08697_1976_04_Leicester
Standing in what is now part of the expanded station car park at Leicester is local pilot engine 08697, 7th April 1976. In 1976 these sidings formed part of the parcels depot and the grey building in the background was the Royal Mail depot. The vehicle (possibly 87263) next to 08697 although branded Express Parcels started out as an Insulated “Blue Spot” Fish Van. Just over a thousand of these long wheelbase (15 feet) four wheeled vans were built at Faverdale, Darlington between 1954 and 1961 for the then extensive express fish traffic from the fish ports. With the decline in this traffic, bought about by both fish quotas and road haulage around six hundred of these vehicles were from 1968 allocated to parcels traffic. It is also a measure of the decline in parcels traffic that in 1976 there were over five thousand non passenger coaching stock vehicles in service for this traffic, in 2012 there are just a few class 325 EMU’s.
Locomotive History
08697 was built at Horwich works as D3864 and entered traffic in December 1959 allocated as part of a batch of four class 08’s (D3862/63/64/65) to Derby MPD. Interestingly Derby works were also building class 08’s at this time (D3798/99, D3800/01) however instead of allocating these to Derby MPD these were allocated to Stoke MPD. D3864 remained at Derby May 1969 when it transferred to Saltley. Four months later in September 1969 it transferred to Leicester, however in December 1971 it was transferred back to Saltley only to be transferred back to Leicester a month later in January 1972 and I suspect that 3864 never actually left Leicester. At the end of 1984 it entered Swindon works for classified repair and emerged in December 1984 dual train brake fitted and allocated to Toton. It remained a Toton engine through out the rest of the 1980’s until returning to Derby in the early 1990’s. 08697 was stored at Derby Etches Park depot in May 1997 and has remained dumped around its precincts until the 2nd July 2010 when it was towed across to the RTC site for repair (with 08536 providing spares) by RVE. However this did not take place and it was broken up by CF Booth, Rotherham in November 2014.
Praktica LTL, Orwochrome UT18
08697_1976_04_Leicester
Standing in what is now part of the expanded station car park at Leicester is local pilot engine 08697, 7th April 1976. In 1976 these sidings formed part of the parcels depot and the grey building in the background was the Royal Mail depot. The vehicle (possibly 87263) next to 08697 although branded Express Parcels started out as an Insulated “Blue Spot” Fish Van. Just over a thousand of these long wheelbase (15 feet) four wheeled vans were built at Faverdale, Darlington between 1954 and 1961 for the then extensive express fish traffic from the fish ports. With the decline in this traffic, bought about by both fish quotas and road haulage around six hundred of these vehicles were from 1968 allocated to parcels traffic. It is also a measure of the decline in parcels traffic that in 1976 there were over five thousand non passenger coaching stock vehicles in service for this traffic, in 2012 there are just a few class 325 EMU’s.
Locomotive History
08697 was built at Horwich works as D3864 and entered traffic in December 1959 allocated as part of a batch of four class 08’s (D3862/63/64/65) to Derby MPD. Interestingly Derby works were also building class 08’s at this time (D3798/99, D3800/01) however instead of allocating these to Derby MPD these were allocated to Stoke MPD. D3864 remained at Derby May 1969 when it transferred to Saltley. Four months later in September 1969 it transferred to Leicester, however in December 1971 it was transferred back to Saltley only to be transferred back to Leicester a month later in January 1972 and I suspect that 3864 never actually left Leicester. At the end of 1984 it entered Swindon works for classified repair and emerged in December 1984 dual train brake fitted and allocated to Toton. It remained a Toton engine through out the rest of the 1980’s until returning to Derby in the early 1990’s. 08697 was stored at Derby Etches Park depot in May 1997 and has remained dumped around its precincts until the 2nd July 2010 when it was towed across to the RTC site for repair (with 08536 providing spares) by RVE. However this did not take place and it was broken up by CF Booth, Rotherham in November 2014.
Praktica LTL, Orwochrome UT18