THE CLASS 52 'WESTERN' DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE
WITHDRAWN / SCRAPPED

INTRO -  AT WORK -  ON SHED -  SPECIALS -  PRESERVED -  CABS -  D1015


D1054 Western Governor D1054 Western Governor at Swindon Works waiting the cutters torch remarkably with intact cab and headcode glass
[3rd April 1977]
D1012 Western Firebrand at Swindon Works waiting its turn for scrapping
[3rd April 1977]
D1012 Western Firebrand
D1054 Western Governor and D1028 Western Hussar Withdrawn D1054 Western Governor and D1028 Western Hussar at Swindon
[3rd April 1977]
The gutted engine room of D1068 Western Reliance at Swindon
[3rd April 1977]
D1068 Western Reliance
D1003 Western Pioneer The shell of D1003 Western Pioneer at Swindon Works waiting its turn to be cut up
[3rd April 1977]
D1012 Western Firebrand and D1025 Western Guardsman at Swindow
[3rd April 1977]
D1012 Western Firebrand and D1025 Western Guardsman
D1064 Western Regent Withdrawn D1064 Western Regent in the yard at Swindon Works
[3rd April 1977]
A lineup of withdrawn 52's at Laira comprising of D1035,D7089,D1003,D1009,D1006,D1031
[6th April 1975]
D1035,D7089,D1003,D1009,D1006,D1031
D1040 Western Queen D1040 Western Queen at Laira withdrawn on the 29th February 1975 but with plates still attached.
[6th April 1975]
D1006 Western Stalwart seen at Laira MPD on the day she was officially withdrawn due to no replacement power units being available. D1006 failed in service while working the 2B17 09.10 Plymouth to Paignton on Monday 31st March 1975 with a reoccuring engine stopping fault. Western Viceroy took over the diagram. D1006 ran light from Newton Abbot to Laira the same day and was stopped and put on decision until Sunday 6th April when she was withdrawn.
[6th April 1975]
D1006 Western Stalwart
D1031 Western Rifleman D1031 Western Rifleman seen at Laira MPD. Fire was the cause of her downfall when 'A' engine caught fire between Patchway and Parkway near Bristol on the 28th November 1974 while working the 8A10 15.28 Margam to Acton freight. Rifleman was taken to Bath Road depot and then two days later towed to Exeter SP by D1067. She continued her jorney back to Laira on the 2nd December again with D1067. She was assigned to Swindon for scrapping but had not been offically withdrawn so after another spell at Bath Road she was finally withdrawn on the 1st February 1975. [6th April 1975]
D1012 Western Firebrand with D1027 Western Lancer behind both withdrawn at Laira but with their plates still attached. Western Firebrand was officially withdrawn on the 4th November 1975 four days before this shot was taken. Her last passenger working was the 1B88 17.45 Paddington to Westbury on the 30th October 1975. Firebrand returned to Laira on the 4th November at the head of the 4V03 21.20 Birmingham Curzon Street to Plymouth parcels working which she took over at Bristol. She was suffering from a brake defect and Laira took the decision to withdraw the locomotive.
[8th November 1975]
D1012 Western Firebrand and D1027 Western Lancer
D1027 Western Lancer D1027 Western Lancer at Laira depot six days after being withdrawn and still with its plates attached. Lancer's last passenger working was the 1B88 17.45 Paddington to Westbury on 28th September 1975. After staying at Westbury for a couple of days she worked the 6B22 19.07 Westbury to Exeter Central cement on 31st October and stabled overnight on Exeter SP. The next day she worked light to Laira and was withdrawn the day after, 2nd November 1975.[8th November 1975]
D1025 Western Guardsman at Laira depot twelve days after being withdrawn on the 6th October 1975. She was simply switch off after her last working. The 1A65 headcode relates to her penultamate working the 15.55 Paignton to Paddington on Saturday 4th October 1975. She only worked one more passenger working the 1B09 09.30 Paddington to Paignton on Sunday 5th followed by a 0F77 light engine move fron NA to LA. Guardsman was withdrawn the following day but only after working some local PW working the morning of her demise. [18th October 1975] D1025 Western Guardsman
D1011 Western Thunderer D1011 Western Thunderer at Laira twelve days after being withdrawn on the 6th October 1975. D1011 was withdrawn due to being selected as one of the class to be taken out of service at the end of the 1975 summer timetable. She worked the 4B10 16.05 Bristol to Plymouth parcels on the 2nd October 1975 and, on arriving at Laira, was put on decision suffering a cylinder head problem. It was decided that Thunderer whould be one of the planned loco's to be withdrawn so her fate was sealed on the 6th October.
