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With 56091 is back at UKRL Leicester for a scheduled B exam , 56301 should work Chaddesden sidings to Wembley and then run over to Acton tomorrow Tuesday 17th October

Realtime Trains | 4Z43 0451 Chaddesden Sdgs to Wembley Receptions 1-7 | 17/10/2023

Realtime Trains | 0C01 1140 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Acton T.C. | 17/10/2023

Then work Realtime Trains | 6Z45 2225 Acton T.C. to Burton Ot W Yd Maurice H | 17/10/2023

After unloading during Wednesday morning at Burton the empties should run back to Chaddesden in the mid afternoon. No timings in yet, but last week they ran as a 14:37 departure from Burton.

First of all let me apologise for the recent lack of advance warning of 56301 workings. This is due to our website becoming a little bit cranky and slow. This means it is not always allowing access to post latest news. We intend replacing the current website quite soon to improve things but in the meantime if you are a user of Facebook or the railway forum www.wnxxforum.com

WNXX Interactive • View topic – DCR Loco Thread (6) (wnxxforum.co.uk)

then please also check there for updates.

This weeks workings:-

Tomorrow 56301 +56091 should run as 0518 from Chaddesden to Willesden Realtime Trains | 4Z43 0518 Chaddesden Sdgs to Wembley Receptions 1-7 | 10/10/2023

then work across to Acton as Realtime Trains | 0C01 1140 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Acton T.C. | 10/10/2023

Then work Acton to Burton on Realtime Trains | 6Z45 2225 Acton T.C. to Burton Ot W Yd Maurice H | 10/10/2023

After unloading the locos work the empty wagons back to Chaddesden Sidings Realtime Trains | 4Z48 1437 Burton Ot W Yd Maurice H to Chaddesden Sdgs | 11/10/2023

56301 is currently on hire to DCR but following some repairs at UKRL Leicester, the loco happened to be available and DCR willingly agreed the loco would be ok to attend the Gala. From the Class 56 Group point of view it was important because the although repairs on 56006 are progressing well the loco was just not going to be ready in time. Our friends at the ELR have been patient and understanding but we felt it was the right thing to do to try and have a class 56 represented at the gala.

So DCR set to work investigating how to get 56301 from Leicester to Bury. Options included running via Warrington and across Chat Moss, run to Preston and down through Blackburn, get to Crewe and come up with LSL’s 37667. In the end a DCR driver would take the loco to Doncaster Down Decoy and Chris Gunrtip -a DCR driver gave up his rest day to go across to Doncaster and collect the loco. Chris has a wide route card but as it didn’t cover Doncaster to Castleton via Toddmorden, a route conductor had to be provided and we are grateful to GB Railfreight for providing this.

I arrived at Baron Street around 9-30 in plenty of time to check over 56301 and carry out the drivers prep duties which involve a general check around the outside and inside of the loco and checking of fluid levels( Lube oil, Hydrostatic oil, coolant, governor oil , compressors, sandboxes ). DCR locos carry supplies of bottled water , rolls of blue towel , glass cleaner and general surface cleaner . Before I started to give the cab glass a clean, I spent a few minutes just sat in the second man’s seat and just savouring the moment. We shouldn’t forget that although 56301 belongs to the C56G, it is not very often us regular volunteers get to go near it as it a mainline registered locomotive and understandably the staff working on her need to be fully approved by the rail authorities to do so.

The time we were due of the shed was 14:25 so I had time to open up 56006 and nip up some of the connections on the freshly rewired wheelslip circuits.

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56006’s wheelslip circuits- just need a hover out to remove and remaining debris- cable tie offcuts and once we check the 16 cylinders have not suffered any water ingress, we can start thinking about a start up and see what the loco does (or doesn’t do!) .

Our rostered driver, Chris Guntrip arrived well before his official time and I confirmed the prep was all done and Chris put the Battery Switch in and then the Lighting Switch so we could start the loco up.

Once the power unit started a quick check was made to confirm the engine lubricating oil pressure was around the 55 to 65 psi mark at idle. With the master controller in ‘Engine Only’ the power handle can be moved to speed up the engine revs and this in turn makes the compressors run faster and build up air more quickly in the brake system. Once the main reservoir reached 10 bar the system allowed us to’ get the brake pipe’ which is announced by the click of the contactor in the cubicle and the needle on the main brake pipe gauge comes of its 0 position and swings round to the 5 bar position. Chris then made a check of the brake system , checked the loco took power in both directions and we were all set.

At this point I was really glad we had an experienced driver like Chris. That was because Danny Sladdin – who works for DCR and knows 56301 as well as anybody , who had planned to be available to ride the locomotive had texted me at 0402 to say he’d been called away to ride one of DCR’s class 60’s on a train from Willesden to Merehead. The diagram the 60 was on didn’t get back to Willesden around 21:00 ( by which time I hoped to be in the pub reflecting on a successful first day). So as a mechanical guy- I was a little apprehensive as any issues were likely to involve electrikery .(although I’d ridden 56006 several times in the past – this just felt more critical).

Departure time came and we were taking the class 24 down with us ready for its first working.

We trundled into platform 4 and waited for the Class 105/104 DMU to leave before drawing forward to the signal. We were then to draw forward through the tunnel at the Noth end of Bolton Street station . There we would uncouple from the Class 24 which would then go back into the station to couple to its train and we would follow onto the rear of our train. Once we were coupled on I went into the rad compartment and isolated the E70 so we could be dragged by the train engine (which should have been 50015 but due to some issues caused by that Electrickery stuff being in the wrong place we ended up with 40012 in its place ) . A brake continuity test carried out we departed for Heywood. Once there the E70 was made operational again as we were now the train engine and would lead all the way through to Rawtenstall.

