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D 4113 - 09025
HISTORY & ALLOCATIONS
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09025 was built at Horwich Works in Lancashire to lot number 294, in 1962, and entered traffic at Longsight, Manchester shed (shed code 9A) London Midland Region during four weeks ended 27th January 1962. At the time of introduction it was numbered D4113 in the 1957 numbering system. The prefix D distinguished new diesel locomotives from the existing huge fleet of steam locomotives, and also from electric locomotives being built simultaneously. The rest of the number was a sequence starting at 1 and continuing to 9999 for all diesel locomotives, but these were allocated in blocks to help to distinguish engines of differing power. The block of numbers allocated to B.R. standard 350 horsepower shunting locomotives started at D3000 and finally ended at D4192. The last Horwich built example being D4157 which entered service in December 1962. At the same time that D4113 was delivered to 9A its three sisters built at the same time were also allocated to the London Midland Region. D4114 and D4115 went initially to 26C Lostock Hall near Preston, and D4116 to 14A Cricklewood.
D4113 continued to work on the London Midland Region at Longsight, and later at Allerton near Liverpool until 1973 when it was transferred to the Western Region. In week ended 13th June 1973 it arrived at Bristol Bath Road.
It had also had a change of identity in the meantime. During 1973 it was given TOPS five digit number 09025. The first two numbers were the class code and the last three distinguished the individual locomotive within the class. For some classes the third digit was used to denote a sub-class but at this time this was not necessary for class 09. It should however be noted that the majority of B.R. standard 350hp shunting engines were classified 08. However a small batch had been given alternative gear ratios to permit safe operation at higher speed, and these 26 locomotives were allocated a distinguishing class number.
09025 did not remain on the Western Region very long. Three years later, in week ended 21st February 1976 it was transferred to Eastleigh on the Southern Region. The Southern Region had originally operated all but two of the higher speed class 09, and 09025 and 09026 eventually found their way there as well.
The Southern Region used 09025 at Eastleigh for a few weeks and then transferred it to Bournemouth on 23rd September 1976. It returned to Eastleigh again in October 1979 and remained there until 4w/e 5th December 1992 when it transferred to Selhurst. This appears to have been its final official allocation, although it is understood to have worked at Brighton for some of this period being swapped with 09026.
It is believed that 09025 was used to shunt Selhurst's Repair Shop (also known as Selhurst Level 5 Shop ) with a 'match wagon' converted from an old BR ferry van, the body of the van having been removed and the floor being filled with concrete (for extra weight and stability whilst propelling trains ) a stanard drophead 'buckeye' coupling was fitted, air pipes and Electro-Diesel (Class 73 ) loco side retractable buffers; this all being at one end only, except for the through air pipes. Several stories circulate, some saying the wagon was required to operate Track Circuits as the loco on its own was too short, others say that it was to enable quicker coupling to other buckeye fitted stock (EMUs ) and even that it was only ever marshalled at the radiator end of the loco (also the exhaust end of the loco ) so to prevent the exhaust fumes entering the L5 shed when coupling to the stock inside. As no known staff can confirm these possibilites and no photographs have been found, the history of the match wagon (still residing at Selhurst ) will remain unknown. It is also unknown as to why and exactly when 09025 ceased to be used, although it is thought that it was little used after 2002. Any information on this would be gratefully received.
The majority of the Southern Region 09s were transfered to English Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS) at privatisation, but 09025 was kept by the South Central TOC. This ensured that it remained on Southern territory, when many of its cousins were transferred to far flung outposts of the national network.