Heritage News from Railways Illustrated

Major milestone reached as D8233’s engine is started
On June 19 at 1100, preservation history was made as Class 15 D8233's Paxman 16YHXL engine burst into life. First it was run for a short period then shut down to allow vital checks to various items. After that it was restarted and run for an hour.
The loco is currently minus its cab and one nose end. The start up is the first time a Class 15 has run in two decades; D8233 last ran in the early 1980s as a heating unit. The start up is the result of four years’ hard restoration by a dedicated team and went successfully with only a few minor snags to sort out.
The start up also tested other areas of the loco, such as cooler group, oil and fuel systems which have all been completely stripped for renovation.
Around £60,000 has been spent to get to this stage and it is estimated it will require at least the same again, and another five years work, before the loco hauls its first passenger train. The engine and generator will now be drained and stored until D8233 has its own control system in place.
Project leader Chris Baily said: “It’s been a very fulfilling event and very emotional for the restoration team. It just shows what time, patience, passion, vision, planning and shear hard graft can achieve. A great morale booster and we now can’t wait to get it on a train, we just need the funds to do so.” See page 38 for more information on the progress of D8233.

Moors lines up two 20s
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is hoping it will be the third time for a pair of 20s for its September 17-19 diesel gala, with plans to use them on the Battersby-Whitby line. If all goes to plan, 20227 will be joined by either 20142 or 20189.
Also visiting will be a pair of 31s, with popular 31271 Stratford 1840-2001 being joined by Nemesis Rail’s 31128 Charybdis, which is due to move to the line for a summer stay. Already announced as visitors are 37264 and 45041 Royal Tank Regiment, with the 37 expected to take up permanent residence.
Also in action will be the home fleet of Class 04 D2207, 08556 or 08850, Class 24 D5061, Class 25 D7628 Sybilla and 50027 Lion, giving a possible 11-strong line up.
Friday will see trains running between Pickering and Grosmont. Saturday trains will be between Pickering and Whitby, and on Sunday trains will be running between Pickering and Grosmont and also,using the 20s,from Whitby to Battersby
It is also hoped to repeat the shunter shuttles at Pickering using the 04 and one of the 08s, while an evening train opposite the steam-hauled Dining train is also proposed.

A busy weekend for galas
There were three major diesel galas on the June 11-13 weekend. The West Somerset and Keighley and Worth Valley Railways held three-day galas with guest locos, and the South Devon Railway ran its annual two-day event with its home fleet.
The KWVR event saw guest locos D5185 from the Great Central Railway, now sporting yellow warning panels on its green livery, which was joined by 33109, 37901 Mirrlees Pioneer and 50015 Valiant from the East Lancashire Railway and 37194 from DRS.
They lined up alongside residents D0226 Vulcan, 20031 and 25059, the EE shunter making its welcome return to traffic after several years out of action.
In the West Country, the WSR has visiting D821 Greyhound and D1062 Western Courier from the Severn Valley Railway, and D9520 from the Nene Valley Railway.
They were in action with D832 Onslaught, still on long term loan from the East Lancashire Railway, and residents D7017 (repainted from blue into BR green), D1010 Western Campaigner – returning to traffic after major repairs and D1661 North Star.
Class 25 D7523 also saw some unplanned use in its role as standby loco. D832 looked very authentic in its shabby maroon livery with patch painting over areas of poor bodywork, to create the look of a Warship in its final days. During the weekend, there was double heading of the Westerns, Warships and the 14s.
The South Devon Railway relied on its home fleet, with British Railways green Class 37 D6737 debuting after having had its nose ends painted full yellow ends. It lined up with 8110, 20118 Saltburn-by-the-Sea, D7612 and 33002 Sea King, but sadly the 04 shunter D2246 was unable to take part as planned. This event was the last this year for the line’s 25 which is going on a six-month secondment to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

Optional
3-CEP overhaul
Interior woodwork has been stripped from 3-CEP EMU coach 61737 at the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway, in preparation for replacement with new material.
The coach, which is part of former Lymington Branch unit 1198, is to have all its wooden window surrounds replaced in hard wood while the interior of the brake van is being repanelled. The unit's owner, the EMU Preservation Society, also hopes to replace the wall covering as this has been affected by damp.
The unit is due to be working during weekdays in August, propelled by the line's 73128 OVS Bulleid.

Optional
Unique 104 ready ‘next year’
Progress continues to be made at the Churnet Valley Railway on the overhaul of unique TSL Class 104 centre car, which it is now hoped will enter service next year.
The roof of 1957-built 59137 has now been completely stripped down to bare metal and repainted and work is advanced on the construction of new doors.
Members of the railway have also dismantled the engine recently removed from DMC 50517 and have been reconditioning components so that the engine can be refitted to DMBS 50455, which is currently only running on one engine.

Potter Group 08 ‘coup’ for GWR gala
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is hoping to have the two Potter Group Class 08 shunters to star at its July 9-11 diesel gala. Agreement has been reached in principle for 08202 and 08598 to be brought in from Knowsley to Toddington, and the contractual agreement is just being finalised.
It is not known if either 08 has ever worked a passenger train before. Both 08s have been in industrial use since 1990 and 1987 respectively having been withdrawn by BR in May 1985 and November 1986.
The plan is the two 08s, along with temporary resident 08683, will take turns on Toddington-Winchcombe shuttles on the Friday. The same day will see 24081 and visiting Class 25 D7612 work top-and-tail on morning shuttles between Toddington and Gotherington, followed by an afternoon’s use for D8137 and a Class 37.
The line is presently closed South of Gotherington because of a landslide so all trains are running top-and-tail. On the Saturday and Sunday all the home fleet plus the 25 and the 08s should see action, subject to availability. The 08s will work brake van shuttles over the newly relaid section of line North of Toddington over the viaduct near Broadway.
The rest of the fleet will comprise D8137, 24081, D7612, 37215/248, 37324, 47105 and 47376 Freightliner 1995.