D5583/31165 question

[Big Jumby 74]

Hi any Brush 2 experts. Looking for a bit of history for the above loco, namely approximate date of livery change from blue to railfreight. I am aware it received a full refurb to original condition at SF DRS in 1991, but not when it lost its BR blue, or if it worked from SF whilst still in blue. I believe it arrived there from the WR about 1987.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Forty29]

I know it was named Stratford major depot 1914-1991 in march 1991.

 

[Cowley]

Hi any Brush 2 experts. Looking for a bit of history for the above loco, namely approximate date of livery change from blue to railfreight. I am aware it received a full refurb to original condition at SF DRS in 1991, but not when it lost its BR blue, or if it worked from SF whilst still in blue. I believe it arrived there from the WR about 1987.

Thanks in advance.

According to the Class 31 gen site it was repainted into red stripe Railfreight when it was overhauled in February 1988.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Thank you both. According to R. Harris part 2, it was reallocated to SF in October 87, so assuming it arrived there around that date and was usable, it may have been available for a few weeks work whilst still blue? Cheers.

 

[Cowley]

Thank you both. According to R. Harris part 2, it was reallocated to SF in October 87, so assuming it arrived there around that date and was usable, it may have been available for a few weeks work whilst still blue? Cheers.

It’s definitely quite possible. Although how long would it have been under overhaul for (I’m not sure how long that would have taken)?

Would it have been in the shops from October to February when it was released with its new paint job after testing etc?

 

[Magdalia]

Hi any Brush 2 experts. Looking for a bit of history for the above loco, namely approximate date of livery change from blue to railfreight. I am aware it received a full refurb to original condition at SF DRS in 1991, but not when it lost its BR blue, or if it worked from SF whilst still in blue. I believe it arrived there from the WR about 1987.

Thanks in advance.

31165 was one of the last class 31s to receive Heavy General Overhaul (HGO) at Doncaster Works, which was completed in February 1988. It would probably have arrived at Doncaster in November or December 1987. There is a brief period in autumn 1987 where 31165 was allocated to Stratford but still blue: however, it might have been anywhere in the sphere of class 31 operation at the time!

It is a stretch to say that what Stratford did to 31165 in 1991 was "a full refurb into original condition". It was a post HGO locomotive.

There were many versions of green livery on Brush Type 2s, what Stratford did to 31165 in 1991 was yet another new one, a lash up of various previous versions. Here is D5583 in original condition, apart from addition of electrification warning flashes:

Trslid304 D5583 Cambridge

Cambridge on the 17th of February 1963 and Class 31 D5583 is about to head south (or maybe south east) on what looks like a Class 2 passenger service. New to Stratford in January 1960 the loco was allocated to March at this time. As 31165 I don't have a withdrawl date other than prior to June...

www.flickr.com

Cambridge on the 17th of February 1963 and Class 31 D5583 is about to head south (or maybe south east) on what looks like a Class 2 passenger service.
New to Stratford in January 1960 the loco was allocated to March at this time.​

 

[Cowley]

31165 was one of the last class 31s to receive Heavy General Overhaul (HGO) at Doncaster Works, which was completed in February 1988. It would probably have arrived at Doncaster in November or December 1987. There is a brief period in autumn 1987 where 31165 was allocated to Stratford but still blue: however, it might have been anywhere in the sphere of class 31 operation at the time!

Would that have been when things like the boiler port was removed and the headcodes plated over?

It is a stretch to say that what Stratford did to 31165 in 1991 was "a full refurb into original condition". It was a post HGO locomotive.

I thought that @Big Jumby 74 might have meant full repaint rather than refurb so I didn’t query it when I replied. But yes, apart from the naming that’s all that was done by the looks of it, although it may have gained a high intensity headlight at some point?

 

[Big Jumby 74]

It is a stretch to say that what Stratford did to 31165 in 1991 was "a full refurb into original condition". It was a post HGO locomotive.

Absolutely, you are quite correct, so please excuse my somewhat clumsy phrasing! On a personal note, although I only knew them in corporate blue, the image you have added is how they look their best livery wise (IMHO), in a similar way that I find Brush 4's finest livery was two tone green, but in their case with the small yellow warning panel.
There is a photo feature in Modern Locomotives Illustrated No 270 recently about Brush 2's in blue, and one example shown being preserved 31101 carrying the number 31135. The yellow ends have been extended around/to include the side window/door window frames, and after getting my head around the difference, that does also quite suit them (in blue livery), a take on the Hymek's that went blue perhaps?

I thought that @Big Jumby 74 might have meant full repaint rather than refurb

Quite so! Thanks.

 

[Magdalia]

Would that have been when things like the boiler port was removed and the headcodes plated over?

Headcode panel yes, boiler port no. Here is a 1980 picture of 31165 with the boiler port plated over:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/28120463@N07/15751163140/

Class 31 Brush Type 2 No. 31165 (ex D5583) languishing at Old Oak Common depot on 9th March 1980.

At HGO the waistband and the buffer valances were also removed.

the image you have added is how they look their best livery wise (IMHO)

There was significant professional design input for the original livery.

one example shown being preserved 31101 carrying the number 31135. The yellow ends have been extended around/to include the side window/door window frames

31135's "Hymek windows" were an Old Oak Common embellishment.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Thanks Magdalia for the additional info. The Common was a regular haunt for me, being on the door step back in the 70's. Most weekends would normally find a small handful of Brush 2 in residence, 5-10 ish as a rule, but on one occasion, Sat 29 Nov' 77 as best as I can recall date wise, I was met with the sight of eighteen, many parked up together. Can only presume this was in prelude to a larger than usual engineering works program on the Sunday perhaps, but an unusual sight at OC for me at that time none the less.
For the record they were (in numerical order): 117, 121, 163, 209, 230, 231, 251, 256, 257, 260, 265, 273, 279, 286, 412, 413, 415 & 420.

A less than perfect pic I took of the main group, although can't make out any numbers. That on front right might be 415, but equally might be one of the other 4xx's!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Dec 2024 ==

At HGO the waistband and the buffer valances were also removed.

In similar vain to the 37's, always felt the removal of the buffer valances ruined the appearance, but from an engineering/maintenance perspective made good sense.