Reddish TMD in Manchester had a slightly erie feel by April 1982. The site was littered with Class 76 DC electrics which had all been withdrawn by then but was still doing exams and repairs on 25s and 40s. As both classes were well into their demise it was seemed obvious the writing was on the wall for this renown facility, which of course it was. Here 40002 awaits attention on 30th April 1982.

One regular working for a 40 into the Birmingham area up to 1983 was the 7G31 1245 Northampton Esso Sdgs-Bromford Bridge tanks, seen here with 40013 in charge at Whitacre Junction on 19th August 1983.

Northwich was a favourite place to find a couple of 40s stabled over the weekend and Saturday 17th April 1982 was no exception with 40033 sitting outside the old shed in nice sunshine

Back in 1982 Saltley LIP in Birmingham was still a bustling place with 20s, 25s, 45s and 47s the staple fayre. 50s were also common along with a booked turn for a 33 to visit on Friday evenings and of course there were a couple of 40 diagrams that saw the class visit each day. Here 40077 is kept company by a Peak and a line of 25s in the twilight of 16th April 1982.

In the early 1980s, Nuneaton Trent Valley was a hive of departmental activity with the up sidings being used to marshall and stage ballast workings from local quarries at Hartshill, Judds and Croft. Most of these workings wre booked for 25s or 40s and usually two or three 25s and a brace of 40s could be found stabled at weekends. Here 40104 was caught departing on 17th January 1983 with an unidentified trip to Rugby or points south.

March TMD was visited on 13th April 1982 and amongst the assorted Eastern Region engines was 40133. Another shed shot but utterly unrepeatable!

A famous "Whistler" duty on Summer Saturdays saw a Longsight 40 work 1E34 0815 SO Manchester Piccadilly-Yarmouth & 1M74 1434 SO Yarmouth-Manchester Piccadilly return. On 25th June 1983 40152 was in charge and we caught it leaving Lincoln Central across the High Street crossing on it's way home to Manchester.

Warrington was a good place to see the last of the Forties in action as well as lots of lovely 25s. Here 40155 pulls away from Warrington Bank Quay Sidings with the 8L81 engineers trip taking empty spoil MSVs to Guide Bridge on 5th September 1984

On 22nd November 1982 we paid a visit to Hinckley station to photograph 31/4s on the Birmingham-Norwich circuits. With no passenger due the peg coming off meant a freight was likely but 40162 was an unusual sight on a late running 6G80 0524 Toton Old Bank-Three Spires Junction. This train conveyed coal bound for the Coventry Homefire Plant was booked a Peak and was often a pair of 20s but a 40 did us nicely!

The 4G66 0548 Holyhead-Lawley Street Freightliner was one of the duties that brought a 40 to Saltley each day, although a Peak was not an uncommon substitute. Here 40192 heads the 4D88 1440 Lawley St FLT-Holyhead return Freightliner past Washwood Heath on 8th July, 1983.

In May 1985 four withdrawn Class 40s were reinstated as departmental locomotives in connection with the remodelling of Crewe Station. In practice they found use on a variety of ballast trips in the Crewe & Chester areas. Here 97405 (the former 40060) sits in the forlon remains of Croes Newydd Yard, now being used to reclaim track materials, before working the 8L54 trip to Crewe Gresty Lane on 22nd May 1986.

Another of the Crewe departmental 40s was 97406, renumbered from 40135. A trip to Crewe and Stoke on 14th June 1985 found '406 on the work she was intended for, in this case at North Staffs Junction, Crewe, on a 9L07 Crewe area ballast trip.