Class 50s on the Western Region by TransportTreasuryPublishing

Class 50s on the Western Region

Drawing on the Arthur Turner collection, this album takes readers on an imaginary tour of the region, featuring the entire class of fifty machines at various times (between 1974 and 1992) and in a wide spread of locations.

Totem Class 50 Cover.indd 1

ISBN 978-1-913893-30-9

£17.50

Compiled by Andrew Royle

Although firstly introduced to BR’s London Midland Region in the late 1960s, the Class 50 diesel-electrics are strongly associated with the Western Region, where they gave more than twenty years of service. Reliability was perhaps not their strongest point but being a 100mph machine and sounding more impressive at full power than other type 4 locomotives, they commanded a strong following. This was particularly true after the demise of the type 5 ‘Deltics’ in early 1982. Being given a set of evocative ‘Warship’ names from 1978 and later a striking new livery did their appeal no harm at all.

Class 50s on the western region

Images from The Transport Treasury Compiled by Andrew Royle

09/01/2023 13:29

Class 50 s on the western region Class 50s on the western region

Images from from The The Transport Images Transport Treasury Treasury Compiledby by Andrew Andrew Royle Compiled Royle

© Images and design Transport Treasury 2023 Text Andrew Royle ISBN 978-1-913893-30-9 First published in 2023 by Transport Treasury Publishing Limited. 16 Highworth Close, High Wycombe, HP13 7PJ Totem Publishing an imprint of Transport Treasury Publishing. The copyright holders hereby give notice that all rights to this work are reserved. Aside from brief passages for the purpose of review, no part of this work may be reproduced, copied by electronic or other means, or otherwise stored in any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the Publisher. This includes the illustrations herein which shall remain the copyright of the copyright holder. www.ttpublishing.co.uk Printed in Tarxien, Malta By Gutenberg Press Ltd. ‘Class 50s on the Western Region’ is one of the books on specialist transport subjects published in strictly limited numbers and produced under the Totem Publishing imprint using material only available at The Transport Treasury. Front Cover: 50048 Dauntless was the second class 50 to be ceremonially named; this took place at Reading station on 16 March 1978 with Chief Officer Hilary Jeaves OBE, commanding officer at the Royal Navy’s new entry training establishment at Burghfield, officiating. Eighty Wrens and a band from the Royal Marines also attended – quite a turnout. The locomotive is seen with a Plymouth to Manchester service entering Newton Abbot on 27 July 1979. AT1669 Frontispiece: 50025 Invincible rests in the sunshine on Old Oak Common depot on 25 September 1982. It must rate as the unluckiest member of the class for the manner of its departure from service (on 6 August 1989), when it collided with a concrete block that had been deliberately placed on the track at West Ealing, whilst working the 21.15 from Oxford to Paddington. AT5683 Rear Cover: 50023 Howe looks spick and span at Hereford on 7 June 1987 in its recently-applied Network South East livery. It had been one of the two 50s to receive the new livery for the launch of NSE in June the previous year (50017 being the other), so perhaps it had been spruced up again for another event one year on. Nick Nicolson

Introduction After years of relative indifference, British Rail suddenly realised that there might be money to be made from railway enthusiasts. Perhaps the heightened interest created by the passing of the ‘Western’ diesel-hydraulics encouraged a change of heart on their policy regarding locomotive naming, after a gap of more than a decade. All class 50s except one received their allocated names during 1978 and a fleet name of ‘Warship’ class was suggested by BR. However, coming so soon after the loss of the dieselhydraulic class which had already borne that name, the idea was given short shrift by enthusiasts and not least by those in the West Country for whom the recent interlopers were still undergoing a process of acceptance. The proposal to label the class 87 electrics (the other principal fleet of locos to receive names) as the ‘Royal Scot’ class similarly failed to take hold.

One issue that could not be avoided was the fact that the class 50s were not achieving their desired availability figures, for a type 4 locomotive at least. They weren’t comparing well with the ubiquitous class 47s; even the BR chairman had been inconvenienced by them on his journey home to the Cotswolds one evening, when two 50s failed in succession on a Paddington to Hereford train. A programme of refurbishment was thus set in motion from 1979-83: A full rewire and removal of certain equipment deemed unnecessary plus a reconfiguration of the engine room to make it cleaner, were amongst the actions carried out. The first six units so treated re-appeared in traditional BR blue but after 50023 Howe emerged from the Works at Doncaster in 1980, all refurbished locos became easily identifiable through carrying the new large logo livery, not to mention a blazing central headlight.

Nevertheless, BR’s Director of Public Affairs Henry Sanderson stated that a revived naming policy should be seen as ‘part of a brighter image’ and ‘to encourage the enthusiast market’. A pair of nameplates were costed at £360 to fabricate. But who knew what they would recoup in the future, upon withdrawal?

It was stated that the refurbishment would make the class good for another twenty years’ service. But sadly this was not to be and 50011 Centurion became the first casualty in February 1987, when it was withdrawn.

50035 was the first to receive a name - Ark Royal at Plymouth on 17 January 1978 - when Captain E.R. Anson (from the aircraft carrier) performed the unveiling. Did anyone mention to him that another loco would be bearing his name before long? A nameplate from D601 Ark Royal had previously been presented to the ship’s company - that loco of course was still extant in Barry scrapyard at the time!

Please enjoy this selection of colour images of Class 50s on the Western Region; readers are taken on an imaginary tour, starting and ending in Bristol. The majority of views were taken by Arthur Turner, whose collection is held by the Transport Treasury and I am grateful to Roger Geach and Bernard Mills for their kind help with other views and supporting information. Andrew Royle, High Wycombe, 2023

50047 Swiftsure ticks over at Bristol Temple Meads on 17 April 1983 on a duty that was a regular turn for class 50s, the 09.20 Liverpool-Penzance which it would have worked from Birmingham New Street. The central headlight betrays the fact that this loco has undergone the much-discussed refurbishment treatment at Doncaster Works, though still bearing the traditional BR blue livery. Although this example did not make it into preservation, it is extraordinary that no less than eighteen others have done so. AT6088

Was this the Class 50s’ best livery? BR’s large logo design certainly seemed to suit their outline and was perhaps bound to be an improvement on the dated corporate look of all blue with full yellow ends. 50017 Royal Oak was one of the earliest to receive the mid-life refurbishment work and consequently was turned out (in early 1980) in the older style. It is seen not long afterwards, parked outside Bristol Bath Road depot (with 47053) on 1 April 1984 and having received a repaint in the meantime. The majority of locos undergoing the refurb were to re-appear in the large logo style between late 1980 and 1983. AT7281

