Ultimate thrash! Class 50 50039 'Implacable' doing 'a ton' through Southall station
<b>Memories of the fine art of Vac bashing</b>
Between 1983 and 1991 I spent many, many happy hours with my friends riding the rails behind the mighty 'Hoovers' or Class 50s. 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 ;)

A Class 50 tanks through my home station of Southall, just a few miles out from Paddington, with an Inter-City train. Note four in the cab!

<b>Locomotive History</b>
D439 entered service 14-Sep-68
Renumbered 50039 in 1974
Named 'Implacable' 20-Jun-78
Withdrawn 04-Jun-89
Cut up by Coopers Metals at Old Oak Common Jul-91

<b>50039 'Implacable'</b> was one of the early casualties, becoming the tenth Class 50 to be withdrawn, on 04 June 1989 after 21 years of service. The locomotive languished at Old Oak Common for a couple of years, before being broken up on site by Coopers Metals in July 1991, along with 50024, 50028 &amp; 50041 - one of eleven Class 50s to end their days on Old Oak Common shed. 50039's demise was sadly witnessed and photographed by myself. A solid performer and a nice loud machine.

Taken with a Soviet made Zenith TTL SLR camera and 300mm lens.

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>
london diesel southall stations class50 439 50039 d439 locomotive