NEWS/UPDATES 2002

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News Archive Links: 2001 2003 2004 2005 2006

9016 hauled the Pathfinder tour yesterday but due to an ETH fault a 47 was added to the rear of the train to provide train supply for the return journey.
Two photos of 45135 on the ELR diesel diagram last weekend are here and here

A big thanks go to everyone who have sent me photos and information during the websites first full year on-line and also to the 130,453 visitors for that period. Keep supporting the Diesel Events in 2003!

Both Deltic outings ran successfully yesterday; A photo of 9016 is here and photos of D9009 can be found on the DPS website
What does the future hold for these two BRCW locos? 27007 has been laid up a number of years with electrical problems and is notable in being the only vacuum only 27 still in existence and 33109 was taken out of service in 2001 with shifted tyres. Both locos are owned by the Mid Hants Railway.

The restoration agreement between the Class 40 Appeal and the owner of 40013 'Andania' has come to an end and the loco is to be moved from the Midland Railway Centre to Barrow Hill for restoration to continue. Little work has taken place since a big setback in November last year when the power unit suffered a broken con-rod when started for the first time in many years.
Photos of a very well supported event at the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire yesterday are here

Fragonset have acquired 33019 to add to their growing class 33 fleet. The loco is currently in the care of the SRPS at Bo'ness who returned the Crompton to working order in May after a lengthy period out of use. The loco was purchased from EWS by Harry Needle.
Times for the various festive Deltic outings can be found in the news section of www.55s.co.uk
A photo of The Cornubian railtour on Saturday is here

37215 has been taken out of service at Toddington to enable the replacement of the engine mounts and it is expected that the loco will return to service in the spring. A revised timetable for the upcoming GWR Christmas Diesel Day on the 27th is here

Photo and details of D9504 added

31163 arrived this morning at Chinnor having been moved by road from Derby. It was hoped to put the loco straight into service but further work is required before the loco can enter traffic probably early next month.
The Llangollen railway will be holding two diesel galas for 2003;
The weekend of 29 & 30 March will see the first runs of 37240 as well the return of 20142 from the CTRL work and the October gala will be a three day event from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th. It is hoped to have visiting traction to compliment the home fleet.

The DPS have announced details of three tours for 2003;
Manchester to Oban on 12 April, Newcastle to Kings Cross on 7 June and Ealing to Penzance on 6th September. More details will be posted to the DPS website in due course.
The Trainspotters Ball IV at the Mid-Hants next May is hoped to feature visiting preserved locos 33201 31271 40135 & 46035 along with a selection of EWS and Freightliner motive power with 31110 being the only confirmed 'mainline' loco. The 46 and a loco to be confirmed will be the power for the mini-railtour.
A photo of the progress on D1062 is here. The loco is undergoing, amongst other things, a complete re-wire and it is hoped to have the engines running in time for her 40th birthday next year.

Times for the 9016 railtour tomorrow can be found in the 'news' section here.
Times for next weekends class 50 tour to Newquay as posted to Railgen are reproduced here

31530 has arrived at Dereham, Mid Norfolk Railway, and work will begin on restoration once 31438 is fully serviceable.
An additional photo of D1015 from Saturday is here and a further gallery can be found here
Two more photos of 9016's mini railtour last week are here and here
Additional photo of 33048 and 50049 added along with three of D1015 here here and here

End of the Line reports that 31530 has been sold privately and is destined for the Mid Norfolk Railway, although confirmation is still required of the locos arrival at Dereham.
50049 hauled a stored class 31 from Ipswich WRD to Old Oak Common on Friday.
Two photos of D1015 today are here and here
Photos and details for 73002 added

Two photos of 9016 today are here and here
31289 has completed some test runs on the NLR after having been successfully started a few weeks ago.

9016 has now safely arrived at Alton after a 3 hour plus late start from Hornsey following problems with the loco which were solved just in time as a Fragonset 31 was about to deputise! The loco will now spend the night at Alton and will work the mini-tour to Liverpool Street and back tomorrow. The Deltic is expected to return to Hornsey on Friday.

9016 is due to move from Hornsey to the Mid Hants Railway tomorrow to work the diesel leg of a Steam Dreams mini railtour from Alton to Liverpool Street and return. Times are here and more details on the tour itself are here

D345 today returned to Bury hauling two class 37's. More photos of yesterdays successful railtour are here and another set can be found on the North Wales Coast Railway website plus some more here
The West Somerset Railways class 14 D9526 undertook three test runs yesterday running from Williton to Washford with the Class 33 as a dead load. The run went very well with the only problem being a small oil leak. A photo is here

Some photos of D345 today are here

18.45
D345 ran light from Bury to Crewe today in readiness for tomorrows tour to Holyhead and will return to Bury on Sunday.
A photo of 50049 en-route to Ipswich is here

07.30
50049 will today run light diesel from OOC to Ipswich WRD and will be used to test the brakes of the locos that are stored there prior to their re-location. The 50 is expected to stay in the area for a week or two. Some times as posted to Rail-Gen are; OOC 10.00, Stratford 1157-1159, Colchester 1315, Ipswich WRD 13.38.

45112 was back in action on the 25th. It ran light from Derby to Toton and then hauled a steam loco to East Leake on the GCR(N) before returning light to Derby.
Satisfactory tests have been carried out on the repaired bridge at the East Lancs and the railway will resume normal operations this Saturday - a week earlier than expected.
A full set of times for Saturdays Class 40 railtour are on the North Wales Coast Railway website and a posting to NWGL suggests that tomorrows light engine move for D345 has been retimed to a 0915 departure and will run two  hours early throughout.
Photos and details for 45015

33018 left Crewe Heritage Centre yesterday and is now en-route by road to the Midland Railway Centre for much needed bodywork repairs.
The Class Forty Preservation Society have announced a date for D345 next year, a railtour will run Crewe - York - Newcastle - York - Crewe on 5th April. More details are here
D345 is allocated to run light engine from Bury to Crewe on Friday to be in position for Saturdays railtour - a few times are; Castleton Jcn 1112, Weaver Jcn 1222-1225, Crewe DRS 1302-1312, Crewe HS 1314.