A Penzance to Liverpool service gets underway from Bristol Parkway on 14 March 1984 behind 50028 Tiger, as an empty aggregates train headed by 56033 waits to proceed back to the quarries of East Somerset. The train seen here was a typical 1980s loco-hauled Inter City formation of air-conditioned mark 2s with mark 1 buffet coach and parcels van. 50028 had no sooner left Doncaster Works after its refurb in 1982 than it was involved in a collision with empty stock and was promptly returned whence it came. Such minor incidents were still quite common at that time. The car park clearly shows how successful the Parkway station concept had become for BR. AT7263 Opposite: The class had entered its twilight years under BR by the time this photo was taken at Chipping Sodbury Tunnel, probably around 1990. The assumption here is that the un-recorded photographer was a member of BR staff on Sunday permanent way duty, in order to obtain this view of 50037 Illustrious (with an unidentified class 47); note the open cab door. Illustrious was one of several locos which went north to MC Metals of Springburn, Glasgow for scrapping during 1992. The colour light signal just visible behind the train displayed a green aspect continuously, only changing to red in the event of a train coming to a stand within the tunnel and the driver reaching over to pull a chord attached to the wall. (Transport Treasury)

This lengthy haul of vans behind 50010 Monarch on 3 March 1984 in the up loop alongside the then still functioning Swindon Works, serves as a reminder of what our railways used to do (but could and should do again in the future). The train is 3A13 13.15 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington, empty stock used for the conveyance of parcels and newspapers. When most of our national newspapers were produced in city centres - London’s Fleet Street in particular - the tradition was for papers to be transported long distance by rail. A revolution in the printing industry with relocation of printing presses and parcels depots to new locations quickly brought this kind of rail traffic to an end during the late 1980s. One newspaper proprietor also owned a road haulage company, so BR had little chance of retaining that business. The letters ‘COND’ would soon be painted on many more vehicles like these. AT7229

50038 Formidable is getting into its stride with a Falmouth-Paddington train in the depths of Sonning Cutting, east of Reading on 16 June 1979 and we can be sure that the driver will have the power controller fully open. Both the up and down main lines here consisted of welded rail and Spring Hoop clips that were installed widely across the Western Region during the early 1960s, prior to the adoption of the more familiar ‘Pandrol’ clip as standard in 1966. The replacement of these tracks came well into the 21st century after many years of use by trains running at up to 125mph. The ‘Macbeth’ spikes seen on the jointed slow lines to the right are another arrangement rarely to be seen today. AT1482

Still at Reading, though looking eastwards, we see an interesting range of trains in May of 1980: 50035 Ark Royal approaches from Paddington and is flanked by an Oxford-bound stopping service, formed of a DMU in the relatively short-lived new suburban livery plus an HST set disappearing in the London direction and an EMU in the Southern Region sidings. 50035 would become the first member of its class to achieve preservation in the summer of 1991. It was formally handed over to the Fifty Fund at the Old Oak Common Open Weekend of 17/18 August by NSE Director, Chris Green. The platform end warning notices seem very restrained compared to what one can expect to see nowadays and the milepost to the right gives the distance from Charing Cross (via Redhill). Nick Nicolson

A cloudless 25 July 1980 finds 50027 Lion in its pre-refurbished state at Reading whilst working a Paignton to Paddington service. Several trains on the Bristol route remained in the hands of 50s during 1980, so Reading would have been the perfect place to see as many of these locos as possible in a day. Clearly visible is the recessed roof at the number 2 end, something which would be filled in during the refurbishment programme of 1979-83. Although the 50s had been driven to their maximum on the West Coast Main Line, this tended to be for relatively short spells. When they began service on the London-Bristol route, they were running for miles on end at full speed and this soon brought to light a weakness in their traction motors; a short term measure was to exchange armatures with those used in class 37s, which employed a similar design and this helped keep them in traffic while a longer term solution was devised. AT2681

50008 Thunderer displays its sizeable bodyside crest above its nameplate at Paddington on 8 August 1986, as it prepares to leave the capital on the 18.13 commuter service to Oxford. Clearly displayed are other features from the refurbishment programme, such as the plated over headcode panel and roof recess and the central headlight. The cab side windows also no longer feature the narrow vertical windshields. An audible change, through removal of the pressure fan, was the loss of the characteristic ‘Hoover’ sound which gave the 50s their enduring nickname. The engine room had been a notoriously dirty place; this was addressed by inserting an engine room partition between the power unit and the generator, keeping fine oil deposits from being sucked into the latter’s cooling air and degrading its insulation. Martin Buck

‘Rudy’s on a train to nowhere, halfway down the line...’ So ran the opening words of a track on rock group Supertramp’s album ‘Crime of the Century’, the backdrop sounds for which clearly featured a class 50! These were recorded at Paddington in the summer of 1974. 50038 Formidable is revving its engine on the blocks there on 20 April 1985, having brought 1A53 up from Penzance, which had departed at 09.32 that morning. Missing from the Paddington platforms and concourse today are those black FX4 taxicabs, vehicles which made their own recognisable but clattering diesel sound. Martin Buck

After dark now on 14 February 1989 and 50023 Howe looks impressive under the lights with its uniform rake of Network South East liveried coaches that will soon be proceeding to Oxford. Perhaps the first real signs that the class was not going to fulfil the long service life which had been predicted after their refurbishment came in 1987. Firstly there was the withdrawal of 50011, followed by the commitment by Inter City (at sectorisation) to using primarily class 47s, whose maintenance costs were consistently lower. Those units that passed to the two NSE pools proved quicker off the mark from station stops than 47s, though and were mostly preferred by the drivers, in consequence. Notice the parcels BRUTES still in use at this time, though painted red now instead of blue. AT15023

This is an early view of three locos, headed by 50020 at Old Oak Common on 16 February 1975. By this time, sufficient numbers had been transferred from the LMR for an early dominance of services on the Paddington to Bristol and Weston-super-Mare route. They were more likely to appear in the far West at weekends. The March 1975 issue of Modern Railways stated that the reliability situation was improving and ‘suggestions that maintenance has been at fault or that the electronics are unreliable should be consigned to the bulging granary of railway myth’. Indeed! As for the untidy mess of loco number, depot sticker, technical detail panel and BR symbol on the cabside... design panel staff should perhaps look away now. Graham Taylor

Many millions of miles later, run by the class as a whole, sees 50046 Ajax enjoying the sunshine on the Old Oak turntable at precisely 1600 hrs on 26 March 1988. Painting the roof area black (or blue), instead of grey was one way to address the unsightly issue of heavy exhaust staining. The orange cantrail stripe began appearing in repaints during 1986. Even when heavily work-stained, the class 50 remained a purposeful looking machine in this livery; Ajax would enjoy a brief period of celebrity as the last one remaining in service in the large logo livery. AT13362

Still at Old Oak, we have 50003 Temeraire on 12 August 1990 as it awaits attention; one wheel appears to be sat on a wheelskate, so it will not be earning its keep for a day or two, at least. The later form of NSE livery is illustrated here, without the red and white stripe rising to meet the cab windows. The ‘Fighting Temeraire’ was a painting by JMW Turner, showing the warship in an atmospheric scene on the River Thames as it was being towed to the breaker’s yard in 1838. It had achieved fame at Trafalgar and Turner was known for his patriotism. 50003, in contrast was to meet its own and rather less celebrated end in Glasgow in April 1992. Nick Nicolson

