Hymek D7018

Some great news from the West Somerset railway!

https://www.west-somerset-railway.c...rns-her-wheels-for-the-first-time-in-23-years
A lovely restored locomotive in my favourite livery. Congratulations and applause to all involved in this restoration!

Knut

 

I agree. I like Hymeks...as I grew up in the North-West we didn't see them. I first clapped eyes on one at Paddington in 1964 and clearly remember being very impressed.

 

Splendid news and a splendid looking loco class but then I'm biased being a West country boy.

 

Growing up in Bristol, we didn't really appreciate Hymeks as they were common place and not so powerful as the warships and Westerns.
Then for about a year(?), the DMU service from Temple Meads to Cardiff was replaced by a Hymek and four 3 or 4 coaches. They sooo sped up that journey. On our way home from Barry, I went to wash my hands and due to the speed, the water was sloshing out of the basin. After that we knew they had more in them than appeared.

Great photo in the OP. That two tone green suited them much more than the BR Blue livery did.

 

Obviously lived in the wrong place then John; built at Gorton in Manchester then uncertain route running LE to the WR. I had the timing details from a local signalman when the Class 25/3s were built there with an acceptance run to Derby via the MML.

 

I thought it was fairly certain that they went via the GCR. Are you saying that not all of them did?
(I’m no expert on historic loco movements, simply repeating what I’ve heard several times.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Need to have a look at my 'D is for Diesels' book but I'm sure some were delivered via Crewe and the North and West Route?

 

It would have been logical to use the line through Bakewell to get to Derby from Gorton

 

I copped a few of them on Sunday Manchester shed bashes at Gorton, fresh out of BP's works I guess ready for sending out during the week ahead. I don't know of the route south, but it was my memory of reading somewhere that they went down the GC. I think routes may have varied according to where they we bound for, did all have to go to Swindon for acceptance firstly?
Routes and days were undoubtedly difficult to predict, we copped four brand new Claytons through Bolton one Saturday heading north in 1962, only the once despite being regular linesiders in those days.

 

The first Hymek I saw was at Shrewsbury having just arrived, light engine, from the Crewe direction. Probably Summer '62 - I still have my notebook and a photo of the occasion so could probably get an exact date and loco I.D.
Ray.

 

No...Lancaster was not the wrong place...we saw a few Warships heading down from Scotland