Class 50 50031 'Hood' basks in the sunshine at Waterloo station on an evening service to Exeter
<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 ;)

My adopted 'Vac' 'The Mighty Hood' awaits the road on a sunny evening at Waterloo station, Note the very small 'nod' to Network SouthEast branding that the large-logo Class 50s carried!

<u><b>'A day in the life' - log book update:</b></u>
<u>Wednesday 13th April 1988</u> - 50031 on 1V19 19.10 Waterloo - Exeter.
Load 9 Mark IIs

<b>Dep. Waterloo (P13) 19.10</b>
<i>Clapham Junction 19.16
Wimbledon 19.20
Weybridge 19.28
Woking (signal stop) 19.31-33</i>
Woking 19.35-36
<i>Hook 19.50</i>
Arr. Basingstoke 19.55

<b>Locomotive History</b>
D431 entered service 06-Jul-68
Renumbered 50031 in 1974
Named 'Hood' 28-Jun-78
Withdrawn 05-Aug-91

The 'Mighty Hood' happily made it into preservation, and is now located on the Severn Valley Railway. More information here: <a href="https://www.svrwiki.com/BR_Class_50_50031_Hood" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.svrwiki.com/BR_Class_50_50031_Hood</a>
and here: <a href="https://www.fiftyfund.org.uk/index.php/our-locomotives/50031-hood" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.fiftyfund.org.uk/index.php/our-locomotives/50031-hood</a>

Taken with a Nikon F-501 SLR camera and 75-200mm zoom 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>
diesel class50 london waterloo 50031 station hood locomotive 431 d431