Class 20's

[RichmondCommu]

G'day

When I was a keen spotter in the late 70's / early 80's in the East Midlands class 20's were everywhere but I can't ever remember seeing them operate as single loco's. I'm sure they must have done from time to time but I was wondering whether they operated as semi permanent twins? Sadly my spotter note books were lost many years a go so I can't check this for myself. Any comments on this would be most welcome!

Thanks in advance,

Richmond Commuter.

 

[12CSVT]

They tended to work in pairs because it was operationally more convenient - being single cab and underpowered for many freight workings (loaded MGRs being one example), it was rare to see them work single.

 

[RichmondCommu]

They tended to work in pairs because it was operationally more convenient - being single cab and underpowered for many freight workings (loaded MGRs being one example), it was rare to see them work single.

Do you know if they worked in semi fixed formation?

 

[YorkshireBear]

I would imagine not, bit like northern just chuck two out together in the morning after checking they work. I think the sem fixed formations would loose some of the operational benefits that having locos provided.

 

[12CSVT]

They'd sometimes be coupled together for weeks at a time but I don't think there was ever any 'permanent' coupling (like on DMUs or class 13 shunters)

 

[43167]

Though mostly in pairs, it wasnt uncommon for them to work single on short trip workings.

Back in the 80's, the Fort William Pilot used to be a single 20 and occasionally it worked passenger service trains to Mallaig.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I remember being excited young man at Tamworth in about 1975 when my first 20s were a double header .

I have seen a triple header roll up at Bescot from the Walsall direction. I must have seen one 20 working a train on its own but I dont remember it.

I remember visiting Westhouses and it was wall to wall 20s mainly in pairs. Tinsley had loads as well. That was in the days when I counted Tinsley, Toton and Thornaby each had about 1000 locos iirc (I cannot believe it so maybe it was 1000 together). Toton is the only one that still exists.

 

[Schnellzug]

They can be found running singly even today ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRwi0LlLRLU&feature=context&context=G2dfb540FUAAAAAAACAA

 

[4SRKT]

When they were new class 20s, in common with other Type 1s, were used for inter-yard transfers between the huge numbers of freight facilities inherited from the Big 4 and barely rationalised since pre-grouping days. In the 1960s BR rationalised this right down with the introduction of a small number of enormous mechanised marshalling yards, and regional freight depots for wagon- and less-than-wagonload freight such as Tyneside Central Freight Depot and Bradford Valley, with onward local distribution by road. The need for Type 1s more or less disappeared, and as most of them weren't the stars of the modernisation plan anyway, they were withdrawn. 20s were the only really successful Type 1s, so by coupling two together you could make a more useful Type 4, and get over the inconvenience of a single cab loco (although this 'inconvenience' never seemed to be an issue on steam locos).

 

[eastwestdivide]

I was also in the E Mids in the early 80s, and managed a couple of photos of single 20s on freight workings. It was pretty unusual though, which is why I took the photos.
Will post them later when I get back to the right computer if the OP wants.

 

[colchesterken]

Showing my age the first class 20 I saw was in platform 10 at the old liverpool street
it came in on a short van train
I have seen many books on the development of the Eastern ( If you could call replacing the Brits as development ) and the first class 20 s operated from the long closed Bow depot