There is plenty of blue paint evident on 50030 Repulse as it is caught in the sunshine beside the former Arrival signal box at London Paddington on 14 May 1982. When this box was constructed in the 1930s, the Great Western had a practice of keeping the up side platforms for arriving services and the down side for departing; much to-ing and fro-ing of empty stock and light engines took place in consequence, though the servicing pattern of all rolling stock at the time was far different to today’s. The box was demolished in the 1990s. Looking at 50030, the twin armed windscreen wiper on the driver’s side has clearly been doing a better job than the one on the secondman’s side. In 1987, the secondman’s role on BR was largely abolished, except on certain rosters that involved HSTs. AT4728

A class 50 on freight has never been a particularly common sight, though the original design had mixed traffic duties in mind. This deployment of 50032 on 7 March 1978 was possibly a return working of empty wagons (mostly coal) from Norwood Junction to Acton Yard, when the locomotive had been spare at Old Oak Common. The amount of brake dust deposits on its flank point to plenty of recent use on higher speed turns. Not only the cars parked on platform 5 at Kensington Olympia point to a different age; the former American airline TWA is advertised on the office block to the left and roadside hoardings promote alcohol and cigarettes. Graham Taylor

Back to the main line and it’s 50037 Illustrious that is at the sharp end of an Oxford to Paddington service on 28 May 1988. This location is, of course Didcot East Junction and having just brought the whole of his train on to the up main, the driver will be on the point of opening up for the sprint onwards to the next stop at Reading. The long familiar backdrop of the power station cooling towers and chimney, together with the gasometer are not part of this scene today. The NSE livery received something of a mixed reception amongst rail supporters but then perhaps it’s rare for any new look to receive universal acclaim. 50037 had crests applied as a twinning with its namesake vessel at Newcastle Central station, of all places, in May 1982. AT13758

Continuing on with our regional tour, this is the southern exit from Oxford station itself but with a longer distance Manchester Piccadilly to Paddington train, led by 50048 Dauntless on 28 October 1982. Dauntless had only resumed traffic after refurbishment the previous month, so is still in quite a presentable condition here. Only a few years before, trains from Paddington went no further than Birmingham New Street on the Oxford route but for a time during the 80s, one train even went through to Glasgow. Unfortunately the city’s ‘dreaming spires’ are not very visible from this angle, however the mess of an (unfenced) urban scrapyard certainly was back in 1982. A slightly less unsightly station car park occupies the same site today. AT5727

Class 50s were a regular sight over the scenic ‘Cotswold’ main line for more than a decade but by 1989, this spectacle was fading, as were locomotivehauled trains generally. Having given up the single line token at the signal box (built in 1957), snowplough-fitted 50024 Vanguard approaches Evesham with the 16.15 Hereford-Paddington on the Sunday evening of 2 April 1989. Ten coach rakes of mark 1s weren’t the usual formation for this service. The land either side here was once covered with tracks; to the left was the loco shed and the former Midland Railway route to Ashchurch, whilst to the right were many sidings typically containing wagons to handle some of the fruit traffic emanating from the Vale of Evesham. Author

On Saturday 7 August 1988, Pathfinder Tours ran the ‘Yorkshire Venturer’ from Swindon to York and Humberside, making the first known visit of a class 50 to Hull. Preserved class 9F No 92220 Evening Star, no less, worked a leg from York to Scarborough and Hull. At a little after 08.15 and observed from the now closed Brickfields Walk foot crossing, the train is seen thundering away from Rainbow Hill Tunnel, Worcester headed by 50037 Illustrious. Listeners to local radio station Radio Wyvern were encouraged to call in their sightings of class 50s and a prize was given for the last one of the fifty seen! Author

A one-off (and quite eye-catching) livery for the class was the so-called ‘Dutch’ livery of grey and yellow for the DCWA-allocated 50015 Valiant. The locomotive was one of the star attractions at the Hereford Rail Festival on 5 May 1991 and it operated a trip to Worcester and back. Organised by the Trainload Metals sector, a remarkable number of locos were assembled for the event and several mini-railtours arranged, leaving bashers in seventh heaven. It showed what was possible under the then more unified railway. Note the position of the TOPS data panel halfway between the number and the nameplate. AT18850

The special livery applied to 50007, however proved a lot more controversial. The previously named Hercules became Sir Edward Elgar on 25 February 1984 (in mock GWR green livery with cast numbers and BR symbol) to mark fifty years since the composer’s death. The naming was carried out by Simon Rattle (conductor of the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) at Paddington. It was a move that was not welcomed by the majority of enthusiasts, it would be fair to say, but perhaps just heightened the interest in the class as a whole. 50007 saw use on several special trains and appeared at many depot open days as a result of this selective treatment. It is seen stabled at Hereford station on 14 March 1984. Nick Nicolson

Still at Hereford and in almost complete contrast, back in July 1980 is 50029 Renown with chunks of blue paint missing from its bodyside and a good overall coat of general railway grime; 25245 alongside it on a Cardiff to Crewe service looks almost ex-works in comparison, as it waits patiently for parcels to be handled. Renown would likely be at the head of a Paddington-bound service. During the busiest period of transfer from the LMR in 1974, groups of class 50s were observed passing south through Hereford en route from Crewe to Bath Road or Laira depots. Glimpsed at the far (south) end of the station is the remaining Hereford signalbox, once named Aylestone Hill when the station itself had a box at this (north) end of the platform. Nick Nicolson

50040 Leviathan dashes across the River Avon at Defford on 18 April 1987 with the 07.30 from Aberdeen to Penzance, at that time the longest through train on the network. The Warwickshire Avon begins in Northamptonshire and flows through five other counties before reaching the River Severn. There are four other River Avons in England and three more in Scotland! As for 50040, it would be renamed three months after this scene was captured. Author

The withdrawal of 50011 Centurion in February 1987, just a matter of months after it was awarded replica ship’s badges from HMS Centurion, was slightly embarrassing for BR so the name was switched onto 50040. The Leviathan name didn’t apply to any then operational vessel and perhaps was seen as a forgivable loss. On 4 June 1988, 50040 Centurion is ticking over in the up loop at Bromsgrove South in readiness for a banking turn up the Lickey Incline; the last booked banking turn was expected to have been during the previous month. The DMU in the distance has just called at the single platform of Bromsgrove station and is crossing back to the down side. Today the scene is transformed: Apart from electrification, the station now has four platforms and the site of the oil terminal to the left has been taken by an enlarged station car park. The clean-up operation after the terminal’s closure was prolonged; hardly surprising as on one occasion, vandals had managed to open a valve on one of the storage tanks, leaving the site flooded with fuel. Author

The 3A16 15.00 Gloucester to Paddington parcels was a regular turn for a ‘50’ during the 1980s, often pairing up with a spare loco to make best use of the single line stretch between Kemble and Swindon. On 20 July 1986, we find 50013 Agincourt setting off from Kemble with 31326, having been given the road. The driver is looking back just to ensure nothing untoward is happening to his non-passenger carrying coaches as they leave the platform. The siding behind the loco is kept for track machine stabling but was once the beginning of the branch line to Cirencester Town (closed in April 1964). Barry J Nicolle

