Unfortunately this tour has now been cancelled.

Please see text in bold for the latest news

56006 has been invited back to the Eat Lancs Diesel Gala and the Committee and Volunteers are currently working hard to ensure the tyre turning required can be completed in time for 56006 to hitch a ride on the Gala convoy which will operate a few days prior to the Gala.

More news as things develop but we are looking forward to visiting the ELR again.

As part of the preparations for the visit Danny Sladdin and Mick Palfreyman led a working day at UKRL Leicester to fit a fresh set of batteries to 56006. Shield Batteries Ltd had really pulled out all the stops to help us and turned a set of batteries round in les than a week. The fully charged set arrived at Leicester on Friday 16th June and were fitted on the Sunday 18th .

The engine governor on 56006 needed a little help starting the first time with the fuel rack being held open, but a second restart needed no intervention and the focus turned to other systems. A faulty parking brake release was traced to a faulty release button in No 1 cab. There was also no low tone on the warning horn at No 1 end and this was traced to the Electro- Pneumatic valve (EP valve) which had dried out and was sticking. This was stripped down and the seals coated with special purpose lubricant and the horn restored to full effectiveness.

56006 should have a Fitness to Run (FTR) examination  in the coming week ahead of its transfer to Etches Park.  After the tyre turning all 24 brake blocks will need changing and the associated brake cylinders will need adjusting. The blocks will need changing as the old blocks will have worn to match the diameter of the wheels as they are now. After turning the reduced wheel diameter would mean the current brake blocks would only make point contact which would not give the locomotive its full brake force and can cause problems with heating and gouging to the new wheel tread.

 

 

24/6/17 Operational locos were located as follows

56078 Barnetby, 56087 + 56113 Derby , 56094 Shrewsbury , 56096 +56105 Doncaster , 56202 Grangemouth, 56303 Chaddesden. (SEE FURURE WORKINGS for what these locos should do over the weekend)

22/6/17 – 56078 has run from Barnetby to Lindsey Oil Refinery and worked  0940 Lindsey OR- West Burton Power Station (arr 1126 ) conveying 12 bogie tanks. This should pass Lincoln Central around 1055.

Return working is booked to depart at 1600, and run via Brigg arriving back at Lindsey OR around 1708

21/6/17

DCRs 56303 is stabled at Derby

While the Colas fleet are

56078 on 0z56 Tyne to Barnetby , 56094 still at Canton , 56096 & 56105 are at Doncaster Carriage Siding and 56302 is sat at Grangemouth although 60002 is reported as working the Grangemouth – Prestwick which 56302 usually dominates.

The Neath- Stourton sand train is booked to run today (dep 1830) but after the initial run with a pair of 56s the Colas class 70 has been the traction on all subsequent workings. 56094 is the only 56 in the area so its likely a 70 will work again.

 

9/6/17 – 56302 shown at Prestwick after working 6R46 Grangemouth – Prestwick on the 8/6 (unusually running on a Thursday instead of Tue/Fridays only).

56302 should return today with a retimed train due to depart Prestwick at 12:58 (arr back at Grangemouth at 16:05)

56105 should return to Sleekburn to work the engineering train back to Tyne at 15:45.

8/6/17  -56302  working 6R46 Grangemouth – Prestwick  & 56096 worked 6E07/6M08 Boston Steel.

7/6/17 – 56081 seen shunting locos at Leicester depot. The movements are not usually linked to any upcoming repairs as stored locos are moved around the depot regularly to prevent wheelset/bearing problems.

6/6/17 – 56113 worked 6E07/6M08 Boston Steel today

5/6/17 – 56078 worked 6C56 Tyne- West Sleekburn Jcn (on the Blyth & Tyne route) . 56105 ran light back to Tyne and will return on the 9th to collect the train.

2/6/17- 56105 ran light as 0M56 back to Washwood Heath from Basford Hall.

other 56s were located as follows:-

56087+56096 Barnetby ; 56078 Doncaster CHS ; 56094 Canton ; 56302 Grangemouth

56303 is stillat Wolsingham and 56312 is now at Washwood Heath after a lengthy spell in Wembley Yard. The date of the move is unknown.

1/6/17- 56105 was working back to Crewe on 6C61 Kidsgrove – Basford Hall.

