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Leading the way in Class 56 preservation in the UK since 1992

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What we are about?

In the early 1990s, there were no preservation groups dedicated to Class 56s and so there was the real danger that none of these fine locomotives would be saved for preservation.

So on 2nd May 1992, convening in the Strode Arms pub in Cranmore during a break in Pathfinder Tour’s “Aggregator” railtour (which was hauled by 56056 and 56062), founding members Alan Hawkins and Roger Elliott set about rectifying this situation. The result was the formation of the Class 56 Group in August 1992, with the aim of catering for people who are interested in the Class 56 locomotives and wanted to see one or more of these fine locomotives preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Keith Bulmer

Chair

To help fulfill the Class 56 Group’s main aim of preserving a Class 56 for future generations to enjoy, fund raising started almost immediately, and in November 2005 all the hard work involved in fund raising came to fruition, when the group saved its first locomotive for preservation, namely 56040 “Oystermouth”. Whilst it had taken the group a long time to achieve this aim, when 56040 “Oystermouth” arrived at its new home at Dereham on the Mid Norfolk Railway on Tuesday 27th June 2006, it was the fitting culmination to nearly 14 years of hard work.

For some groups that would have been enough, but in February 2011 the Class 56 Group went one stage further and saved 56301 (the former 56045), which was (and still is) certified for use on the national mainline network. Unfortunately, the purchase of 56301 came with a “bittersweet pill to swallow”, in that to be able to afford to purchase 56301, the group would have to sacrifice 56040 to the scrap man!!

33+

Year of
Experience

3

Locomotives Preserved

140+

Current Members

Committee Members

Meet the guys who run the Group

Keith Bulmer

Chair

Phil Vidamour

PR Officer

Chris Brooks

Membership

Jim Nisbet

Treasurer

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