Following the Penmanshiel Tunnel collapse of 17th March 1979, service to Dunbar was provided by a loco-hauled shuttle service from Edinburgh. I rode this on Wednesday 20th June 1979, where I had completed a first year exam about a week previously, and would be just about to start a summer job. I was hoping for a Deltic, but had to be satisfied with 27204.
27204 runs around at Dunbar. The ECML was on the two lines at left. The layout at Dunbar has recently been improved to re-introduce a second platform.
27204 was built as D5403 and entered traffic on 17th July 1962 from 14A Cricklewood East. After service mainly on the LMR, it moved to Scotland in March 1969, at Eastfield, moving on to Haymarket in 1970, when it was assigned to push-pull from 1971, numbered 27122 in early 1973, then 27204 in April 1975 when ETH fitted via a Deutz diesel generator. The ETH was disabled in March 1980, soon after it returned to Eastfield in January that year, and the locomotive was again renumbered to 27058 in March 1986. Withdrawn in May 1986, after less than 24 years of service, stored at Grangemouth, and cut up at Vic Berry, Leicester in August 1987.
47517 was the next to arrive and perform the run-round. On the left are PCV Cemflo wagons, built 1963-65, which would appear to be operating outward from the Oxwellmains cement facility, then part of APCM with the 'Blue Circle' brand. Some modelling notes.
47517 was completed as D1975 at BR Crewe, entering traffic on 20th November 1965. Allocated new to 64B Haymarket where it still was at the time of the picture, apart from two months in 1967 spent working from Polmadie. Renumbered 47517 in April 1974. Again renumbered to 47758 in March 1994. Stored in October 2003, and cut-up at Booth's Rotherham in April 2008.
47517 was completed as D1975 at BR Crewe, entering traffic on 20th November 1965. Allocated new to 64B Haymarket where it still was at the time of the picture, apart from two months in 1967 spent working from Polmadie. Renumbered 47517 in April 1974. Again renumbered to 47758 in March 1994. Stored in October 2003, and cut-up at Booth's Rotherham in April 2008.
Another view of 27204, noting the venting arrangements for the Deutz generator. My notes show that Traction Motor No. 1 was isolated, so the locomotive would not be ready for any push-pull activity.
Looking at my notes from the day, I saw a lot of what was typical around Edinburgh. Plenty of 40s, 25s, 27s but a typical lack of 37s, which had yet to conquer, apart from some working from Motherwell. There was one unexpected interloper, a Class 45, cannot be sure how that arrived, but it must have been via Carlisle one way or another. The majority of the locomotives were gone within a decade.