It’s perhaps fair to say that the further west you travelled along the South Wales main line, the less likely it would be that you ever saw a class 50. On 5 May 1979, however Carmarthen played host to 50033 Glorious whilst powering RPPR’s ‘Pembroke Pioneer’ from Paddington. Something of a marathon of a tour, the train had left the previous night and travelled via Birmingham before heading out to cover the branches to Fishguard, Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock, returning each time to Carmarthen for a reversal. The station shunter (with his oily gloves) would appear to be walking up to re-couple the loco to the stock during one of these moves. Graham Taylor

By 27 April 1988, a man on the ground carrying out such duties needed to be clad in orange. This time we are at Cardiff Central station and it is 50038 Formidable that has charge of a van train that’s about to head east. Time would probably be of the essence, as the up through road at Cardiff would have been particularly busy then, with much through freight traffic generated by the coal industry and between the two steelworks at Port Talbot and Llanwern. Part of Cardiff Canton depot may just be seen in the background, where solitary class 50s sometimes stabled or visited for tyre turning. Bob Wallen

Railtour time again and once more 50033 Glorious has gone to parts of Wales where the class was virtually unknown. This time, sadly it’s happening because the end of the type in BR service is imminent. Partnered by celebrity D400, Glorious is leading Pathfinder Tours’ ‘Hoovering Druid’ away from Aberthaw on the Vale of Glamorgan route on 4 April 1992. With the assistance of Malcolm Wishart (Locomotive Engineer at Laira), Plymouth Area Fleet Engineer Geoff Hudson had overseen the repaint of 50050 into its original (de-named) form of D400 one year before; Geoff was often seen in the cab of a 50 during railtours, no doubt to help ensure all was well. But it was Glorious that perhaps enjoyed the greater admiration of followers for its exploits on the Waterloo-Exeter route, where it was one of the ‘last men standing’. Rail Enthusiast magazine editor Murray Brown kept fans informed of its movements via recorded updates on a special telephone hotline. Author

50014 Warspite heads a short five coach train that is working from Cardiff to Portsmouth on 29 March 1986. The location is at the west end of Severn Tunnel Junction yard, which was to close only a year or so later. To get this view, the photographer had probably climbed one of the yard’s many lighting poles and presumably made most of his camera adjustments beforehand! 50014 was the last of the fifty locos to be refurbished, being released back into traffic from Doncaster Works in December 1983, yet was to be one of the first withdrawals in late 1987. AT10189

Before it all ‘kicked off’ in the following year (with its somewhat controversial new appearance), a very smart large-logo liveried 50007 Hercules sweeps down towards the Bristol suburbs at Filton on 8 June 1983, working a Glasgow to Plymouth train. These longer distance services might not have been as quick as today’s 125mph offerings but they were certainly roomier and often quieter to travel in over longer distances. Such was the fallout from the naming of 50007 as Sir Edward Elgar that tentative plans to rename other class members were quietly dropped. AT6247

By 4 August 1989, the decision had been taken to de-quadrify the 3.5 miles of route between Filton Junction and Lawrence Hill, following the declaration of a bridge at Ashley Down to be unsafe. That had happened in 1984 at a time when traffic levels were on the decline; within thirty years the trend would have reversed sufficiently to justify restoring the four tracks again. Also at this date, an engineers’ fleet of locomotives had been created, including thirteen of the class 50 fleet for which reduced cost maintenance contracts were awarded and a 60mph speed restriction imposed. The DCWA (Departmental Civil Engineer WR) pool was created for haulage of trains such as this set of empty spoil wagons climbing through Lockleaze behind 50019, though reports of DCWA examples visiting Waterloo on passenger turns still occurred! Ramillies received a plain blue livery, larger numerals on one cab and engineers’ flashes on the other, making one of several interesting variations of livery to be seen around at the time. AT16145

A distinctly cold prospect greets 50017 Royal Oak on 12 December 1981 as it powers a Plymouth-Manchester express towards the Lockleaze Road bridge (or is it Constable Road?) in north Bristol. Being one of the earlier refurbs, 50017 hadn’t yet received large logo treatment but the central headlight gives the game away. At around this time, BR’s Deltics were in their final weeks of service and the 100mph class 50s were soon to take on the mantle of most-followed class as a result, with due respect to certain other type 4s that could be mentioned! AT4397

Another wintry scene greets a class 50 in the Bristol area on 12 February 1985 as 50016 Barham helps the 07.30 Penzance to Aberdeen train on its lengthy journey away from Bristol Parkway station. This formation would split at Carstairs, with some coaches proceeding to Glasgow Central, hence the provision of first class accommodation in separate parts of the combined train. 50016 would have been removed from the train in favour of electric traction at Birmingham New Street, of course. In the distance (beyond the second coach) can be seen the three Brabazon hangars at Filton airfield, where the British contingent of Concordes were assembled. It is now the YTL Arena entertainment complex. AT8742

We are now at the station itself to witness the arrival of 50026 Indomitable heading a Plymouth-Manchester on 31 May 1983. The large logo livery is strongly associated with the class 50s but was tried out initially on 56036 in 1978. The feather is lit at the west end of this platform for a down service to take the diverging Filton Bank route into Bristol, rather than the straight ahead one towards the Severn Tunnel and South Wales. It’s often interesting to note the style of clothing worn by passengers in old photos; it is clear from this image that light brown and beige were popular colours of the day with the older generation! AT6168

On one of those fine and sunny days when it is a pleasure to be by the lineside to watch trains go by, 50015 Valiant powers its way up Filton Bank past Narroways Hill Junction on 2 July 1983 with a summer-dated Paignton to Liverpool train. By the second coach can be seen the bridge abutments of the former Kingswood Junction to Ashley Hill line which gave the Midland Railway access to Avonmouth; it closed in 1965. One of the final few celebrity machines in service through 1991, Valiant saw a period of storage before its final withdrawal on 5 June 1992. It became one of the 18 class members to pass into preservation and now resides at the East Lancashire Railway and is not so far from its birthplace at the famous Vulcan Foundry. AT6401

Dropping down into the city of Bristol itself, we are now at Stapleton Road on 5 July 1980 to see 50021 Rodney (in its pre-refurbished form) heading an unidentified express over the interesting steel bridge that used to cross the main A432 road there. After this section of line was reduced to two tracks in 1984, this bridge became redundant, later to be replaced by a new structure when four track running was thankfully restored. The two platform faces illustrated were not brought back into use at the same time, though. And the gasometer beyond the train no longer casts its considerable shadow over this part of Bristol. AT2621

50032 Courageous goes on a small voyage of discovery at Redland (on the Avonmouth Loop line) on Sunday 19 February 1984 with its diverted PlymouthManchester service; the last coach has just passed the station there. Looking at all those heads poking out of the carriage windows, one could be forgiven for thinking this might be a railtour! No doubt the ordinary travelling folk in that first vehicle were wondering what on earth was going on, when several excitable individuals entrained at Bristol Temple Meads. It might be difficult to replicate this view today, such is the tree growth on both sides of the railway. AT7177

