25237 Doncaster Works 1986
Photo: Unknown

Class 25

Two Class 25s were withdrawn early after being involved in collisions, D5278 in May 1971 then D7605 in March 1972. The first renumbered Class 25 to be withdrawn was 25045 removed from service in October 1975.
The 25/0 sub series (25001-25025) were eliminated from traffic first with 25015 being withdrawn in December 1975 and the rest of the 25/0s being taken out of service between then and late 1980. 25002 25005 25006 25007 25010 and 25011 being withdrawn in December 1980.
By 1980 the run down of the entire Class was underway and the rest of the Class 25s were steadily removed from service during the 1980s up until March 1987 when the last 18 examples; 25035 25057 25059 25109 25173 25176 25191 25213 25265 25278 25279 25313 25323 25901 25902 25903 25904 and 25910, were taken out of traffic. Retained for special uses and allocated a departmental number 25912 saw occasional service until September 1991.

Up until the mid 1980s, apart from Cohen's scrapping D5278 and BR scrapping 25171 where they stood, all the withdrawn Class 25s were sent to BREL establishments for disposal with 20 Class 25s being scrapped at Derby Works, 13 at Doncaster Works, 18 at Glasgow Works whilst 160 Class 25s were dismantled at Swindon Works. From 1986 onwards the private sector became involved with the disposal of the remaining Class 25s. Vic Berry scrapped 82 Class 25s, 77 at Leicester and another five on site at variously Derby, Eastleigh and Toton whilst MC Metals at Glasgow scrapped 12 Class 25s.

The last Class 25s disposed of were 25205 25211 and 25259 broken up by MC Metals during June 1995 and 20 Class 25s have been secured for preservation.