The Class 56 Group

“Grid” Group News

  • Update 4th September 2022

    56006 It is regretted that 56006 will not be available for the ELR September Gala. As explained previously to G56G members , the amount of work which can be completed by the small team of volunteers is the constraining factor. Recent appeals have not produced any additional volunteers. The ELR Gala organisers have been informed […]

  • Update July 2022

    The C56G AGM took place on Saturday 23rd July at the East Lancashire Railway in Bury. The meeting was reasonably well attended and two members attended by remote video link. A group picture appears below. On the Sunday a team of 7 volunteers set to work on 56006 and the main accomplishment was the fitting […]

  • 56006 status report – 26th June 2022

    56006 remains unavailable and will not be performing at next weekends ELR Diesel Gala. The overhaul of the top part of the electrical cubicle is ongoing and attendance by our small team of regular volunteers has been affected to greater or lesser degrees by Day jobs, family, Covid, TPE & RMT strikes. As a result […]

  • Class 56 Group 2022 AGM-Bury venue CONFIRMED

    The Annual General Meeting of the Class 56 Group will take place on Saturday 23rd July 2022. The venue is now confirmed and the meeting will take place in the East Lancashire Railway Training Room , Baron Street Works , Baron Street, Bury BL9 0TY. As part of our drive to recruit new volunteers , […]

  • 56301 – update

    We are well aware that our attempts to provide updates on the progress of repairs on 56301 has seen a number of ‘false dawns’ in terms of deadlines which have come and gone. One wheelset was causing issues and it has been away at the South Devon Railway being overhauled. It should hopefully be returned […]

  • Working parties on 56006

    Regular working parties continue on 56006. These normally take place on the middle Sunday of each month but occasionally vary due to the shift patterns of a couple of key volunteers. Next working dates are Mon 14th and Tue 15th March. 10th April 2022 (Sunday) In an effort to encourage some much needed volunteers to […]

  • Update – Gridiron 135 has gone to the printers

    C56G members will be relieved to hear that the next edition of Gridiron has finally gone to the printers and is expected to drop through letter boxes in the next couple of weeks.

  • Update-November 2021

    Update-November 2021

    Not much to report on either locomotive :- 56006 – following a successful three days at the ELR Gala the ELR opted to use the loco on the Sunday diesel turn. 56006 was removed from the first train with a low power fault. The locomotive could have completed all three trips but would have lost […]

  • East Lancashire Railway- 56006 availability

    4/7/2021 Unfortunately 56006 has set out on the 09:15 diesel turn this morning, but would appear to be suffering low power. The loco will come back to Bury where it will come off the train and retire to the shed. Problem isn’t known at the moment but hopefully it isn’t anything serious . We’ll update […]

  • 2021 CLASS 56 GROUP AGM

    The Class 56 Group AGM will take place as a real meeting (subject to Government Covid restrictions and guidance ** ) and will take place at the Alexandra Hotel in Derby on Saturday 31st July. The meeting will start at 12:30 and is expected to be over by 16:30 at the latest. As has become […]

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