45014 The Cheshire Regiment.
Thanks to Dave Spencer for this detailed article on the “cat”
Originally numbered D137, numerically it was the last one of class 45 emerging from Crewe works in December 1961 and allocated to 17A Derby on the 30th December.Earlier numbered 45’s were erected at Crewe (Derby started constructing 46s so Crewe took on its 45s)
It stayed at Derby when the depot was re-coded 16C in September 1963. It then moved to Toton 16A May 1964 and fluctuated between Toton and Midland Lines allocation until the great day in September 1972 when it became elevated to status of “Holbeck Miracle Machine” on allocation to Leeds Holbeck 55A.
Sample workings prior to allocation to Holbeck were
6th August 1962 14:46 Morecambe-Leeds
15th February 1963 18:30 St Pancras-Derby
The locomotive was renumbered 45014 in March 1973 at Derby Works. They were renumbering locos as they passed through overhaul. A good repaint saw all evidence of the old number obliterated. This meant that the “tippex artists” could not get at it unlike the later renumberings that only had a cursory paint job,
After allocation to Holbeck it soon settled into North East-South West workings along with Settle and Carlilsle and Glasgow & South Western turns
24th July 1976 09:35 Leeds-Glasgow Central throughout.
It even had a spin on the Pennine route nominally the preserve of Gateshead 46’s and sundry class 40’s in 1975.
20th March 1975 10:02 Newcastle- Liverpool
The loco was named at Chester on 12th June 1966.
A short move to Toton September 1973 to March 1974 when it returned to Holbeck.
The entire Holbeck allocation moved to York May-1978 It then moved to Tinsley May-1979 where it stayed till January 1985 moving to Toton .
45014 was very reliable and had a decent steam generator. It was “hit listed” but survived unlike some of the other 45/0’s worked to death.
It was a kamikaze attack by 31436 (head on collision at Chinley..Signaller error) on 9th March 1986 that effectively wrote it off.
45014 is caught out West with an up vans on September 9th 1976
DAS 45014 Trips
| 05-Jul-77 | Burton | BNS | 1V88 | ||
| 26-Sep-77 | BNS | Derby | 1E28 | Fr BNS | |
| 25-Feb-78 | Sheffield | BNS | 1V98 | ||
| 29-Jul-78 | BNS | Derby | 1E18 | ||
| 04-May-79 | BNS | Derby | 1E38 | ||
| 05-May-79 | Derby | BNS | 1V88 | ||
| 07-May-79 | BNS | Tamworth | 1E10 | ||
| 07-May-79 | Cheltenham | Gloucester | 1V94 | To Gloucester | |
| 07-May-79 | Gloucester | BNS | 1M74 | Fr Gloucester | |
| 12-May-79 | Derby | Gloucester | 1V94 | Via Worcester | To Gloucester |
| 16-May-79 | Gloucester | BNS | 1E70 | Fr Gloucester | |
| 19-May-79 | BNS | Derby | 1E04 | ||
| 19-May-79 | Derby | Gloucester | 1V96 | ||
| 20-May-79 | Cheltenham | Derby | Sun Ply-York | ||
| 25-Oct-80 | BNS | Derby | 1E04 | ||
| 25-Oct-80 | Sheffield | BNS | 1V96 | ||
| 26-Aug-81 | York | Derby | 1V96 | ||
| 14-Sep-81 | Cheltenham | Gloucester | 1V94 | To Gloucester | |
| 14-Sep-81 | Gloucester | BNS | 1M74 | Fr Gloucester | |
| 20-Sep-81 | Gloucester | Derby | 1550 Sun CF-New | ||
| 07-May-82 | Gloucester | BNS | 1M74 | Fr Gloucester | |
| 23-Jun-82 | Leicester | Nottingham | 1757 StPan-Notts |
| BIRMINGHAM NS | 00:00 | |
| Proof House Jn | 02:07 | |
| Landor Street Jn | 03:35 | |
| Saltley Station | 04:20 | |
| Bromford Bridge | 05:58 | |
| Castle Bromwich | 07:08 | |
| Water Orton | 08:50 | |
| Kingsbury Jn | 11:55 | |
| MP 29 | 12:16 | |
| Kingsbury Shunt Frame | 12:44 | |
| MP 28 | 12:58 | 85.7 mph |
| MP 27 | 13:39 | 87.8 mph |
| MP 26 | 14:17 | 94.7 mph |
| Wilnecote | 14:34 | |
| MP 25 | 14:56 | 92.3 mph |
| MP 24 | 15:35 | 92.3 mph |
| Tamworth | 15:45 | |
| MP 23 | 16:15 | 90 mph |
| MP 22 | 16:55 | 90 mph |
| MP 21 | 17:35 | 90 mph |
| MP 20 | 18:13 | 94.7 mph |
| MP 19 | 18:51 | 94.7 mph |
| MP 18 | 19:30 | 92.3 mph |
| MP 17 | 20:09 | 92.3 mph |
| Wichnor Jn | 20:32 | |
| MP 16 | 20:48 | 92.3 mph |
| MP 15 | 21:28 | 90 mph |
| MP 14 | 22:08 | 90 mph |
| MP 13 | 22:48 | 90 mph |
| MP 12 | 23:28 | 90 mph |
| MP 11 | 24m 16s | 75 mph |
| Burton On Trent | 24m 30s | (Pass) |
| 45014 26-Sep-77 | ||
| Weymouth-Leeds | ||
| 8 for 290 tons | ||
| MP29 to MP 11 12 mins | ||
| 18 miles 90 mph ave |
This was mega run and in golfing terms returned a round well under the par score
| Section | PAR | ROUND | CUMULATIVE PAR | CUMULATIVE ROUND |
| BNS-Water Orton | 9 mins | 8m 50s | 9 mins | 8m 50s |
| Water Orton-Kingsbury Jn | 3 mins | 3m 05s | 12 mins | 11m 55s |
| Kingsbury Jn-Tamworth | 4 mins | 3m 50s | 16 mins | 15m 45s |
| Tamworth-Wichnor Jn | 5 mins | 4m 47s | 21 mins | 20m 32s |
| Wichnor Jn-Burton | 4 min 30s | 3m 58s | 25 mins 30 sec | 24 m 30s |
This shows a typical run for 1977 when Holbeck still had 45s allocated and shows a typical Holbeck Miracle Machine at its best.
The runs appear to be flat out and shows what a typical Fuhrer could do with the tools available
It was worked in typical “Chuck Berry” style with reeling and rocking around Wilnecote. This was well over the 90 limit with a maxima of 94.7 mph and faster than the normal speed.
I allowed an extra 30 seconds par for Wichnor-Burton. MP11 was a quarter of a mile away from the Island platform at Burton and this necessitated a speed limit. Braking does not seem to be excessive and would reflect a passing speed of 65mph to 70 mph.
Thans again to Dave Spencer for this article
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