Branch Line News of 2/29/2020 (Diesel Gala, Royal Train, and LMS 10000 Upate)
Welcome back to Branch Line News, your summarized source for news in the train world. To celebrate leap year, here's a weekend branch line news. As always, like the big cities, the Preservation world rarely sleeps.
Class 58 Joins Diesel Gala
The Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, founded in 1994 according to the C&PR Railway's website, recently announced a special visitor for their Diesel Gala, that will be held March 27-29, 2020.
Class 58 No. 58023 will be visiting the C&PR Railway for the first time, courtesy of Ed Stevenson and the Chawton Junction Railway, who are also providing class 33 33053 for the event. 58023's run will be a historic one, according to the Railway's website and social media, "58023 makes the first public appearance for a Class 58 in preservation and also the first Class 58 since 2002 to haul a passenger train in the UK."
The Class 58's were built for British Railways in the 1980's for freight traffic, according to WorldWideRails.com. Originally built to haul coal, the Class 58's were superceded by newer classes such as the Class 66's, and were retired by English Welsh & Scottish Railways (EWS for short) from 1999 to 2002.
Some of the Class 58's were sent to work in other countries, such as Spain, France, and the Netherlands, according to WorldWideRails.com. The first class 58 to be preserved was 58016. According to the RailwayHerald, 58023 was built in 1984 and withdrawn in 1999, where she stayed in storage until February 2016, when she was sent Hull Scrapyard.
Thankfully, 58023 was preserved and sent to the Battlefield Line in Shackerstone, and has been restored to operation. The CP&R Railway's Diesel Gala will be the first time that 58023 has run in preservation. She will be seen in Mainline Blue, according to the CP&R Railway's Facebook page.
Eight diesels will be attending the Gala, other engines of note are Deltic Class 55 "Royal Highland Fusilier," curtosey of the Deltic Preservation Society. "Royal Highland Fusilier" was the first Deltic to visit the Chinnor Branchline, according to the C&PR Railway's website page on the gala.
To read more about the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway's Diesel Gala, check out their website page here.
Duke of Gloucester visits Nene Valley Railway
Recently a member of the British Royal Family visited the Nene Valley Railway, according to the NVR's Facebook page. The NVR is famous for using international steam locomotives on their railway, one of the few heritage railways in the UK to do so.
Prince Richard, a cousin to Queen Elizabeth the Second, rode on the NVR to visit the Rail World nature preserve in Peterborough, according to the NVR. Prince Richard's train was hauled by Bulleid Pacific 34081, "92 Squadron." 90 school children were also on board the train. For the event 92 Squadron wore the Royal head code (referring to the order of lamps used by signalman to know what kind of train was approaching).
Prince Richard was greeted by Rail World volunteers, spoke to the Mayoress of Peterborough, and also spoke to the volunteers operating "92 Squadron." According to the NVR's post on HRH's visit, he was "delighted in inspecting 92 Squadron."
92 Squadron now proudly joins the rank of "royal engines," a term used to refer to engines who have hauled members of the Royal Family. To see photos of His Royal Highness' visit, you can click here.
LMS 10000 Update
Our last story gives an update on one of our earliest articles, Keeping Up with the New Builds. If you wish to go back and read that article, you can find it here.
The Ivatt Diesel Recreational Society, a group dedicated to building a new build of LMS 10000, the first diesel locomotive built for a mainline British railway, recently released news of their newest progress. The Society moved one of the power units being used for their 10000 replica to their Centenary Works in Wirksworth.
Steve Foster Cranes, T W Bowler and FLG services helped with the move, who the society thanked in their announcement. While celebrating their success, the Society also mentioned that there is still work to be done.
The engine, an English Electric 165SVT mark 1 is one of three prime movers that will be needed for No. 10000 to operate. The Society needs 24,000 pounds (around $31,000 US) to move the three units, or else the engines may be scrapped, that are located in Holland and the UK. If you wish to donate to the Society, you can find their donation page here.
The Society also released a photo of the move, showing the engine being lifted from a trailer to their works. You can watch the video here:
What story are you most excited about? Let us know on our social media, @TheOccasionalExpress on Facebook, and @OcasionalExp on Twitter.
Sources:
"58023 at Shackerstone." RailwayHerald. www.railwayherald.co.uk/imagingcentre/view/470834/RD
"A Very Royal Occasion." Nene Valley Railway. Facebook Post. 27 February, 2020.
www.facebook.com/NeneValleyRailway/posts/1589692581184539
"BR Class 58." WorldWideRails.com. https://worldwiderails.com/br-class-58
"Brief History of the Line." Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway.
www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/article.php/4/brief-history-of-the-line
"Diesel Gala." Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway. Accessed 29 February, 2020.
www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/product.php/278/diesel-gala?fbclid=IwAR3dl-eA7pRmFcgeYrRwJUPiMF56g7QHTX0KCXhxP9jD56pKj6x_Y_WBg4k
"Our Power Unit Moves Home." Ivatt Diesel Recreational Society. 28 February, 2020.
https://gem.godaddy.com/p/4f92501?pact=5867-157141078-11656192173-2c9e50afd14a04ed1fc1aac1b021e74b334e516d
"Power Unit Move." Ivatt Diesel Recreational Society. 28 February, 2020.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B85frQGRtM
Class 58 Joins Diesel Gala
The Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, founded in 1994 according to the C&PR Railway's website, recently announced a special visitor for their Diesel Gala, that will be held March 27-29, 2020.
