Class 50 50031 'The Mighty Hood' departs Paddington light engine heading for Old Oak Common

Memories of the fine art of Vac bashing
Between 1983 and 1991 I spent many happy hours with my friends riding the rails behind the mighty 'Hoovers' or Class 50s on the Paddington-Oxford and Waterloo-Exeter routes, with many a ride and a drink or two in Oxford, regular forays down to Exeter, and on occasion into deepest Cornwall.

My interest in the railways waned permanently around 1990-91 with the demise of the Class 50s, initially from the Paddington-Oxford route in 1990, and finally when they retired from the Waterloo-Exeter services in 1992.

As well as enjoying the thrash, I managed to record many of the trips and railway scenes encountered on film for posterity. Those days are now long gone, but happily the photos remain for me to reminisce over and share ;)

D431 / 50031 'Hood' - is seen here in the sunshine heading off LD to Old Oak Common. The loco was carrying large-logo livery with a grey roof + body scrapes! The Westway flyover can be seen behind.

Locomotive History
D431 entered service 06-Jul-68
Renumbered 50031 in 1974
Named 'Hood' 28-Jun-78
Withdrawn 05-Aug-91

The 'Mighty Hood' happily made it into preservation, and is now located on the Severn Valley Railway. More information here: www.svrwiki.com/BR_Class_50_50031_Hood
and here: www.fiftyfund.org.uk/index.php/our-locomotives/50031-hood

Taken with a Nikon F-501 SLR camera and 75-200mm zoom lens.

You can see a random selection of my railway photos here on Flickriver: www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/

Taken in: UK / England / Westminster / Bayswater (show map)

Taken on: November 1, 1988

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431

50031

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