Railway Herald
Class 25/2 No. 25189 in the scrapping area at BREL Doncaster Works on Sunday 11th May 1986 awaiting its final demolition. The bodysides have already been cut away and the mainframes are now sagging carrying the unsupported weight of the power unit. Most of engine room equipment seems to be in place including, in the compartment before the right hand cab end, the twin air compressors in what was on some of the class the location of the steam heating boiler. Placing the compressors in this area in what had just been an empty space with a block of steel to balance the weight of the loco probably seemed like a good idea on paper but it made life unbearable to the crew in the number 2 end of the loco due to the total lack of soundproofing to deaden the noise produced by the compressors when hauling an air braked train. In the foreground are piles of traction motors and a couple of engine blocks from locos already scrapped. A cab from a Class 08 can be seen resting on the ground in the right hand background. No. 25189 had been totally scrapped by the end May 1986 after a service life of 20 years all spent allocated to depots on the London Midland Region.
Bob Woolnough
