Class 31s had a long association with empty stock workings between Paddington and Old Oak Common, and indeed apart from a brief and unsuccessful period of use on the Cotswold Line, that was their principal use on the Western Region for many years. On 22 November 1986, 31401 waits in Paddington station with another ECS working to Old Oak Common. 31401 was the original ETS (ETH as it was called then) conversion, being converted from D5589 in 1973.