British Electric Freight in the 1970s
Sometime in the summer of 1976, an unidentified class 82 passes Rugby in Warwickshire with 6F38, the 1358 North Wembley to Widnes British Oxygen Company train.
The class 82 consisted of 10 locomotives, built by the Beyer Peacock Company in Manchester between 1960 and 1962. Aside from 2 locomotives destroyed by fire in 1966 and 1971, the remaining 8 locomotives survived just over 20 years before being withdrawn from service in 1982 and 1983. 2 of these locomotives were reinstated for empty stock duties until 1987. One locomotive survived into preservation.
Just beyond the end of the train is the characteristic roof line of Rugby station, built by the London & North Western Railway in 1885. The curved line to the right of the station building is part of the surviving viaduct used to carry the former Great Central railway over the West Coast Mainline. In the distance on the right are the masts of the Rugby Radio Station, once the largest radio transmitting station in the world.
The green car in the foreground is a then relatively new Ford Granada, the registration plate confirming the car was registered between 1972 and 1973. This model was infamous in the 1970s as it was driven by a young John Thaw in the classic British police series, 'The Sweeney'.
Rather older vehicles are also visible: next to the rake of loaded coal wagons are a Ford Anglia, as well as a Mark 1 Reliant Robin, built 25 miles away in Tamworth in Staffordshire.
Photograph by an unknown photographer, courtesy of Don Taggart, now part of my collection.
British Electric Freight in the 1970s
Sometime in the summer of 1976, an unidentified class 82 passes Rugby in Warwickshire with 6F38, the 1358 North Wembley to Widnes British Oxygen Company train.
The class 82 consisted of 10 locomotives, built by the Beyer Peacock Company in Manchester between 1960 and 1962. Aside from 2 locomotives destroyed by fire in 1966 and 1971, the remaining 8 locomotives survived just over 20 years before being withdrawn from service in 1982 and 1983. 2 of these locomotives were reinstated for empty stock duties until 1987. One locomotive survived into preservation.
Just beyond the end of the train is the characteristic roof line of Rugby station, built by the London & North Western Railway in 1885. The curved line to the right of the station building is part of the surviving viaduct used to carry the former Great Central railway over the West Coast Mainline. In the distance on the right are the masts of the Rugby Radio Station, once the largest radio transmitting station in the world.
The green car in the foreground is a then relatively new Ford Granada, the registration plate confirming the car was registered between 1972 and 1973. This model was infamous in the 1970s as it was driven by a young John Thaw in the classic British police series, 'The Sweeney'.
Rather older vehicles are also visible: next to the rake of loaded coal wagons are a Ford Anglia, as well as a Mark 1 Reliant Robin, built 25 miles away in Tamworth in Staffordshire.
Photograph by an unknown photographer, courtesy of Don Taggart, now part of my collection.