Further around the loop at Hallen Marsh Junction, a proper railtour is on offer in the shape of the Cornwall Railway Society’s ‘Avon Explorer’ on 12 May 1984, which ran from Penzance to Swindon and back with 50035 Ark Royal up front. 47094 is the loco in the background. Tour participants were able to get off for a lunchtime stroll at Avonmouth station and later on to visit Swindon Works. According to the Society’s report (on their website), some commuters for Weston-super-Mare mistakenly joined the tour at Temple Meads on the return leg and got more mileage than they bargained for; the next stop was Exeter! Passenger services between Hallen Marsh and Filton Junction ended in 1964 but an unadvertised service (formed of a DMU) ran between Filton and Parson Street until 1986, for the benefit of Rolls Royce and British Aerospace employees. AT7630

Back on the main line, this time at Easton, we find 50036 Victorious pulling a rake of mark 1s out of the city in the shape of a Paignton-Paddington working on Sunday 15 May 1983. The right hand track once served the sidings at Lawrence Hill and latterly the City Council’s waste transfer facility. What is quite noticeable is how tidy the railway environment seems in this urban setting – no obvious graffiti but also no weeds or buddleia sprouting from the ballast, as seems to be the norm in the 21st century. Victorious was not to be one of the lucky ones, being withdrawn in March 1991 and scrapped at Booths, Rotherham in July 1992. AT6126

At Weston super Mare on 23 June 1984, 50024 Vanguard draws into the platform with a Paignton to Birmingham New Street train (as a Met-Cam DMU rattles to itself alongside). This would have been one of a number of extra summer Saturday services that plied the North East-South West axis at the time, although their number was reducing steadily with each passing year. Apart from the ubiquitous class 47s and HSTs, other motive power still used back then were the ‘Peaks’, class 31s and 37s. 25s and 40s had faded from the scene somewhat, although DMUs saw occasional use on longer distance workings. 60p to park your car for the day sounds very reasonable! AT7887

For many years, Bristol’s Victoria Park provided a pleasant vantage point from which to observe trains picking up speed away from Temple Meads as they headed for the West; tree growth has again reduced such opportunities. On 17 September 1983, 50043 Eagle leads a train from Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay and has just passed the carriage washing plant, usefully placed for empty stock going into Malago Vale carriage sidings. The overall roof of Temple Meads station can be seen in the distance beyond the front of the loco, giving an idea of how much the railway curves from a southerly to an almost westerly direction here. 50043 looked to be heading for preservation when (on withdrawal) it was initially kept at Tyseley Locomotive Works in Birmingham. However, it was to change hands several times more before meeting its end at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway in 2002. AT7003

50006 Neptune is clearly at full power as it passes Cogload Junction, near Taunton. This is believed to be 1M83, the 10.24 Penzance to Liverpool, which was a favourite working for the class over many years – running throughout to Merseyside wasn’t an unknown occurrence. The date is 8 September 1985. Neptune was to be the second of the class 50s to be withdrawn from service in July 1987, the loco helping to address a shortage of spares, which was often the way when a fleet was in the process of being run down. It was one of those that met the cutter’s torch at the infamous Vic Berry’s yard in Leicester, the following year. AT9777

Hurrying along the four track section that used to exist between Taunton and Cogload Junction is 50011 Centurion with a Paignton-Paddington service on 21 June 1980. The train is traversing the ‘Up Castle Cary’ line. The outer tracks were abolished in 1986, Cogload Junction signal box was closed and some re-alignment took place to permit the raising of line speeds. Note the row of dead trees behind the locomotive and first coach, possibly having been afflicted by the Dutch elm disease which ravaged much of the countryside during the 1970s. AT2589

This train from Plymouth to Paddington was almost certainly a relief service on 4 April 1986, four days after Easter and backing up the regular HST set; 50001 Dreadnought is in charge as it slows for the Taunton stop. The signal gantry being passed was in its last full year of operation before resignalling in the area swept away all those semaphores which had been so characteristic of the GWR and BR’s Western Region. 50001 was one of the six locos to be refurbished in the old style of BR livery (in early 1980) so a further visit to Doncaster Works had clearly been made in the interim. The houses beyond must have been popular with gardening railway enthusiasts. AT10227

Turning the camera in the opposite direction and this is what could be seen on 24 August 1979: 50009 Conqueror pulls clear of the station complex and the magnificent signal gantry at Taunton, with a Paddington-Penzance working. As they rolled off the production line, HST sets would begin to assume the role of principal trains on this route during the months that followed. The two tracks to the right of shot would appear to be little used and by the date of the previous view had been lifted. The premises behind the train belonged to an electrical engineering company – houses have taken its place there today, though without the large gardens seen before! AT1874

By 1 August 1987, we find that Newtons Engineering is still in place but the signal gantry and a lot of the track have disappeared, leaving Taunton station area a much simpler place. The Network South East livery is also making its presence felt in the shape of 50002 Superb, as is the new Inter City livery, judging by the sixth vehicle of this Paddington to Newquay service. It can be seen that the NSE livery design required the movement of the loco’s nameplate and twinning plate from the centre of the bodyside, leaving a rather cluttered result. Notice also the class 08 station pilot duty that still hung on; very much a dying concept in the late 1980s. AT12435

Tiverton Junction was quite a typical country junction station, situated as it was some four miles from the town it nominally served. The remaining stump of the line which ran there can be seen just beyond 50034 Furious as it hurries through on 4 June 1983 with a summer Saturday extra from Paddington to Penzance. The closure of firstly the Tiverton line, then the Culm Valley branch to Hemyock and finally the Esso oil terminal in the background left the station with little purpose; it was replaced by the new Tiverton Parkway in May 1986, as a more attractive railhead for motorists. Today only the platforms, two loop lines and a siding for track machines remain here. AT6202

A nameless 50042 is clearly working all out on the climb to Whiteball with the 12.23 from Paddington to Paignton on 30 July 1977. Notable, of course is the use of the headcode panel to display the loco’s identity. With BR’s discontinuation of displaying train reporting numbers from the start of 1976, instructions were given for headcode boxes to show ‘OOOO’ and their winding handles to be removed. Before doing that however, Western Region staff had demonstrated their pride in the remaining ‘Westerns’ by putting up the loco number instead. This was carried over onto some of the class 50s for a time (before the dreaded ‘dominoes’ took hold). The author remembers being able to identify such locos after dark from the comfort of his bedroom window! Trevor Davis

Approaching Whiteball Tunnel from the opposite direction comes 50005 Collingwood on 16 July 1983 with an up express from Paignton to the capital. With ten coaches on, speed should be well into the 70s nearing the summit of the final 1 in 115 climb from Exeter. Given a clear road, drivers of up trains would tend to drive flat out to this point as the line parallels the M5 motorway for several miles. Most readers will be aware that trains pass between the counties of Devon and Somerset as they go through the 1092 yard long tunnel. AT6453

