Class 25 – the Marches
Early Marches class 25 gen
My first viewings of class 25’s on the Marches was as a Swansea student
spending a memorable day spotting at Newport on January 20th 1977.
Old Former Midland regulars 25063 and 25073 were both out on Cardiff – Crewe
“Marches” services that day. Hoping for another Marches “rat” i returned to Cardiff on the
1222 ex Crewe. Unfortunately this got 47123, motive power on the Marches varied
back then with class 46 and 47 perhaps the dominant power.
25063 leaves Newport with the 1000 Crewe – Cardiff, 200177
A month later i sampled 25063 on the Sun 1845 Cardiff – Crewe but only as far as Newport. Over the next 2 years (not the Summers though) 13 different class 25’s were sampled with a few Cardiff – Hereford/Shrewsbury mileage moves too.
These were 25038, 25042, 25043, 25055, 25061, 25063, 25073, 25216, 25218, 25219, 25220, 25221, 25222,….. With the exception of 25216 the remainder were common boilered “Marches rats” that worked the line day in, day out.
Class 33’s replaced the “rats” and steam heat type 4 power from 1981 although they stillregularly performed on the Marches passenger turns until Dec 86 as listed below. I was lucky to fall on 25034 on Sunday 24th June 1984 when 25034 was kicked out for the 1335 Crewe – Cardiff.
25034 at Shrewsbury with the 1335 Crewe – Cardiff 240684
Sample “Marches” loco failures
Class 25’s featured both as failures themselves and as rescue power in later years. A few listed here with
thanks to the superb Class 25 Website for some of the gen.
25220 0604 Crewe – Cardiff 250978,
25220 fail Abergavenny, 37162 fwd
25058 1600 Crewe – Cardiff 290478
25058 fail Donington, 24047 assist to Hereford, 47358 forward
25055 0535 Cardiff – Crewe 200778
25055 fail Hereford, replaced by 46030 75L
25291 1415 Cardiff – Crewe 270579
25291 fail Hereford, 40139 forward
25027 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 260880
25027 fail Hereford, 47484 forward
25219 1602 Crewe – Cardiff 250481
25219 fail Pontypool, 37218 assist forward
33008 1145 Cardiff-Crewe 230884
33008 fail Abergavenny, 25211 forward
33050 0533 Cardiff – Crewe 240885
33050 fail Shrewsbury, 25201 forward
25259 1417 Bangor – Cardiff 280486
33051 fail Crewe, 25259 forward
33016 0710 Manchester – Cardiff 250786
33016 fail Prees, 25034 forward
25201} 1M70 0750 Swansea – Manchester (Cardiff – Crewe) 301286
47564}(idling)
probably the last 25 hauled passenger train on the Marches
Class 25 “Marches” variety
Until researching this article i reckoned that the 13 boilered common “rats” worked the vast majority of “Marches rat turns” with perhaps 20 or so “nb” rats bringing a total of around 35 different rats on Marches passenger turns 1977-1986..
Well after researching various sources including the superb Class 25 website
plus help from Dave Spencer, my claim of 35 rats was rubbish!. At least 168, yes 168 different “rats” have featured on “Marches” turns.