The overhaul of D7018 continues with more stripping having taken place. The loco is due to have the dynostarter removed next weekend and a photo of the locos engine room is here. D9526 will also be having its first test run next Saturday - hauling 6566 to Blue Anchor and back.
37901 has been moved by road from Cardiff to the MOD base at Ashchurch
Good news from the East Lancs is that the bridge repairs are virtually complete and that the railway will resume running services to Rawtenstall on December 7th
A few photos from the Swanage Diesel Day are here

The restoration of Metrovick Co-Bo D5705 has taken a major step forward in recent months with the acquisition of a spare Crossley engine believed to have been sourced from Canada! This will help provide parts for the overhaul of the locos own power unit at Bury. Much electrical and bodywork renewal has already taken place during the locos time at Peak Rail but it is not expected to have the loco operational for some time yet.
A photo of 31018's new look is here

47376 has been purchased by the Brush Type 4 Fund but requires a replacement power unit. Negotiations are in hand to have the loco based at the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway along with 47105 - also owned by the group.
47367 is now owned by the Stratford 47 Group the group having achieved its aim of preserving a former SF based engine. It is understood that 47206 is now owned by Ian Riley so may not be covered by this website.
9016 today ran south from York to Hornsey - a photo is here - the loco's next working is the Steam Dreams mini railtour from Alton to Liverpool Street on December 5.

End of the Line reports three former Freightliner class 47's have been secured for 'preservation'. The locos quoted are 47206 47367 and 47376, the latter currently stored at Southampton with the other two laid up at Crewe.
26040 has been moved from Methil Power Station, where it has been stored since 1994, to a private (non-rail) location in Methil and restoration of the locomotive has now begun. More details can be found on the owners website
Times for 9016's run south tomorrow are here

9016 has today run light from Hornsey to York to take part in an exhibition at the NRM. The loco will return south on Friday.
The Great Central Railway has cleared its overdraft with the bank. Public donations and the sale of two coaches helped to reach the required amount.
The Swanage Railway diesel day this Sunday will feature 33012 and the lines DMU with the 08 making an appearance late in the day. A timetable is here

Privately owned 31421, which has been stored at Crewe for a number of years, is to move to the MRC for restoration by the A1A group. As part of the work the loco will be fitted with another power unit and 31421's current unit will, in turn, be overhauled and installed in 31418.
More 31 news is that the NRM's D5500, which is currently undergoing major bodywork repairs, is to emerge in BR blue and numbered as 31018 and when completed the loco will be exhibited as part of the main collection.
40135 has been requested to attend next years Mid Hants gala with, amongst others, 31271 and 46035 and it is understood that the mini railtour will be one to suit Sulzer fans.....

Provisional times for the D345 railtour on 30/11 are here
Photo and details of 37901

55019 and D9009 were hired on Sunday night and saw use for high speed testing of the line between Banbury and Oxford. 55019 did the work with D9009 on standby. Further details are on the DPS website

45108 has changed hands - the long stored Peak has been bought by Pete Waterman
A few photos of the EE weekend at the East Lancs are here here here and here

9016 is to attend a Porterbrook sponsored event at the NRM York on November 21. Details are here

46045 and steam heat boiler will be working the 1115, 1230, 1400 and 1510 departures from Butterley and will then share shuttle duties with 25321 in connection with a firework display at the MRC
Photos of 47402's engine lift and continuing work on the damaged bridge on the ELR can be found on BR Diesel Web

Photo and details of 37904 added. The loco has today completed its protracted road shipment from Cardiff to Carnforth. 37165 is also en-route today to Carnforth from Toton by road and it is understood that 37901 has also been purchased privately although the future of all three of these 37's is as yet unknown...

The East Lancs 'English Electric' theme day this Saturday will use the following locos D8087, D5600, 40135, D345 and 50015 and because of confusion over the date the railway will again use some of these locos on the Sunday along with one steam diagram.
Timetable for the Gloucestershire and Warwickshires Xmas running day is here

9016 ran light from Kidderminster to Hornsey on Thursday - a photo is here
A few more photos of D345's test run last week are here here and here

D9000 is to have an an engine lift to enable repairs to one of its main generators and in the meantime all of its planned workings will be covered by 9016 which is due to move light engine from Kidderminster to Hornsey tomorrow. More details are on the DNLL website
25035 has been moved by road from the Northampton & Lamport Railway to the Great Central Railway this is for bodywork repairs to take place at Rothley.
Additional photos of the Western Pilgrim railtour are here here and here

D345 completed two successful from Crewe to Carnforth and back yesterday, photos are here here and here
It seems very likely that 73140 and 09004 currently preserved at the Lavender Line are to be offered for sale at the end of the year when the current operating agreement between the railway and the loco owners expires. 73140 has only just been returned to operational status and could well find itself 'un-preserved'.
47105 is once again deputising for the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway's DMU on account of its steam heat boiler. It will work the 1045, 1215, 1415 & 1545 departures from Toddington on all Sundays during November - with one exception; the 1415 run on November 10 will be hauled by 37324 as the Growler Groups AGM is being held that day.
Details and a photo of 33116 added as well as additional photos of 31108 40135 and 50049

A late alteration to D345's test run is that the Crewe-Rugby-Crewe section is now a Crewe-Carnforth-Crewe run. 1Z43 departed Crewe with at 0923 with load 8 and 37038 on the back. 

A short video clip of D1015 arriving and departing Swindon yesterday can be found in 'UK Mainline' section of the Maybach Traction World website
A reminder that D345's test run is tomorrow and is currently still to happen despite the recent bad weather. Times are here
Additional photos of 33117 45135 47417 and 55019 added.

