| When 31s started appearing in the West Midlands to replace the ubiquitous Class 25s, they were universally disliked by enthusiasts and railwaymen alike. Where as the 25s could (and did) go anywhere and pull anything, the 31s with their cumbersome A-1-A wheel arrangement and low adhesion, would struggle in many a yard and were the last thing you needed if your rice-pudding had some skin on it...
Nevertheless they did become a part of the local scene and so had to be photographed, as this collection on Midlands passenger and local freight workings, plus a few from farther afield, will show. |
31101 & 31170 approach Grendon Underwood Junc on a cold, misty Saturday morning, 12th January 1985, with 6B20, the 1020 Akeman Street UKF-Bletchley Yd fertiliser empties. |
In 1986 Hitchin still boasted two Class 31 duties, T42 & T44. Here 31105 departs from Hitchin on 3rd October 1986 with an 8T42 1315 Hitchin Engineers Yd-Peterborough DCE trip. |
31105 trundles through the disused Sutton Park station on 5th July 1991 with 6D56, the 1129 Bescot Engineers Sdgs-Toton Old Bank. |
Even a pair of "Peds" could manage the single SPA that was all the traffic on offer for the 6T86 0830 Arpley Yard-Cavendish Sidings trip on 13th February, 1989, seen here with 31126 & 466 at Duke Street, Birkenhead. |
31142 eases out of the Engineers Siding at Berkswell on a very murky 23rd February 1987, with 9T95, the 1045 trip to Bescot Up Yard. |
31142 stands on the Down Middle road at Leamington Spa on 15th February 1988 with a 7T51 1500 Fenny Compton-Bescot Yard additional trip for MOD traffic from Kineton CAD. |
31144 passes Berkswell on 29th June 1983 with a well loaded 8T45 1800 Banbury Yd-Bescot Down SS Speedlink trip. |
31154 crosses Water Orton East Junction on 19th August 1983 with 4G50, the 1523 Nottingham-Lawley St Freightliner service. |
31155 prepares to depart from Charrington's private siding with the 7E53 1342 Hawkesbury Lane-Ripple Lane empty tanks on 18th October 1985. |
31155 propels the 7E53 1342 Hawkesbury Lane-Ripple Lane empty tanks past Hawkesbury Lane 'Box prior to running round on 18th October 1985. |
31158 is in charge of the 2R15 2350 Rugby Sdgs-Coventry Yd OHLM train in a possesion north of Canley Station on 26th August 1990. |
31159 trundles past Moors Gorse crossing on Cannock Chase with the 6T42 1240 Bescot Yd-Lea Hall Colliery trip with 8 empty HEAs for loading on 9th August 1988. |