A sample turn by each individual loco is listed below….Thanks to Dave Spencer for the phots and Christian Phillips for much of the gen
25027 0801 Crewe – Cardiff 100183
25032 0805 Crewe – Cardiff 030984
25033 1V05 1225 Crewe – Cardiff 270879
25034 1335 Crewe – Cardiff 240684
25035 1930 Crewe – Cardiff 190281
25038 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 140178
25039 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 170479
25040 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 221079
25041 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 241079
25042 0750 Cardiff-Crewe 151077
25043 1000 Crewe-Cardiff 180880
25044 0801 Crewe – Cardiff 310183
25047 1600 Crewe – Cardiff 020378
25054 1510 Cardiff – Crewe 170879
25055 1600 Crewe-Cardiff 110677
25056 1225 Crewe – Cardiff 020381
25057 1600 Crewe – Cardiff 130378
25058 1939 Crewe – Cardiff 010585
25060 0750 Cardiff – Crewe 250481
25060 passes Leebotwood with the 0750 Cardiff – Crewe on April 25th 1981
25061 0147 Crewe-Cardiff 100379
25062 0535 Cardiff – Crewe 090581
25063 1845 Cardiff-Crewe 200277
25066 1M84 1150 Cardiff – Crewe 040681
25067 1V05 1345 Crewe – Cardiff 040678
25069 0535 Cardiff – Crewe 020683
25073 0600 Crewe-Cardiff 140577
25074 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 071279
25075 1135 Cardiff – Crewe 060177
25076 1V01 0801 Crewe – Cardiff 071183
25080 1510 Cardiff – Crewe 010481
25083 0535 Cardiff – Crewe 170383
25085 1602 Crewe – Cardiff 260681
25086 1000 Crewe – Cardiff 170281
25089 1M70 0800 Cardiff – Crewe , (fail Hereford, 47151 to Shrewsbury -cape) 050183
25092 1817 Crewe – Cardiff 010779
25094 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 090879
25095 2054 Nantwich – Cardiff (Crewe remodelling) 030785
25097 1M70 0750 Cardiff – Crewe 130679
25099 1602 Crewe – Cardiff 180677
25100} 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 060879
25055}
25101 1V05 1222 Crewe – Cardiff 260878
25106 1M70 0750 Cardiff – Crewe 070779
25107 1225 Crewe – Cardiff 150679
25109 1M70 0750 Cardiff – Crewe 011077
25112 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 180680
25113 1225 Crewe – Cardiff 290979
25114 1225 Crewe – Cardiff 260679
25118 1130 Crewe – Cardiff 260679
25119 passes Church Streeton with the Manchester – Bristol Parcels on August 19th 1983. Several Marches Parcels ran daily and these were a key factor in bringing class 25s onto Marches passenger services.
25120 1135 Cardiff – Crewe 110976
25121 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 250579
25122} 1225 Crewe – Cardiff 150979
25245}
25123 1345 Crewe – Cardiff 031076
25126 0603 Crewe – Cardiff 190579
25127 1000 Crewe – Cardiff 190679
25130 1V09 1600 Crewe – Cardiff (fail en route, assisted by 47103 to Cardiff) 080681
25131 1930 Crewe – Cardiff 280581
25132 1000 Crewe – Cardiff 010778
25133 0800 Crewe – Cardiff 130683
25134 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 010979
25135 1602 Crewe – Cardiff 130779
25136 0535 Cardiff – Crewe 190782
25141 1930 Crewe – Cardiff 190878
25142 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 210979
25145 1M82 2000 Cardiff – Crewe (ex Craven Arms, 47 fail) 211284
25146 1M94 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 270578
25147 1600 Crewe -Cardiff 180877
25148 1M94 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 010678
25150 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 030681
25154 1335 Crewe – Cardiff 270584
25155 0630 Crewe – Cardiff (DMU-Fail) 021076
25157 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 050779
25159 1510 Cardiff – Crewe 240879
25160 2V67 1345 Crewe – Cardiff 181277
25161 0800 Crewe – Cardiff 150883
25162 1135 Cardiff – Crewe 150976
25163 1600 Crewe – Cardiff 180978
25166 1510 Crewe – Cardiff 290679
25167} 1000 Crewe – Cardiff (25042 fail Salop) 310181
25042(steaming)}
25168 1000 Crewe – Cardiff 070682
25173 1602 Crewe – Cardiff 270884
Thanks to Dave Spencer for this fine view of 25173 arriving at Pontypool road with the 1539 Cardiff – Crewe on August 29th 1984
25184 1000 Crewe – Cardiff 180677
25186 0603 Crewe – Cardiff 140779