22.30
A photo of D1015 at the head of 1A77 is here

21.15
More photos of the Western Pilgrim railtour are here here and here. D1015 was detached on the return run at Bristol and was in the process of making its way light engine to Old Oak when she was called upon to assist a First Great Western service that had failed west of Wootton Bassett Junction. For the record D1015 assisted 1A77 (1710 Bristol TM - Paddington) formed of a HST from Dauntsey to Swindon where the train was terminated.
Additional photos of 50027 and 50031 added

10.30
Two photos of Western Champion en-route to Plymouth today are here and here

45015 has finally left Toton, the peak was unloaded last night at Shackerstone on the Battlefield Railway. More details are here
Times for the Western Railtour on Saturday are here

37075 has moved to the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre at Ruddington.
Additional photos of 20059 20177 and D7017 added

The evening event at the Great Central on November 1st will now feature 45125 and 47117 top & tailing three trips on the line. Details are here
31289 has had its power unit successfully started at Pitsford and further work will now take place to get the loco operational for the Christmas running season on the NLR.
There does appear to be substance to recent press stories of 50008's proposed departure to Peru, a move that can only end in tears or rust maybe! Lets hope the current owners see sense and keep the loco in the UK.
A new web group has been launched all in the name of a bit of banter for old times sake - take a look here

37075 has been sold to another preservation group and will leave the Great Central Railway on Tuesday. All debts owed to the railway have been paid but at present it is unclear where the locos new base will be.....
Photos from today at the GWR are here
Additional photos of 24061 31101 31130 and 73141 added

D345 today ran under its own power from the East Lancs Railway at Heywood to Crewe in readiness for its loaded test run on the 28th. A photo is here

73002 has been moved from Kirkdale to Lydney on the Dean Forest Railway.
Two recent photos of 33111 are here and here. The loco was repainted for the recent BR Blue gala at Barrow Hill but much work remains to be done on the loco. It is intended to return two overhauled traction motors to the loco next month and once this work is complete the group hope to crane the power unit back in early next year.
More detailed timings for D345's test run on the 28th are here
Two galas to choose from this weekend; The Gloucestershire & Warwickshire have three days of diesel running starting tomorrow (Friday) and a timetable and loco roster is here. The Great Central Autumn gala weekend is a mix of steam and diesel - a loco timetable is here, plus steam loco problems at the East Lancs make this weekend all diesel here as well! Details are here
Additional photo of 20096 added

46010 was re-railed successfully yesterday afternoon and an inspection at Llangollen loco shed revealed only minor damage which has been repaired and the loco is now serviceable.
The Diesel Gala planned for the 3rd November at the Colne Valley Railway has been cancelled because repairs to 31270 will not be completed in time.
Times for D345's run from Bury to Crewe on Friday (taken from NWGL) are;
0Z40 Bury - Crewe CS. Heywood 1010, Man Vic 1025, Astley 1037, Warrington BQ 1054. (D345 + Class37) and subject to that being without problems a loaded run will take place on the 28th. Some times for this are here
Additional photos of 45060 45108 55009 55019 and 55022 added

56023 and the remains of 56080 have both been moved to the secure MOD site at Ashchurch, Gloucestershire, from Toton and Wigan respectively. Both locomotives are privately owned and it is understood that 56080 will be donating remaining components to return 56023 to working order.
The Peak Loco Company's 46, 46045 has had its steam generator re-instated and made its first runs heating coaches yesterday. The loco is now suitable for winter diagramming at the Midland Railway Centre.
Additional photos of 47449 are here and here

20:10
A photo of a derailed 46010 is here. The Peak was being moved to Llangollen depot at the end of operations on Saturday night as part of a two loco movement with 47449, which was leading. At this stage it is thought a track defect caused the derailment but further investigations are required.

09:30
There was a derailment during shunting last night at Llangollen Goods Junction and 46010 is currently off the road. The Diesel gala is cancelled for today. Further details are on the Llangollen Railway website
A few photos of Saturday at the railway are here here and here
Additional photo of 50017 added

50049 today worked light engine from Kidderminster to Old Oak
The Peak Locomotive Company have arranged a brake van trip/photo charter using 44004 at the GCR(N) for Saturday 26th October. There will be at least one approx two hour trip - more if demand requires. Further details and contact info is here

The Class 40 Preservation Society have announced the dates for D345's main line test run in preparation for next months railtour;
18th October - light engine from Castleton to Crewe (with a 37 in tow)
28th October - loaded run - Crewe-Rugby-Carnforth-Crewe
Timings are not yet available.

Porterbrook liveried Deltic 9016 has returned to the ownership of Deltic 9000 Locomotives Limited. The engine was in the care of Porterbrook Leasing since the company sponsored the overhaul of the loco. Full details on the DNLL website
55009 and 55019 have returned to Barrow Hill from Kidderminster dropping D1023 off at York on the way.
Two photos of D1010 from last weekend are here and here

Photos of the initial inspection following the removal of the power unit from the DEG's Hymek D7018 are here here here here and here. The loco has been stored pending repair since 1995 after serious engine failure approaching Williton whilst working the Quantock Belle dining service. The stripping and investigation of the unit continues....
Two photos of 20096 and 46035 at Barrow Hill during the gala added. A superb set of shots from a photo shoot prior to last weekends event can be found here
More photos from the SVR gala are here here and here
A photo with news of 27056 is here

Photos of 50029 and 50030 newly arrived at Rowsley, Peak Rail are here here and here
55019 has over the last few years carried all the Deltic BR liveries in the correct order of time. Photo1 Photo2 Photo3 Photo4

31203, currently at the Brush works in Loughborough, is awaiting a bogie change to correct a slipped tyre. Once this work is done the loco will move to the Dean Forest Railway.
31163 was moved last week from Carnforth to the Fragonset works at Derby for repairs to frost damage and a B exam, once this is completed the loco will be moved by road to the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway.
Photos and details for 73001 73005 & 73006 added
Additional photos of D9539 and D9553 added

The power unit of D7018 was lifted out of the loco yesterday and is now being stripped for overhaul and repairs. The Hymek has been out of service for several years following serious engine failure. A photo of the unit is here
50029 was moved on Thursday from Blaenavon to Peak Rail. Cosmetic restoration will begin on both 50's immediately with work to return 50030 to working order following shortly after.
50042 will be operating ALL service on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway on 26th October.
Photos of yesterday at the SVR are here
Photo and details of 50026 added
Two photos of 31538 at work on the Mid Norfolk Railway are here and here