Exiting the tunnel itself, we find 50011 Centurion leading the Liverpool to Penzance service into glorious Devon on the same date. Whiteball box (tucked almost out of sight to the right) was still extant at this time, controlling the down loop and refuge siding, together with the accompanying semaphores. Milepost 174 stands out clearly on the left, indicating the track mileage from Paddington (via Bristol). The actual summit is at a point roughly half way between the locomotive and the tunnel mouth. AT6475

On 28 August 1981, 50042 Triumph rolls a short mixed freight formation from another age into Exeter St Davids station; sights such as this would barely see out the decade, as operational costs far outweighed the benefit of running these trains. The fuel tanker was probably supplying a BR depot and the three cement ‘presflo’ wagons carrying traffic that would inevitably switch to road transport before very long. Also visible to the left is a Rail Express parcels road van, which might suggest where the idea for the large logo livery came from. A year on from this, 50042 would be sporting that livery! AT4202

50013 Agincourt draws to a stand at Exeter St Davids on 4 June 1983 and ends its journey from London Waterloo. From the summer of 1981, the majority of regular services between London Paddington and the West Country were turned over to HST operation, releasing more of the class 50 fleet for wider employment. The Waterloo-Exeter route had begun to see them the year before that, but now had the numbers to ensure a reserve capability. 50013 was one of six to be refurbished but turned out in ‘traditional’ BR blue; it would keep this appearance into 1984 - the last to do so - when it received the large logo livery. AT6226

50016 Barham sets off on 16 June 1984 with a Paignton-Paddington train past the splendid Middle Box at Exeter St Davids and under the watchful eye of the crossing keeper. The Red Cow level crossing here requires the services of an extra man on the ground to oversee the passage of pedestrians after the main gates have closed to road traffic, which is usually some time before a train comes. This does not happen at night when the pedestrian-only gates would be locked. Judging by the number of sliding windows open in the signal box, it would seem to be quite a warm day. AT7833

‘Fifties’ and their followers are much in evidence at Exeter St Davids on 20 September 1980. Our photographer has taken a prime viewpoint from which to capture 50031 Hood as it brings stock into the station from the west end past another class member. And is that really a railway employee in the second coach or a sneaky gricer getting extra mileage on this supposedly empty stock movement? The former atmospheric pump house over to the right was sometimes used by railway photographers (with permission, of course) to obtain commanding views of the railway layout here. Exeter Panel signal box now sits in its place. As for 50031, during an informal ceremony at Old Oak Common on 22 April 1983, it received crests to twin it with the fated battleship HMS Hood, in the presence of the last of the three survivors from its wartime sinking in May 1941. AT2933

By 14 July 1990, the Exeter environs have been rationalised and resignalled. The gap between the platform roads in this view was previously occupied by the down through road (where non-stop trains once passed through at up to 70mph!) and London Waterloo route trains would not have used platform 1 of St Davids station, as 50017 Royal Oak is doing here. Well illustrated is the later ‘straight line’ style of Network South East livery with a slightly darker shade of blue and ‘West of England’ subtitle. Also clearly visible is the third side window aperture (next to the radiator) which has had its glass removed during refurbishment and utilised to improve the internal airflow. AT17576

Over the years, a few of the class would occasionally get their identities displayed somewhere on the nose, perhaps as a quiet challenge to management in the full knowledge that it was contrary to official guidelines. Sometimes the number was just crudely scrawled in the dirt though in this case, 50011 Centurion has received a mini-paint job; not a very skilful one, it must be said! Note the third bodyside window (pre-refurbishment) compared with the previous view of 50017. It’s mid-September at Dawlish, as this Newquay-bound service passes Marine Parade and mostly adults are seen on the sand - the kids are back in school. 18 September 1982. AT5662

Dawlish presents a wonderful opportunity for people to get a close view of trains in motion, albeit not at a very great speed. On 15 July 1980, a group of youngsters are enthralled by the passage of 50028 Tiger as it brings along a Penzance to Paddington service; if they’re not already railway enthusiasts, then some of them are bound to get the bug from this. The locomotive displays the typical ‘domino’ headcode panel of the period. English Electric’s designers had originally intended the headcode box to sit below the windscreen, making it look a little like the prototype HS4000 Kestrel but BR insisted it should go above. It was a pity that the ever-present multiple unit jumper cable could not have been worked into the design a little better. AT2641

50012 Benbow leaves Parson’s Tunnel in its wake and nears Teignmouth with a Paddington to Paignton service on 18 September 1982, typically formed of non-air conditioned mark 2 coaches and a mark 1 BG. This loco was amongst the last to be transferred from the London Midland Region in May 1976, though the remaining ‘Western’ class locos being replaced would enjoy one more summer of service that year before the 50s took over completely. AT5666

A sea mist hangs around Sprey Point on 4 June 1982 as 50040 Leviathan ‘does the honours’ and assists an ailing HST set that’s working from Newcastle to Plymouth. The loss of a single power car would present problems in getting over the South Devon banks and various locos could sometimes be seen coupled up to HST sets, in that event. 43183 is the leading power car so, bearing in mind its recent introduction to service, it was possibly still paired with its original partner 43184 as part of set 253051 – in 2022, this number has been applied to the front of 43384, still in service with Cross Country Trains. In 1985, 50040 was sent out on a main line test run from Doncaster Works bearing the Glorious nameplates from 50033 - oops! But in 1987 it received an intentional renaming following the withdrawal of 50011 Centurion: After the relatively recent pairing with the ship HMS Centurion at Paddington (on 15 May 1986), it was felt that this name should be retained on a working example. AT4893

What a wonderful array of lower quadrant semaphore signals there used to be on the gantry at the west end of Newton Abbot station. Sadly, it had to be removed eventually and in the summer of 1987 was transferred across to the car park of David & Charles Publishing (over to the left) when extensive remodelling and resignalling occurred. On 24 April 1984, that upheaval was still in the future as 50029 Renown guided a Penzance to Bristol stopper into the former platform 4, which was to be another casualty of the changes. Together with the nearest track (the up avoider), this area is now the extended station car park. As long as rail traffic runs smoothly, the reduction in lines at this important junction is probably not an issue. But when there’s disruption? AT7563

We move to the view from the road bridge at Newton Abbot. 50015 Valiant is shown very clean in its large logo BR livery on 24 April 1984 whilst easing a Manchester-Plymouth service away from platform 2. The black stains on the roof show clearly where the exhaust ports are from the 16 cylinder engine. In the background, the former diesel depot had ceased operations some three years earlier but some tracks still remained in its vicinity. Notice also the extent of the point rodding running along the up side of the track; this would likely have required regular attention from the signalling maintenance crews. When David & Charles later vacated their premises here, the signal gantry was moved again a short distance to a spot beside the Torquay Road and their ex-Great Western carriages went to preserved railways. AT7561

