40001 crosses over the River Dee at Chester on 23 April 1977 with a Holyhead bound freightliner. A historic picture, as the gasworks are now a thing of the past, as well as 40001! After 26 years service, 40001 was withdrawn in 1984 and cut up in 1987.

40009 & 40033 worked the Settle & Carlisle section of the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z68 07:00 Euston to Dundee 'Leuchars Aide' railtour on 7 April 1984. The vintage pair are pictured here in the gloom near Settle Junction. Note that 40033 has a painted Empress of England name applied, in the position of the original nameplate. The 40s handed over to a pair of 26s at Carlisle. These worked to Braidhurst Loop, where 47410 took over, working the train to Dundee, and returned with it the following day.

40009 became a minor celebrity in 1984, as it managed to soldier on as the last vacuum braked only Class 40. This somewhat restricted its usefulness, but it lasted well over a year as the only non air-braked Whistler, doing jobs such as this pictured here. On 30 August 1984 it heads west past Abergele with a very short engineer's train. Abergele station is just beyond the bridge in the background, and the town of Rhyl can be seen in the far distance.

With the buildings of Chester visible n the background, 40015 approaches Saltney Junction on 26 August 1983 with a freightliner bound for Holyhead. Just visible on the loco's bodyside is the painted name Aquitania, in the position that the original cast plate once occupied.

40024 Lucania passes Spetchley on 28 April 1984 with the Severn Valley Railways 1Z39 06:45 Leeds to Carmarthen 'South Wales Whistler' railtour. The loco was withdrawn a few weeks later, and was cut up at Crewe the following year.

40032, pictured during a brief sunny interlude at Preston on 24 July 1977. New to Crewe North depot (as D232) in September 1959, the loco was one of the few Class 40s to be named, receiving the name Empress of Canada the following month. It was withdrawn in 1981, and cut up two years later.

40033 rescues a failed Class 105 Cravens DMU at Blackburn on 17 May 1980. At least one person onboard the unit appears to being enjoying the massive power upgrade! 40033 was formerly named Empress of England.

40034 passes Saltney Junction on 2 July 1977 with an unidentified eastbound working. 40034 was one of the few Class 40 to be named, in this case after the Elder Dempster Lines ship Accra. It had long since lost its nameplates when this photo was taken.

40044 passes Sandycroft on 24 April 1984 with a short eastbound parcels train. Note the smooth front end, the result of the former nose end connecting doors having been removed. This had only happened at this end of the locomotive.

40046 leaves Doncaster on 17 June 1978 with a parcels train, that contains, in addition to the inevitable BR GUVs, a selection of pre-nationalisation van designs. Note the line of brand new International tractors on the right. You certainly don't see a train load of bright red tractors on the railways nowadays!

40057 passes Chester No.2 signal box on 26 August 1983, as it leaves the station with 1E99 11:15 Bangor to Scarborough service, which it worked as far as York. 40057 was one of a pair of Gateshead allocated 'Whistlers' that had been specially cleaned up for railtour duties the previous year.

A contrast in classic motive power designs at Llandudno station on 30 August 1984. 40104 will later be working the 1G90 16:40 Llandudno to Birmingham New Street additional, while 47616 prepares to depart with the 1E53 13:24 Llandudno to Scarborough service.

Welcome to the summer in Wales! 40118 emerges from the gloom at Ffynnongroyw on 22 August 1984 with the 1G90 16:40 Llandudno to Birmingham New Street additional. Additional is not a word that is in the railway's vocabulary these days, although cancelled most definitely is! This was the last summer of Class 40 passenger workings, so every train was worth photographing.

D200 (40122) climbs Gresford Bank on 21 April 1984 with the BR 1T12 06:45 Coventry to Holyhead 'Conway Crusader 2' railtour. 50007, 40192, 40086 & 40118 were also used at various points throughout the day. Photo taken from a public footpath crossing.

We are all used to seeing railtours organised by the big name companies (Pathfinder, Hertfordshire. LCGB, etc), but this one is a bit different. This is the 'Settle & Carlisle Scenic Landcruise', organised by Aberconwy Labour Party! 40135 is pictured with the 1Z28 Holyhead to Carlisle tour approaching Chester on 2 September 1984. The 40 worked the train throughout.

40150 (unofficially, and very amateurishly named Crewe) approaches Hooton on 28 June 1984 with the 6F18 14:50 Amlwch to Ellesmere Port chemical train. The first four tanks contain ethylene dibromide, which was used in the manufacture of anti-knock compound for petrol. The two white tanks are chlorine empties. At the front and rear of the train are the obligatory barrier vehicles and brake vans, which indicate the noxious nature of the load.

40150 approaches Chester on 29 June 1984 with the Amlwch to Ellesmere Port chemical tanks. Not only is the loco long gone (cut up in 1987), but chemical traffic from the Isle of Anglesey is also now a distant memory.