A few dates for D1015 next year have been confirmed; 
15/3/03 - A Pathfinder track basher going Crewe-Bristol-Westbury-Merehead-Westbury-Yeovil Jnc-Exeter-Meldon-Exeter-Bristol-Crewe. D1015 will work the Bristol to Bristol part.
7/6/03 - Past Time Rail - London to Penzance and back
27/7/03 - Past Time Rail - London to Poole. Also using steam loco 34027 and VSOE stock
25/8/03 - Pathfinder - London to Newquay & Falmouth branches and return.
Other dates are in the pipeline with some outings using D1015 to work the diesel sections on steam tours.
Also of note is that as of 1st Jan 2003 all trains using the section of track between Ladbroke Grove and Paddington station will have to be TPWS fitted, so until D1015 is fitted with this equipment any tour originating in London using the loco will probably start from Ealing Broadway or Reading.
73006 (73906) has been moved to the Dean Forest Railway from Birkenhead and 73005 is en-route today

50049 has today hauled 37175 to the Severn Valley Railway and both locos are taking part in this weeks diesel gala along with 55016 which arrived there on Monday morning.
50030 has been noted on a lowloader on the M40 whilst moving from Blaenavon to Peak Rail
Additional photos of D9537 D9539 D9553 20137 20227 31418 40013 and 50021 added

Details and loco diagrams for next months diesel gala at the Llangollen Railway are here
Photos from the Midland Railway Centre are here
Photos and details of 20007 added as well as an additional photo of 25322

55002 has moved to the Wabtec works at Doncaster.
73001 (73901) has been noted on the move from Merseyside heading for Lydney at the Dean Forest Railway
Photos from last weekends Bodmin & Wenford Gala can be found on this website 
The DPS are running a VSOE excursion over the Settle & Carlisle line to raise funds for the new shed being built to house the societies locos. Details are here 
Additional photos of D9529 20048 D821 D1023 & 55019 added

Preparations are being made to move 55002 from Brush, Loughborough to Wabtec, Doncaster. This will enable completion of the loco's overhaul. Full details are on the DNLL website
45015's move from Toton to Shackerstone was postponed. There are plans for another attempt next week.
Loco diagrams for this coming weekends Churnet Valley gala are here. 25322 is still under repair and new arrival 20007 will be on display. 
Additional photos of D9520 D9531 D9555 25067 25265 27056 D5705 44008 45060 55002 added as well as two shots of D821 - here and here

45125 and 25265 will top and tail three trips on the Great Central on Friday November 1st, although the times have yet to be agreed a similar event was held last year and started around 18.30. Tickets and beer available on board!
D9000 yesterday ran light diesel from Wembley to Hornsey. 
Photos and details of D9500 D9513 D9518 and D9537 added as well as an additional photo of D9502

Photos from the Great Central gala are here
A photo of a pair of 50's on the Midland Main Line is here

The times for tomorrows private charter hauled by two class 50's have changed. The train will now run to down the ECML to Finsbury Park.
Additional photos of 40135 45135 added plus two of 55016 - here and here

The Great Central Railway is in the news at the moment, it would appear that the railway need to quickly clear a £50K overdraft with their bank following the recent sudden death of the railways main benefactor David Clarke. £8000 has already been raised - so expect the collection tins to be prominent this weekend!
The trailer taking 50021 to Tyseley had technical troubles somewhere near Newcastle and has yet to arrive in Birmingham and may not make it until tomorrow.
Additional photos of 20048 and 40135 added

47117 at the Great Central Railway has been repaired following its bash earlier in the year and will be taking part in the diesel gala starting tomorrow, 37075 has not been repaired in time and will not participate. 
The Battlefield Line have a gala this weekend as do the Bodmin & Wenford Railway who in addition to the resident fleet will have 37670 and 47306 from EWS. Details of the loco roster are in the 'news' section here
50021 left Bo'ness last night by road and should be at Tyseley sometime today.
20177 left Toton on Monday and is now at the Somerset & Dorset Loco Company's base at Yeovil Junction.
Another fine collection of photographs of D1015 working in Cornwall are on this website

73140 has been returned to operational condition at the Lavender Line. Final test runs were completed last weekend, photos and details are here
A couple of photos of interest are here and here
Details of 31442 added and an additional photo of 31018 added

D9000 suffered power unit problems on Friday and was withdrawn from the Past-Time railtour by its owners. Further details are on the DNLL website
The DEPG's Class 14, D9526 was fired up and moved under its own power for the first time in eight years on Saturday. The loco requires vacuum exhausters and a repaint to finish and when complete attention will turn to D7018.
It has been confirmed that 20007 is at the Churnet Valley Railway and is in the care of the diesel group. 31442, currently at the Heritage Centre at Crewe is to join it at some point.
A selection of photos from the East Lancs gala are here
A photo of D9009 and D1023 leaving Carnforth is here
Additional photos of 25173 44004 D1010 55016 and 55022 added

Unfortunatley D9000 failed during its run south yesterday. It is understood the loco is currently at Doncaster Carr.  An EWS loco will work todays Past Time rail tour.

