What traction was used on the WCML just prior to the wires being switched on?

[richieb1971]

The wires were switched on around 1965 in the south section.

I've read a wee bit of info regarding class 40's. Were they the exclusively the main express traction around that time? Its quite hard to find pics of the period and even if you do its a mix of steam in the north and diesel on freight in the south but not much of the express passenger trains.

If you have some pics that would be great too.

Thanks.

 

[Andy R. A.]

You can finds loads on places like Flickr.

EE type 4 D379 with Sulzer type 2 at Euston 1963.

On a dull day - 6/10/63 - EE type 4 D379 at the head of a train with Sulzer type 2 D5074 also in view. Beyond D5074 can be seen the destruction of Euston station going on.

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D344 leads 1S81 13.30 Euston - Perth at Northwick Park

After shooting 40 145 here on Wednesday I thought I would process the scan of this medium format negative in my collection as a comparison. Little did I know it would take three days to do a proper job! The split box example is double heading with a unidentified namer past a coterie of...

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D1 Euston 10 August 1961

D1 'Scafell Pike' at Euston, D255 behind

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Euston Year 1961

A quiet time at Euston Station. (CollectionFB)

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D8010 : BoBo Type 1

London Euston in June 1969

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D5000_WatfordJct

Class 24 D5000 on an outer suburban service for Euston at Watford Junction in the early 1960s.

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D5146 (24146) Roade Junction

2A09 Northampton - Euston ??

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[Taunton]

It was mostly Class 40 by 1965. The electrification by then had reached Nuneaton, and Anglo-Scottish etc services then changed power twice, at Crewe and Nuneaton, although diesels still did what services were still running from Rugby towards Birmingham.

Local services, such that there were (often less than hourly) were in the hands of Class 24. The twice-hourly service on electrification, with peak extras, was something of a revelation. DMUs were not employed on main line local services, although they were on the various branches.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Pretty much entirely EE Type 4s until replaced by electrics.
Steam was still around in 1963 (and was used during the severe winter 1962/63), and was common on freight.
Type 2s (class 24 etc) were used on local trains around London, occasionally double-headed.
Type 1s (class 20) were also common on freight around London and on the NLL routes.
There were many diversions to St Pancras/Marylebone/Olympia before the wires went live, and Manchester/Birmingham services were run on Midland/GW routes.
The Manchester-London sleeper ran the whole length of the GC route via Woodhead to Marylebone.
Northwards from Crewe, EE Type 4s predominated as well until the 50s turned up.

 

[RT4038]

It was mostly Class 40 by 1965. The electrification by then had reached Nuneaton, and Anglo-Scottish etc services then changed power twice, at Crewe and Nuneaton, although diesels still did what services were still running from Rugby towards Birmingham.

Local services, such that there were (often less than hourly) were in the hands of Class 24. The twice-hourly service on electrification, with peak extras, was something of a revelation. DMUs were not employed on main line local services, although they were on the various branches.

DMUs did work Birmingham-Rugby-Northampton (if that counts as WCML?) although not on a headway frequency.

 

[L+Y]

Was there no penetration by what became class 47 in this period? From what I can tell they were very common in the NW after the wires were switched on South of Crewe, but now I come to think of it I've never seen a 47 on the pre-electrification southern WCML.

 

[Beebman]

Ex-LMS diesel 10001 was used on local trains at the southern end as shown in the linked photo:

https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trai...les/Miscellaneous/Diesel-traction/i-gZGgQZr/A

 

[70014IronDuke]

You can finds loads on places like Flickr.
....

D344 leads 1S81 13.30 Euston - Perth at Northwick Park

After shooting 40 145 here on Wednesday I thought I would process the scan of this medium format negative in my collection as a comparison. Little did I know it would take three days to do a proper job! The split box example is double heading with a unidentified namer past a coterie of...

www.flickr.com

The Class 44s were only used until about 1963 to help out for the shortage of 40s on Class 1 trains. Once enouogh 40s were available, they were shipped off to Toton. I'd love to see a performance comparison between the 40s and 44s at the time on the heavy loads that were common on the route - 14 and 15 coaches was quite normal.

 

[Snow1964]

Was there no penetration by what became class 47 in this period? From what I can tell they were very common in the NW after the wires were switched on South of Crewe, but now I come to think of it I've never seen a 47 on the pre-electrification southern WCML.

The big build years to class 47s were 1963-66.

I am guessing they were needed to replace steam locomotive at the time, and not seen as a temporary fleet to replace other diesels until the AM6 (class 86) electric locos could be used.

Some electric workings started late 1965 to Euston (although full timetable wasn’t until 1966), so would have been rather pointless bringing in a new type for just couple of years.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Ex-LMS diesel 10001 was used on local trains at the southern end as shown in the linked photo:

https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trai...les/Miscellaneous/Diesel-traction/i-gZGgQZr/A

But, like the Cl 44s, they had gone long before the wires reached Euston, or even Nuneaton. I think they went into store at Derby in 63. ISTR they were usually used on parcels trains near the end of their working lives.

 

[D6130]

My first throughout WCML jouney - at the age of nearly nine - was with my mother on the Up Royal Scot (1M20, 10 10 Glasgow Central-Euston) in September 1966. The wires into Euston had already been energised by then and we were hauled from Glasgow to Crewe by class 47 no. D1853 and from Crewe to Euston by E3117. In those days, the Royal Scot only stopped at Carlisle and Crewe and I was fascinated by all the locos, units and activity at Preston as we trundled through at 20 mph.

 

[Gloster]

With electrification expected in the next few years, I expect that there was a reluctance to waste time and money on training traincrew and fitters on more types if it could be avoided; they were probably fully occupied being trained on the ACs. Other types might have appeared on the WCML if they were working out and back from other depots.

 

[Beebman]

But, like the Cl 44s, they had gone long before the wires reached Euston, or even Nuneaton. I think they went into store at Derby in 63. ISTR they were usually used on parcels trains near the end of their working lives.

According to the caption, the photo of 10001 was taken in May 64 and the loco was withdrawn in March 66.

 

[Harvester]

According to the caption, the photo of 10001 was taken in May 64 and the loco was withdrawn in March 66.

Both went into store at Derby in 1963, but 10001 was put back in service with parts cannibilised from 10000. It was finally withdrawn in 1966.

 

[Clarence Yard]

But, like the Cl 44s, they had gone long before the wires reached Euston, or even Nuneaton. I think they went into store at Derby in 63. ISTR they were usually used on parcels trains near the end of their working lives.

10001 was a regular on southern WCML duties until mid 1965 and it was withdrawn at 1A in March 1966.

Cl.47 deliveries on LMR were focussed on the Midland at this time, with any deliveries to the WCML being for workings north of Crewe and Birmingham. By that time (mid 1965) the numbers of diesels employed on southern WCML duties were starting to drop as the operational wires were getting close to Euston.

Cl.47 were not at all common working on the London end of the WCML until about 1971 when D01 acquired some and for a brief period they appeared on local freight work on the WCML and then we south end WCML spotters went crazy. It certainly made a change from our usual diet of cl.25!

 

[Western Sunset]

The 44s had all left the WCML in March '62, except for D2 which was used for various high-speed trials in summer/autumn of '62 and again briefly in June '64. As others have mentioned above, 40s worked the brunt of WCML expresses prior to electrification.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Both went into store at Derby in 1963, but 10001 was put back in service with parts cannibilised from 10000. It was finally withdrawn in 1966.

I'd missed, or forgotten that.