News, nostalgia, preservation and modelling

More ‘Teddy Bear’ Type 1s on the Move

FOLLOWING on from the sale of D9516 detailed in RE180, now based at the Wensleydale Railway, the second of the Class 14s owned by the late Gerald Boden – D9523 – has been sold and moved to a new home. Departing the Nene Valley Railway, where it had been based since 1988, the maroon liveried Class 14 moved initially to Washwood Heath on April 8, before continuing to a new home at the Derwent Valley Light Railway near York on April 21.

D9523 has been purchased by two members of the DVLR, and is fully operational. Indeed, the loco undertook its first passenger runs on the line, which runs for around a mile at Murton in the Yorkshire Museum of Farming, on April 24. It shared duties with the line’s other ex-BR resident, former Isle of Wight shunter 03079.

Meanwhile, the Wensleydale’s new arrival, D9516, has been operating around the confines of Leeming Bar, and may well make its debut passenger workings at the appropriately named ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ event on May 28-30. The WR will be making more use of loco-hauled trains this year, following its shift into the tourist and heritage market rather than promoting itself as purely a community railway, and a repaint of the line’s Mk. 2 stock into blue/grey livery is planned.

The two ‘Teddy Bears’ are not the only diesels to be leaving the Nene Valley Railway. Class 40 D306 Atlantic Conveyor is also due to depart the line in the next few weeks, and current plans are to move the loco to Boden Rail Engineering’s depot at Washwood Heath.

Rolls Royce Class 14 to Gwili

The Gwili Railway took delivery of 14901 (D9524) at the beginning of April. Moved from Peak Rail, the loco – which became a diesel-electric when it was fitted with a Rolls Royce engine when in industrial use – has been placed on a two-year loan to the line in West Wales.

At the East Lancashire Railway, the overhaul of D9531 has now been completed and the locomotive was started-up on April 30. The Swindon-built Type 1 has undergone a total rebuild since it last ran in 1996.

EVR extension opens

THE Ecclesbourne Valley Railway reached Duffield on April 8, when the line’s extension was opened. The inaugural train was operated by a three-car Class 101 set, formed 51188+59303+53170, the latter vehicle, which was formerly part of Strathclyde blue set 101692, having been transferred from Butterley a couple of weeks prior to the event. The railway now runs for nine miles from Duffield to Wirksworth and Ravenstor.