Wigan Album

you know me baldylocks when it comes to class 40's pity we dont know the number of it though.....i know lets give it a personal number of 40666 on the fact that it is still one mega beast from hell. what aslo makes this piccy speacil is the fact you have a gronk and a class 24 lurking in the background.they won't dare get side by side of the beast gggggrrrrr hear it growl .....lol

What do the numbers and letters on the big display at the front of the engine mean?

Ow.
the numbers & letter are the BR 4 position train identification system used to identify trains when in service.
it acts as a kind of individual headcode and train description to show to the signalman the class of train & where it is going etc.
0 is for a loco on it`s own,a light loco & probably going for fuel.
1 is for an express.
2 is for an all stations stopper etc.
The letter is an area code.
Crewe was area K so a light engine for Crewe would be 0K00
Manchester was area J so a light engine for Manchester would be 0J00
I suppose in laymans terms it is to the signalman a bit like what a flight number would be to an air traffic controller

...And Z indicates Newton Abbott...Strange then, this loco so far from home...

Yeah I thought that Jarvo but had forgotten the exact location,thanks.
I knew that Z was inter regional & somewhere on the Western region.
Yet strangely 1Z99 is also the ultimate top priority anywhere & used for ad hoc stuff like loco or unit going to assist failed train,snowplough clearing line,or breakdown train going to clear line.
1Z99 always took top priority
I seem to remember that 0B00 was the actual local code for a light engine for the branch.

Look further background right for stanier 8f 48752 going scrap.

0z00 means light engine always did unfortunately I have already sold this pic gi colour rail.

How can a loco have one clean and one dirty buffer?????