Class 35

35017 Watchet 31 October 1992

During 1992 D7017 was painted in departmental 'Dutch' livery and renumbered 35017. Although of course no class member every carried this livery or indeed TOPS numbers, they certainly would have done if they had lasted another twenty years, so it was an interesting experiment in 'what might have been'. On 31 October 1992 35017 (D7017) darkens the sky as it departs from Watchet station with a Minehead bound train during the West Somerset Railway's Diesel Gala.

D7017 & D7018 Castle Hill 28 October 1994

D7017 & D7018 pass Castle Hill on the West Somerset Railway with the 14:25 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard service during the line's Diesel Gala on 28 October 1994. The lead locomotives carries the experimental chromatic blue livery applied to a number of locomotives in the 1960s, before the slightly darker blue livery became standard. With small yellow warning panel and white window surrounds it certainly looks impressive, although the version carried by some locos without the white window surrounds looked very odd.

D7017 Norton Fitzwarren (Longlands Bridge) 29 October 1994

D7017 approaches Longlands Bridge (between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren) with the 09:55 Minehead to Norton Fitzwarren service on 29 October 1994, during the West Somerset Railway's Diesel Gala. The rusty track betrays how little used this section of the line south of Bishops Lydeard is.

D7017 Greet Tunnel 20 October 1995

D7017 darkens the sky at Winchcombe on 20 October 1995, as it performs a run past during a private freight charter. On the left is Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 industrial diesel D615, which was one of the first locos to arrive at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, in 1981.

D7017 Greet Tunnel 20 October 1995

D7017 rounds the curve on the approach to Greet Tunnel on 20 October 1995 with a short mixed freight. The loco was taking part in a private Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway freight charter, which unfortunately coincided with some extremely dull weather!

D7017 Toddington 11 November 1995

D7017 stands in Toddington Yard, on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway on the night of 11 November 1995. The loco was on short term loan to the railway at the time. Apart from the yard lights, the only sign of habitation are the lights of the houses on the Toddington to Winchcombe road, which can be seen across the fields to the left of the loco.

D7017 Winchcombe 19 April 1996

D7017 powers away from Winchcombe with a private freight charter on 19 April 1996. The Hymek was staying at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway for a few months, and in addition to working passenger trains, the opportunity was taken to organise a couple of freight charters using a selection of the line's period wagons.

D7017 Greet Tunnel 19 April 1996

D7017 emerges from Greet Tunnel on 19 April 1996 with a private freight charter. Unfortunately the weather was just as grim as six month's earlier, when the loco took part in a similar charter, whilst staying at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

D7017 & D5541 Greet Tunnel 18 May 1996

D7017 & D5541 emerge from Greet Tunnel on 18 May 1996 with the late running 16:50 Toddington to Far Stanley service. The opportunity had been taken to pair up these very different diesels, whilst D7017 was visiting the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. It is particularly poignant, as both types at one time worked the nearby Cotswold Line, with the Hymeks being an outstanding success when they took over from the GWR Castle Class 4-6-0s in the early 1960s. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the Class 31s, which took over when the hydraulics were being withdrawn. Although in theory their 1,470 bhp wasn't much less than the Hymek's 1,700 bhp, they proved hopelessly inadequate on the Cotswold Line, often struggling to get up Campden Bank.

7017 & D1041 Roebuck Farm 17 May 1997

7017 & D1041 Western Prince pass Roebuck Farm in the rain on 17 May 1997 with the 2C60 15:40 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service, during the West Somerset Railway's Diesel Gala. The day had started out with just occasional light rain, but now it was full monsoon conditions!

7017 & D7076 Watchet 18 May 1997

7017 & D7076 approach Watchet with the 15:40 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service on 18 May 1997, during the West Somerset Railway's Diesel Hydraulic Gala. Note that the lead blue liveried loco has correctly had the 'D' prefix of it number painted out. The cast numbers would have certainly been a challenge if the class were ever to actually carry their Class 35 designation.

7017 Nethercott 20 September 1998

7017 approaches the footpath crossing near Nethercott on the West Somerset Railway with the 16:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard service on 20 September 1998, during the line's Diesel Gala. The loco is in the class's final livery of BR blue, with the cast D prefix to the number painted out. Although the advent of TOPS resulted in the locos becoming Class 35, they never actually carried the numbers, presumably because those cast aluminum numbers were so difficult to alter. 

