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45015 being scrapped finally.

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Cowley

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That title simply shifts onto the next oldest Peak. Not an interesting attribute or accolade in and of itself.

As far as I know 45015 was the only class 45 left that was originally built with nose end doors. Nothing else of note though.
 
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Cowley

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I've read that before, but never been able to make them out in photos. Were they removed or plated over?

I think they’d have been plated over fairly early on, pretty sure they were plated over by the early 1970s. If anyone could confirm this though it’d be much appreciated.
Another thing I’ve been wondering about though which is also related to the nose end doors is, were the 45s actually fitted with Blue Star multiple working equipment?
I always thought that when they worked in pairs on the Midland Main Line they needed two drivers for each loco?
Perhaps someone knowledgeable on these things like @70014IronDuke would know..?
 
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Alanko

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Judging by photos retrieved via Google, 45015 started out with split headcode boxes, with a clearly defined pair of doors in between them. At some point both the boxes and doors were removed. As such, this interesting feature was gone by the time the loco made it into 'preservation', so to speak. The only other option I can think of is that only one end of the loco has been routinely photographed as it currently exists, so the doors might languish at the other end?
 

Cowley

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Judging by photos retrieved via Google, 45015 started out with split headcode boxes, with a clearly defined pair of doors in between them. At some point both the boxes and doors were removed. As such, this interesting feature was gone by the time the loco made it into 'preservation', so to speak. The only other option I can think of is that only one end of the loco has been routinely photographed as it currently exists, so the doors might languish at the other end?

No it would definitely have been plated over at both ends many years ago. By the time they were withdrawn in the 1980s they all had the twin light treatment on the nose ends, with the 45/1s (the ETS/ETH ones) also having sealed beam headlights fitted.
Not sure when the last split headcode peak was altered but it probably wasn’t later than the early 1980s?
 

Peter Mugridge

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No it would definitely have been plated over at both ends many years ago. By the time they were withdrawn in the 1980s they all had the twin light treatment on the nose ends, with the 45/1s (the ETS/ETH ones) also having sealed beam headlights fitted.
Not sure when the last split headcode peak was altered but it probably wasn’t later than the early 1980s?
It did indeed; I have two pictures of 45 015 in my archives: picture 678 here was on 5th April 1983 at St Pancras and picture 868 was at Derby on 9th July 1983. Frustratingly the quality isn't good enough to be sure the pictures are of the opposite ends, but it does demonstrate that it had been plated over.
 

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L+Y

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I think the nose doors were plated up very early: I don't think any locos even made it into TOPS with doors fitted. Certainly I've only ever seen one or two photos of blue 45s with nose end doors.
 

Cowley

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I think the nose doors were plated up very early: I don't think any locos even made it into TOPS with doors fitted. Certainly I've only ever seen one or two photos of blue 45s with nose end doors.

Yes that’s what I thought. The arrangement with the central headcode but with a split down the middle lasted for a while too, but I think by 1983ish they probably all had the same look and so did the 46s.
 

Neptune

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No it would definitely have been plated over at both ends many years ago. By the time they were withdrawn in the 1980s they all had the twin light treatment on the nose ends, with the 45/1s (the ETS/ETH ones) also having sealed beam headlights fitted.
Not sure when the last split headcode peak was altered but it probably wasn’t later than the early 1980s?
45053 was withdrawn around 1984 still bearing split boxes. I remember seeing it at one of the Crewe Works open days in that state (possibly the 1987 one).

46037 was one of the last 46’s withdrawn in 1984 and retained the centre glass headcode boxes to the end.
 
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Irascible

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Yes that’s what I thought. The arrangement with the central headcode but with a split down the middle lasted for a while too, but I think by 1983ish they probably all had the same look and so did the 46s.
Weren't the noses completely replaceable, or am I thinking of something else?
 

FOCTOC

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45053 was withdrawn around 1984 still bearing split boxes. I remember seeing it at one of the Crewe Works open days in that state (possibly the 1987 one).

46037 was one of the last 46’s withdrawn in 1984 and retained the centre glass headcode boxes to the end.
Correct. 45036 also soldiered on till the end with glass fronted centre split headcodes. I'm trying to remember what was in North Yard at Swindon too - pretty sure there was more than one 45/46 in there with original headcodes.
 

gg1

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Weren't the noses completely replaceable, or am I thinking of something else?
I haven't heard that before but it would make sense. Certainly the proportion of Peaks which carried different styles of nose over their lives seemed much greater than was the case for 37s.
 

