Departmentals

In the summer of 1976, three class 24s were taken from store at Crewe and put into 'Departmental' service.

24054 at Penzance 13/11/76 (s0834.jpg)

Two Class 24s were claimed by BR Western Region for use as carriage pre-heating units. They were to be attached to coaches in sidings, and their steam-heat boilers used to heat the trains up before the first workings of the day. 24054 was renumbered TDB968008 and is seen here in Ponsandane Carriage Sidings, Penzance on 13th November 1976. After time at Worcester and Newton Abbott and on the Eastern Region, it was preserved at Bury in 1983.

24142 at Cardiff 25/05/78 (s2518.jpg)

The other 24 converted was 24142, renumbered as TDB968009. This had an even more peripatetic career than 24054, being assigned to Exeter, Worcester, Oxford, Reading, Cardiff and Swansea. It is seen here at Cardiff Canton on 18th July 1981, in a varied company including 47309, 33027, 33028, and 47125. After time in store at Stratford and Healey Mills, it was scrapped in Sheffield in 1984. It was the last surviving 24/1, and the last surviving Derby built Class 24.

24061 at Derby 05/08/78 (s1755.jpg)

A third Class 24, 24061, went to the Railway Technical Centre at Derby. It was renumbered RDB968007 and is seen here at a Derby Works open day in 1978. It was used for hauling test trains.

97201 at Coalville 05/06/83 (s2718.jpg)

24061 went to Doncaster Works in 1979 to receive the power unit from the scrapped 24063. After this it was repainted and renumbered 97201, and in 1980 was named "Experiment". In this guise it is seen at the Coalville Open Day on 5th June 1983. Finally withdrawn in 1987, it was preserved and has spent time at Butterley, on Tyneside and on the North York Moors Railway.