its use, D5299, was completed as a standard Class 25/2. Operation The Class 25 locomotives were initially delivered to London Midland and Scottish regions while the Western Region had Class 22s to operate in the type 2 power classification. With the withdrawal of all diesel-hydraulic locomotives planned, there was a perceived gap in this power range, and locomotive 7657 worked trial trips between Exeter and Barnstaple in August 1971 resulting in the WR Chief Civil Engineer approving the use of the class as a direct replacement in the West of England. The last operational Class 25 was 25322 which was withdrawn on 23 March 1987. It was then restored by apprentices at Leeds Holbeck shed including repainting in BR two-tone green and having its original number of D7672 applied. In this form it worked railtours over the Settle–Carlisle line between 1989 and 1991. Preservation Twenty Class 25s have survived in preservation, of all sub-types except Class 25/0. Twelve members of this class were rescued from Vic Berry's Scrapyard during the late 1980s. They include D5185 aka 25035 Castell Dinas Brân, D5207 aka 25057, D5209 aka 25059, D5222 aka 25072, D7523 aka 25173 John F Kennedy, D7541 aka 25191, D7594 aka 25244, D7615 aka 25265 Harlech Castle, D7628 aka 25278 Sybilla, D7659 aka 25309, D7629 aka 25279, D7663 aka 25313 and D7633 aka 25904(25283). D7612 was sent to MC Metals before entering preservation. The class returned to the main line in October 2007 when D7628 (25278) worked from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to and from Whitby station. Liveries Nicknames Railfans nicknamed the class Rats, as it was alleged they could be seen everywhere in Britain, and hence were "as common as rats". They were also known, mostly by their drivers, as Spluts, owing to their habit of spluttering when they broke down, which they often did. Model railways In 1977 Hornby Railways launched its first version of the BR Class 25 in OO gauge. This was followed by Bachmann (OO), Heljan (O and OO) and Sutton's Locomotive Workshops (OO, EM, P4) References Citations References Unreferenced source literature Rail Express Magazine, Issues 1 and 2, June/July 1996 Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, summer 1966 edition Further reading External links Caledonian Railway Diesel Group. DerbySulzers.com: BR/Sulzer Type 2 locomotives Class25.info: Class 25 locomotives In Action D7629.com: Class 25 Detailed information, History, Operation : South Devon Railway Locomotive List 25 Bo-Bo