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CLASS 20

PRIOR to their use on Pathfinder Tours’ ‘DRS Class 20 Farewell’ special (see pages 29 and 75), Type 1s Nos. 20302+20305 were hauled from York Works to Gresty Bridge by No. 66108 on January 9. Following attention at the Crewe base, the pair ran light to York on January 17 ready to handle the following day’s charter. Nos. 20302+20305 took charge of the 1Z49/05.13 Bristol-Leeds at York and ran via Knaresborough and Harrogate to Leeds, whereupon after a two-hour break the tour became the 1Z50/15.03 Leeds-Bristol Temple Meads, the Type 1s hauling the train to Crewe via Barnsley, Chesterfield, Derby and Stoke-on-Trent.

CLASS 31

THE ‘standard’ blue Brush Type 2 No. 31128 was back on the main line on January 14 when it was rostered to power the 5Z31/09.01 Burton Wetmore-Cardiff Canton with Mk.2 coaches Nos. 6054 and 9507. No. 31128 made good time passing Cheltenham Spa at 11.34, some two hours ahead of schedule, and was back at Burton, light engine, at 17.45. Following attention to No. 86259 at Nemesis Rail, the AC electric locomotive was hauled to Rugby by No. 31128 on January 28 prior to the Type 2 returning to base.

CLASS 37

THERE was a brief outing on a passenger train for ‘heavyweight’ Type 3 No. 37706 on January 25 when replacing ‘Merchant Navy’ Pacific No. 35018 at Carnforth on the returning 1Z66/15.20 Carlisle-Manchester Victoria charter, which was ‘tailed’ by No. 47746. The former No. D6716, new in June 1961, last worked a passenger train at the end of August last year.

The same evening, stable companion No. 37518 set off from Georgemas Junction bound for Inverness hauling Rutherglen-bound tamping machine No. DR73915. The Type 3 continued its journey next day as the 6U35/16.48 Inverness-Larbert. Meanwhile, also at Inverness that afternoon were Nos. 37259 and 37419 ready to handle the 1Q78/13.12 test train to Kyle of Lochalsh and back, having covered the route from Inverness to Aberdeen and back the previous night.