55009 is on its way from Carforth to Kidderminster and is hauling D1023. Both will take part in the SVR's diesel gala.
D9000 is also working south hauling a EWS mail service as far as Doncaster and the loco will itself be hauled to London in readiness for tomorrows Past Time tour. 
Photos of last weekends gala at Bo'ness are here

50021 is due to leave the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway at the end of next week. The loco is understood to be moving to Tyseley and is in need of repair and re-fitting of the ETH/auxillary generator.
A selection of photos of D1015 working in Cornwall last month are here
55019 has moved to the Severn Valley Railway and will work and additional service from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth and back this Saturday. 
Photos and details of 20197 added
Additional photos of D8233 25262 D7017 40135 50033 50049 D1010 55009 added plus two of 40145 here and here

There are reports that 20007 is now at the Churnet Valley Railway. Can anyone confirm this and that 31442, currently at The Railway Age - Crewe, is to join it at Cheddleton.
End of the Line has a report that the former Merseyrail class 73's have been purchased for preservation and are headed for the Dean Forest Railway. Locos are 73001/2/5/6 and some of these will almost certainly be for spares only.
31327 has been returned to operation condition by the SRPS diesel group and took part in last weekends diesel gala at Bo'ness. The loco will move north to Dufftown at the end of this years operating season.
This Friday seen the start of a three day event at the East Lancs, 55016 and some Freightliner locos are the visitors plus 50015 gets a run out - details here. The Nene Valley have a gala this coming weekend and 31108 & 40106 will be in action. Details here
Additional photos of 31255 31270 33110 50002 D1015 added as well as two photos of 50042 - here and here

Some Western photos;
Two photos of D1015 working in Cornwall last month are here and here and a photo of D1010's new look is here
Some Deltic photos are on these websites;
D9009/55019 are here and here, 9016 here

Photo of D9009 today is here

'Deltic Day' tomorrow and unfortunately D9000 was failed with a minor fault yesterday at Tyne Yard and was unable to make the trip south to work the Past Time Railtour to Edinburgh. 55019 will now work the train. Details of this and an interesting helicopter challenge are here
Times for the DPS tour to Bristol with D9009 are on the EMRPS site here (scroll down the page)
Times for 9016's tour along the North Wales coast to Holyhead are in the 'news' section here
D9009 and 55019 have now left the NYMR. D9009 has also towed D1023 to Carnforth in preparation for it and the two Deltics attending the SVR gala next month. 
Class 73, E6003 is having a couple of test runs on the GCR tomorrow departing Loughborough at 1745 light engine and then at 1845 with a loaded run. It will be the locos first real run out since withdrawl from BR.
50031 & 50049 are booked to work a York - St Pancras and return private charter on the 22nd September.
Details of D9551 added as well as additional photos of D9516 D9523 20048 25067 D7017 and two photos of 20001 here and here

A photo of Mondays Class 50 ballast working is here and more photos are here. The train was also used to move D1015 back to Kidderminster.
Details of the loco roster for this weekends gala at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway are in the 'Events' section here
Class 14 section added.

Details for the class 50's on the autoballaster tomorrow (Monday) have been posted to Rail-Gen;
6P21 0548 Bescot-ES-Kidderminster SVR 0652 (Soho NJ 0609 Stbg Jn 0633)
6P22 1000 Kidderminster SVR-Bescot ES 1123 (Stbg Jn 1017 Soho NJ 1104)
Booked 2 CL50 & 10 JJA (GTRM Autoballaster). 
Seeing as Maybach turbos are in the news lately here are some photos of one....here and here....D1010 is on course to be ready for the WSR's CAMRA weekend
A new group has been formed with the aim of purchasing one of remaining EWS owned Class 31's. Details here
Additional photos of 20205 31418 33108 and 47401 added

D1015 has today worked some clay trips off St Blazey and it is confirmed that she will return to the Severn Valley Railway after the EWS event at the depot.
73003 has been moved from the Lavender Line to the Great Central Railway for a load period of around six months.
A late change to the NYMR diesel diagram tomorrow sees 55019 sharing the diesel diagram with the booked power -  50027. Details here
Not quite diesel news, but maybe, is that the Swanage Railway are all but connected to the main rail network now work is almost complete at Furzebrook. The railway plan to celebrate this by naming a Virgin Voyager unit at Swanage and details of this are here. In an article in Heritage Railway it is said that the railway eventually plan to run loco hauled trains into Wareham as a council sponsored rail connection for the town of Swanage. The staple power for these services is proposed to be class 33's with the railway looking to acquire another Type 3.
Additional photos of 31101 31130 and 73141 added

D1015 has worked 6V70 this afternoon, the train consists of a class 60 and three wagons and is running more or less to time according to a report at Bridgwater. A couple of photos are on this site
31327 has been started at Bo'ness and further work to electrical systems is required for it to be ready for the railways diesel gala. More details here
45041 is now deemed operational after a six year restoration by the Peak Locomotive Company. Details are on their new website
73141 has moved moved from Ruddington to the Battlefield Line and is due to take part in the lines September gala.
By the time my web host sorted out its problems, yesterdays update is a bit out of date - for further details on D1015 go to the 'uk-mainline' section here
Additional photos of D1041 55002 55015 and two of D7017 here & here

A photo of D1015 working 5C37 today is here
The plans for D1015's trip to Cornwall have changed already! It is now anticipated that the Western will leave Cornwall on Sunday (1/9) as part of the convoy hauled by 50031/50049 and will not work the oil trip to Penzance. It is unclear whether D1015 will return to Old Oak Common or go straight to the Severn Valley Railway. 
The Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railways' Diesels get a run out over the weekend of the 7/8 September as part of the lines 21st birthday celebrations. 
The Spa Valley Railway have details of their September Gala which includes a rare passenger outing for the lines former Port of Felixstowe Class 10 shunter 'Colonel Tomline'. 
Additional photos of 20050 25173 25283 D7017 D7029 D7076 D821 D832 50019 50035 50044 & D1010 added

D9000 attended Sundays EWS staff open day at Tyne Yard along with the NYMR's 24061. The loco was collected from Grosmont on Saturday by 37057. The 24 was returned home on Monday by 37685 and the Deltic is expected to work south this week.
Next weekend is the turn of St Blazey and there are to be a number of preserved locos in attendance; the Bodmin & Wenford diesel group are providing their locos 20166 33110 & 50042, from Crewe - 46035 and from Old Oak 50031 50049 and D1015. D1015 will haul the 50's to Bristol in the consist of 5C37 and all will stable at Barton Hill that night. D1015 is expected to work 6V70 on Thursday (see below) and the 50's will work a special from Crewe to St Blazey, forward from Bristol, on Friday (30/9) which will include 46035 and its support coach. 
After the event 50031/49 will work a St Blazey - Crewe special (containing 46035) as far as Bescot on Sunday (1/9) where the locos will stable to work an Autoballaster train to the Severn Valley Railway on Monday (2/9). 50035 will be added to the rear at Kidderminster and the train will then drop 1000 tons of ballast before returning to Bescot. 50031 & 50049 will then run LD to Old Oak.
Times for 5C37 with D1015 are here
A correction to the news on 45015 is that the move date from Toton is set for the 24th September and therefore is just after the Battlefield Line's diesel gala.
A video still of the demise of D1015's 'B' engine turbo blower is here and additional photos of 24061 25278 37119 50031 and 55019 added. Photos of Pathfinders 50 tour on Saturday are here

