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 🙂

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