IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Latimer Drive, CREWE, CW2 7UN

LNWR 2-2-2 3020 Cornwall, dating from 1847 (rebuilt in 1858) alongside a new (in 1975) Class 43 HST at the Crewe Works Open Day. Grid reference approximate.

This is Class 91024, which now regularly runs in service up and down the East Coast Main Line (ECML). The line-up of locomotives, under construction, started with 91022, which was almost completed. I followed a group of excited enthusiasts as they progressed along the production line, starting with 91022. They almost ran down the line eagerly writing down the numbers of each less finished than the one before. After we passed the just started 91028 I expected to see them huddled around a packet of nuts and bolts desperately searching for the number 91029.

Class 90050 and Class 91020 stand in the works on Crewe Open Day. I'm not quite sure of the correct title for the works, nor its correct grid reference, but I don't think I'm far off with the latter.

These 0-8-0s were the principal work-horses for freight traffic on the latter-day London & North Western. No. 9376 is a G2A Class 0-8-0, built in 11/1902, rebuilt in 5/40 and withdrawn in 3/58. Here it is ex-Works in 1948 but not yet renumbered 49376 and has nothing on the tender; it is fitted with a tender-cab for working in the bitter cold around Buxton. Behind it is a Stanier 'Princess Royal' Pacific.

40123, an English Electric type 4 locomotive, succumbs to the cutters torch in Crewe Works after a twenty year career. The type were ordered for the pilot scheme dieselisation of British Railways in 1955 and the first entered service in 1958. Built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns, she entered service as D323 in May 1961. She was withdrawn from Haymarket (Edinburgh) shed in 1980. Although partly cut up in this photo, she would hang on for another 9 months before being broken-up completely in February 1983.

Taken from a passing train. The locos had been damaged in an incident at Nuneaton a few days beforehand.

The damage to British Rail Class 40 No. 40 189 is obvious. The locomotive was involved in the Weaver Junction crash on 6 August 1975. It was hauling a freight train which was unable to stop due to a lack of brake power, over-ran a signal and collided with another freight train. Seen during the Crewe Works Open Day, 1975. Location within Crewe Works where photographed is a guess.

Crewe Works Open Day, May 2003

This ex-LNW 2F 'Special' 0-6-0 saddle-tank had been so long on the Chief Mechanical Engineer's stock of Works shunters that it retained its LNW No. 3323 and kept it until condemned in 1954.

Ancient ex-London & North Western 'Bissel Truck' 0-4-2T No. 7862 was one of the team of old-stagers used around Crewe Works - seen in 1948.