Railway Herald
A Sunday afternoon visit to Darlington MPD on 27th August 1978 finds Class 03 No. 03080 stabled for the weekend attached to it's match wagon No. DB.704707. Built at BREL Doncaster Works in January 1960 as No. D2080 it became Class 03 No. 03080 under the TOPS renumbering scheme. Most if not all of it's 20 year working life was spent in the North East of England being allocated to Darlington MPD from at least 1974 until it's withdrawal during December 1980. Surprising No. 03080 was then taken all the way to Wiltshire to be scrapped at Swindon Works in March 1981. The ex BR Eastern Region steam engine tender behind the Class 03 was a bit of a surprise discovery as Darlington steam shed had been closed since March 1966. As Darlington was mainly a DMU Depot by this time, I would imagine it was possibly in use for collecting used diesel oil prior to disposal.
Bob Woolnough