D1015 should have had repairs to the broken 'B' engine turbo blower completed at Old Oak Common and further details of its jaunt to Cornwall have been posted to Rail-Gen, the loco is expected to work the following EWS freight services during its short allocation to BZ;
Friday 30th August 
6G11 13.18 Fowey - Goonbarrow CDA clays, and 6G10 15.48 return. 6G27 19.23 Fowey - St Blazey.
Monday 2nd September 
6C21 St Blazey - Penzance - St Blazey oil tankers.
D1015 will leave Cornwall working 6M72 St Blazey - Cliffe Vale, presumably as far as Bristol on the 3rd September.
Additional photos of 25191 33048 D821 44004 D1062 & 55015 added

Peak Rail is to be the new home for 50029 & 50030, the RRR group will move the two locos as soon as possible.

More details on the failure of one of D1015's engines and some rather spectacular photos are here !
D9000 has been requested to attend a EWS open day at Tyne Yard on the 25th August. More details here
Additional photos of 44004 and 55015 added

Photos from todays Western railtour are here here here and here. The tour ran to time throughout and was twelve minutes early on arrival back at Paddington despite much of the return leg being completed with D1015 running on one engine.

45015 should be ending its long stay at Toton in the next few weeks and moving to the Battlefield Line. If all goes to plan the loco will be on display for the railways upcoming diesel gala.
45135 has suffered at the hands of vandals at the East Lancs, including attempted engine starting and minor fire damage to one of the cabs. 
Additional photos of D8568 25283 33048 D7017 D7018 D7029 50019 50031 50042 D1062 added, plus multiple pics of 40145 here and here & 50049 here here and here

Barrow Hill are to theme the October Diesel Gala as 'BR blue in the 80's'. The roundhouse hope to add classes 06, 37, 40, 46 and 47 to the resident locos of the correct livery. 
Additional photo of D832 added

Photos from Saturdays Class 50 railtour are here and here. More are on this site and this site !
Additional photo of D1048 added

It has been confirmed (not by Rail Magazine!) that there is still a plan to get D1015 to the west country for a private staff open day at St Blazey via EWS service trains. The current plan is;
Weds 28/8 - 5C37 OOC - Bristol 
Thurs 29/8 - 6V70 Cliffe - St Blazey, from Bristol
In both cases it is understood that the Western will pilot the train engine. There are as yet no details on how the loco will return to London.

Photos from last weekends Keighley & Worth Valley Gala are here

Past-Time Rail have revised the date for the 'Western Sunset' tour with D1015 which will now run on the 7th December. There are still seats available for the 'Western Noon' tour to Worcester on the 17th August. Details here
Photo and details of 20177 added as well as an additional photo of 20188

Pathfinder have details of more tours using 'preserved' traction; 
December 21 is a pair of 50's from Ealing to Newquay and also has provisional plans to use 9016 for two trips over the S&C from the Midlands to Carlisle on December 28th & 30th. More details are here

The Keighley & Worth Valleys' diesel gala was not without incident, 47401 was unable to work any of its booked trains due to a problem with its main generator.
There are conflicting reports over D1015's trip to the West Country for an open day at St Blazey later this month; firstly there was a report that the Western would also attend the Bodmin & Wenford's September Diesel Gala, however, a second report indicates that due to staffing problems the loco will not make the trip at all. We'll see what happens then!
Better news on the Western front is that the repairs to D1010 are nearing completion and the loco will be receiving small yellow warning panels before its return to service.
33108 has had the engine room fire bottles activated, reportedly a (un-necessary) deliberate act, rendering the loco un-serviceable. The crompton is currently 'on-hire' to SouthWest Trains and is due to go to Bournemouth for repairs.
A new group - 37412 Locomotive Preservation Society - has been set up with the aim of preserving EWS's 37412. A Yahoo Group has been created here
Photos from Saturdays Settle and Carlisle excursion are here and here the train then spent the Sunday at Swindon Cocklebury Yard before returning ECS to London this morning. A photo is here
Additional photos of D8568 20001 20166 D821 44004 45112 & 45132 added

Additional photos of D8568 D7018 D1010 50042 and two of D7017 - here & here

56088 is now the EWS loco to visit the KWVR for the diesel gala tomorrow, the 'Grid' was used to haul the locos from the MRC to Keighley this morning.

45112 suffered its fourth failure on the mainline since its return just over a year ago. The loco was running light engine en-route from Derby to work a Scarborough - York steam charter when it failed at Swinton yesterday.
A late addition to the bill for this weekends Keighley and Worth Valley diesel gala is EWS's 56129 and is expected to operate the Beer-ex's on the Saturday night.
Additional photos of 20048 26040 D7017 50033 and Deltic added

26035 has returned to operational use at the Caledonian Railway, the loco successfully worked one return trip on the line yesterday and further news from Brechin is that the diesel group have sourced AEI power control equipment which is a big step forward in the long term restoration project of 25083.
The NYMR have a midweek diesel diagram until further notice, to start with it will be the 10:50, 13:50, 16:50 ex Grosmont  & 12:20, 15:20 ex Pickering. Power is expected to be of the Type 2 variety and for further details please phone the railway 
Additional photos of 50033 & D1023 added

31163 is to go to the Fragonset works at Derby for further work before going to Chinnor.
73003 is to be the visiting traction for The GCR's September Diesel Gala.
Details for Class 73 added (at last)..class 14's to follow soon and photo contributions are welcome!
Additional photo of 45112 added

31163 has been shunted out of the depot at Carnforth in preparation for its move south to the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway.
The Class 47 Locomotive Group have launched a website
Additional photos of 20227 24032 & 24081 added

45112 hauled 44004 from the Midland Railway Centre to Ruddington on Friday night and the 45 then took part in the GCRN's diesel gala, although its workings on Saturday were restricted to the 'Beer-ex' due to a problem with the loco. 44004 will be based at Ruddington for the foreseeable future. A photo of 25279 sporting its new colour scheme is here.

