Class 25’s through Dunstable 1967-87
Class 25s were regular, at times daily visitors to the little reported Dunstable branch from Luton. They worked everything from empty oil, a few cement/mineral trucks, to 13 bogie cement wagons not forgetting the odd engineers trip.
Thanks to the extensive logs of Mike Lewis (his late father being a Bedford based driver who worked many Dunstable branch turns), my own logs from 1969 onwards as a Dunstable resident and the late Tony Ewer who both worked and lived close to the branch to record much traffic, we have built up quite an extensive Dunstable log of the many locos that worked the branch..
25037 opens up at Dunstable Kingsway restarting the heavy cement empties for Northfleet on April 9th 1986. A photo by the late Tony Ewer.
Well I’m pleased to report that at least 151 different class 25s have been recorded working freight turns down the branch, some only visited the once, others like 7666 (later 25316) working on at least 15 different dates.
25060 on the cement works triangle at Dog Kennel Bridge on May 8th 1985, a photo by the late Tony Ewer
From 1967-69 class 27s worked a good few of the Dunstable branch turns, class 25s then took over most of the branches type 2 turns namely:
1/ the morning Northfleet – Dunstable bogie cement turn (in 3 portions, often a pair of type 2’s)
2/the small cements (PCA) wagons
25117 crosses Dunstable Church St overbridge with the “small cements” on October 14th 1982
3/mineral trucks containing metal swarf from Dunstable Vauxhalls
4/ empty oil trains from Dunstable to Cricklewood (Thameshaven bound)
25221 crosses Kingsway Crossing with afternoon oil empties initially bound for Cricklewood on January 12th 1977
5/ the evening Dunstable – Northfleet cement empties, a heavy train for a single type 2
By 1982 Cricklewood depot had lost their allocation of 25s and the replacement class 31s took over a good few but not all turns, class 25s from Bescot and Springs Branch kept on producing until the last 25 turn in Jan 87.
The Dunstable class 25 list 1967-1987
At least the following class 25s have been recorded working the Dunstable branch, many would have been pre TOPS numbered when visiting, but TOPS numbers are shown here
25032, 25033, 25034, 25035, 25036, 25037, 25041, 25044, 25046, 25048, 25050, 25051, 25054, 25057,
25059 – this “rat” was the last recorded class 25 on the Dunstable branch on snow clearing duties (25059 was plough fitted) during serious snow on January 16th 1987.
25060, 25063, 25064, 25065, 25066, 25067, 25068, 25069, 25070, 25071, 25072,
25063-25072 (formerly D5213-5222) – the much maligned “terrible ten”. The “terrible ten” were Cricklewood/Willesden based 25s that did everything locally, they were so common they were hated by local enthusiasts hence the nickname. Pleased to say that we have records of each member of the “terrible ten” visiting Dunstable!
25073, 25075, 25076, 25078, 25079, 25081, 25089, 25091, 25099, 25100, 25102, 25106, 25109, 25117, 25120, 25122,
25122 first TOPS numbered rat on the branch, February 26th 1974
25129, 25131, 25145, 25150, 25153, 25154, 25161, 25167,
25153 as D7503 worked a cement turn on the branch back on January 13th 1967 our first recorded class 25 turn at Dunstable
25172, 25173, 25175, 25176, 25179, 25180, 25181, 25182, 25183, 25190, 25192, 25193, 25194, 25196, 25198, 25199, 25200, 25202, 25203, 25204, 25205, 25206, 25207, 25208, 25209, 25210, 25211, 25212, 25213, 25217, 25218, 25220, 25221, 25222, 25224, 25226, 25227, 25230,
25230 worked one of the few engineering trains along the branch on September 17th 1983
The rare sight of an engineers train on the Dunstable branch under the mighty works water tower on September 17th 1983. A late tony Ewer photo
25231, 25234, 25235, 25236, 25237, 25238, 25239, 25240, 25242,
25242 unusually failed at Dunstable working the evening cement empties requiring assistance from 25089 on August 2nd 1983
Failed! 25089 erupts out of Dunstable Kingsway dragging failed 25242 and cement empties on the evening of August 2nd 1983. A photo from the late Tony Ewer
25243 as 7593 the last recorded pre TOPs 25 on the branch, February 25th 1974
25243, 25244, 25245, 25246, 25247, 25249, 25250, 25251, 25254, 25257, 25258, 25259, 25262, 25265, 25266, 25268, 25269, 25277, 25278, 25279, 25281, 25282,
25244 looking good passing Bedford trucks factory with the small cements on December 22nd 1982
Brrrr. 25279 in snow at Dunstable prior to thrashing East with the cement empties on February 19th 1986, a photo by the late Tony Ewer
25282 unusually failed at Dunstable working the evening cement empties requiring assistance from 25326 on April 5th 1984
25282 was in fine fettle earlier on April 5th 1984 working gypsum tanks towards Dunstable, A photo from the late Tony Ewer
25283, 25285, 25286, 25287, 25288, 25289, 25295, 25299, 25300, 25301, 25303, 25305, 25307, 25308, 25309, 25310, 25311, 25312, 25313, 25314, 25315, 25316
25316 including turns as D7666 is perhaps the most common 25 on the branch having been recorded on at least 15 different dates
25318, 25320, 25321, 25322, 25323, 25324, 25325, 25326, 25327…
25314 at a wintry Dunstable with the cement empties crossing Church Street overbridge on February 9th 1983
a total of at least 151 different “rats” worked the Dunstable branch, almost half the fleet!
Link to our well liked full Dunstable branch feature
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