Great Central Railway ~ Spring Diesel Gala 2019
50017 Royal Oak
The British Rail class 50s were built to haul express passenger trains at 100mph. Built in 1967/68 by English Electric, the locos entered service on the non-electrified section of the west coast Main Line between Crewe and Scotland, and quickly gained the nickname "Hoovers" from enthusiasts due to the distinctive sound of the initial cooling fan arrangements which were later removed during refurbishment.
After completion of electrification from Crewe to Glasgow, the locomotives were moved to the south west of England to allow retirement of the remaining diesel hydraulic locomotives then in service. The introduction of the High Speed train in 1976 saw Class 50s employed increasingly on trains between London waterloo and Exeter st Davids, London Paddington to Hereford, and Worcester to Oxford. The class began to be retired in the late 1980s and early 1990s as their services began to be operated by second-generation DMUs.
ln the late 1970s, BR were persuaded to name the class 50s after Royal Navy ships, and 50017 received the name "Royal Oak" in April 1978. 50017 arrived at Great central Railway in February 201g and makes its first
appearance at this event.
D9537
The BR Class 14 Diesel Hydraulic locomotives were built in Swindon Works in 1964/65, with anticipated duties planned to be trip working movements between local yards and short distance freight trains/ The good all round visibility from the cab and dual controls also made them suitable for shunting duties.
The locos originally entered service numbered D9500 - D9555 and gained the nickname 'Teddy Bears' following a comment by the Swindon Works Foreman who said 'We've built the great bear, now we're going to build the Teddy Bear'.
Due to the BR Duties disappearing the Class 14 had a short lived life and BR was starting to despose them in 1968. They found work in the coal industry, however coal was in decline in the 1970s so the locos were surplus to requirement once again.
Home fleet: Class 25 D5185 Class 31 D5830 Class 33 D6535 Class 45 D123 Class 47 1705
This video features locomotives from the Great Central Railway, including British Rail Class 50 50017 Royal Oak and other stock. The footage includes references to locations such as Crewe, London Waterloo, Exeter St Davids, Hereford, Oxford, Leicester North, London Paddington, and Swindon. Headcodes associated with services include 2A09, 2A38, 2B29, 2B34, 2C07, 2C14, 2C30, and 2D17. The content provides insight into the history and operations of various locomotive classes and routes during their active years.
Fishplate has identified 3 locomotives in this video. We’ve also matched 8 headcodes and 2 operators . Create a free account to see where they appear, unlock timestamps and locations, and view the full breakdown.
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