Photos from Friday at the G&WR are here
Photos and details of 31456 & 31467 added
Additional photos of 20048 and 20227 at work on the CTRL added

23:00
Photo and details of 37240 added

19:00
One in, one out! 37240 has been noted on a low loader on the M6 so delivery to the Llangollen Railway will be today or tomorrow and Fragonset are the new owners of 33202, the Crompton was transported from Toddington to Derby by road today.
A posting on Railgen by gwot has 33108 working on the Alton branch on Sunday July 28th, the loco will work the following trains 1039 Wloo-Alt from Woking then 1220 Alt-Wloo,1353 Wloo-Alt,1520 Alt-Wloo,1653 Wloo-Alt then the 1820 to Woking.
The South Devon Railways' class 20's, D8110 & 20118 are diagramed to work the last train of the day on certain dates for the next few months. Details are on The Gen Page
More photos of the Harrogate Hoover are here here and here
Additional photo of 24061 added

25035 is due to leave the Northampton & Lamport Railway to enable substantial bodywork repairs to be carried out. The loco has suffered from corrosion over the years, mainly in the cabs but other areas are showing signs of rust as well. The location for these repairs to take place is as yet unknown.
Additional photo of 24054 added

The Llangollen Railway is due to take delivery of Class 37, 37240 shortly. The loco has been at Wigan CRDC for just over two years and has been robbed of some parts although the diesel group are hopeful of having it running for the lines Diesel Gala in October.
Preserved Diesels on service trains....
1. D1015 has been requested to attend an EWS open day at St Blazey in August and moves are afoot for the Western to work its passage into Cornwall! The current plan being devised for Aug 28 is for D1015 to work the 5C37 OOC - Bristol van train, spend the night at Barton Hill depot and then the following day work the Cliffe Vale - St Blazey (6V70) china clay empties forward from Bristol with the booked Class 60 dead in the train. The china clay services to the midlands were a regular duty for the class in the 1970's.
2. D9000 is to work two timetabled passenger trains for Anglia Trains on August 11th. Full details on the DNLL website.
Photo of todays 'Harrogate Hoover' railtour is here and two more are here
Additional photos of D1013 added.

31418 has been moved to the Midland Railway Centre for restoration by A1A Locomotives. The loco has spent a number of years stored on the Great Central Railway.
9016 has returned the visitors of last weekends East Lancs Gala to their respective bases.

More details of the GCRN Diesel Gala have been published, the visiting loco will be from the Fragonset fleet and will also be used to bring 44004 over from the MRC the day before. More details and loco diagrams are here
Additional photo of 24081 added

The South Devon Diesel Traction group are continuing restoration work on 25262 (D7612), the locos cooler group was lifted out for attention on 23rd June. It is hoped to have the loco running again by the end of the summer. Photos are here here and here.
Couple more photos added from the East Lancs here and here
Photos and details of 20154 added as well as additional photos of 25322 26040 & 33102

Photos from the Thursday and Friday at the East Lancs are here

The future of 50029 & 50030 is now secure, the bid from the Renown Repulse Restoration Group has been successful and further details are here

9016 arrived at Bury as booked on Friday evening with all the locos as planned. 
33108, along with 33021, have begun a period of hire with South West Trains.
DPS Deltics D9009 & 55019 made the move from Swanwick to Grosmont as booked today.
Additional photos of 20189 25173 33048 37264 and 50050 added

Photos from the North Norfolk Gala are here

The Keighley and Worth Valley hope to have the following MRC based diesels attending the railways' gala on 3/4the August; 33201 37190 47401 & 50007 plus a selection of DRS and Freightliner mainline traction.
The first draft of the timetable for next months Diesel Gala at Ruddington are here. Loco diagrams have yet to be added. Locos attending so far are 25279 & 44004 plus another visitor yet to be confirmed.
9016 is to move the diesels to Bury to attend next weeks gala at the East Lancs, running to Barrow Hill to collect 45060, thence to York for 37119 and D1023. The transfer is booked to take place tomorrow Friday 28th June.
55009 & 55019 currently at the MRC following last weeks gala are due to move on July 1st to the NYMR for a two month stay. 
Additional photos of 27001 33019 and 832 added

The CTLS's 20001 was noted heading south on the M1 this evening, undoubtedly heading for Beechbrook Farm and contract work on the CTRL.
Additional photos of 25235 D7076 and 37025 added

31210 has entered preservation at the Dean Forest Railway, the Cotswold Rail owned loco has been up for sale for some time. Photos and details are here
Photos of yesterday at the MRC are here

47401 55009 and 55019 departed the Nene Valley on Thursday morning en-route to the Midland Railway Centre. All three locos are booked to participate in the railways diesel weekend.

Following recent flooding in the area, the damage to the bridge that carries the East Lancs Railway over the River Irwell near Irwell Vale is considerable and will cost a substantial amount of cash to repair. This will have a major impact on the railways operations for the forseeable future. 
31418 currently stored on the Great Central Railway awaiting a replacement power unit has been acquired by A1A Locomotives.

The tender forms for the sale of two of the former 'Operation Collingwood' class 50's, 50029 and 50030,  have now been issued with a deadline date of 4th July 2002. Anyone interested in helping to secure the pair for preservation should click here
50049 & 50031 worked an ECS from Crewe to Old Oak Common yesterday in readiness for next months series of railtours to Wales.
A photo of 20189 this time at work on the CTRL is here
Additional photos of D7017 45041 and 46035 added

The East Lancashire Railway are currently unable to run trains the full length of the line to Rawtenstall because recent flooding has badly damaged a bridge near Irwell Vale. It will be a great shame if this affects the upcoming July Diesel Event and the railway are advising that further information on the Gala will not be available until closer to the date.
The Mid Norfolk diesel group have returned 31538 to operational condition at Dereham and once minor faults have been ironed out it is planned to renumber the loco back to 31438 as well as re-instate the ETH.
Additional photo of D7017 added

The news last week of 37264 being started for the first time in preservation was premature, further information received is that while work is continuing on the loco, firing up the power unit is a little way off yet....

