Railway Herald
Entering Falkland Road Yard Ayr from the Prestwick direction is Class 20 No. 20024 at the head of a ballast train working on Wednesday 17th March 1976. Entering service at Hornsey Shed, North London, as Type 1 No. D8024 in November 1959 she had a short 9 month stay at Polmadie MPD Glasgow in 1967 before returning to Scotland in October 1971. Allocations to both Eastfield MPD Glasgow and Haymarket MPD Edinburgh followed before becoming only the 8th Class 20 to be withdrawn just over a year after this image was taken in May 1977. A close look at her front bufferbeam will probably explain her very early demise. No. 20024 was still a vacuum braked only member of the fleet at this time and with the downturn in freight traffic would have been surplus to requirements. No. 20024 was scrapped St Rollox Works, Glasgow during March 1978.
Bob Woolnough
