GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Tyseley Station: gwrt1033

BR Sulzer Type 2 Bo-Bo No D7596 is seen at the head of the 12:15 pm Washwood Heath to Eastleigh express freight on 15th February 1965. These British Railways Type 2 (later designated Class 25) diesel locomotives were also nicknamed 'Rats'. In all 327 locomotives of this type were built between 1961 and 1967 and were based on an earlier Sulzer Type 2 (later designated Class 24) locomotives. After the delivery of the first few units of the earlier locomotives it became apparent that the speed ceiling of 75 mph (121 km/h) was unduly restrictive and the provision of a bit more power would be advantageous. In the course of normal development the power output of the Sulzer six-cylinder engine had been increased to give a continuous traction output of 1,250 bhp (930 kW) at 750 rpm by the introduction of charge air cooling and the first locomotives to use this became known as Type 2 (Class 25) locomotives. The Class 25 locomotives were primarily designed for freight work, but a significant number were fitted with boilers for heating passenger trains. Throughout the 1970s they could be found at work across the whole of the British Rail network although the Southern Regions never had an allocation. Though regular performers into the early 1980s on Crewe–Cardiff passenger trains, they are best known in that respect for their use on the summer Saturday trains to Aberystwyth, a task they relinquished in 1984. The final class 25 locomotive was withdrawn from service in March 1987.

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