Photo of D9000 yesterday is here
Additional photo of 37099 added

Photos of todays Western Druid railtour are here here here here and here

37264 has been successfully started at Tyseley for the first time since its arrival from Wigan in January.
Photos of 20188 at work on the CTRL are here and here

55009 & 55019 are due to make an impromptu appearance at the Midland Railway Centre Gala on 22/23 June, the locos will return 47401 from the Nene Valley before continuing onto the North Yorkshire Moors Railway as part of their tour of Britain to celebrate 25 years of the DPS.
Additional photos of 25322 26038 27059 & 27066 added

Pathfinder have announced another tour for D1015 on the 26th October - from Crewe to Plymouth and return. Details here
25279 has arrived at Ruddington and is expected to stay until September. A photo shortly after arrival by road is here
Additional photos of 24032 24081 25262 25309 D7017 D821 D832 & D1010 added

44004 and 25279 are among the locos to feature in the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre's Diesel Weekend on 20th & 21st July. Full details are here
Operating dates for the DPS Deltics at the NYMR are;
6 & 20th July
3rd, 17 & 30th August
There are also plans for a mini diesel gala on the 24th August featuring all the serviceable diesels.
Photos of 25072 stored at Meldon Quarry (Dartmoor Railway) are here
Additional photos of 25173 33048 and D7017 added

50017 has been started at Tyseley after continuing repairs and work will commence on 50050 shortly. Full details are on the DNLL site
A1A's 31271 has been returned to operational condition and is expected to take part in the MRC upcoming diesel gala 22/23 June.

Additional photo of 25262 added

Pathfinder Tours have provisionally booked SVR class 50 power for excursions into Wales on 3rd, 10th and 24th August. 
The Strathspey Railway opened their Broomhill extension yesterday extending the line by a further four miles.
Additional photo of 20142 added

25279 currently based on the Great Central Railway is expected to move shortly to the northern section of the former main line, otherwise known as the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre at Ruddington.
Photo and details of 31188 added as well as additional photos of 31018 and 31163

31162 has made its journey to its new home on the North Norfolk Railway and is expected to stay for four years.
The Llangollen Railway have details of its diesel workings for the summer months;
1st to 4th June - 47449
Sat 13th July - 46010
Sat 20th July - 47449
Sat 7th Sept - 46010

20188 has arrived at the channel tunnel construction depot at Beechbrook Farm and joins 20048 20142 20189 & 20227 for use on engineering trains, the CTLS's 20001 is due to arrive at the end of the month. The contract requires eight locomotives - so two more have yet to be identified..
The Northampton & Lamport Railway have had clearance from the railway inspectorate to commence running passenger trains over its new extension, doubling the railways length. However none of the lines main line diesels are operational at the moment with work continuing on the resident 26 & 27 as well as new arrival 31289.
Further running dates for the DPS Deltics at the Nene Valley are 1st, 3rd and 16th of June, after which the locos will move to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Photos and details for 31163 & 31166 added & additional photos of 31162 & 33052 also added.

Photos of today at the Nene Valley are here
Photos and details of 31289 added

Past Time Rail have details of further tours for Western Champion; 17th August from Paddington to Worcester through the Cotswolds and returning via Birmingham & Banbury. 14th December; a circular from Paddington taking in Newport, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and back to Paddington via Banbury and the Chiltern Line.
The Caledonian Railway have announced a diesel gala on September 7 & 8 utilising all serviceable resident engines and maybe a visitor. The diesel group also hope to start 25083 for the first time during the weekend.
55009, 55019 and 47401 all arrived at the Nene Valley Railway this afternoon in preparation for the railways mini diesel gala this weekend. Details here
Additional photos of 20020 27001 27005 added

Locos for Friday/Saturdays 33111 charters' railtour from Crewe to Glasgow are reported as 33021 & 33108.
A few photos from last weekends West Somerset 'Anything Goes' Gala are here here and here
Additional photos of 20189 26004 47449 47643 & 55022 added

31162 is due to move from the Midland Railway Centre to the North Norfolk Railway at the end of May and will stay initially for a period of four years, enabling 27066 to move north to the Keith & Dufftown Railway. There could be quite a few MRC based engines spending the summer away from the centre. This is due to the railway reducing the number of diesel diagrams to one round trip every Sunday because of cost. 47401 is due to move to the Nene Valley later this month and at least two engines will probably go to the East Lancs. Diesel gala days are unaffected, however, and A1A's 31271 is due to appear on 22/23 June.
Recently bashed 47117 is to be repaired using parts from a stripped 47 over at the Brush works. The damage is not serious - a dent under the headcode box.
55009 & 55019 are due to move from Barrow Hill to Wansford on 15 May, possibly collecting 47401 on the way..
A new website has been launched to publicise the fund to try to save 50029 & 50030 currently stored at Blaenavon.
Additional photo of 20142 added.

12/5/02

Developments this week are 31289 entering preservation at the Northampton & Lamport Railway and 25072 moving from its long stay at RMS Locotec, Dewsbury and reportedly heading for Meldon Quarry..
Photos of the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railways' Diesel Gala are here
Additional photos of 20214 26001 26014 26035 & 27024 added

The Nene Valley Railway have announced an additional diesel gala for the weekend of 18/19th May. Locos running over the two days are residents 40106 and class 14, along with DPS Deltics 9 & 19 plus 47401 and 31108 from the MRC. For further details call the railway on 01780 784444.
Additional photo of 50044 added
The Growler Groups 37324 has now re-entered service on the GWR after successful generator repairs and a roster for the next two months diesel hauled services is reproduced below..