The Retro Years: June

A selection of archive images of June workings in years gone by.

1: ‘Peak’ No. D107 (later 45120) heads south through Wood End, Warwickshire, with an inter-regional train to the Western Region on June 10, 1973. Wood End is on the Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon line, which until 1976 continued on through Broadway and the present day Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Railway to Cheltenham and the South West.

2: Built in 1960 as six-car sets, but here reduced to five-cars, the stylish Class 124s were powerful DMUs for tackling the demanding trans-Pennine routes from Liverpool/Manchester to Leeds/York/Hull and others. This set calls at Stalybridge on June 27, 1975 with the 09.10 Liverpool Lime Street-Hull. The station then still had its soot-covered canopies, but has a general run-down air that has been much improved through upgrades in the 1990s and 2000s.

3: The 17.00 King’s Cross to Edinburgh on June 23, 1975 is still loading, but ‘Domino’ headcode-fitted ‘Deltic’ No. 55004 Queen’s Own Highlander is champing at the bit to get going and leave the rainy London terminal behind.

4: ‘Western’ No. D1022Western Sentinel, already showing signs of a lack of care as the class heads towards its final days, speeds west of Hayes & Harlington in the London suburbs with a West Country express from Paddington in June 1976. This is near the site of the present day Airport Junction and the branch to Heathrow.

5: Electrification at Doncaster was still a decade away as ‘Whistlers’ Nos. 40040+40006 head north through the station, the lead loco carrying a nasty scrape along its upper bodyside. The background is dominated by the former Wagon Works, which is now home to Wabtec Rail.