| Loco
| Status
| Comments
|
| 08588 |
Operational |
This loco had migrated to Haymarket (Edinburgh) by 1983, but two years later it was taken out of traffic. It was subsequently overhauled
and fitted with dual-brakes, and in 1990 it was allocated to Thornaby (Middlesbrough). It subsequently moved south to Neville Hill
(Leeds). By 2003 it had been taken out of traffic again, and it was moved to the Wabtec railway works in Doncaster. Now in the ownership
of hire company "RT Rail" this loco was overhauled and returned to traffic in the Spring of 2006, at which time it was being
used at Peak Forest. |
| 08765 |
Operational |
The number of shunting locos operated by British Rail fell steadily between 1976 and 1995 when the railways were
privatised. Most of what was left eventually passed into the hands of EWS, but in 2004 and 2005 a significant number of those locos
were taken out of use, leaving just 50 or so in traffic. The remaining locos are often swapped with stored examples as maintenance
and operational needs dictate. 08765 is one of the EWS survivors, and it remained a Bescot engine until well into the 21st century.
In the last couple of years it's been used in a number of locations around the south of England, eventually migrating to Eastleigh
where it remained in May 2006. |
| 08783 |
Operational |
This is another of the EWS survivors, but unlike 08765 it roamed far and wide in the intervening years. In 1983
it was allocated to Derby, and in 1985 Tinsley (Sheffield). By 1990 it was still heading north and had reached Holbeck (Leeds) - and
by 1992 it was allocated to Knottingley. After a spell out of traffic it became an Immingham loco sometime around 2000, but by 2003 it
had migrated south to Wembley where it was withdrawn in 2004. By chance 08783 was back in the Black Country in late July 2005, spending
a week back at Bescot before being re-instated to traffic and moved to Hams Hall to shunt intermodal trains. It was still working at
Hams Hall in May 2006. |
| 08827 |
Out of use |
This loco was transferred to Eastfield in late 1976 or early 1977, and it remained in Scotland thereafter. Another loco which passed
into the hands of EWS it was allocated to Motherwell when withdrawn in 2000, and remained there until September 2005. It was subsequently
sold by EWS and moved to Barrow Hill at which location it was still stored in May 2006. |
| 20007 |
Preserved |
Despite their age many Class 20s survived in traffic until the early 1990s, outliving most of the other small Modernisation diesels
by several years. 20007 was withdrawn in 1993, and was subsequently bought for preservation. As of May 2006 it was located at the
Churnet Valley Railway. |
| 20092 |
Out of use |
This loco survived in traffic until 1994, having spent its final years allocated to the Technical Services division and wearing their
distinctive red livery. It was last allocated to Bescot for maintenance purposes, but in practise it worked mainly in the Neasden area
on an engineering contract. After withdrawal it was sold to DRS, but never made it back into traffic. In July 2005 it was still part of
the DRS stored fleet, located at MoD Smalmstown in Cumbria. In March 2006 it was moved to Barrow Hill. |
| 20128 |
Operational |
20128 also spent its last years based Bescot. It was one of four Class
20s allocated to British Rail Telecomms (BRT). These locos didn't actually spend much time on BRT duties, and during their last two
years they worked a variety of regular trip freights around the West Midlands. During this period 20128 acquired the name
Guglielmo Marconi after the radio pioneer. After withdrawal
in March 1997 this loco was acquired by DRS, but unlike 20092 it was refurbished and subsequently re-entered traffic as
20307. In July 2005 it was still operating in that guise, working mainly nuclear flask trains for DRS. |
| 20139 |
Preserved |
Withdrawn in May 1991 this loco was one of four Class 20s subsequently sold to CFD, a French railway company. Its CFD number was 2003,
and it was based at Autun, in the Bourgogne region of France. By 2005 all four had been out of use for several years, but they've
subsequently been purchased for preservation and were repatriated to the UK in summer 2005. On its return 20139 was placed in store at
Goodman's Yard in Sutton Coldfield.
This photo shows 20139 at Wednesbury in January 1991 - it's the one on the left. |
| 20142 |
Preserved |
This loco was withdrawn in 1992, and subsequently sold into preservation. Its current base is the
Llangollen Railway. |
| 25262 |
Preserved |
This loco was one of twelve Class 25s to be re-numbered into the 25/9 series in 1985. 25262 became 25901 and was one of the last
Class 25s in traffic, surviving until early 1987. It was subsequently sold into preservation, and in July 2005 was based at the
South Devon Railway. |
| 37114 |
Out of use |
Class 37s were relatively uncommon in the Black Country in the 1970s, although as the tables show they were regular visitors on
out and back diagrams from the Eastern and Western Regions. All this changed in later years, when several were allocated to Midland
Region depots. 37114 spent much of the 1980s working in Scotland, but in 1993 it was re-allocated
to Bescot where it gained "City of Worcester" nameplates. It went back to Scotland for a year or so in the late 1990s, but
came back to England to work its last years. It was one of the last unrefurbished 37s to remain in traffic with EWS, and lasted until
December 2004. In May 2006 it was still stored out of use in Bescot Yard. |
| 37183 |
Out of use |
This loco was transferred to Eastfield in 1982, and like 37114 it spent much of the 1980s in Scotland. In 1988 it was refurbished and
re-numbered to 37884, at which point it returned to Wales and was allocated to Cardiff. In the following three or four years it would
often have visited Wednesbury on metals workings from South Wales. In 2001 it was taken out of traffic and selected as one of the locos
to be exported to Spain as part of a contract to work engineering trains. It left Britain in the summer of 2001, and its new operator
("GIF") gave it the number L34. To the best of my knowledge it was still in Spain, out of use, in May 2006. |
| 47254 |
Operational |
47254 was fitted with electric train heat and re-numbered to 47651 in 1986. Three years later it was fitted with
extra fuel tanks and re-numbered once again to 47806. In 2003 the bodyshell was fitted with a new engine, and effectively re-built as
57309. At this point it became a Virgin Trains' "Thunderbird" locomotive, and was renamed "Brains"
after the bespectacled genius from the 1960s Gerry Anderson puppet series. In May 2006 it remained in regular use with Virgin. |
| 47280 |
Out of use |
This loco passed into the hands of EWS after privatisation, and was withdrawn from traffic in 1999. It was subsequently sold to
Fragonset Railways, but hasn't been returned to traffic. In May 2006 it was stored at MoD Kineton. |
| 47289 |
Out of use |
Quite a late survivor for an un-refurbished loco, 47289 was owned by Freightliner when it was taken out of traffic in 2003. In May
2006 it was stored at Basford Hall, Crewe. |
| 47531 |
Out of use |
This loco became 47974 when it was transferred to the Research Department in 1990. Three years later it became a Parcels sector loco,
and was re-numbered to 47775. Like all the parcels fleet it was acquired by EWS at privatisation. It survived until 2001, when it was
withdrawn from traffic. In May 2006 it was in store at Crewe. |
| 47554 |
Operational |
47554 was re-numbered to 47705 in 1979, and spent most of the 1980s working passenger trains in Scotland. Like
47254 this loco was re-built as a Class 57 in 2003, this one becoming becoming 57303. Like 57309 this loco is also
in regular use a "Thunderbird" loco. 57303 is named "Alan Tracy" after the pilot of Thunderbird 3. |
More information about the fate of these survivors, as well as those which have been cut-up, can be found at End
of the Line. Another excellent resource for information about Class 47s and Class 57s is
The 47's website.