We have just published our first two albums containing fots of the first 20 locos in the class. Join us for a walk down memory lane and keep your eyes on the site as we add fots of all 135 locos over the coming weeks and months 🙂

Take a look at our galleries here

31/5/17 – 56094 had stabled up at Cardiff Canton, and 56105 was working back to Crewe after overnight work at Stockport.

30/5/17 – The active 56s were located as follows:-

56078-Doncaster, 56087 ,56096 Whitemoor,56094 was working 4Z44 Gloucester NY -Pengam, 56105 Basford Hall, 56302 Grangemouth, 56303 Wolsingham, 56312 Wembley.

29/5/17    56113 took 50017 when on test. The repaired 56 ran from Washwood Heath to Stafford and back

28/5/17 56087 + 56096 worked back from Ely Dock Jcn to Whitemoor after overnight engineering works

27/5/17 56105 was stabbled in Basford Hall Yard  and 56087 + 56096 worked a 2246 Whitemoor to Coldham with 10 autoballasters.

26/5/17 56087 with 56113 set off from Washwood Heath to Whitemoor but 56113 failed en route and was replaced by 56096 ( which had been on the Boston Steel earlier in the week ) which ran with 56087 to Whitemoor.

25/5/17 60002+ 70804 + 70807 + 56105 ran from Washwood Heath to Crewe Basford Hall Yard.

20/5/17 56303 ran from Chaddesden Sidings to Wolsingham as 4Z02 which conveyed a LORAM rail grinder.

18th May

56302 worked a Oxwelmains(Dunbar)- Seaham cement working and returned with 6S26 return. 56302 could work the same trip on Friday 19th May.( 0634 departure- arr 1057 then 1447 dep from Seaham arriving Oxwelmains at 1818.) (In the event the Friday trip didn’t run )

56094 has worked from Cardiff to Olnwyn on OF86 light engine runs for the last three days. easons for these runs is unknown  at this time.

56096 run from WWH as 0Z40 to Doncaster.

11th May 2017

56303 + 4 box scrap/stone wagons worked 6Z16 Wembley – Eastleigh Arlington Works

9th May

56094 ran light WWH-Donnington  then worked 4z56 Donnington – Pengam

8th May

56094+56113 ran as 1110 WWH – Nuneaton – WWH test run

6th May

56113 took 50017 + 50050 on 1210 WASHWOOD HEATH  to Leicester . 50050 led 50017 + 56113 on the return trip back to Washwood Heath.

5th May 2017

DCRs 31452 should run light from WWH to Derby (0845 / arr 1008) and the crew bring 56303 back from Derby to Washwood Heath (DEP 1030 / ARR 138)

56303+50008 should then work 1215 WWH- York Holgate (arr 1512) then 1540 Holgate – Wolsingham on the Weardale Railway (arr 1740)

This is thought to be a test run for 50008.

4th May 2017

56096 was booked to work light engine from Washwood Heath to Swanage to take part in this weekends diesel gala.

After 70809 worked the Neath sand train 56078 & 56087 have today run back to Washwood Heath as 1100 0Z56 Cardiff Canton – WWH (arr booked for 1337)

3rd May 2017

70809 has worked 6Z44 Neath to Washwood Heath

2nd May 2017

56303 ran from Derby RTC to Thoresby Colliery Jcn departing Derby 1325

and came back at 1625 to Derby.

1st May 2017

56302 has swapped places with 56094.

56302 is at Doncaster and 56094 is back at Washwood Heath.

3rd May 2017

Following last weeks Sand workings from Neath to Stourton a further trip is planned for Wednesday 3rd May. 56087+56078 are still at Canton following last weeks run and the train loadings are the same ( 6Z44 at 2000 tonnes and 4Z45 at 600 tonnes ) so hopefully they will work on Wednesday which will run as

6Z44 0740 Neath Abbey Wharf – Washwood Heath (arr 1723)  running via Cardiff (1001) , Newport (1030), looped at Pontrilas 1122 to 1302, Hereford (1323) , Sutton Br Jcn (1437/1452), Wolverhampton (1552) , Walsal(1610)

and

4Z45 2000 Washwood Heath- Pengam (arr 2258) running via Longbridge (2030) and Cheltenham (2114)

56303 and 56312 are still at Derby and Eastleigh Works respectively.