Where was D8578 scrapped?

D8578 was withdrawn in June 1969 whilst based at Polmadie.  Disposal listings generally give its disposal as J. MacWilliam & Son, Shettleston, Glasgow.

Research done by Antony Sayer, author of ‘The Clayton Type 1 BO-BO Diesel Electric Locomotives – British Railways Class 17’ has failed to find any observations of the locomotive later than 7th November 1970 when it was still located at Polmadie depot.  He has though seen visit reports for Polmadie for both 10th January 1971 and 14th February 1971, both of which were Sundays, that do not list D8578.

‘Pronounced Life Extinct’, the first disposals book to be published, gives J. MacWilliam & Son, Shettleston, Glasgow as the disposal of D8578 .  How the authors came to that conclusion isn’t known.  ‘The Railway Observer ‘ not appearring to have ever published a disposal for D8578.

What ‘The Railway Observer’ did publish (p.452 12/72) was a report of a visit to Glasgow Works on 14th October 1972 during which D8578 was listed as being present.  No other visit reports at the time list D8578 as being present.   Thus, this has been concluded by many as an error.  ‘Locomotive Directory’ clearly took a different view initially as this gives the disposal of D8578 being at Glasgow Works in November 1972.  However, in Supplement No.2 (p.6) it says “D8578 alternative disposal suggested – to MacWilliam 1/71 and cut up since 4/71”.  This being followed in Supplement No.3 (p.6)  by “D8578 confirmed to MacWilliam 1/71 (cut 8/71)”.

Despite the various reference to J. MacWilliam & Son, Shettleston, Glasgow no sightings or other evidence supporting disposal of D8578 there has been found.

The project has been alerted to a photograph dated 5th April 1971 of D8578 taken at Polmadie depot. This being after ‘Locomotive Directory’ recorded the locomotive as having gone to J. MacWilliam & Son, Shettleston, Glasgow.  Why then wasn’t D8578 recorded as being present on the January & February 1971 visits?  A possible explanation is that D8578 was in the heavy repair workshops which were often locked on Sundays.

To muddy the waters further ‘The Railway Observer’ of June 1971 (p.192) says “Stored at Polmadie on 11^th April were withdrawn D8509/18/9/20/33/4 together with D8530/5 on the “dead” road…..On 17^th April D8544 was noted in J.McWilliam’s Yard, Shettleston, whilst at Glasgow Works were D8501/14/22/3/6/7/32/71/90 all providing spare parts for the remaining members of the Class. Previously at Polmadie during March were D8554/71/8”.  No mention of D8578 at Shettleston where ‘Locomotive Directory’ implies it was and no mention of the locomotive being located at either Polmadie or Glasgow Works, but an indication that it was at Polmadie in March. 

Sightings and photographs of D8578 in 1971 would be particularly useful in establing where the locomotive was actually scrapped and when.

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