3025 - Photo:  George Woods.

0491 - Photo: Eddie Holden.

Allocation History

12.02.62
Ran light from Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, to Doncaster Works - accepted into BR service and allocated 34G, Finsbury Park TMD. "NIMBUS" nameplates fitted without ceremony.

19.02.62

To commemorate the inauguration of the Deltic hauled "The Tyne Tees Pullman", then the fastest train in the UK a model of D9020 was presented by English Electric to the Science Museum, south Kensington (note the locomotive carries the 1A15 reporting code synonymous with the service). On the left is H.J.H. Nethersole, managing director of English Electric (Traction) Ltd, centre is E.B. Banks joint managing director of the English Electric Co Ltd, and right is D.H. Follett, director of the Science Museum. The model currently resides at the National Railway Museum, York.
21.02.62
The delivery of Deltic D9020 to Finsbury Park (arriving there on the 21st February 1962 following acceptance trials) allowed another diagram, the 10:00 Leeds Central - King's Cross and 15:20 return, to go over to Deltic haulage.
20.03.62
1E10 (11:50 Harrogate - King's Cross), to Peterborough (engine failure) - V2 60881 forward.
18.06.62

Following completion of delivery of  Deltic locomotives into service a full Deltic diagrammed timetable was introduced from the 18th June 1962 (the start of the new summer timetable). The date also coincided with the centenary of "The Flying Scotsman" service and D9020 "NIMBUS" was specially prepared by Finsbury Park TMD to haul the centenary Scotsman whilst Haymarket produced D9000 "ROYAL SCOTS GREY" for the up service.

20.11.65
Released from Doncaster Works after fitting of cast bogies (bogies No.1 1029 replaced by 9000-37 & No.2 1014 replaced by 9000-38).

21.03.66
1st EE maintenance contract expires - mileage recorded at 700,024.
31.12.66
6xxx 03:15 Millerhill - Hawick (class 6 goods) and 2xxx 06:58 Hawick - Edinburgh (passenger).

30.12.67
Released from Doncaster Works, after General repair, in blue livery and equipped with dual braking.

04.05.68
1F76 King's Cross - Edinburgh, "The East Coast Limited" (LCGB railtour - via Newcastle goods lines) and 1F76 Edinburgh - King's Cross return.

17.06.69
On display King's Cross platform 15 with three MK 11a's - in connection with BR's "See a friend this weekend" campaign.

07.02.70
1Zxx Eastern Region - Southampton (troop train) and 1Zxx Southampton - Eastern Region.
30.01.70-29.06.70
Carrying 'D' prefix on 30/01 but reported dropped by 29/06 (most likely date for this would be after Intermediate repair dated 14/05-06/06).

08.04.71
Released from Doncaster Works, after Intermediate repair, with ETH equipment fitted.

10.11.73
Officially renumbered 55020 w/e 10.11.73 - first Deltic to be renumbered under the new TOPS operating system.

09.04.75
1B66 11:30 King's Cross - Cambridge.
26.04.75
1E21 10:25 Penzance - Bradford, "The Cornishman" from Leeds (engine failure Leeds - 55005 forward).
04.12.75
To Doncaster Works for final Intermediate repair (off 02.03.76).
When 55020 entered Doncaster Works for Intermediate repair on the 4th December 1975 55016 was already present undergoing Heavy General Repair (HGR) - a repair which included the replacement of inner and outer body-skins and rewiring. The HGR program was adopted for the rest of the class in early 1976 and 55019 entering the 'Plant' on the 27th February 1976 for Intermediate was instead shopped for HGR followed by 55002 (16.03.76), 55021 (22.04.76) and finally 55013 (25.05.76). Due to the financial cost of the HGR program and the shortening of the Deltic locomotive's life spans because of it the program was abandoned following 55013's repair and the class reverted once more to Intermediate and Light classified overhauls only. 55020, therefore, narrowly missed Heavy General Repair which would surely of secured its future until the end of the Deltic's service in December 1981.

26.06.76
1D02 12:20 King's Cross - Cleethorpes and 1A34 17:42 Cleethorpes - King's Cross.
29.11.76
2G23 07:51 Falkirk Grahamstown - Edinburgh (vice DMU - load 6).

17.10.77
During the week commencing 17th October 1977 unofficial industrial action led to the removal of Deltics from all ECML workings. Action was taken by maintenance staff angry at the proposed closure of Finsbury Park Depot with the introduction of the new HST fleet, which was to be maintained at the new Bounds Green Depot. Maintenance staff 'blacked' the Deltic fleet thus all engines remained 'laid-up' at various installations until the dispute was settled on October 21st. A list of how the dispute affected the class is as follows:

 

