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45s on The Midland in the 70s

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Old Timer

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Hi folks,

Some varied quality scans, suggestive of a poor quality scanner, from my travels along the Midland in the 1970s

Photo 1
A Class 45 storms towards Elstree station with a fast service to Sheffield one Saturday afternoon in 1978
1977.jpg

Photo 2
An unidentified 45 climbs Sharnbrook bank with a northbound cement train in early 1978.
2011-11-04_13.jpg

Photo 3
August 1976 finds a Class 45/1 working a northbound Sheffield express between Sandridge Road and Harpenden. Note the new troughing in the process of being installed alongside the Up Slow. Trains were still being signalled via the wires carried on the lineside telegraph posts on the Downside.
Aug 1976_2.jpg

Photo 4
August 1978 finds 45124 working a northbound Sheffield service through Silkstream Jct. In the foreground can be seen the walls for the replacement Goods lines flyover which crossed to the Downside, thus allowing access to Brent Yard and the Acton Wells branch.
Aug 1978_6.jpg

Photo 5
An unidentified 45/0 approaches Leagrave on the Up Slow with a southbound coal from one of the East Midlands coal fields to Northfleet power station. These jobs were shared between Wellingborough and Cricklewood men, the latter whom took the train forward to Northfleet and back empty. The northwards flow of loaded cement from Northfleet to Dunstable and return empties was worked by Hither Green men with a class 33.
Leagrave Oct 1977.jpg

Photo 6
A much brighter day in October 1977 finds one of the Regiment 45/1s working an Up Sheffield express to St Pancras at Sharnbrook Jct. The Sheffield services ran non-stop between Leicester and London St Pancras, with one named train, The Master Cutler which used to convey the that nameplate on the front of the locomotive until the middle 70s.
Oct 1977_2.jpg

Photo 7
A pilgrimage to the spiritual home of all Midland men in September 1978, finds a named 45/0 departing Derby on a SW/NE working late one Saturday morning.
Sep 1978_1.jpg

Photo 8
In August 1979, an almost ex-works 45146 stands in the holding sidings at Bedford in readiness to work a weekend ballast train. The working would see the ballast train running to Brent from where the 45 would be released to either Cricklewood or Cambridge Street for Fuel and thence into revenue earning service.
Aug 1979_2.jpg
 
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Hydro

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There's a shiny, un-numbered 45 that's been an RTC resident for quite some time now. Obviously has work done to it from time to time, but I've no idea whose it is, nor what number it carries.
 

curly42

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Great memories Old Timer - I loved the class 45s,great locos to work on,and I can't remember ever failing with one.
 

simon7929

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Great engines. 45118 was one of last ones to get an overhaul in the mid 80's. It had an Orange cant rail stripe under the front windows along with 107/110. I have fond memories of watching these beasts around Leeds on pennine services.
 

4SRKT

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More lovely shots and great memories. There's a piece of graffitti on a bridge over a road at Trent South Junction that reads 'Peak Power' still. This is an amazing archeological survival from the lost era evoked by these photos.
 

Rugd1022

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More lovely shots and great memories. There's a piece of graffitti on a bridge over a road at Trent South Junction that reads 'Peak Power' still. This is an amazing archeological survival from the lost era evoked by these photos.

There's also some on the overbridge at Harrowden Junction just north of Wellingborough, someone has daubed on 45 107 and (I think) 45 111.

OT - great photos, thanks for sharing them here... the one at Silkstream is interesting, I often work trains over the goods lines down towards Dudding Hill Jcn and beyond. The max speed over the bridge is still only 10mph!
 

4SRKT

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There's also some on the overbridge at Harrowden Junction just north of Wellingborough, someone has daubed on 45 107 and (I think) 45 111.

I think I've seen that as well. Will certainly look out next time I'm on the MML.
 

Kneedown

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Cracking pic's again OT, thanks for sharing them.
My favorite diesels of all time. Had my first ever cab ride on one when i was a YTS trainee back in 1985 (45058, 3C01 Leicester - St Pancras BRUTE train) we failed just north of Bedford, the first and last time i ever failed with one!
Co-incidently, the first time i ever took the controls under the watchful eye of the Driver was the same loco!
Been on plenty since until my last ever duty as a Secondman in 1989, before i started MP12 at Toton, when, one sunny Sunday afternoon i drove 45106, resplendent in green livery, on a relief from St Pancras back to Derby. My Driver obviously had confidence in me as he fell asleep soon after we set off, despite my not having a clue about the route until we reached Wigston. All i knew for sure until then was that we had to turn right from the down fast to get into the platforms at Bedford, so was feeling my way from Flitwick. As it happened it all went swimmingly!

Ahh, the good old days, and the things that used to be accepted as the norm would get you sacked today!
 
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