If you have any definite information as to where these photographs were take – and even useful additional information to improve the captioning – I will be very pleased to hear if it. Thank you. If you have one or two images that are not worth you making available to others yourself, but you wouldn’t mind appearing on this website for that purpose, they would be welcome too – I am quite happy to credit you.
These locos are taken at a location unknown to me, of 45/46s and Class 20s. The signals are upper quadrant and the signal box looks to be of Midland origin; the platform signal box is quite distinctive, too. The lead “Chopper” is D8064 in green livery (it’s compatriot is in blue), and the freight loco is D46 – the stations have a mixture of totem and BR signage, suggesting ‘The Changeover Years’.
The inspiration for the WR’s ‘Warship’ Class were these diesel hydraulics in West Germany – 220 077 hauls a freight in 1975 at Rheine. Because the Continental loading gauge is much broader, the British versions were more compact, and skillfully designed. 75###AF01-UNK-G_220-PASGR
Three brake tenders are parked together out of use on sidings, judging from the mineral wagons and semaphores in the distance, possibly somewhere in the north of England. Snow has fallen, and there is little in the picture to soften the harsh dominance of metal. Presumably as so parked the brake tenders were largely out of general use at this time.7####GU01-UNK-B_TDR-PARKD
Recently built D1733 is parked on shed at a fueling road next to a breakdown train and wearing the new blue XP64 livery – the prototype for ‘British Rail’. Its builder’s plate is not positioned on the cab side as the others of its class, to make space for the rectangle bearing the BR emblem – already beginning to come adrift(!) Photo: William Kerry. 64###AI01-UNK-D1733-PARKD
On an inter-regional working, a class 47 loco with a train of Mk1 carriages looms from the shade of a cutting on a pleasant sunny evening. Undergrowth grows thickly on the sides of the banks, some still in flower, threatening to soon brush passing carriages. Alongside mellowed signalling conduit, the track shows recent ballasting and superficial oil discharge. 196####IE01-SER-47###-PAS_D
37253 in standard BR blue livery rolls through the countryside with a parcels train at W R S (?) in August 1977. Only seeing Class 37 locos infrequently, this picture reminds me of emerging from the undergrowth somewhere in South Wales and seeing a long row of redundant locos during the 1972 coal strike. 7708#AB01-UNK-37253-PARK
A relief metal lion and wheel emblem – sometimes known as lion and dartboard – used before the double arrow British Rail logo was adopted, centrally placed on the side of new E3XXX locomotives, on a shade of paint lighter than rail blue. D1000 “WESTERN ENTERPRISE” also carried one on its right hand cabs. 6####CU01-UNK-E3###-PARKD
D1662 “ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL” is pictured at Crewe on 27th July 1968, its long nameplate being a welcome sight to all enthusiasts. The names of the ‘Brushes’ were of two types – this example of a widely letterspaced lozenge nameplate with sans serif lettering emulated the ‘Westerns’, and there was a serif version too, emulating the ‘Warships’ plates. 6807##A01-UNK-D1664-NMPLT
Part of the bodyside of “Peak” 46051 showing a lot of interesting detail, beginning with its number in rail alphabet and data panel. Under the glossy sheen can be seen the former British Railways logo, and the diagonal line are construction rivets showing through. The four small plates cover access steps to discourage trespassers electrocuting themselves. 810420A01-YRK-46051-NUMBR
These slides of heavy and bulky ‘Peak’ class 45s and 46s at different locations from the 1979s/1980s were obtained in bulk, and without further identification. Not particularly attractive locos, they resembled their LMS predecessors 10001 and 10002 – which were modelled on 1930s American diesels – and were frequent visitors on NE/SW services, so I saw quite a lot of them. 7####GP01-05
47076 “CITY OF TRURO” was understandably always a welcome sight to me, being a town local to Penzance, and commemorating the steam loco that first exceeded 100mph. Whereas most of the dozen or two Class 47 “Brushes” that had nameplates had black backgrounds, I cannot recall seeing this engine in other than red throughout the years I saw it. 7####GI01-UNK-47076-PARKD
55016 “GORDON HIGHLANDER” is shown in railblue livery, but having lost the army crest of that regiment that was formerly positioned above its nameplate. During the run down of the class several locos had plates or emblems stolen, as did ‘Peak’ locomotives. The fuel tanks below seem neat and well cared-for, and its whole apprearance a credit to York depot. 7####GH01-UNK-D9016-NMPTE
As I passed close behind Ponsandane Signal Box on a Shed visit, I’d normally notice one of these GWR boundary markers on a pole protruding up to about waist height from the sand dunes, along the concrete post and wire fencing between them and the rails. #####AV01-UNK-B_PTE-CLOSE
As part of modernisation in the early 60s, 3-car EMUs known as ‘Glasgow Blue Trains’ were introduced, painted in ‘Caledonian Blue’. Here are three such units together, one bearing the Trans Clyde logo, later in their career. I first became aware of these through Terence Cureo’s painting of one – a superb railway artist. Photo: Rod Edworthy. 8####GK01-UNK-3XDMU-PASGR
Under a glowering sky, a two-tone green liveried ‘Brush’ Class 47 pulls away from a station in 1976, wearing an experimental headcode surround, presumably intended to help lock the sight of a signalman for easier identification – I saw such experiments a few times. The fencing before it has seen better days, and the whole picture has an air of spartan neglect. 760314A01-UNK-47###-PASGR
D7502 is pictured at Burton shed on 11th October 1969, a couple of years before I first saw it on Penzance shed, and in much the same condition – sent to replace the D63XXs being removed from WR stock. Its rather rusty, unkempt’ appearance suits its surroundings, and it probably worked paired with its classmate behind, that is still wearing a small warning panel. 691011A01-BUT-D7502-PARKD
The nameplate of ‘Deltic’ 55017 “THE DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY” fixed midships to one of the locomotive’s sides. The text of these plates was cast in differing ‘regular’ or ‘condensed’ fonts, and although they featured names of regiments or racehourses, the subject didn’t determine the style. This plate was screwed, not bolted – perhaps inviting theft? 8####BS01-UNK-55017-NMPLT
I don’t know which class of locomotive the control desk is from, but by the angle of the drop light window and the curve of the windscreen, it seems possibly to be an English Electric Type 4. It is in typically grimy and worn state, though the instrument panel backing plate and window surrounds – normally out of touch from the seated driver – are presentable. 7####GW01-UNK-UNKNN-CTRLS
The Eric Curnow Collection (BAK) 