Class 45 ‘Peak’ 45 108 is seen restored to its original identity as D120 and in the British Railways green livery of its earlier years of service. Sporting a Thames-Clyde Express headboard, the Peaks were for long a staple of the Midland Main Line and worked this Anglo-Scottish service that ran from London St. Pancras to Glasgow Central, via the Settle & Carlisle and former GSWR Nidd Valley routes. D120 was captured at the Gloucester Rail Day held at the old Horton Road MPD, a location where many Peaks passed through on workings between Birmingham and Bristol.
August 1991
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.
Tags: Gloucester Horton road Horton road MPD British railways peak class Thames Clyde express Gloucester open day Gloucester rail day 45 108 class 45 d120
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A very memorable Sunday excursion to the Gloucester Rail Day, held at the old Horton Road Motive Power Depot. A good collection of preserved diesel traction was on display, including the sole surviving Clayton Class 1 Bo-Bo D8568. The 117-strong class was built between 1962-65 and became Class 17 under the British Rail TOPS scheme, but proved unsuccessful in service. The first examples were withdrawn in July 1968, weeks ahead of the final BR steam, and the class was extinct by the end of 1971. I never managed to photograph Claytons in service, the type being confined mainly to Central Lowland Scottish depots. D8568 managed to escape scrapping by virtue of its sale to industrial users, and in later preservation, it has enjoyed an active life on the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway.
August 1991
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.
Tags: Horton road MPD Gloucester Horton road Gloucester rail day class 17 d8568 British rail Gloucester open day Clayton type 1
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The 1991 Gloucester Rail Day provided me with the chance to photograph various locomotive classes that normally eluded me. These included the Class 56 freight locos that mainly earned their keep around the northern and South Wales coal mines and steel plants. Heading a Pathfinder Tours special, 56 038 in British Rail ‘Dutch’ livery is the lead loco, with 37 891 behind, pausing at Gloucester station.
After the privatisation of British Rail, the Class 56 fleet came under the control of English Welsh & Scottish Railways. Withdrawal of the type had begun during the 1990s, and it had no long-term future with EWS after the US-owned company invested in some 250 Class 66 heavy freight locomotives supplied by EMD. After withdrawal by EWS in 2002, 56 038 was one of many Class 56 locos acquired by the French infrastructure company Fertis to help with the construction of new high-speed lines. That work done, 56 038 was then shipped back to the UK with a view to restoring it to service, leased out to other freight operators. It remains in the hands of GB Railfreight, stored out of use and a potential candidate for conversion into a Class 69 locomotive.
August 1991
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.
Tags: British rail grid 37 891 56 038 Gloucester rail day Gloucester station Gloucester open day pathfinder tours class 56
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The 1991 Gloucester Rail Day at the Horton Road MPD featured three preserved British Rail English Electric Class 55 Deltic locomotives, a supremely charismatic class that held sway on the East Coast Main Line between 1961-1981. Seen here are from l to r: 55 015 ‘Tulyar’, D9016 ‘Gordon Highlander’ and D9000 ‘Royal Scots Grey’.
August 1991
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.
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A scene that I was unable to record when the British Railways Western Region diesel hydraulic classes were in active service, the final examples being taken out of service in early 1977. But the three preserved locos on display at Gloucester Horton Road MPD enabled me to recreate a facsimile view. The line-up comprises from l to r Class 35 Hymek D7018, Class 52 D1010 ‘Western Campaigner’ and Warship D821 ‘Greyhound’.
August 1991
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.
Tags: greyhound British rail class 35 class 42 class 52 d821 western campaigner d1010 hymek d7018 western region diesel hydraulics British rail open day Gloucester Horton road Gloucester rail day
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