Locomotive:	Notes:
55001	Haymarket TMD 13/10 - 23/10. Worked 1E35 20:20 Edin - KX 23/10.
55002	Finsbury Park TMD 14/10 - 23/10. Worked 1N29 19:00 KX - N'lce 23/10.
55003	Haymarket TMD 14/10 - 23/10. Worked 1E25 12:15 Aber - KX from Edin 23/10.
55004	Finsbury Park TMD 13/10 - 23/10. Worked 1S21 11:00 KX - Edin 24/10.
55005	Doncaster Works 'Intermediate' 31/03 - 21/10. Worked 1E48 21:15 Aber - KX from Doncaster 26/10.
55006	Finsbury Park TMD 11/10 - 24/10. Worked 1L22 15:55 KX - Leeds 24/10.
55007	York TMD 10/10 - 25/10. Worked 1A06 08:05 YK - KX 25/10.
55008	Gateshead TMD 13/10 - 24/10. Worked 1A40 20:30 N'cle - KX 24/10.
55009	York TMD 17/10 - 23/10. Worked 0D01 12:00 YK - Doncaster 23/10.
55010	Haymarket TMD 13/10 - 24/10. Worked 1E20 15:00 Edin - KX 24/10.
55011	Gateshead TMD 14/10 - 24/10. Worked 1A07 07:25 N'cle - KX 24/10.
55012	York TMD 14/10 - 24/10. Worked 1A06 08:05 YK - KX 24/10.
55013	Haymarket TMD 15/10 - 23/10. Worked 1E39 22:30 Edin - KX 23/10.
55014	Gateshead TMD 14/10 - 25/10. Worked 1A15 09:20 N'cle - KX 25/10.
55015	Finsbury Park TMD 08/10 - 25/10. Worked 1N00 01:00 KX - N'cle 26/10.
55016	Haymarket TMD 15/10 - 19/10. Sent to Doncaster Works 19/10 for 'Light repair' behind 40063.
55017	Doncaster Works 'Intermediate' 03/10 - 19.01.78.
55018	Doncaster Works 'Intermediate' 30/06 - 10/12.
55019	Finsbury Park TMD 14/10 - 23/10. Worked 1D00 08:25 KX - Cleethorpes 24/10.
55020	Holbeck TMD 10/10 - 23/10. Worked 1A47 00:43 Leeds - KX 24/10.
55021	Gateshead TMD 14-10 - 24-10. Worked 1S28 07:00 N'cle - Edin 24/10.
55022	Finsbury Park TMD 14/10 - 23/10. Worked 1S43 18:00 KX - Edin 23/10.

Finsbury Park - 6; Gateshead - 4; Haymarket - 5; Doncaster Works - 3; York - 3; Holbeck - 1; Locomotives moving in this period - 1 (55016, Haymarket to works).
19.11.77
1Z38 06:05 Stirling - Euston, to Carstairs (SRPS Charter - via Edinburgh Waverley, suburban lines & Slateford).

30.03.78
6E05 Oxford - Newcastle (parcels), from York - this was the locomotives final working and was undertaken whilst restricted to one power unit. 55020 required shopping at Doncaster Works for power unit exchange, however, due to industrial action by Doncaster employees 55020 was instead held by Gateshead TMD and was heavily robbed of spares for the rest of the fleet. 55020 finally being dispatched to Doncaster on the 26th April. Unfortunately repairs were never sanctioned.

March 1979
It is interesting to note that during 55020's lengthy sojourn on Doncaster Works it made the daily newspapers in the spring of 1979. "Mother To Blackbirds" was the general storyline as a pair of nesting blackbirds made their home in the bufferbeam arrangement! Fleet Street suggested BR were anxious to start work on one of their 'front line' locomotives - if only it had been true...

A report on 55020's condition taken during March 1979 was as follows:

Doncaster Works since 26.04.78:
Exterior;
The exterior is very dirty all traces of gloss have gone with yellow paint on the nose ends peeling off. The air/vac/steam heating hoses are missing, also the Tacho-generator on the bogie has been removed.

Interior (No.1 end);
Cover and bulb on ETH panel gone. Covers on controllers removed. Cubicle and nose end OK.

Interior (No.2 end);
The covers on the controllers are missing and so are the knobs off the ends of the controllers. Cover on the ETH panel is missing. The glass on the boiler pressure gauge is broken. The air driven pump for the windscreen wipers (drivers side) is missing. One contact and two covers in the cubicle have also gone. Nose end OK.

Engine Room;
Units removed - boiler still in place. Very dirty but dry and full of loose pipes. Back of No.2 cubicle is OK, nine covers are missing from rear of No.1 cubicle. Both AWS horn relays have been removed.
27.10.79
The late Ray Smith, chairman of the Deltic Preservation Society, announces that repairs to 55001, 55004 and 55020 have been sanctioned whilst undertaking the DPS annual general meeting. Repairs were to be given to 55004 first with 55001 and 55020 following in that order. Unfortunately due to the cost of getting 55004 up and running and given the time span the class as a whole had remaining, a decision was taken at the highest level, that both 55001 and 55020 would be stripped for spares and cut up.
18.12.79
Locomotive withdrawn from ER operating stock.

05.01.80
Locomotive officially withdrawn.
13.01.80
Cutting-up begins - completed by 26.01.80 (the first Deltic to be cut-up).