A Short History of 25 901

South Devon Diesel Traction, SDDT






25 901
25 901 at Buckfastleigh May 2003


D7612, as it was then, was built at Derby works and first allocated new to 65A Glasgow Eastfield TMD on 23 April 1966. It was one of thirteen allocated to the Scottish Region fitted with single line token catcher recesses in the cab sides under the drivers windows, however all moved south within a year. D7612 went under the control of LMML Line Power Controller Derby in September 1967. It then went to D16 Nottingham and D02 Birmingham Divisions until allocated to Bescot Depot on 6 May 1973. It worked from Bescot until being placed into store (unserviceable) in April 1982 at Derby with power unit problems. It received the power unit from 25 274 and was restored to service at Bescot in May 1982.

25 262, as it had become by then, went back up north on 30 September 1985 being allocated to Carlisle Kingmoor Depot (KD), the Depot code changing to KM later in 1985. It was allocated the new number of 25901 on 19 December 1985 with the actual transfers on the loco being changed the following day. The 25/9 was a sub class of twelve locos for use on Industrial Minerals and Chemical sectors of BR. All of the Class 25's were withdrawn in 1987 with 25901 being officially withdrawn at 0330 on 16 March 1987, however the loco worked on past this date on trip work and is thought to be the last Class 25 to work a normal BR service towards the end of April 1987.

The loco was stored at Kingmoor but later moved to Upperby for inspection on 9 August 1988 before returning to Carlisle TMD. It was then sent back to Upperby for storage on 10 November 1988. The following year the loco undertook a tour of the country, being towed south to Crewe South Yard on 31 May 1989. It was to have gone to Vic Berry for scrapping, but was found to have been sold not to them but to Mr H Needle. It then went back up north moving from Crewe on 7 June 1989 to MC Metals for Asbestos removal, travelling via Mossend Yard. On 17 September 1989 it moved by road to the East Lancashire Railway. It was later sold on to a small group of members on the railway who repainted the loco into BR Green livery as D7612. In 1999 it was sold on again, this time to us, and moved to the South Devon Railway by road on 30 March.

Following its arrival on the railway D7612 operated a variety of services until being taken out of traffic in May 2001. During the past couple of years major bodywork repairs have been undertaken and the cooler groups removed, new water tanks fabricated and refitted, a new exhaust stack fabricated and fitted and a full external and internal repaint undertaken along with a thousand and one other jobs!

The loco made its official return to public service at the SDR 2003 Diesel Gala ex works in BR Blue livery complete with its 25901 number and 2 dot domino headcodes and is now a regular performer on the South Devon Railway.




25onA38 D7612 Staverton
D7612 approaches Buckfastleigh on the A38 D7612 Leaves Staverton Summer'99
Tank Fab Old Tanks
New Rad Tank
under construction.
The Old Radiator Tanks

Inside 25901 25901
Inside 25 901 after restoration 25 901 at Totnes