer freights. It remained in the London area until the end of the 1960’s when it transferred to Toton and I first saw this engine on Toton shed on the 19th July 1969. Following the national steel strike in early 1982 a number of class 20’s were stored, due the decline in traffic and vacuum braked only 20006 was stored in the old wagon sheds at Wigston. At this time it was also transferred to Eastfield but I do not think it actually ever went north of the border. Eventually traffic levels improved and 20006 was overhauled, fitted with air brake equipment and re-instated and by the end of 1984 was back working off Toton. Final withdrawal came in October 1990 and it was broken up by MC Metals, Glasgow in June 1991. 20190 is still (February 2009) operational as 20310 owned by DRS.

45105 stands in the spring sunshine at the east end of platform 4 at Nottingham station, 9th April 1977. Built at Crewe in 1961 as D86 it was originally built with split headcode boxes, however it was one of a small number of class 45’s to lose these in favour of the single panel headcode box as seen here. Following the abandonment of displaying the train reporting number this has an unusual modification of four zero’s stencilled onto a black screen . D86 was one of fifty peaks selected in the first half of the 1970’s to lose there train heating boiler for electric train heating becoming 45105. After twenty six years service 45105 would fall victim to the large class 45/1 fleet reduction that took place in May 1987 when twelve were condemned (almost 25% of the peaks modified with electric train heating). However it would escape the cutter torch and is currently (February 2009) under restoration at Barrow Hill.

Having a good run at the Lickey bank through Bromsgrove station is split headcode Peak 45053 with a northbound express, 14th April 1979. The train is made up of seven Mark II a/b/c vehicles, built between 1965 and 1969, a Mark I miniature buffet car (RMB), built between 1957 and 1962 and a Mark I full brake (BG), built between 1952 and 1963, making a trailing load of @285 tons for the 2500 bhp, 133 ton Peak to haul up the bank. 45053 was originally D76 and it was built at Crewe in 1960. Its demise after twenty three years service proved to be protracted and full of false hope. It was initially withdrawn in March 1983, reinstated, only to be withdrawn again in November 1983 and consequently moved to Swindon works for breaking up. It was later sent to Crewe works for including in the Class 45 repair programme. On arrival at Crewe this repair was cancelled and 45053 remained at Crewe until broken up in October 1988.

08026 rest between duties on March MPD, 16th August 1975. Originally 13036 when built at Derby in 1953 and later became D3036. By 1969 it was a Toton engine and my earliest surviving record of this engine is on Toton MPD on the 14th April 1969. It was still a Toton engine in February 1973 when it was Wilford Road yard pilot (Nottingham), however had migrated to March by the August of that year when I came across 3036 on March MPD on the 19th August 1973. By July 1982 now numbered 08026 it was a Cambridge engine and was withdrawn after twenty nine years service. It was not immediately broken up and survived for almost another four years until finally succumbing and being broken up at Swindon in April 1986

A photograph which shows the limitations of the cheap “point and shoot” Haminex camera I was using at this time with the centre of the photograph being fairly sharp but the edges are anything but. However the subject is quite interesting as it is one of the original batch of class 20 locomotives from 1957. 20014 was originally D8014 and it is seen here in at Toton on the 3rd August 1975 in a very worn green livery. As this is nine years after the introduction of corporate blue I think it is safe to say that it is a long time since 20014 had seen any form of classified repair at a main works. However when that call came for a works visit seven months after this photograph in March 1976 it was not very favourable as 20014 was withdrawn. 20014 was one of four class 20’s surprisingly withdrawn at the start of 1976 (20012/14/38/74) and although they gave nearly twenty years service there lives were short for a class 20. It ended its days at Glasgow Works being broken up there in January 1977

45110 heads for St Pancras on the Up Fast at Wellingborough with an express consisting of Mark I coaching stock, 5th February 1977. Also in the photograph is a fine example of an isolated wooden post distant signal, it being Finedon Road Down Goods Distant. In its last year 45110 became a bit of a celebrity as on the 27th February 1988 45110 was in charge of the Pathfinder Tours 'Pembroke Coast Explorer'. The tour started at Derby making its way west via Worcester, Bristol Parkway and Cardiff to Llandeilo Jct. Here 37428 took the train on to Pembroke Dock and then back to Whitland where 45110 took over the train again, with 37428 still on the rear as far as Letterston Jct, at this point 37428 took the lead, still with 45110 attached, travelling over the Trecwn branch. From the end of the branch 45110 led the train to Fishguard Harbour. It is believed that this is the first Peak to reach Fishguard Harbour. By July 1988 there were only eleven active non-departmental Class 45's left in service and time was running very short for them. 45007/012/037/106/107/110/113 were withdrawn in July and 45046/103/128/141 were withdrawn during August. In March 1990 45103/107/110/113/115 were dragged from Tinsley to MC Metals, Glasgow and 45110 was broken up on arrival.

44003 Skiddaw heads for the fueling road at the back of Toton TMD, 29th June1975. Originally numbered D3 it was one of the ten pilot scheme type 4 locomotives (D1 – D10) built at Derby in 1959’ which became class 44 and was delivered to Camden in the four weeks ended October 3rd 1959. Initially used on passenger workings on the WCML until transferred in March 1962 to Toton, for use on heavy freight duties in the East Midlands. From here to withdrawal the class 44's would be synonymous with Toton, in general only working to the limits of the route knowledge of Toton's goods links and usually on out & back turns. By the summer of 1975 BR had just about disposed of its unsuccessful pilot scheme diesel locomotives (and their derivatives) and were about to start on some of the more successful types and the ten locomotives of class 44 were high on this list. I doubt that I realised when I took this photograph how short its days were and the next time I photographed this locomotive (just over a year later) it would be but a shell in the processes of being broken up in the scrap yard at Derby Works. That photograph can be found in the 1970/80 “Modern Image” collection.