7s in 2007 - The Last Year

31st December 2006

2007, the last year of class 87 action in the UK...

Probably the class's lowest ever ebb of work, with just 022 and 028 turning a wheel in service working for GBRf working very irregular 325 drags or other light engine moves on the WCML plus the odd stock or route learner move elsewhere.

With a December 31st deadline for withdrawl due to no OTMR fitment and contracts signed for Bulgarian export the end was near as December due closer, a spate of 325 failures meaning the additional Christmas Mails did see once again regular 87 action on the WCML albeit only for a week or so.

Spitfire arranged an ill-fated farewell tour which looked like a promising send off, but the less said about that the better...

The 'Last Week' 17/12/07 - 21/12/07saw:
17/12 Mo - 87028 1S96
18/12 Tu - 87028 1M30/1S55
19/12 We 87028 1M29; 87022 1S96
20/12 Th 87022 1M30/1S55
21/12 Fr 87022 1M29
87028 1S96.....the end!

Many thanks to '37402' and 'D1056' for the running gen on these workings, many many thanks!

87022 on 1M44 at Leighton, 050107 640x480 05010787022.JPG Buy Print	S96 produces! 87022 makes a welcome appearance, Leighton station 290107 640x480 29010787022.jpg Buy Print	87022 with S96 190207 800x604 19020787022.jpg Buy Print	:-) 022, S96 190307 800x527 19030787022r.jpg Buy Print
87022 is a welcome treat on S96 040407. Happy Easter GBRf! 640x436 040407_87022.jpg Buy Print	87028 making a fine site screaming through Stafford with 1S96 on 010507 800x615 87028010507.jpg Buy Print	Near-monsoonal conditions fail to stop the vans as 87022 heads north at Ledburn 090507. 800x467 09050787022.jpg Buy Print	87022 heads north with another wet 1S96 at Leighton station, 110507 800x584 110507_87022_LB.jpg Buy Print
87022 is out again with 1S96 at Stafford 210507. Big cheers to GM for the gen! 800x576 87022_210507.jpg Buy Print	The strong sun catches 87022 as she notches up from a signal check 210507 600x800 87022_210507A.jpg Buy Print	Bit dark today! 87028 at Stafford on S96 070607. Cheers all for the gen! 800x508 87028.jpg Buy Print	87022 at Crewe with 1A97 Warrington-Willesden 070607 800x623 87022.jpg Buy Print
Its a seven! After a long summer holiday 87028 returns to work with GBRf heading north light engine (rather than on S96) to take up Warrington standby duty, 100907 800x600 10090787028.jpg Buy Print	S96 produces! With 87028 doing the honours at Old Linslade, it is June since this train last dropped a seven... 800x565 19090787028.jpg Buy Print	87028 at Leighton station with S96 200907. I may have many near identical phots but its still a cracking site to see three lights coming round the corner! 800x553 20090787028.jpg Buy Print	In what will probably prove the classes last month of front line service, 87028 doing what it does best at 100mph with up 1M85 vans, 011207 800x664 87028_011207.jpg Buy Print
Possibly for the last time, 87028 leads 1S96 through Leighton 171207 480x360 171207-87028.jpg Buy Print	Lord President living out its last days thrashing up and down the WCML, dreadful! 028 with 1M29 Shieldmuir-Willesden PRDC at Leighton on a feezing 191207 640x433 19120787028.jpg Buy Print	87022 getting in on the Christmas 2007 action, having worked north on S96 is seen here returning on 1M30 as darkness falls on 201207. Not long to go now! 640x464 201207_87022_1M30.jpg Buy Print	What will probably be the last daytime Leighton movement for the class, 022 heads 1M29 christmas vans south 211207 800x556 211207-87022-1m29.jpg Buy Print
1S96 for the last, last time - no more hoping for three lights in the distance and walking away as carts appeared - 87028 passes Leighton station at 17:31, 211207... 640x480 211207-87028-1s96.jpg Buy Print	29/12/07 - What a disgraceful way for the class to bow out.....bring back 22/12/06.... 800x600 291207-87022-web.jpg Buy Print