Wolverton Works, Bedford, Bletchley, Hitchin, Northampton, Rugby and many other local railway haunts once had one or two Shunters or “gronks” busying themselves with parcel, freight shunting and yard transfers. With the exception of Wolverton Works all these locations have lost their shunter action over the years. One of the first local spots to loose their shunter action was Luton.
In the 70’s the local shunter always seemed busy shunting vans in and out of the parcel bays or positioning freight stock for onward movement. The shunter would on occasions escape Crescent Road yard and gronk down to Limbury Road or shunt mineral trucks in the Luton Vauxhall factory siding. Mike Lewis advises his late father worked a Luton – Dunstable freight with 3699 (later 08535) on February 27th 1973.A Cricklewood or from 1971-May 75 a Bletchley based shunter we believe Luton’s shunter duty was “lost” in May 79.
The late Driver Phil then of CW depot commentated that the Luton shunter was usually exchanged once a month or so. Because of the shunter’s low running speed the exchange normally took place on a Sunday. Thanks to “TC” for researching his last Luton shunter move was tripping 08603 from Luton (dep 1850) back to Cricklewood (arr 2030) thats 25 miles in 100 minutes approx 12.5 mph on April 12th 1981.
Sample Luton shunters, year by year.
2002 (Hatfield) 170259
3306 (CW) – later 08236 211263
3573 (CW) – later 08458 071164
3180 (CW) – later 08114 181265
4136 (CW) – later 08906 240966
3304 (CW) – later 08234 060170
3850 (BY) – later 08683 020971
3699 (BY) – later 08535 120972
4139 (BY) – later 08909 was at Luton for all of 1973, except 3023 (08011) around 200573
08535 (CW) – 240774
08606 (CW) – 081175
08403 (CW) – 020676
08603 (CW) – 140177
08603 (CW) – 130878
08606 (CW) – 230879
08603 (CW) – 120481
Full list of the 18 known Luton shunters 1959-81
08011 (as 3018) BY, 08016 (as 3023) BY, 08085 BY, 08114 (as 3180) CW,
08234 (as 3304) CW, 08235 CW, 08236 CW, 08403 CW, 08457 (as 3572) CW,
08458 CW, 08535 CW, 08603 CW, 08606 CW, 08683 (as 3850) BY, 08768 CW, 08902 CW, 08906 (as 4136) CW, 08909 (as 4139) BY.
Former Luton shunters, where are they now.
2002 wdn 0669, cut 0869
08011 (3018) wdn 1291 – Preserved at Chinnor
08016 (3023) wdn 0989 – Preserved at Rowsley
08085 wdn 0386 – cut 0494
08114 (3180) – Preserved at North Weald
08234 (3304) – wdn 0982, cut 1282
08235 (3305) – wdn 0783, cut 0984
08236 (3306) – wdn 0975, cut 0976
08403 (3518) – wdn 1081, cut 0486
08457 (3572) – wdn 1285, cut 0686
08458 (3573) – wdn 0888, cut 0891
08535 (3699) – wdn 0501, cut 0310
08603 (3770) – wdn 0194, assume cut
08606 (3773) – wdn 0288, cut 0989
08683 (3850) – in service with DB
08768 (3936) – stored 0300, assume cut
08902 (4132) – wdn 1096, cut 0413
08906 (4136) – stored 0798, assume cut
08909 (4139) stored 2011
Phot spot, apologies for the Kodak instamatic quality but heres a rare view of the Luton gronk 08603 passing 25222 near Luton Station in Jan 77. The scene is largely unrecognisable now…
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