Various people who enjoy different types of Traction and who will go any lengths for a line in the book( or just a piece of track).

Im in work got a bit of flexi time on the clock its about 11.00 the phone rings......under starters orders fast car to crewe for 378xx 56xxx you know the sketch.

Yes you know the Juice is off now what might produce 20's 25 31 37 40 45 473 56 58
These air cons are like fridges!

Ahhh its freezing outside but your behind a loco with a steam heat boiler Bliss!!!!!

VSOE 7/12/1985 with Pathfinder and Hertfordshire

Highlight of the day Jed in a suit!

All but 33045/59 of the 33'0s came and 33201/2/7-10 came it was the Bagpipes that were hard to get only 33103/08/09/13/15/16/17 making an appearance.

If you have 33013 (17 slide) 33/44/53/54 or 33103 on film at Manchester or Stockport please contact me. 33109/16 have made it through wigan so if you have a photo of these the same applies.

My first encounter with these noisy little Brush was during the early 70's on the Morecambe Leeds trains. During 1994 I worked the tea trolleys on the Liverpool Blackpool's and over 6 months had none fail on me (much to my disappointment)

Most of my holidays every year at the beginning of July included bashing these spluttering McRats to Kyle and Wick.
Needless to say the honeymoon included plenty of mileage and accomodation around the Inverness area! Those XOS 26001-7 were hard to get and involved 3 overnights while at work to clear on the Brighton Edinburgh overnight move.

My Favourite engine of all time, even my wife has had 93 for haulage and just needs 33207 to clear. I have hundreds of these powerful little engines to publish. It all started with the Channel Island Boat Train and helped when my aunties moved to bournemouth at the end of the 70's. I bashed the Oxted commuters and Bournemouth to Weymouth at the end of the 70's and early 80's. The pair on the Brighton-Exeter was one of my favourite trains

Riotus little monsters these (choppers, bombs etc)with doors everywhere the times I bashed the Skeggies/Lostocks and Stranraer pilot.
Still need 20205 for a bash yet fingers crossed for 2008.

The only memory of this class was of D5901 at Doncaster works as seen in the photo enclosed

I vividly remember the 24 pilot at Manchester Victoria but didnt have a Camera to record any(24020-4 & 005. I had a couple for haulage on the 1242 Manchester -North wales and dropped on 24081 when 47187 failed.

Nothing was two large for these little rodents and 90 mph was common on load 5. Many pairs of these were sampled on the Manchester/Walsall/Derby to Skeg/Yarmouth and Shrewbury to Aberystwyth. Single ones were often bashed on around Manchester, Crewe to Cardiff, Glasgow to Dundee and Nottingham Llandudno. (Thanks to Alan Bayliss for some of the missing gen)

You cannot beat a push pull 27 for maximum thrash and frequency. Imagine today if we could bash Edinburgh Glasgow with tip tops the mileage would be unbelievable. How many times did the Strathclyde Fire brigade get called out during the 27's reign on top link?

DRS Green West Coast Sector Civils etc

The Harwich Boat train was my first contact with these growling beasts and had a couple of cab rides on this train. Had all but 37373 (Rob Fraser & Derek Richardson also would have cleared the class on this one)

Living in Manchester you had to be a forty basher. I was far too interested in slotting than mileage though. Had 176 for haulage which isnt bad.

I Drove D5 when at Toton with a shed permit in the early 1970's. Fond memories relive on with D4 & D8

I fell in love with the 45'0's on the 1710 York Man Vic 0820 Leeds Brum and other NE/SW trains to cane in the isolated ones for mega mileage. Just missed 45067 which I flagged for a Western.

I call these peaks scorchers because of the number that caught fire on NE/SW trains after storming up Lickey.
Only missed 46005 for haulage.
I was Devastated when 46026 LADY was scrapped.

Just let go 47275 on a Sheffield Man Picc then missed it when it didnt stop at Stockport on a drag. The following week it blew up on Newton Heath never to work again. Most of the time Duffs were there to bowl you out for a 40/45/50/52/55 so went for the line in the book and as little mileage as possible.
MV to Salford/Stalybridge/Eccles & MP to Stockport were great moves.

As soon as the class was introduced on the Preston Glasgow/Edinburgh service I was there at Hest Bank as soon as I heard one from our Caravan I could run to the lineside and view them. My first drag had D410 on from Piccadilly to Stafford in August 1972. To me the last great bashing days were on the Exeter Waterloo's when you could get mileage and 10 different ones in a day.

The true stylish and noisy powerful diesel that was just made for going along the sea wall between Dawlish and Teignmouth. Thank goodness D1015 can still bring back memories. The Padd Birminghams brought me a few winners in 1975 & 6

Even normals have heard of these ear drum breakers. I was lucky to have all 22 for haulage more by luck than judgement.
The York mails and Newcastle-Liverpools were great to bash because of the Tunnels. My first House was called Tulyar.

Noisy and smokey the phone ringing to advise one is to be tested at Crewe today was always excitement. These thudding monsters are sadly missed on railtours and drags.

With a lovely cab and easy access wardrobe panels I cant believe these have been ditched. I missed my last one 58017 whilst on a peak/gronk bash to Edinburgh. Will it ever perform again?

These loco's really were spoilt with silencers and put me off with the lack of noise. Flagged a few tours so still need a hand full to clear. Grey suited them well!

Slot em Jot em and forget em.

With only 30 to go at on tours ....what a waste of money?

Known as JA & JB's I also called them Genies because of the flash and puff of smoke caused when wet.
These lively loco's were difficult to get during the daytime so I bashed alot of the newspaper and overnight trains in the 70's.
I always recorded which ones were caned in on diesel. Took me until a couple were preserved to clear them all for diesel.

I only had 74010 for haulage but had it twice on the Channel Islands Boat Train in august 1972

Without these quiet simple beasts Guide Bridge and Reddish will never be forgotten. The Woodhead closure was a disaster, I named my house after the route.

These locos were not that common around Manchester but were often employed on reliefs to Glasgow/Carstairs or to Euston from Crewe. Had all 22 of the renumbered ones for haulage.

I managed to get all 8 for haulage as there were the local power for specials and Birmingham trains from Manchester.

The 1423 Manchester Swansea was a great train for these devices I only missed 83003.

These roarers were very rare indeed on passenger work

Having got engaged behind 85026 on 1423 Man Picc Swansea 29/11/1980. 85001 rolled up at Crewe on the splitter(Fort Bill/Inverness) Wedding night for the 1st Class sleeper to Mossend 7/06/1981.

What started of as a boring 100 blue loco class turned out to be very diverse and colourful. A much unsung hero of the 1970's and 1980's we cursed them when chasing roarers.

I will never forget when 87007 was lined up for the last run of the old Manchester Pullman stock needless to say it left 40 late when it was realised that 87's couldnt work this stock.

Help save the Class 89 for prosperity donate to the AC Locomotive group:- Cheque, payable to "Electric Traction Ltd" to Class 89 Appeal, Woodlands, Manse Road, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, AB51 3UJ.

The mainstay of loco hauled workings in this country for Anglia and Virgin Cross Country. I use to refer to these as right angles.

Nice noise on start up and great when blunt end first. I was hoping they would ban Pushing Mk4's after the hatfield and Heck incidents just so we could have them blunt.

Best Electrics left because of the power rarity and noise. The lurch on Mk1's is very noticeable down shap.

Mainly hand held or rested against any nearby object like a lamp post etc!

Trains, Diesel, Electric and Steam Loco's
(and the odd DMU/EMU)

Sector liveries & 33008 etc