Page 74 - Rail Express - September 2019

PRESERVATION
Second French ‘Chopper’ scrapped
Remains of ex-CFD Class 20 aredisposed of at Kingsbury.
JULYsaw the disposal of No. 20035, one
of the four Class 20s thatreturned from action, No.20228 at the BarryIsland
France in 2005, at EMR at Kingsbury.
Located at the Gloucestershire-
WarwickshireRailway since 2016, the
loco had beengradually stripped of
components overthe past threeyears
toprovide sparesfor classmates
Nos. D8137 (20137) and 20228.
No. 20035isthe second of
the former CFD ‘Choppers’ –which
were boughtbyaconsortiumof
preservationists –togofor scrap. To
IN BRIEF
‘WENSLEYDALE’ BUBBLE
BACK IN ACTION
THE Wensleydale Railway’s Class 121
DMBS No. 55032has returnedtotraffic,
negating the needfor theline to operate
loco-hauled services on allrunning days.
However, some diesel operatingdaysare
taking place, and No. 37250isexpected
to operatetwo round trips on August 24.
MANGAPPSACQUIRES
GRESLEY BCK
MANGAPPSRailway Museum has
purchased aGresleyBrake Corridor
Composite (BCK) No. 4229, previously
based at the Llangollen Railway.
DIESEL DIARY
Mangapps celebrates 30 years
THE 30th anniversary of the opening
of Mangapps Railway Museum is
beingcelebrated overthe August
Bank Holidayweekend.Class 04
No. D2325, whichworked thefirst
train at Mangapps in 1989,isgaining
anew coat of BR greenfor the
event, whichshould also see Nos.
03089/197/399, 31105/233, 33202
Dennis GRobinson and47579 James
Nightall GC in action.
The South East Locomotive
Group’sNo. 33063 RJ Mitchell is to
visitthe Dean Forest Railway forits
gala in September.Another Sulzer,
No. D7535 (25185) is to appear at
theLlangollen Railway at theend
of September,providing thefirst
Diesel Galas
August 24-26: Mangapps
Railway Museum(Sun &Mon also
include steam)
September 6-8: Great Central Railway
September 7/8: HeritageShunters
Trust
September 13-15: Dean Forest
Railway
September 14/15: Epping Ongar
Railway
September 14/15: GCR(N),
Ruddington
September 21: East Lancashire
74 RAIL EXPRESS September 2019
date,onlyone hasbeen returnedto
Railway, although this has since been
stopped and is nownearing the end of
an overhaul. No. 20063 is also being
restored at the Battlefield Line, having
spentseveral years in store,initially at
Wishaw(Warwickshire) and then at the
Colne ValleyRailway (Essex).
■ Another Class 20 on the move in
recent weeksisthe Somerset &Dorset
Locomotive Company’s No. D8059
(20059), which wasleft the Midland
opportunity to ride behindaClass 25
on thelinesince the departure of
No. 25313in2009.
‘Clayton’ No. D8568 is to payits
first visittothe Nene ValleyRailway
in October, operating alongside
Nos. D4 (44004) GreatGable and
55019 RoyalHighland Fusilier as well
as resident locos.
■ Looking aheadto2020,owingto
thechangeofdateofthe early
MayBank Holiday(which is on Friday
May8,ratherthanthe usualMonday,
to mark the75th anniversary of
VE day), theSwanage Railway has
broughtforwardits diesel gala from
itstraditional slottotakeplaceon
April24-26.
Railway (Type 1-3 theme day)
September 28/29: Llangollen Railway
October 3-5: Severn Valley Railway
(home fleet)
October 11-13: Nene Valley Railway
October 12: Downpatrick &Co. Down
Railway (ITG30th Anniversary)
October 12/13: Gloucestershire
WarwickshireRailway
October 18/19: Spa Valley Railway
November 9: East Lancashire Railway
(DMU day)
December 28: Bo’ness &Kinneil
Railway
David Russell
REPATRIATED FRENCH CLASS 20S
BR No. CFD No. Current location/Status
20035 2001 Disposed of at EMR, Kingsbury in 2019
20063 2002 Battlefield Line, under restoration
20139 2003 Disposed of at EMR, Kingsbury in 2010
20228 2004 Barry Tourist Railway,under overhaul
Railway-Butterleyfor theMid-Hants operational diesel (excludingshunters)
RailwayonJuly25. It is the loco’s on theline wasNo. 47579 James
second appearance at theMHR, Nightall GC,whichisdue to return to its
having previouslyvisited forthe line’s Mangapps Railway Museum base forits
dieselgalain2018. With No. 50027 anniversary gala in late August(see also
Lion currentlyout of action, theonly diesel diary). E
G-WR ‘HOOVER’
FIRST: Class 50
No. 50035 Ark Royal
arrives at Cheltenham
Racecourse on July 26,
believedtobethe first
time ever a‘Hoover’ has
worked overthe line.
Beforebecoming today’s
heritage line, the full
routefromStratford-
upon-Avon to Cheltenham
onlysaw irregulartraffic
in its finalBritishRail
days,bythe timeClass
50shad been transferred
in to theWesternRegion
from theLondon Midland.
Gary Thomas
Stored Gresleys to leave NYMR
FOUR of the LNER Coach Association’s groundworkstobecarried out.
vehicles areset to depart the North Four coaches (ThirdOpenNo. 945,
YorkshireMoors Railway temporarily Composite Corridor No. 18477, Third
while the line’s carriageshed, due to Corridor No. 23896 and Tourist Third
be completed by 2021, is constructed Open No. 24109) arebeing movedto
at Pickering. aprivate site at Spennymoor (County
The ‘long siding’, as it is known, Durham) forundercoverstorage, and
needs to be cleared to enable will return to theNYMRindue course.
CLASS 50 PROGRESS: Replatingofrotten bodywork on the cabsides of
No. 50030 Repulse beganatRowsleyduring July. Apowerunit lift is planned to take
place later this year.The loco is pictured at RowsleyonJuly21. ColinPottle