The First Class 50 Ever Built! Pioneer D400 Number 50050 Fearless Thundering Across North Wales

British Rail Class 50 No. D400 (Fearless / 50050)
Built by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire in 1967 (delivered to the London Midland Region as pioneer locomotive D400 before TOPS renumbering as 50050), D400 is a 59-year-old Co-Co mixed-traffic diesel-electric locomotive operated by Locomotive Services Group (Locomotive Services Limited). Powered by a 2,700 hp (2,013 kW) English Electric 16CSVT 16-cylinder turbocharged V16 diesel engine driving English Electric traction motors, the 117-tonne locomotive generates a maximum starting tractive effort of 60,000 lbf (267 kN), a maximum service operating speed of 100 mph (160 km/h), and an onboard fuel tank capacity of 4,770 litres (1,050 imperial gallons). Locomotive D400 is immaculately presented in authentic 1960s British Rail Corporate Blue livery featuring retro partial yellow warning panels, original D400 cab-side numbering, and cast bodyside nameplates reading Fearless. Named after the Royal Navy amphibious assault ship HMS Fearless (L10) under the class tradition of commemorating British warships, the locomotive is affectionately celebrated among enthusiasts as a classic English Electric "Hoover".

British Rail Class 40 No. D213 (Andania / 40013)
Constructed by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire in 1959 (entering British Railways service as D213 and later renumbered under TOPS as 40013), D213 is a 67-year-old 1Co-Co1 heavy express passenger diesel-electric locomotive operated by Locomotive Services Limited. Powered by a 2,000 hp (1,490 kW) English Electric 16SVT 16-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine driving English Electric traction motors, the 135-tonne locomotive produces a maximum starting tractive effort of 52,000 lbf (231 kN), an operational top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h), and an onboard fuel tank capacity of approximately 3,600 litres (800 imperial gallons). Locomotive D213 is turned out in traditional British Railways Brunswick Green livery with full yellow warning front ends, authentic white folding disc headcodes, white cab roof detailing, and cast aluminium numbers. The locomotive carries cast bodyside nameplates reading Andania, named after the famous Cunard transatlantic ocean liner RMS Andania under British Rail's tradition of naming top-link Class 40 locomotives after Liverpool-based passenger liners, while widely celebrated as a quintessential English Electric "Whistler".

SRPS Mark 1 Coaching Stock on The Thistle and Dragon Railtour
The train conveys a dedicated heritage rake of British Rail Mark 1 passenger coaches in the distinctive livery of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS) Railtours, featuring a classic railtour formation operated in mainline partnership with Locomotive Services Limited (LSL). Operating the outward leg of The Thistle and Dragon—a scenic cross-border summer mainline charter running from Leven, Edinburgh, and Carlisle down through Chester and along the North Wales Coast Line to the seaside resort of Llandudno—this heritage rake provides traditional excursion comfort and full onboard dining facilities across the Scottish and Welsh borders.

Passing Ffynnongroyw
Seen in 8K 16:9 widescreen passing the coastal village of Ffynnongroyw in Flintshire alongside the A548 coast road with the River Dee estuary in the background, British Rail Class 50 No. D400 (Fearless / 50050) roars westwards along the North Wales Coast Line in classic BR Corporate Blue. Delivering the unmistakable sound of its 2,700 hp English Electric 16CSVT V16 diesel engine, the 59-year-old Hoover hauls the SRPS Mark 1 coaching stock on the outbound leg of The Thistle and Dragon charter towards Llandudno, with classmate English Electric Class 40 No. D213 (Andania / 40013) trailing on the rear in BR Brunswick Green on a beautiful, sunny summer's afternoon on Saturday, 22nd of August 2026 at 13:27.

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