Class 58 No. 58023 will be visiting the C&PR Railway for the first time, courtesy of Ed Stevenson and the Chawton Junction Railway, who are also providing class 33 33053 for the event. 58023's run will be a historic one, according to the Railway's website and social media, "58023 makes the first public appearance for a Class 58 in preservation and also the first Class 58 since 2002 to haul a passenger train in the UK."
The Class 58's were built for British Railways in the 1980's for freight traffic, according to WorldWideRails.com. Originally built to haul coal, the Class 58's were superceded by newer classes such as the Class 66's, and were retired by English Welsh & Scottish Railways (EWS for short) from 1999 to 2002.
 |
| 58021 in Mainline Freight livery, 2000, the same livery 58023 is currently wearing. Source: By Matthew Black - originally posted to Flickr as DSCF0010, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3917206 |
Some of the Class 58's were sent to work in other countries, such as Spain, France, and the Netherlands, according to WorldWideRails.com. The first class 58 to be preserved was 58016. According to the RailwayHerald, 58023 was built in 1984 and withdrawn in 1999, where she stayed in storage until February 2016, when she was sent Hull Scrapyard.
Thankfully, 58023 was preserved and sent to the Battlefield Line in Shackerstone, and has been restored to operation. The CP&R Railway's Diesel Gala will be the first time that 58023 has run in preservation. She will be seen in Mainline Blue, according to the CP&R Railway's Facebook page.
Eight diesels will be attending the Gala, other engines of note are Deltic Class 55 "Royal Highland Fusilier," curtosey of the Deltic Preservation Society. "Royal Highland Fusilier" was the first Deltic to visit the Chinnor Branchline, according to the C&PR Railway's website page on the gala.
To read more about the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway's Diesel Gala, check out their website page here.
Duke of Gloucester visits Nene Valley Railway
Recently a member of the British Royal Family visited the Nene Valley Railway, according to the NVR's Facebook page. The NVR is famous for using international steam locomotives on their railway, one of the few heritage railways in the UK to do so.
Prince Richard, a cousin to Queen Elizabeth the Second, rode on the NVR to visit the Rail World nature preserve in Peterborough, according to the NVR. Prince Richard's train was hauled by Bulleid Pacific 34081, "92 Squadron." 90 school children were also on board the train. For the event 92 Squadron wore the Royal head code (referring to the order of lamps used by signalman to know what kind of train was approaching).
 |
| 34081 "92 Squadron" in 2017, wearing the same livery on the day HRH rode behind her. Source: By Charlie Jackson - ‘Battle of Britain’ 92 Squadron, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67461800 |
Prince Richard was greeted by Rail World volunteers, spoke to the Mayoress of Peterborough, and also spoke to the volunteers operating "92 Squadron." According to the NVR's post on HRH's visit, he was "delighted in inspecting 92 Squadron."
92 Squadron now proudly joins the rank of "royal engines," a term used to refer to engines who have hauled members of the Royal Family. To see photos of His Royal Highness' visit, you can click here.
LMS 10000 Update
Our last story gives an update on one of our earliest articles, Keeping Up with the New Builds. If you wish to go back and read that article, you can find it here.
The Ivatt Diesel Recreational Society, a group dedicated to building a new build of LMS 10000, the first diesel locomotive built for a mainline British railway, recently released news of their newest progress. The Society moved one of the power units being used for their 10000 replica to their Centenary Works in Wirksworth.
Steve Foster Cranes, T W Bowler and FLG services helped with the move, who the society thanked in their announcement. While celebrating their success, the Society also mentioned that there is still work to be done.
The engine, an English Electric 165SVT mark 1 is one of three prime movers that will be needed for No. 10000 to operate. The Society needs 24,000 pounds (around $31,000 US) to move the three units, or else the engines may be scrapped, that are located in Holland and the UK. If you wish to donate to the Society, you can find their donation page here.
The Society also released a photo of the move, showing the engine being lifted from a trailer to their works. You can watch the video here:
What story are you most excited about? Let us know on our social media, @TheOccasionalExpress on Facebook, and @OcasionalExp on Twitter.
Sources:
"58023 at Shackerstone." RailwayHerald. www.railwayherald.co.uk/imagingcentre/view/470834/RD
"A Very Royal Occasion." Nene Valley Railway. Facebook Post. 27 February, 2020.
www.facebook.com/NeneValleyRailway/posts/1589692581184539
"BR Class 58." WorldWideRails.com. https://worldwiderails.com/br-class-58
"Brief History of the Line." Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway.
www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/article.php/4/brief-history-of-the-line
"Diesel Gala." Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway. Accessed 29 February, 2020.
www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/product.php/278/diesel-gala?fbclid=IwAR3dl-eA7pRmFcgeYrRwJUPiMF56g7QHTX0KCXhxP9jD56pKj6x_Y_WBg4k
"Our Power Unit Moves Home." Ivatt Diesel Recreational Society. 28 February, 2020.
https://gem.godaddy.com/p/4f92501?pact=5867-157141078-11656192173-2c9e50afd14a04ed1fc1aac1b021e74b334e516d
"Power Unit Move." Ivatt Diesel Recreational Society. 28 February, 2020.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B85frQGRtM
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