D7017 Stanton 25 July 2014

The highlight of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 2014 Diesel Gala was the use of D7017, making its second visit to the line, from its home on the West Somerset Railway. Its first train of the three day event happily corresponded with full sunshine, and is pictured here clagging nicely past Stanton with the 2C61 11:25 Laverton to Cheltenham Racecourse service on 25 July 2014.

D7017 Hailes 25 July 2014

Looking and sounding superb, D7017 passes Hailes on 25 July 2014 with the 2C75 16:40 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service. The loco was making a return visit to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway after an 18 year gap, during which time it has been repainted back into original BR green livery. A perfect choice of visiting traction, as the Hymeks were of course used extensively in the Cotswolds, although they are more generally associated with the Oxford to Worcester line.

D7017 & 5081 Southam 27 July 2014

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's resident Class 24, 5081 is piloted by visiting Hymek D7017 on 27 July 2014. The duo are pictured passing Southam with the 2C53 09:20 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the line's Diesel Gala.

D7017 Southam 27 July 2014

D7017 accelerates away from Cheltenham, and passes the Rosebay Willowherb at Southam with the 2L60 10:10 Cheltenham Racecourse to Laverton service on 27 July 2014, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. A nice touch was that all throughout the event the visiting Hymek displayed the correct headcode for each train.

D7017 Dixton 27 July 2018

Making its third visit to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, D7017 passes Dixton on 27 July 2018 with the 2C61 12:00 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the line's Diesel Gala. Note the proper use of the working headcode.

D7017 Winchcombe 27 July 2018

D7017 arrives at Winchcombe station on 27 July 2018 with the 2B62 13:25 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. The two semaphore signals in the foreground are on short posts in order to be clearly visible through the arch of the road bridge upon which I was standing to take this picture.

D7017 Hayles Abbey Halt 27 July 2018

D7017 passes Toddington's up distant signal on 27 July 2018, as it approaches Hayles Abbey Halt with the 2B62 13:25 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

D7018 M4 Junction 17 3 March 1994

Leyland DAF power, instead of Maybach power! D7018 is in unfamiliar surroundings, as it travels along the M4 on 3 March 1994, en-route from its base at the West Somerset Railway, to the Mid Hants Railway, for their Diesel Gala. Whilst driving to Bristol, I saw this going the other way, so came off at Junction 18, and headed back from whence I had just come, overtaking the Hymek, before coming off at Junction 17 to wait for it to pass by. It turned into a much longer wait than I imagined, as the low loader obviously called in at Leigh Delamere services! Eventually it appeared, and is pictured here passing the Junction 17 slip road near Stanton St Quintin.

D7018 Woodthorpe 25 March 1994

D7018 passes Woodthorpe on 25 Match 1994 with the 10:45 Loughborough to Leicester North service, during the Great Central Railway's Diesel Gala. Almost a little bit of sun, but in any event, nothing like as dark as it was a few miles to the north!

D7018 Rothley 25 March 1994

Conversation piece in the rain at Rothley on 25 March 1994. D7018 was visiting the Great Central Railway as part of the line's Diesel Gala. This was the loco's second visit to a Diesel Gala during the month of March, as at the beginning of the month it had left its base a the West Somerset Railway, to travel to the Mid Hants Railway, for their Diesel Gala.

D7018 Rothley 25 March 1994

The secondman gets ready to exchange the token, as D7018 approaches Rothley in the rain on 25 March 1994 with the Great Central Railway's rake of 16 ton minerals wagons. This was during the line's Diesel Gala.

D7076 Summerseat 7 October 1990

D7076 crosses the River Irwell at Summerseat, on the East Lancashire Railway with an early morning Bury to Rawtenstall service, during the line's Diesel Gala on 7 October 1990. The houses in the background are Hamer Terrace, in the nearby village of Brooksbottoms, which gives the viaduct its alternative name.

D7076 Summerseat 7 October 1990

A wave from the driver of D7076, as it crosses the River Irwell at Summerseat with a Ramsbottom to Bury service, during East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala on 7 October 1990. A slightly different angle, and a change of rolling stock since it passed by in the other direction 20 minutes earlier.

