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Page last Updated : 10-01-10
'UD' recalls... "Crewe Works open Day Saturday 22nd 1979 Back then, depot and works open days were much more commonplace than they are today. Locos found at such open days were a snapshot of the regular locos likely to be found at that venue at anytime, rather than made up almost entirely of specially brought in exhibits as in latter day events. Even so, enthusiasts travelled from far and wide to see them, and in great numbers too. The hordes would start to gather on the platforms of the station closest to the venue, i.e., Crewe, from early on, and with each service arrival brought more cranks… Stoke Yd: 08416 Stoke Fishdock & Spur: 47195,47345,47367 Stoke LNW yard: 25092 Cockshute HS (passing): 08395,47205 Etruria Yd: 08222 Longport Yd: 08737 Alsager: 25137 (1.) Crewe DED (passing am):08080,08473,08739,25159,40017,40018,40097,40098,40107,40109 46025,47076,47257,47285,47306,47348,47366,47424,76010,85009 85036,86228,86243 Usually at Crewe the two depot roads closest to the mainline contained electrics, with the second row always slightly staggered from the first blocking the view of anything else behind! There seamed fewer electrics present that usual with 76010 an unusual electric visitor, unable to draw power, it was on the depot en-route between Works and Reddish. More regularly found here, 24081 was tucked in behind the electrics, attached to the brakedown vans when I arrived first thing, but later ran light to the works for the event. The Class 24's had a long association with Crewe, but with 24063 having being withdrawn from Crewe in April 79 and cut at Doncaster by the end of July, 24081 was now the only survivor in regular traffic out of an original 151 examples. Crewe Sta (am working): 08913,24081,25157,25160,25214,25245,47190,47436,47455,47462 47515,47524,81008,81018,82002,83008,83010,84002,84010,85004 85020,85027,85038,86006,86014,86018,86020,86021,85036,85039 86204,86208,86218,86225,86232,86239,86242,86245,86246,86254 After allowing the initial mad rush to depart, we followed on, walking down the old platform 1, joining the many cranks who would each repeatedly duck down to try and identify the electrics parked behind the screen… We deffed the shuttle buses to the works and opted to walk… Crewe Works: 08088,08329,08468,20033,20081,20097,20132,20174,24081,37001 37041,37183,40008,40022,40027,40029,40048,40063,40068,40074 40079,40103,40113,40123,40139,40157,40162,40174,40179,40181 40185,40187,47007,47024,47026,47036,47042,47045,47059,47089 47103,47117,47150,47152,47160,47164,48187,47204,47207,47209 47213,47230,47231,47239,47250,47290,47301,47313,47320,47355 47361,47375,47404,47405,47407,47410,47419,47432,47437,47444 47448,47464,47465,47466,47472,47475,47480,47488,47505,47508 47517,47519,47530,47536,47547,47701,47708,47710,81015,81017 82001,82005,82006,82007,82008,83002,83007,83012,85025,86004 86030,86037,86216,86224,86248,87012,87033,43000,43131,43132 43133,43134,43136,43137,43138,43140 (2),49005,RDB975010. With the electric depot partially visible from the works training school but strictly out of bounds to open day visitors, chalk boards detailed what was on shed (visible or not). Crewe CE (wdn/stored?): 82003,84006,84007,84008 Crewe CE (outside): 85026,85027,85035,87010 Crewe CE (inside 3): 81008,81009,83001,84003,85012,85015,85016,85021,85022,87007 After walking back to the station, rather than go straight back home, we opted to observe the afternoons workings, the trains were all packed to bursting anyway. Crewe Sta (pm working): 08913,25042,25216,25307,31179 (4),40032,40067,40173,46022 47049,47061,47094,47246,47266,47348,47350,47436,47452,47482 47515,50008 (5),83008,83011,84002,85027,85034,85039,86014 86025,86027,86103,86210,86212,86220,86225,86236,86239,86241 86242,86247,86250,86252,86253,86257,87002,87020,87101 Class 31's were not that common at Crewe, but 31179 arrived with a van train from Peterborough, a turn that much more often produced a Class 25. Class 84's, like the Class 24's, were another class on borrowed time. 84002 worked a short van train south? All the Class 50's were once based here, but by this time they had all moved on, to the WR. 50008, now named 'Thunderer' and featuring a sizable crest was a popular sight making a return visit with a railtour to Plymouth via Shrewsbury & Newport avoider. Crewe DED (pm passing) 25158,25160,25214,25219,31179,40017,40018,40097,40098,40107 40109,46022,47061,47076,47246,47257,47285,47306,47350,47357 47366,47424,47481,76010 Etruria Yd: 08222 Cockshute HS (passing): 47205,47229 Stoke Fishdock & Spur: 47367 Stoke Sta: 08737 Notes: Locos shown above as 'on shed' were recorded off passing trains. Those shown as in/through the station may also have included movement's on/off shed 1. 25137 was hauling a Derby bound 3 car DMU which had failed, probably forming the first departure from Crewe that day, (or maybe the 2nd?) it was certainly carrying passengers. 2. Which HST power cars to count and which not? Those noted above were (in my opinion at the time) recognisable as the ID's given, but there were at least a further 8 frames present that I chose not to count. 3. Chalkboards listing locos in and around the adjacent CE electric depot were displayed and notes taken, but thankfully for me, no potential cops were just out of sight? 4. A Saturday afternoon van train arrival from Peterborough was a regular at that time. While a Class 25 was the more usual motive power, it was 31179 on this occasion. 5. 50008 arrived from Plymouth? on Railtour duty while I was at the works. I did see the return to Plymouth, which left via the Shrewsbury route. Regrettably further individual loco movements were not identified at the time." |
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