COLAS Rail, GB Railfreight, Freightliner, Harry Needle Railroad Company and Locomotive Services Limited are all pledging locomotives from their fleets to support heritage railways with their summer diesel gala events, to boost visitor numbers and provide much-needed income to the lines.
On May 10-12, the Swanage Railway diesel event has a Class 37 being sent by Colas, 20302/311 from HNRC and a Class 69 from GBRf, with 69007 Richard Trevithick requested.
They will be joined by heritage locomotives including Class 24 D5054 from the East Lancashire Railway, D1015 Western Champion from the Severn Valley Railway, 50021 Rodney based at Eastleigh works, and home-based Class 33 D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN. The following weekend (May 16-19), the Severn Valley Railway’s Spring diesel event will feature 37409 Loch Awe from LSL, a Class 59 and a ‘70’ from Freightliner, a second Class 70 from Colas, and 69009 Western Consort and 73119 Paul Taylor from GBRf.
They are set to line up alongside some or all of D9551, D8568, 20048, 33108, 37263, 40106, 46045, D821 Greyhound, 50033 Glorious, 50035 Ark Royal, D1015 and D1062 Western Courier from the home fleet.
Other guest locomotives for this event are also to be announced.
Michael Owen is providing 20142/189 for the West Somerset Railway’s June 6-8 diesel event.
The ‘20s’ will be joined by 46045 and 50033 from the Severn Valley, the East Lancs’ D5054, and home fleet locomotives D9526, Class 33s D6566/75 and Class 35 Hymek D7017.
The North Norfolk Railway’s main diesel event - on the same weekend as West Somerse
