HST 253 037 heads north past Pilmoor on the ECML pre electrification in late 1986

Diesel Photographs

Starting out in the 1970’s I had missed the steam era completely, and the diesels built for the British Rail Modernisation Plan in the 1960’s were the most common form of traction.

The Modernisation Plan was published in December 1954. It was intended to bring the railway system up to date. A government White Paper produced in 1956 stated that modernisation would help eliminate BR's financial deficit by 1962. The aim was to increase speed, reliability, safety and line capacity, through a series of measures which would make services more attractive to passengers and freight operators, thus recovering traffic that was being lost to the roads. The Modernisation Plan called for the rapid and large-scale introduction of diesel locomotives: a total of 2,500 locomotives to be procured in 10 years at a cost of £345 million.

English Electric Class 40 40135 inside BREL Doncaster Works 21st April 1985

English Electric Class 50 50003 ‘Temeraire’ being refurbished inside BREL Doncaster Works 21st April 1985

Electrification was at the time limited to third rail in London and the South East and overhead wires on the West Coast Mainline from London Euston to Glasgow in Scotland.

Living close to the East Coast Mainline in Yorkshire – English Electric locomotives were king, and I became a huge Deltic fan – alas only seeing them in regular BR service for less than 10 years. Other English Electric diesels also had something about them, so individual with their design and sound – I’d be more than happy catching a train with a Class 20, 37, 40, 50 or 55 in charge,

As my images mainly cover the 1980’s – you will find plenty of images of long-gone engines on both passenger and freight workings across the country. BREL Doncaster works was a favourite haunt, and I witnessed not only the end of the Deltics, but the Class 31 and Class 50 refurbishment programme – along with the building of the Class 58’s in the early 1980’s.

Withdrawn engines at Whitemoor Yard, March, October 1987’

As I’ve scanned my negatives – I’ve noticed that I’ve also captured a lot of Sulzer Class 45 images, both in service and withdrawal at March, Toton and Doncaster works.

Since 2010 I have attended some local Diesel Galas and also travelled on some mainline railtours, mainly those that include Deltic haulage.
I hope to attend more events in the future and aspire to be able to devote more time to my hobby once retired.