To the south of Newton Abbot was the famous Aller Junction where many services left the main line for the ‘sunshine coast’, whilst others peeled off into the hills bound for Plymouth and Cornwall. 50025 Invincible has just come down Dainton Bank with its relatively short Penzance-Bristol train on 27 May 1986. The photographer has taken up a slightly different position to the usual one here and captured the colourful side of the signal gantry, as well as a glimpse of the signal box which controlled it. Invincible was twinned with the ship of the same name on 7 May 1981 by Captain Michael Livesay at Plymouth; this was prior to the 1982 Falklands War when the aircraft carrier was often in the news. Three other class 50s carried names of warships used in the conflict: Conqueror, Exeter and Fearless. AT10417

The coast is nearer now as we watch 50026 Indomitable enter Paignton with a train from Paddington on 9 June 1984. May’s Cafe will no doubt be geared up for the annual influx of holidaymakers whose custom will hopefully compensate for the quieter months of winter. The platform end notices read ‘Members of the public must not leave the station by this route. Failure to comply with this ruling can result in prosecution and a fine of £200’. It would be a safe bet that this instruction would have been disobeyed on a daily basis, so short is the distance here between the platform and the Torbay Road. The scissors crossing seen beside the third coach has today been replaced by a simple crossover and the signal box has also gone. Towering over the railway to the left is the Woolworths store, originally opened in 1932 and closed in 2008. AT7803

Looking down from the footbridge nearly three years before (26 September 1981), 50022 Anson is about to envelope the waiting pedestrians with a dose of blue exhaust fumes as it sets off for Birmingham New Street ahead a rake of mark 1 coaches. In 1982, the class 50’s maximum speed was temporarily reduced to 95mph following concerns that the removal of the rheostatic braking facility (during refurbishment) had affected its ability to stop safely on the approach to certain signals on the region. But this programme of work did bring benefits as availability figures improved markedly; on one occasion in 1985, 45 locos were available for traffic. 50022 had been refurbished in late 1980. AT4326

50020 Revenge tops Dainton Bank on 27 May 1986 with a Paddington to Penzance working. Regular long distance services over this route had been passed to HST operation some years before, so this was probably a seasonal relief train. Much concrete troughing is in evidence prior to the resignalling of the area, whereupon the signal box in the background would disappear, along with the lower quadrant semaphore signals. Ever since the days of steam, here was a great place to watch the busy summer season trains as they toiled back and forth over the South Devon hills. AT10412

Having run down from Dainton, 50050 Fearless is now faced with the next climb up to Rattery Bank, as it hurries through Totnes on the through road on 30 May 1984 with an 11 coach train to Penzance. This is, of course the first built locomotive that was turned out from the Vulcan Works at Newton-le-Willows in 1967 as D400. It was also the first member of the fleet to be transferred to the Western Region (at Bristol Bath Road depot) in October 1972, by which time it had lost the ‘D’ prefix. No 401 would follow it in 1973 and all fifty had been transferred three years later. One fervent diesel-hydraulic fan claimed that 400 had struggled to make it over the Devon banks to Plymouth as a light engine, but time would prove that the design was perfectly capable of tackling those gradients with the loads that were demanded of it. On 23 August 1978, it was named in Plymouth by Captain Thomas from the Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ship. AT7722

With its MU cable gone astray, 50041 Bulwark has just brought 1V85 from Newcastle to Penzance into Plymouth station on 24 August 1985. This member of the class came very close to becoming the first withdrawal, when it was involved in a fairly spectacular derailment approaching Paddington at 06.10 on the morning of 23 November 1983. The service in question was the 21.35 ‘Night Sleeper’ from Penzance. Due to a loss of concentration, the driver had failed to observe a 60mph restriction before continuing at speed into a 25mph crossover. The loco turned onto its side, separated from its coaches and slid for some distance before coming to rest under Bishop’s Bridge Road. Thanks to its recent refurbishment, the loco’s value was deemed to have increased sufficiently to justify incurring the considerable repair cost (around £380,000) and it was returned to traffic in January 1985. Ironically, at around this time its namesake HMS Bulwark was meeting its end at a breaker’s yard in Scotland. Shedded at Bristol (Bath Road) for much of its WR service, a main generator failure saw its withdrawal in April 1990. Martin Buck

Very much a newcomer at the time (it had only been transferred onto the WR a few weeks before), 50003 sits on Laira depot on Sunday 28 April 1974 in a very clean condition. The small oval plate reading ‘On hire from English Electric’ may be discerned at dead centre of the loco’s bodyside; around this period, the hire arrangement had been terminated by BR’s purchase of the fleet. A DMU may be glimpsed in the shed behind, but most locos present that day would probably have been class 52s. The strange contraption on the roof is part of the extractor system for the sand drier beneath. Roger Geach

Passing high above the River Tamar comes 50039 Implacable at the head of the Penzance to Newcastle service on 13 August 1985. Timber decking was laid across the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash during World War Two to permit the passage of road vehicles, in the event of enemy action causing severe disruption to the railway. A 1950s proposal to repeat this exercise and relieve pressure on the local ferry service was not pursued and the new road bridge met that demand from 1961. To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the bridge’s designer I.K. Brunel in 2006, the disfiguring access ladders in front of his name were removed, being no longer required. Of interest is the mark 1 coach included at the front of an otherwise air conditioned rake of passenger stock. AT9398

An unidentified class 50 brings a motley collection of BR and pre-nationalisation parcels stock into Bodmin Road from Penzance in 1976. Again the EE hire plate can just be made out in the middle of the loco (next to the BR logo). Also noteworthy are the headcode not quite set to what it ought to be and the unusually twisted MU cable. The telegraph poles would not be a feature of this area for very much longer. Roy Vincent

In time honoured fashion, the driver of this down Penzance train looks back from his cab for the ‘right away’ signal at St Austell on 22 August 1985. Locomotive 50049 Defiance may be compared with two typical cars of the day: A Talbot Horizon and a Ford Escort. The blue liveried General Utility Van behind the loco, whilst normally expected to carry mail or parcels, may well have been intended for the carriage of general produce to and from the Isles of Scilly. AT9524

And so to Penzance itself and the end of a long journey for many. Here though are two services whose journeys are about to commence using short formations of stock. 45144 Royal Signals is likely to be heading for Bristol and Birmingham on 23 August 1985 whilst 50021 Rodney has an air conditioned rake that will be going to Plymouth, at least. During this period, BR retained a fair amount of locomotive-hauled stock which could be assembled for front line use or special services at relatively short notice. Indeed on 14 April 1984, no less than eight football specials were dispatched from Plymouth to Witton (in Birmingham) carrying Plymouth Argyle supporters to an FA Cup semi-final match at Villa Park; two further trains that day were an F&W railtour and a special for the Royal Navy, ALL class 50-hauled! AT9574

