#class 20

very normal and not unusual train

I’ve had an affinity with class 20’s since I first started to take numbers in 1974. They were very rare visitors on the GW mainline around Reading that any appearance of the class was welcomed with wonder. I recall for a short while there was an afternoon freight usually double headed that, if you ran down to the station as soon as school finished , you might just be lucky enough to see. These were usually a pair of class 25’s but could also have a pair of 20’s. Sometimes these were still in green and also carrying their pre TOPS numbers. I think there were some older boys who held us to ransom in telling us what their TOPS numbers would be because they had a Dalescroft book, which was a bit more up to date compared with our Ian Allen Pocketed books or Combis. At that time we didn’t realise how simple their renumbering system was. Different to 25’s of course. Also a visit to my Nans house was fun, because she lived near Nottingham and I was bound to see some 20’s. Me and my brother would visit the local playground, which just so happened to be alongside a line to several collieries. Between trains we had fun on the slide and swings and then, as soon as you heard the unmistakable sound of a pair of Choppers, it was off to the fence to spot the numbers. Of course, at that time we were too young and didn’t have enough money for a camera, but how I wish there was a chance to go back in time! Later again, after losing interest in spotting I found photographing trains a thrill. On occasion I was able to go to conferences and union meetings in the North and tried to get as many pictures of the class as was possible. I was usually doomed to poor weather and light and the results were fairly poor, but on the odd occasion I managed a reasonable picture. This selection is all from that period, when the class were severely depleted and it was a real bonus to see them rather than a 56 or 58. Incidentally, I have to confess to bunking around Toton and that I had hopped over a fence and walked half a mile on the CEGB property when taking the pictures at Radcliffe on Soar. Sorry about that but I have learned my lesson now. Those pictures were definitely not taken from a position of safety! 

Class 20 Diesel engines being used also. “The British Rail (BR) Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same power range to provide reliable locomotives.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_20

look out, a class 20 could appear out of the woods at any time

The only photo I thought to take during the shed tour on the Diesel Gala @ KWVR

One of these diesel locos was dressed up to serve as the armored Russian train used in the filming of 007 Goldeneye.