Diesel Locomotives

Starting life as D3800, the 08 was built at Derby locomotive works and entered traffic in Dec 1959 being first allocated to Stoke shed (5D), resplendent in British Railway’s corporate Railways Green with Yellow and Black wasp stripe ends.

Except for a short visit to Lancaster Green Ayre depot in 1960, plus a brief stint at Crewe, D3800 remained at Stoke until November 1967 following the full closure of 5D. From here she was reallocated to Crewe, where apart from a spell at Doncaster, the loco remained for the remainder of the 20^th Century. In February 1974 she was renumbered to 08633, and at some point received the new corporate livery of BR Blue. As one of the Crewe based parcels shunt engines, it was repainted into the Red and Grey livery of its parent sector identity and was named "The Sorter" at Crewe Oct 1991, a name it was to carry until November 1995.

Privitisation saw the loco transferred into the ownership of English, Welsh & Scottish Railways (EWS) and in the early 2000s another repaint was to happen – this time in to the Red and Gold livery of EWS. A spell as depot shunter at Worksop Wagon Repair Depot followed before 08633 was moved to Toton in December 2009.

February 2010 saw the loco fitted with remote control equipment, enabling it to be driven remotely from the ground, and on the 17^th March 2010 the loco was moved to Hinksey Yard, before being transferred to Bescot in August of the same year to take over the pilot duties from 08886. By December 08633 was due an E exam, and on the 16^th December it arrived back at Toton and placed into store.

It wasn’t until February 2011 08633 was released back into traffic, leaving Toton for Hoo Junction on 10th February 2011. After a year at Hoo Junction, a C Exam was due and so a move to Crewe was completed before returning to traffic at Westbury in April 2012. However by June 2012 the loco was back in store having failed in service.

Repairs were to be completed however, with a grand tour ensuing that took the loco to Doncaster, Margam, Port Talbot and Didcot before finally returning to Staffordshire - and the Axiom Rail Stoke site (the former Marcroft Wagon Works) by the A500/A50 Interchange. From here the loco has continued in service for EWS successor DB Schenke, across the tracks from where its career began at its first home 5D Stoke Shed some 57 years ago, before being sold for preservation now.

25322 “Tamworth Castle” is the North Staffordshire Railways Companies “celebrity” diesel locomotive, having gained fame for being the final BR Class 25 to see mainline service with British Railways. D7672 was one of the final six 25s to be built, being delivered new to traffic on 25^th February 1967 at London Midland Region’s Nottingham depot in BR’s allover cooperate Blue livery. From here she spent her entire career allocate to various LMR depots, from as far North as Carlisle Kingmoor down to Bescot, also seeing service at Preston, Liverpool, Springs Branch (Wigan) and Crewe. In April 1974 the locomotive was given its TOPS number of 25322.

In January 1984 ‘322 was withdrawn from traffic along with 25311 after their flask train caught fire. However in April ‘322 was selected for display at the upcoming Tamworth Rail Week, and so she was transferred to Tyseley Depot for repainting. She received a modified livery with full yellow cabs –nicknamed Ice Cream Van livery. Here she also gained the unofficial name of “Tamworth Castle” – railway myths suggesting the shed foreman at the time had a soft spot for the GWR Castle steam locomotives.

After her appearance at Tamworth Rail Week from 12-20^th May 1984, ‘322 was reinstated into traffic due to a shortage of locomotives and allocated to Bescot once more. In 1985 BR implemented its new “Sectorisation Plan”, creating a specialized pool of locomotives to handle specific traffic flows. Carlisle Kingmoor Chemicals sub-sector received a dozen Class 25’s and the locomotives were given enhanced maintenance schedules and limited to 60mph to mitigate potential traction motor problems. 25322 became 25912, and joined the operational fleet in December 1985.

However the special traffic flows diminished rapidly with some expected services never materializing. This saw the full project cancelled in 1987 and ‘912 was withdrawn from service on 23^rd March along with all remaining Class 25s across the UK.

Salvation was to come around once again however, as the locomotive was selected as a training tool entered departmental service as ADB968027 (though this number was never carried). Transferred to the Eastern Region’s depot at Leeds Holbeck on 15^th April, the locomotive was repainted in BR two-tonne green as D7672 – despite never having carried this livery previously. This soon escalated into a full restoration by the training department, and spares were sourced from numerous withdrawn 25s at Bescot along with a set of miniature snowploughs from a Class 20. On 24^th April 1989, an internal ceremony was held to mark the completion of the overhaul, and cast “Tamworth Castle” nameplates was fitted – making the loco the only class 25 to be named in BR service.

Elesewhere BR had started operating “celebrity” locos on service trains in an attempt to increase passenger numbers. D7672 received an invite for one such train, and so a test run was completed to Skipton and back on 19^th February 1990. The following day saw TC doublehead the 0825 Leeds to Carlisle with 47422 and the 1242 return working. TC became a popular request for charter trains plus Depot Open Day visits, and a commemorative plaque was received at Doncaster during an Open Day visit on 20th May to commemorate the Training Departments achievement in overhauling the locomotive. All this subsequently saw the locomotive re-enter BR traffic on 15^th September, though it remained in use primarily on railtours and making open day appearances.

BR’s finances came under scrutiny, and D7672 was seen as an unnecessary cost and so a final railtour from Leeds to Holyhead was arranged for 30^th March 1991 before the locomotive was sold into private ownership. The successful bidder was the Churnet Valley Diesel Group, and following asbestos removal TC arrived at the group’s Cheddleton base in May 1991. However TC was far too big for the demonstration service operated at Cheddleton, and so TC went out on hire to various railways including the Kent & East Sussex Railway.

TC then returned to Cheddleton in 1995, as the Churnet Valley Railway prepared for the launch of its heritage services, with the first operation to Leekbrook commencing in August 1997. TC joined the operational fleet and was able to stretch her legs as the CVR extended South to Kinglsey & Froghall.

TC performed throughout the 90s along the CVR, but as the early 2000s dawned the repairs list started to mount. With the original members of the owning group having moved on elsewhere, ownership was transferred to the Churnet Valley Railway support charity (North Staffordshire Railway Company (1978) Ltd) and the original group dissolved.

In 2009 - D7672 was repainted into her Ice Cream blue livery for a EMRPS photo charter and regained her original TOPS number of 25322. Since then TC has remained in store within Cheddleton Yard whilst funds are raised for all necessary repairs. These are expected to start once the overhaul of 47524 has been completed, though offers of support are always welcomed.