40003_1979_04_Crewe
An ex works 40003 drifts through Crewe light engine on the 7th April 1979.
Locomotive History
In 1955 British Railways ordered ten type 4 locomotives from English Electric as part of the prototype diesel locomotive evaluation program. Three years later in March 1958, the first locomotive D200 emerged from the English Electric Vulcan Foundry works at Newton-Le-Willows and by September all ten had been delivered. D200 – D206 were allocated to Stratford MPD and employed on Great Eastern duties between London Liverpool Street to Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich. With the introduction of the class 47’s on Great Eastern duties, the class 40’s soon found themselves delegated to secondary passenger duties and eventually settled down to a mix of secondary passenger trains, summer holiday trains, parcel traffic and heavy freight trains. By the mid 1970’s 40003 had migrated to the London Midland Region allocated to the Longsight. Class 40 withdrawals had commenced in 1976 although as can be seen classified repairs were still being authorized on the more fortunate members of the class as late as 1980. The classified repair just received by 40003 would keep it in traffic until September 1982 when it was withdrawn from Healey Mills MPD. Following withdrawal it would languish at Stratford (its first depot) for a while before finally reaching Doncaster Works were it was broken up in January 1984.
Praktica LTL, Ektachrome 200
40003_1979_04_Crewe
An ex works 40003 drifts through Crewe light engine on the 7th April 1979.
Locomotive History
In 1955 British Railways ordered ten type 4 locomotives from English Electric as part of the prototype diesel locomotive evaluation program. Three years later in March 1958, the first locomotive D200 emerged from the English Electric Vulcan Foundry works at Newton-Le-Willows and by September all ten had been delivered. D200 – D206 were allocated to Stratford MPD and employed on Great Eastern duties between London Liverpool Street to Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich. With the introduction of the class 47’s on Great Eastern duties, the class 40’s soon found themselves delegated to secondary passenger duties and eventually settled down to a mix of secondary passenger trains, summer holiday trains, parcel traffic and heavy freight trains. By the mid 1970’s 40003 had migrated to the London Midland Region allocated to the Longsight. Class 40 withdrawals had commenced in 1976 although as can be seen classified repairs were still being authorized on the more fortunate members of the class as late as 1980. The classified repair just received by 40003 would keep it in traffic until September 1982 when it was withdrawn from Healey Mills MPD. Following withdrawal it would languish at Stratford (its first depot) for a while before finally reaching Doncaster Works were it was broken up in January 1984.
Praktica LTL, Ektachrome 200