[18th October 1975]
D1059 Western Empire at Laira twelve days after being withdrawn on the 6th October 1975. The last passenger working for Empire was the 1V54 23.00 Striling to Newton Abbot motorail which she took over at Bristol on Saturday 4th October 1975. She spent the Sunday on Newton Abbot shed then the following day, her last, she worked the 5B08 06.05 NA to Exeter ECS move which formed the 2B08 07.10 Exeter to Plymouth. On arrival back at Laira she was withdrawn.
[18th October 1975]
D1059 Western Empire
D1009 Western Invader D1009 Western Invader at Laira four days after being withdrawn for having a broken coil spring on one of her bogies. The last days of Invader were spent on freight workings as she was restricted due to having no operating boiler. Her last passenger working came on 1st November 1976 when she replaced a failed class 50 at Exeter on the 1B65 13.30 Paddington to Penzance which she worked to Plymouth. On the 10th November Invader worked the 7B18 03.45 Severn Tunnel Jcn to Plymouth Friary and on returning to Laira was withdrawn due to the broken spring.
[14th November 1976]
D1033 Western Trooper at Laira being used to provide steam heating for coaching stock. The loco was withdrawn on the 16th September 1976 due to thin tyers on 'B' bogie. Her last passenger working came on the 14th September 1976 when she ran light engine from Newton Abbot to Exeter to work the 2B20 09.55 Exeter to Paignton service. The following day she ran light with D1009 to Laira. The 16th September was spent working local ballast trips until arriving back at Laira at 18.30 and was withdrawn a few hours later. [7th November 1976] D1028 Western Hussar
D1033 Western Trooper D1033 Western Trooper being used to heat coaching stock. Note the extra wiring to a warning bell hung on the lamp bracket.
[7th November 1976]
D1034 Western Dragoon at Laira after being withdrawn due to damage being found to her main frame tubes. Her last working, as can be seen by the headcode still in place, was the 1A55 21.05 Penzance to Paddington which she worked as far as Plymouth on the 6th October 1975 two days before being withdrawn on the 8th October. It will be noted that the headcode 1A55 is facing west which indicates that the loco must have run via the Laira triangle at some stage before being put in Laira's PAD sidings. [12th September 1976] D1034 Western Trooper
D1003 Western Pioneer D1003 Western Pioneer at the head of a line of withdrawn 52's at Laira depot. D1003's last passenger working was the 1A79 14.40 Penzance to Paddington from Plymouth on 12th September 1974. Four days later she ran light engine from OOC to LA, 0F77, where she stayed on decision until finaly being offically withdrawn on the 5th January 1975.
D1008 Western Harrier withdrawn at Laira. Harrier failed in service while working the 1V28 10.25 Birmingham to Paddington on 24th August 1974. She was rescued by a class 47 which towed Harrier and her train to London. She ran light engine from Old Oak Common to Laira where she was placed on decision. D1008 was finaly officaly withdrawn on the 21st October 1974. D1008 Western Harrier
D1029 Western Legionnaire D1029 Western Legionnaire withdrawn at Laira. Collision damage to 'A' end was her downfall. On the Saturday 16th November 1974 she worked the 1B73 14.30 Paddington to Paignton and the 2B43 18.55 Paignton to Newton Abbot. She spent all Sunday on shed at NA but then on the Monday D1029 collided with 'Peak' 46009 and was run light engine to Laira for examination. Legionnaire was immedeatly withdrawn. You can just see that the buffer has been bent inwards.
D1066 Western Prefect in the sidings at Laira having been withdrawn on 12th November 1974 because of collision damage. Her last working came on the Sunday 10th November when she took over from two class 47's, one of which had failed, at Westbury on the 1B45 16.30 Paddington to Plymouth service. She worked through to Plymouth and then returned light engine to Newton Abbot where unfortunatley she collided with a steam crane. D1066 Western Prefect
D1066 Western Prefect This shows the damage caused to D1066 Western Prefect by colliding with a crane at Newton Abbot.

All images © Copyright Steve Boon 2001

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