Cowley

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Social media users will need another loco now to be the butt of all jokes and memes.....

There’s someone on wnxx with the username ‘45015ismossey’ …


Weren't the noses completely replaceable, or am I thinking of something else?

I think I remember seeing 45132 at Ropley with the nose removed as one piece above the horizontal band in the bodywork below the marker lights, which left various bits of equipment easily accessible.
 

theblackwatch

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Correct. 45036 also soldiered on till the end with glass fronted centre split headcodes. I'm trying to remember what was in North Yard at Swindon too - pretty sure there was more than one 45/46 in there with original headcodes.

Pip Dunn's book "British Rail Main Line Locomotives - Specification Guide" states 45032/035/036 were withdrawn with this style headcode.
 

Cowley

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Pip Dunn's book "British Rail Main Line Locomotives - Specification Guide" states 45032/035/036 were withdrawn with this style headcode.

I was trying to remember if any of these were in the scrap line at Toton in the 1980s? Or were they all Swindon cut ones?
 

JKF

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Social media users will need another loco now to be the butt of all jokes and memes.....
No shortage of candidates, sadly, although a few other long termers have had a bit of attention recently (25244, the ’scrap line’ at Embsay). I’d vote for 37042, stranded up by the A66.
 

Richard Scott

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Another thing I’ve been wondering about though which is also related to the nose end doors is, were the 45s actually fitted with Blue Star multiple working equipment?
I always thought that when they worked in pairs on the Midland Main Line they needed two drivers for each loco?
45s were originally blue star fitted but believe was removed on first overhaul as rarely used.
 

Strathclyder

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No shortage of candidates, sadly, although a few other long termers have had a bit of attention recently (25244, the ’scrap line’ at Embsay). I’d vote for 37042, stranded up by the A66.
Is that the badly faded EW&S split-headcode 37? Or am I thinking of another one?
 

alistairlees

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I was trying to remember if any of these were in the scrap line at Toton in the 1980s? Or were they all Swindon cut ones?
Only 45036 was in the Toton scrap line. I have some images of it just withdrawn inside the MPD, probably 1985 or 86.
 

Cowley

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45s were originally blue star fitted but believe was removed on first overhaul as rarely used.

Ah ok that makes sense. Blimey can you imagine those doors being any use whatsoever on a loco that long? Twang. “Doh!” :)


Only 45036 was in the Toton scrap line. I have some images of it just withdrawn inside the MPD, probably 1985 or 86.

Thanks for that. I think I walked along that line in late 1986/early 87, so maybe it was in there with the others by then.
Just found a photo of it inside the MPD:

 

fgwrich

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No shortage of candidates, sadly, although a few other long termers have had a bit of attention recently (25244, the ’scrap line’ at Embsay). I’d vote for 37042, stranded up by the A66.

Being worked on, with the 31 under restoration and I believe some progress on the 47 now as well.

37042 at Warcop or 47484 "Isambard Kingdom Brunel" perhaps. The 'Duff' was a bit of a celebrity at one point so maybe a good contender?

Poor old Isambard at least isn't abandoned though. It is waiting it's turn in the Pioneer Diesel Group's restoration queue, ironically for this thread it is currently behind a Peak which is in pieces in Barrow Hill at the moment. The saga of 45015 is more a tale of an abandoned loco and a failed restoration more than anything.
 

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Shame. Nobody would consider scrapping a steam loco and there's several no-hopers rusting away around the country.

Steam locos tend to be of a simpler, heavier duty construction than diesels, if you have a set of frames and wheels in good nick you're off to a good start.
 

Alanko

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Steam locos tend to be of a simpler, heavier duty construction than diesels, if you have a set of frames and wheels in good nick you're off to a good start.

I'm amazed at how some steam locos have come back to life from complete ruins. By comparison, I follow the Facebook page '16 SVT Society' who are doing a full nut and bolt restoration of a Class 40. The level of work required is staggering.

A good steam equivalent 45015 would be the industrial locos sitting in a scrapyard in Kirkcaldy. They haven't run in preservation and are in 'Barry Island' condition. Apparently the owner of the yard wants a fairly astronomical sum for them, though I have half a memory of somebody trying to rescue one of them recently. Any mention of them online brings out the inevitable "somebody ought to do something!" line.
 
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