Such a sad sight. I used to drive a lot of these when I started driving back in 1989.

videos like this make me wish i had a video camera in the 80s and 90s - great video - thanks for sharing. if only todays technology was available back then

No music just the sound of the breeze and footsteps on gravel...Spooky...Good video thanks for posting. Andy P.

@pjunzi So did i, apart from the class 83s of which i managed to get haulage from only 1 of this class (83012 from Crewe to Wigan NW in spring of 1981). Best performances 85009 from Wigan NW to Wembley Central Rugby special, May 1984. Even with a signal stop at Crewe this loco managed that journey in a little over 2 hours and 85014 on the return panned it all the way back (apart from the Crewe speed restriction) in about 1 hour 55 mins. Pendolinos ? i've shit em.

at least 4 loco's WERE saved from the scrap line at crewe 81002 82008 83012 85101 (85006) thanks in part to pete waterman and then AC loco group :-)

Fascinating look around the old grave yard Warren, thatnks for sharing...5* Bob

i remember all these locos as a kid,, scribbling down their numbers ,, listening for the roar,,, now all whe have are goddamn multi-units and fixed train constructs,,, what a waste!!!

These (and class 84 and 86) were my childhood memories, watching them speed by Whitebridge Lane crossing in Stone with my late grandfather. We were hauled by class 85 from Stone part way to Brighton in 1979.

Cheers Tony Thanks Warren

A very sad sight.Great childhood memories of these in the early mid eighties.At Stockport and seeing many lined up at Longsight sheds from the train to Manchester Piccadilly.Glad to have seen them in action.Had the pleasure of 85001 pulling us on the return leg of an excursion from Birmingham in 1984..Great times.Thanks for sharing although sad to see.Glad these images have been preserved.Great job.Thanks again.

@BEZ81022 Spoke to you last year on the West Cumbria shuttles Bez - can remember you lads were always out on the roaring beasts. Never did anything like enough behind them, but they were truly rateable machines, many happy hours zipping up and down the WCML.

i've read most of the comments and agree it's a very sad sight to see all these engines being wasted like this....british railways,pfffffff

Dug that vid.. out of my kids video box in the loft and thankfully had the title "roar no more" on the side of the tape....!! Cheers Warren

strange to think that everything has a season. Back in the 60s Deltics took the crown from the A4s, in 1982 the deltic reign all gone. on April 18th 1966 the WCML started the 2hr 40 min time to Manchester and Liverpool by electric traction class 81s to 85 and the super AL6 now all gone. Every dog has its day but still kind of sad

Great shots rip locos

Whoever sprayed "fake" on the side of one loco was clearly getting confused with them self

So sad I saw all of the locos when I was a train spotter. Nothing can beet the sound of a 85 going through wigan at full speed. All we have now is shit loco's from abroad. Joke

Great vid pal, such a shame it came to this, im Eastern Region & we had our fatalaities too, so sad. Thanks for posting this vid, liked & faved & a sub from me. Cheers, Tony.

Both 81003 and 85022 resided at Carlisle for a fair while after they combusted. 003 at the now home of DRS and 85022 sheeted over next to the WCML, at Upperby.

Very sad to see this esp the fire damaged ones but they can't all be saved.

Hey, checked barrow hill lately? They've got 81002 from the video seen at 3:15. Apparently that class 81 is the only class 81 left in the whole of the UK...

By the end of the year, all of them had met the scrapyard.

Very sad sight. Shame a few more of them didnt make it into preservation really!

Tiz sad pjunzi...like yourself I had many miles behind them... 81's & 85's,,,, missed out on the 2,3, & 4;s...!!

Remeber these doing ECS to Stonebridge Park

85022 The rice crispy!

Great footage but disappointing to see. Its a sad fact that all good things come to an end at sometime. 5*****

@Ben31337l which was smashed and rebuilt into a big Deltic in the old series and died in the new series

@desdemona77 just like to add the same comments like everyone else all the roarers are missed and many 100.000+ miles behind these mega ac's up and down the WCML .Nothing like an overnight to Euston 1M14,1M15.1M16 OR THE OCCASIONAL ONE ON 1M23 SLEEPERS ONLY!!!!!

What is with the FAKE graffiti?