DCRail 56103 opens up full CLAG out of London Paddington on The Paxman Quarrier with 57306! 26/4/26

DCRail is a national freight operator and part of the Wimbledon based Cappagh Group of Companies, which specialises in providing civil engineering, material supply and transport solutions for infrastructure, construction and utility projects.

2026 sees the Golden Anniversary of the first Class 56 arriving in the UK and to celebrate this appropriately, passengers will have the opportunity to experience a high mileage, fast running day starting out of Paddington, climbing the Lickey incline and finishing under the overall roof at King's Cross. This is expected to be the only use of a DCRail Class 56 on a mainine railtour in 2026 so it will be an appropriate celebration taking the locomotive to areas where they were once common on construction traffic.

The tour "The Paxman Quarrier" started out from Ealing Broadway around 07:50 allowing easy Underground connections, with GBRF 57306 "Branch Line Society" taking the tour the short distance into London Paddington. Here the fun begins at 08.20 with DCRail 56103 leading, she smokes out of Paddington leaving trails behind while heading along the GWML before picking up at Reading and Bristol Parkway and finally Bristol Temple Meads!