Class 40 40091 seen pulling in to Retford Low level station on 1M54 13.24 Skegness - Man Pic (SO)
<b>Class 40 Indian Summer - the legendary Manchester-Skegness</b>
On 11th Aug 1984, after enjoying the delights of 40099 on the 10.40 Carlisle - Leeds, we took a fast Tram down the ECML from Leeds to Retford, to catch the only scheduled service that was still booked a Class 40, the Skegness-Man Picc (SO). Here is the view from the footbridge with plenty of action in the first three coaches as well as on the platform, where a large cohort of bashers seem suitably impressed at the sight of 40091. 

<b>Approx. 22 bashers in view, and accompanying Adidas bags - anyone recognise themselves - the chap with the impressive ginger 'barnet' for example 😂</b>

<u><b>'A day in the life' - log book update:</b></u> 
<u>Saturday 11th August 1984</u> - 40091 on 1M54 13.24 Skegness - Man Picc

<b>RETFORD (Low Level)</b>
Whisker Hill Jnct
Worksop
Shireoaks
Kiveton Park
Darnall
SHEFFIELD
Dore
Hope
EDALE
New Mills Central
Romiley
Reddish North
Ashburys
<b>MAN PICC</b>

<b>65 miles</b>

This was after enjoying:
40099 on 1E23 10.40 Carlisle - Leeds.

<b>CARLISLE</b>
Armathwaite
Lazonby
Langwathby
APPLEBY
Kirkby Stephen
Ais Gill Summit
Garsdale
Dent
Ribblehead
Horton-in-Ribblesdale
SETTLE
Hellifield
SKIPTON
Keighley
Shipley
<b>LEEDS</b>

<b>113 miles</b>

Between 1982 and 1984 I spent many happy hours with my friends chasing around the North of England after the remaining Class 40s. At the beginning of 1984, there were still 50 members of the fleet in service, but this had already reduced down to 31 by the time I had 40091 in mid-August. By the end of the summer timetable, just 25 remained in service, and only 17 of the class survived into 1985, all but 3 being withdrawn over the weekend of 21st/22nd Jan 1985.

D200/40122, 40118 and 40012 were kept on just for rail tours, although D200 had a second Indian summer :)

<b>Locomotive History</b>
<b>D291 / 40091</b> was built by the English Electric Company at their Vulcan Foundry Works, Newton-Le-Willows, Lancashire and entered service in August 1960, allocated to Crewe North MPD. It was one of the batch of Class 40’s that were fitted with Clayton steam heating boilers. It would remain a “North Western” engine throughout its career, being allocated to sheds in the Crewe, Liverpool, Carlisle and Manchester areas. 40091 received its last classified repair at Crewe works in May 1979, but survived almost to the end of normal Class 40 operation, when it was withdrawn at Longsight depot in September 1984. It languished for over four years at Crewe Works, until finally being broken up on site by A. Hampton in December 1988, one of the last Class 40s to suffer this fate. Info. courtesy of: <a href="/photos/pics-by-john/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">John Woolley Photos</a> :)

<b>A supplementary loco history :)</b> 40091 was built by the Vulcan Foundry Limited (works number D528) at Newton-le-Willows for the English Electric Company Limited (works number 2813) in August 1960 for British Railways as number D291, being renumbered 40091 on 27th Feb 1974. After a further ten years of solid service, the locomotive was stored unserviceable in Aug 1984, and was withdrawn from Longsight Diesel Traction Maintenance Depot in week commencing 2nd Sep 1984, being stored at Newton Heath Traction Maintenance Depot from Oct 1984 until 15th Nov 1984, when it was moved to Crewe Works. It was cut up outside contractors A. Hampton’s between 17th Nov 1988 and 2nd Dec 1988, although the cabs were then moved to A. Hampton’s Newcastle-under-Lyme yard for further cutting up. Info. courtesy of: <a href="/photos/ingythewingy/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Ingy The Wingy</a> 

My interest in the railways waned permanently with the demise of the Class 50s, initially from the Paddington-Oxford route in 1990, and finally when they retired from the Waterloo-Exeter services in 1992.

As well as enjoying the thrash, I managed to record many of the trips and railway scenes encountered on film for posterity. Those days are now long gone, but happily the photos remain for me to reminisce over and share. ;)

Taken with a Zenith TTL SLR camera and standard lens. <b>Scanned from the original negative with no digital restoration</b>

You can see a random selection of my railway photos here on Flickriver: <a href="http://www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/</a>

<i>'Indian Summer' - a period of happiness or success occurring late in life...English Electric Type 4 1958-1984</i>
40091 291 d291 retford retfordlowlevel station class40 1m54 skegness platform bashers railenthusiasts locomotive