Turning the clock back a few years, we find 50023 at the Cornish terminus ready to leave with the 08.35 to London Paddington on 10 May 1974. This was at the dawn of regular class 50 service on the Western Region, when sufficient units had been transferred to begin to replace class 52 ‘Westerns’ in the West Country. Footplate staff inevitably needed to get accustomed to the new motive power and some early service failures could be put down to unfamiliarity, though it was also suspected that the LMR might not have allowed those in the best condition to be transferred first. Having begun life with the BR double arrow applied at both ends, there was a short period in the mid-70s when locos had just the one positioned in the middle of the bodyside, as shown here. Roger Geach Opposite: NSE-liveried 50044 Exeter wends its way through the hilly Cornish countryside at Toldish on 4 July 1987 with the 17.17 from Newquay to Plymouth. Consideration was given to closing the Newquay line out of Par in the mid 1980s and reconnecting it from St Austell, via Burngullow and St Dennis Junction, as it was felt this would generate more traffic. The last loco-hauled trains to Newquay using class 50s came in October 1987 and within months, the run-round facilities at the terminus had been removed and platforms reduced to two. That has now been reduced to just the one, a ridiculous state of affairs for such an important resort. Bernard Mills

On 8 May 1976 at Falmouth Docks, 1A79 (the 09.10 to Paddington) prepares to leave behind 50050. Class 50 experts could tell this loco apart from the others by the fact that it lacked extra grab handles on the nose ends above the overhead warning stickers. Locals may well have been hoping for ‘Western’ haulage at the time! Extra vehicles would likely have been added to this formation on reaching Plymouth. According to the photographer, the stock was sourced from the 18.30(FO) Paddington-Truro, stabling overnight in Truro yard instead of at Penzance where work was in progress to build the HST servicing shed at Long Rock depot. The loco came up from Penzance however, having worked the 02.50 vans from Plymouth. Those were the days. Bernard Mills

The so-called ‘generator set’ saw service for a long time, until the HST fleet finally settled down to more predictable reliability. This train was formed up of spare mark 3s, coupled to buckeye-fitted barrier vehicles at each end with one housing a diesel generator for the electrical supply. On an unknown date during the 1980s, 50013 Agincourt speeds the rake past East Somerset Junction, heading west. It is generally felt that if it hadn’t been for the substantial aggregates traffic coming from the Somerset quarries, the main line between Westbury and Taunton could well have been slated for closure during the darker days of the post-Beeching period. Transport Treasury

Returning briefly to Taunton and specifically to the East Junction, we observe 50027 Lion on 2 June 1984 as it heads from Paignton to London Paddington under the newly constructed Obridge Viaduct, carrying the Taunton Eastern Relief Road. The ‘dolls’ on the left of each gantry served the freight avoiding line, which curved around the southern boundary of the station area until the grand remodelling of 1986. The Firepool Pumping Station building can be glimpsed beyond the road bridge; grade 2 listed, it once proudly advertised the location of the ‘British Railways Taunton Freight Concentration Depot’. AT7748

On 30 March 1989, the Westbury avoiding line has just been relaid and reballasted. 50037 Illustrious makes its presence felt as it speeds a lightweight Paddington-Plymouth relief service along the renewed track, approaching Fairwood Junction. Quite a lot of the old ballast appears to have been dumped to one side, a practice which is now definitely frowned upon. The cloud of granite dust being kicked up also serves as a reminder of another of the dangers faced by those who work on the permanent way; breathing apparatus is required today in these circumstances to mitigate against the possibility of lung damage, even when they are inside a track machine. AT15251

Semaphore signals make very useful props for railway photographs – no apologies for featuring them strongly in this book! But in the future, even the more modern colour light signals will have disappeared as the industry moves to radio-based signalling systems. 50045 Achilles comes past a variety of outdated pieces of infrastructure at Castle Cary on a rather misty 12 May 1979, including wooden sleepered track and telegraph poles, which once helped to announce the path of a railway across our landscape. There is ample room for parcels and mail on this Paddington to Paignton service. AT1376

50018 Resolution is probably just running off the stabling point at Westbury on 3 July 1979. It had only recently visited Doncaster Works (not for refurbishment just yet), hence it’s very tidy external condition and had even been noted working an express on the East Coast Main Line! On the signal box nameplate, the word ‘North’ has been painted out to show that this is now the sole remaining box in the station area. A large painted ‘W’ is there to assist drivers and guards after dark or during heavy fog, in the unlikely event that they might be unsure of their train’s location. Dating from 1899, this structure was removed in 1984 upon the opening of the new power box nearby. The elderflower seems to be doing very well in the foreground! AT1531

In early 1987, with the long term future of class 50s in doubt, a proposal was made to reconfigure a locomotive with the working of aggregate trains in mind. This would help release class 33s for duties that they were better suited for. With re-gearing and a reduced top speed of 80mph, the expectation was of creating a machine capable of matching the starting performance of a class 56. The Railfreight sector paid for 50049 to be converted and illustrated here is the modified loco (as 50149) beginning trials on 18 October 1987 out of Westbury. The 1 in 70 climb to Warminster was expected to provide a suitable test for Defiance, as it was still named, although now with yellow-backed nameplates. Suffice to say, the modifications worked well enough but not to the extent that it was felt worthwhile to convert any further units in this way. 50149 was transferred to Cornwall for china clay duties for a time before it was reconverted back to its original form in March 1989, this time in full NSE livery. Transport Treasury

Our regional tour has brought us back to Bristol Temple Meads, as 50046 Ajax guides a rake of empty stock into the station from Malago Vale on 29 May 1982. Mismatched windscreen wipers seemed to be a feature of many class members back then. Readers are recommended to read ‘Bristol Railways’ by Colin Scott-Morton, another colour book in the Totem Publishing series which features further images from the Arthur Turner collection and giving a more comprehensive coverage of trains and motive power in the Bristol area during this period. AT4746

A fine sight of double-headed 50s rounds the curve into the station from beneath the Bath Road bridge on 19 July 1981. A refurbished 50006 Neptune and an unrefurbished 50048 Dauntless are the locos in question and the train is a Paignton to Paddington. It’s a Sunday, though it’s possibly not a diversion as some such trains were normally routed via Bristol during the early 1980s. 50006 spent two years languishing in Doncaster Works from 1977-79, during which time it was nominated to be the first of class to be refurbished there. It actually first received its nameplates during this spell in the Works (and the last class member to do so). Sadly it was to be one of the early withdrawals from service in the summer of 1987. AT3789

This is a very tired looking locomotive indeed. 50032 Courageous (with unusual blue backed nameplates) sits on Bath Road depot on 22 July 1990. Condemnation for Courageous would come on the 15 October with breaking up taking place at Old Oak Common the following March. The consolidation of most of the fleet at Laira in their final years almost mirrored what happened to their predecessors, the Westerns, although a handful were to be withdrawn from Old Oak. AT17598

How better to finish our study of class 50s on the Western Region than with this after dark view of three on Bath Road depot? Nearest the camera we have 50004 St Vincent, displaying its sizeable crest above the nameplate and which was applied quite late on in its service career in September 1988; this was said to have sold at auction for £2200 in 2021! The loco behind it is unidentified but there is no mistaking the one to the right, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar. Preserved today and based at the Severn Valley Railway, it bears its original identity of Hercules but with GB Railfreight’s livery, as it is currently passed for spot-hire operations on the main line... long may that continue. Transport Treasury