25188 1600 Crewe – Cardiff 090678
25190 1200 Cardiff – Crewe 170885
25191 1130 Cardiff – Crewe 100778
25192 0801 Crewe – Cardiff 190283
25194 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 210878
25195 1710 Crewe – Cardiff 060678
25196 0800 Crewe – Cardiff 010883
25198 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 100583
25199 1225 Crewe – Cardiff 310579
25200 1600 Crewe – Cardiff 150879
25201 1602 Crewe – Cardiff 290579
25202 1510 Cardiff – Crewe 070976
25205 and 25207 2V09 1900 Manchester – Cardoff Relief (ex Crewe) 241084
25207 1222 Crewe – Cardiff 170877
25208 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 140978
25209 1345 Crewe – Cardiff 080577
25210 1222 Crewe – Cardiff 150877
25211 1602 Crewe – Cardiff 230884
25213 2048 Crewe – Cardiff 270885
25216 1710 Cardiff-Crewe 030879
25217 1602 Crewe – Cardiff 120779
25218 1415 Cardiff-Crewe 161077
25219 0750 Cardiff-Crewe 080677
25220 0750 Cardiff-Crewe 300477
25221 0532 Cardiff-Crewe 121177
25222 0750 Cardiff-Crewe 121177
25223 1M73 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 200379
25224 1130 Cardiff – Crewe 081279
25229 1335 Cardiff – Crewe 010784
25235 0535 Cardiff – Crewe 130482
25237 2M67 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 110478
25242 0800 Crewe – Cardiff 040783
25243 1M82 2000 Cardiff – Crewe 291081
25244 1V03 1000 Crewe – Cardiff 200980
25245 1602 Cardiff – Crewe 250481
25245 arrives at Ludlow with the 1602 Crewe – Cardiff on May 4th 1981
25246 1M68 0535 Cardiff – Crewe 240579
25248 2M67 1850 Cardiff – Crewe 260677
25253 1715 Cardiff – Crewe 160883
25253 at Ludlow with the 1715 Cardiff – Crewe on August 16th 1983
25254 0535 Cardiff – Crewe 180581
25256 1V06 1602 Crewe – Cardiff 030984
25258 1M94 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 270778
25259 1939 Crewe – Cardiff 080485
25260 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 230878
25261 1V05 1222 Crewe – Cardiff 150977
25263 2V67 1600 Crewe – Cardiff 020677
25265 0801 Crewe – Cardiff 190983
25267 1928 Crewe – Cardiff 280779
25269 0603 Crewe – Cardiff 220979
25270 1508 Cardiff – Crewe 080679
25271 1M84 1415 Cardiff – Crewe 270579
25272} 0535 Cardiff – Crewe 190878
25299}
25276 1222 Crewe – Cardiff 180578
25278 1510 Cardiff – Crewe 060776
25279 1V03 0712 Manchester Picc – Cardiff (ex Crewe) 040685
25281 0750 Cardiff – Crewe 280879
25282 0600 Crewe – Cardiff 040777
25283 0628 Crewe – Cardiff 070985
25284 1600 Crewe – Cardiff (ex Salop, 33014 fail) 210983
25285 1340 Crewe – Cardiff 020386
25286 1815 Cardiff – Manchester (ex Hereford – Gresty Lane) 280685
25287 1415 Cardiff – Crewe 110678
25288 1417 Bangor – Cardiff (ex Salop, 47547 fail) 101285
25289 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 240579
25291 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 060779
25292 1710 Cardiff – Crewe 070879
25293 1V13 1930 Crewe – Cardiff 201278
25294 1225 Crewe – Cardiff 250679
25296 1335 Crewe – Cardiff (fail Hereford, 47150 forward) 150784
25297} 1930 Crewe – Cardiff (from nr Salop,25218 fail) 200782
25218(f)}
25299 1600 Crewe – Cardiff 180777
25300 1602 Cardiff – Crewe (ex Salop, 33034 fail) 020585
25301 1M84 1150 Cardiff – Crewe 260681
25302 1140 Cardiff – Crewe 060683
25306 1715 Cardiff – Crewe 010683
25306 arrives at Church Stretton with the 1715 Cardiff – Crewe on June 1st 1983
25309 1M70 0745 Cardiff – Manchester Picc (ex Church Stretton, 33 fail to Crewe) 200385
25313 1508 Cardiff – Crewe 140678
25315 0745 Cardiff – Manchester (to Crewe) 020285
25317 1930 Crewe – Cardiff 120978
25318 1222 Crewe – Cardiff 130879
25319 1222 Crewe – Cardiff 080678
25320 2V67 1222 Crewe – Cardiff 041077
25322 1600 Crewe – Cardiff 010777
25323 1222 Crewe – Cardiff 240878
25325 1600 Crewe – Cardiff 220783
25326 1V02 0600 – Cardiff (ex Shrewsbury, DMU – Fail) 220683
25327 1000 Crewe – Cardiff 020278
total now 166 due top gen from Christian Phillips!!
Class 46s on the Marches gen here
Class 40’s on the Marches, gen and phots here
Class 33s on the Marches, gen and phots here
end
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