A Newcastle – Bristol express entering Stockton station behind a BR/Sulzer Type 4 diesel D40 on it’s way home (it was allocated to one of the Bristol depots).
The extensive plant and infrastructure of Stockton Gas Works is an interesting backdrop.
Photograph and details courtesy of Ken Kitching.
This particular B.R, Sulzer 4 loco is one of the lucky ones. Built 1961 as D40 and allocated to Bristol it was withdrawn in 1987 as No.45133 and is currently preserved in Derbyshire. Its early years were mainly spent working cross-country expresses on the Newcastle-York-Derby-Birmingham and Bristol route. Bristol (Barrow Road shed) had numbers D33 – D42 for these duties in the early 1960s. The reporting number 1V44 is interesting, as in the 1960s it signified the mid-day York to Bristol train! However, the loco is also carrying oil headlamps and it may be that the train reporting number roller blinds are not working correctly a common fault on these locomotives or that the incorrect number is being displayed. One of these locos could often be seen C1963 on the Sunday evening Newcastle-Bristol train via Stockton, which ran as a relief to the normal 19.05 Newcastle-Bristol mail, the latter travelled via Darlington.