25th August 90 : 85003 at Stafford on a passenger working.
By 1990 is was becoming quite rare to see Class 85's on passenger turns. The exception was often around Birmingham where Class 85's were sometimes used on cross-country trains, taking over from a Class 47 at Birmingham.
14th June 82 : 85011 on a northbound Motorail train.
During the early 1980's BR had the idea to operate Motorail services as two trains - the passengers travelled on one train and their cars on another. One of the car-only services is seen here. The passenger train usually followed on a little later.
25th June 82 : 85011 at Northampton on a diverted express.
Eleven days on from the last photograph and 85011 had been promoted to working a top-link West Coast express. At the time all services were being diverted around the Northampton loop due to engineering work on the mainline.
25th August 90 : 85011 stabled between duties at Birmingham New Street.
Locomotive swap at Birmingham. A Class 47 has just arrived with a cross-country train and is about to swap with 85011 which will take the train northward on it's journey.
23rd March 82 : 85013 runs through Northampton station, light engine.
With the now long-extinct "Northampton No.2" signalbox in the background, 85013 runs through on it's way northward.
14th May 81 : 85018 passes "Northampton No.2" signalbox.
A closer view of "Northampton No.2" signalbox with 85018 passing on a freight working. At one time the mainline route through Northampton had five signalboxes, now it has none and is signalled from Rugby PSB.
24th January 81 : 85030 is stabled at Northampton on a quiet Saturday afternoon.
Weekends in the early 1980's always saw at least one electric locomotive stabled at Northampton. On this particular occasion it was a Class 85, but there were often examples of Classes 81, 82, 83 and 84 also present.
23rd June 90 : 85034 approaches Northampton station on a parcels train.
Relegated to more mundane duties, 85034 approaches Northampton No.1 Junction with a parcels train.
3rd November 90 : ...and finally, a way to save space in your railway scrapyard!.
This Leicester scrapyard found a rather unusual way of making extra space when times were busy. When locomotives arrived for breaking they were cut in two and then stockpiled until there was time to dispose of them. Here we see 85019 on top of 85025 and 33210.
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