The class continue to operate daily on the network with the Colas steel trip to Boston Docks probably providing the most regular duty.

31/7 56113 worked 6E07/6M08 to /from Boston. 56303 worked 6Z67 Calvert-Webmley

27/7 After a long period sat at Grangemouth 56094 worked 6N46/6N47 to Prestwick and return.

23/7 56302 worked 6N56 Grangemouth- Fort William and returned on the 24/7. 56303 ran to Willesden.

22/7 56302 6c35 Carlisle- Dalston tanks

21/7 56303 took a railgrinder from Derby to High Marnham working as 8Z57

19&20th July- 56078 was utilised to work oil trains from Lindsey to West Burton

Tue 18/7 56087 worked 6E07 to Boston and  56302 worked 6R46 to Prestwick

Sat 15 /7  56096 + 56105 worked 6C55 2251 Doncaster Decoy- Dockfield Jcn (near Shipley) and should work back Sunday morning at 0830 ( train actually departed 0718) and booked arrival into Decoy Yard is 1035.

14/7 56115 + 50017 worked to Kings Norton Plant Depot with a Colas Crane. Loco is reported still at Kings Norton.

During the week commencing 10th July the following workings were reported.

56078 ran another oil train from Lindsey to West Burton  on Thursday 13th July.

56094 ran light from Washwood Heath on Wednesday 12th July upto Carlisle and then on to Grangemouth (possibly in the consist of Thursdays returning tanks from Dalston) . 56302 is also at Grangemouth but the early morning trip to Prestwick was cancelled with RTT stating problem with traction equipment. On the one hand 56302 may well have failed and 56094 sent to replace it. On the other hand Colas may have extra duties which require an extra 56 ( Fort William fuel train perhaps?)

56096 and 56105 worked to Toton and ended up on a few railvac duties during the same week.

Alasdair Eadington provided this shot of 56302 leaving Grangemouth on the above working.

The Class 56 Group are please to announce that an agreement has been made which will see  56 006  remain at the East Lancashire Railway following this weekends diesel gala. The locomotive will be available for use on the railway and will take part in future diesel galas and operating days. It is also expected 56006 will be used on the ELR driver experience days.

The C56G looks forward to working closely with the ELR team and providing long overdue opportunities for our members to not only travel behind 56006 but to start get involved in the maintenance , support and operation of the locomotive.

We’d like to say a big thankyou to our friends at UKRL who have helped the C56G restore 56006 to the condition she is in today.

We have some exiting new sales merchandise which will be on sale on our sales stand on the Saturday of the Gala. (If anyone is there on the Friday and wants anything please come and find me as I’ll have some stock in the boot of the car.)

WEBSITE UPDATED with picture of 56302 leaving Grangemouth with 6Y56. Photo : Alasdair Eadington

Rumours of a 56 working to Fort William continue but times have been entered for a working today.This is believed to be linked to the fuel oil taffic to Fort William which was expected to transfer to road.

Departure is 1420 from Grangemouth and arrival at Fort William yard is booked for 2134

Return working is booked for Monday 3rd July as 1331 from Fort William arriving Grangemouth at 2044 ( passing Cowlairs 1943)

56302 reported as working this train.

There are three Colas locos at Grangemouth (56302 , 60056 and 70802) but speculation is that the 56 will turn out. I guess we’ll know at 1420 this afternoon.

As always if anyone takes any pictures please feel free to drop them into us and we’ll publish them on the website or in our magazine Gridiron.

We have now created galleries for all 135 locos in the class, take a walk down memory-lane with us here