D7076 Summerseat 18 June 1995

Network SouthEast Hymek! Perhaps if the Hymeks had not been withdrawn ridiculously prematurely, they might well of ended up on Oxford to Paddington trains in the NSE era, although I'm not too sure the red, white and blue livery would suit the locos! D7076 approaches Summerseat on 18 June 1995 with the 11:45 Bury to Rawtenstall service, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. Around this time the loco was wearing various different numbers, and it seen here running as scrapped classmate D7089.

D7076 & 7017 Roebuck Farm 17 May 1997

D7076 & 7017 pass Roebuck Farm in the drizzle on 17 May 1997 with the 1A46 13:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard service, during the West Somerset Railway's Diesel Gala. The headboard reads: 'The Mighty Malt Loaf'!

D7076 Roebuck Farm 17 May 1997

D7076 passes Roebuck Farm on 17 May 1997 with the 2B52 14:45 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service, during the West Somerset Railway's Diesel Gala. The rain had temporarily eased at this point, which explains the number of heads sticking out of the windows!

D7076 Heap Bridge 3 July 2011

D7076 passes the Rosebay Willowherb at Heap Bridge as it makes a noisy ascent of the bank with the 2J78 14:26 Rawtenstall to Heywood service on 3 July 2011, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. With the lighting getting more and more backlit, I opted for this side shot, showing the loco set against the dark cutting side.

D7076 Heap Bridge 3 July 2011

D7076 rolls down the gradient at Heap Bridge on 3 July 2011 with the 2J87 15:45 Heywood to Rawtenstall service, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. The field in the foreground was formerly a sand quarry and the unexcavated edge gives a grandstand view of the line in both directions.

D7076 Dixton 25 July 2015

The only visiting locomotive at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 2015 Diesel Gala was D7076 from the East Lancashire Railway. It is seen here passing though the cutting at Dixton with the 2C61 (so the headcode is almost correct!) 11:25 Laverton  to Cheltenham Racecourse service on 25 July 2015.

D7076 Dixton 25 July 2015

D7076 has just passed underneath the roadbridge at Dixton on 25 July 2015, as it works the 2L64 13:30 Cheltenham Racecourse to Laverton service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

D7076 Winchcombe 25 July 2015

With a 'Cheltenham Spa Express' headboard, D7076 slowly accelerates away from Winchcombe station on 25 July 2015 with the 2C75 16:40 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. Although thankfully spared the rain of the other two days, the large amount of cloud on this Saturday ruined a number of pictures, and came close to spoiling many others. How close this one came to being ruined can by judged by the cloud covered Salter's Hill in the background.

D7076 Hailes 25 July 2015

D7076 passes Hailes on 25 July 2015 with the 2L78 17:30 Cheltenham Racecourse to Laverton service. The East Lancashire Railway's Hymek was the star attraction at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala, adding to the already impressive diesel home fleet.

D7076 Hailes 25 July 2015

D7076 passes Hailes on 25 July 2015 with the 1C91 19:15 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. After a day of mixed sun and cloud, a large bank of more solid cloud moved in from the west during the evening. It seemed that this might scupper any chances of getting this picture in the sun. However, I could see there was a clear patch beyond this cloud, and as the sun was sinking fast, I guessed it would eventually drop into this clear patch. Right on cue, just before the booked time, and after I had found one of the few locations that was clear of shadows, the sun dropped out of the cloud to produce this superb late evening light.

D7076 Foley Park Tunnel 2 October 2015

Just after exiting Foley Park Tunnel, D7076 passes Bewdley's down distant signal on 2 October 2015 with the 12:11 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service, during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. Note the 'Project 22 On Tour' headboard. This refers to the plan to build a replica of the Class 22 diesel hydraulic, a much maligned class of loco, none of which survived into preservation.

D7076 Eardington 2 October 2015

Catching the very last rays of the setting sun, D7076 climbs Eardington Bank, on the Severn Valley Railway, with the 17:01 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service on 2 October 2015, during the line's Diesel Gala. Luckily this was on time, as the light was rapidly fading, and worse still, the shadows were climbing the embankment with frightening speed. Not only does the classic Wilkes & Ashmore designed Hymek look fantastic in the evening light, but the racket it made when opening up was pretty impressive too! A great end to a day's photography.