Above and below- a couple of pictures of 56301 at Heywood about to work her first train of the day 1J67 15:30 Heywood – Rawtenstall.

We were joined by our Secondman , Emma and the loco performed very well. The run back down to Bury is generally on a falling gradient until the rise to go over the Metrolink Bridge on the approach to Bolton Street. Even with additional deadweight of the tail loco 56301 had to be handled carefully as with so much power the 25mph limit was reached almost without effort. We arrived at Rawtenstall and the E70 was isolated for the drag back to Bury. Once there we had an hour or more to wait for our next working which was the 18:50 BeerEx. We were lead loco to Rawtenstall -where the trailing locos ,40012 and the 50 ( -which had its Electrikery in the right place now!) became the train engines and took us back to Heywood. Chris was still our driver but we were joined by Paul Warburton as second man on this trip.

E70 put back in, and we were ready for the final run of the evening as 1Z03 20:47 Heywood to Bury- seen on arrival at Bury

56006 was already tucked up in bed when the ‘dirty stop out’ slunk back in.

Once we were back on shed the loco had the parking brake applied and was shut down and a wooden scotch applied to one of the wheels-just in case! The battery switch and lighting switches were knocked out and off we went for a swift half and a bag of scamp fries at the Trackside In on the station.

Saturday was another late start- we were off shed at 13:25 . Fortunately Danny was able to make it over as the 60 on the Merehead had performed faultlessly the day before.

Our Driver for the day was Graham Thornton with Jonathon Wilcox as secondman

View from the pit- shortly before 301 remembered it was a Class 56 .

It was fortunate Danny was there as at 13:17 , 301 decided it was getting fed up of behaving itself and it threw up a fault on the SSF system.

In about 10 minutes flat Danny had the SSF box off 56006 and he was still fitting it to 56301 as we were given the call from the Bury South signalman. All I did was unlock 56006 and get tools as Danny shouted for them-but if anyone saw me and Danny looking a bit hot and bothered when we rolled into the platform that’s the reason!

We went on the back of 40145’s train an then worked back from Heywood to Rawtenstall. The 40 was uncoupled at Bury and we did a proper trip- i.e we ran round at Rawtenstall and ran back to Heywood where we ran round and worked back to Bury.

56301 after arrival back in Bury for the final time after a really enjoyable and hopefully successful gala.

56301 was put away for the night and was due to leave the ELR on Monday morning.

Big thanks to our drivers and secondmen over both days- all very professional in their duties but also nice friendy people who made us really welcome as always. A great weekend.

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These images were taken as 56301 headed west along the Calder Valley line, on the approach to Brighouse in West Yorkshire.  The 56 was briefly checked at the signal and restarted in the first image, as it was following a Northern service. Working is 0Z61 12:44 Doncaster Down Decoy- Bury ELR.

Both photos Russell Wykes

56301 will run light engine from Leicester (dep 09:21) to Doncaster Down Decoy Yard (arr 12:01)

Realtime Trains | 0Z60 0921 Leicester L.I.P. to Doncaster Down Decoy | 14/09/2023

After a short wait 56301 should then run as 0Z61 Doncaster Down Decoy to Bury via Wakefield Kirkgate (13:25) , Hebden Bridge (14:17) and Littleborough (14:34) . Arriving Castleton 14:58 and arriving at Bury around 15:36

No timings are available in RTT- but these should be available there tomorrow.

If anyone takes any photographs based on the above information it would be appreciated if a copy could be sent to the group for use in Gridiron -via the chairman’s e-mail address in the contacts section of the website

The duties allocated to 56301 are

Friday: 15:30 Heywood- Rawtenstall ; 18:50 Bury – Rawtenstall ; 20:47 Heywood – Bury

Saturday : 14:30 Heywood – Rawtenstall ; 16:05 Rawtenstall – Heywood ; 17:15 Heywood- Bury

link to full timetable is here ( :- Feb Diesel 2020 (eastlancsrailway.org.uk)

56301 is planned to attend the event . More details to follow.

Unfortunately 56006 , despite being very close to having the wheelslip circuits rewired, is just not going to be available. It would have been nice to have 56006 in traffic but C56G , with a great deal of assistance and cooperation from our friends at DCR , wanted to offer 56301 as a substitute for 56006 as we are more than aware it is too long since 56006 was fully operational.

Timetables should follow and details on how 56301 is getting there!

After an unplanned outing to Merehead on the 4th August , 56301 ran light back to Leicester for some planned engine maintenance .

The locomotive should come off maintenance by the 25th August and would then be available to cover duties as required by DCR.

56301 plus 56091 should work in multiple on tomorrows Isle of Grain working . 4Z70 09:24 Willesden – Grain & 6Z71 14:24 Grain – Willesden.

Realtime Trains | 4Z70 0924 Willesden Dc Rail Sidings to Grain Foster Yeoman Gbrf | 31/07/2023

Realtime Trains | 6Z71 1424 Grain Foster Yeoman Gbrf to Willesden Dc Rail Sidings | 31/07/2023

56301 will lead on the outward trip and 56091 will lead on the way back ( subject to any rerouting of the train on the day).

Last weeks trip to Merehead saw 56091 lead on both the outward and return working. Some observers noted this and questioned this , however there was nothing wrong with 56301, the method of working at Merehead involves a traingle to run round the train and that results in the same loco leading in and out .

56301 should work in multiple with 56091 on tomorrows 6Z60 0951 Willesden DC Rail Sidings to Merehead Quarry .

Realtime Trains | 6Z60 0951 Willesden Dc Rail Sidings to Merehead Quarry (Fhh) | 27/07/2023

Return working is 6Z61 1628 Merehead to Wiilesden.

Detail here :-

Realtime Trains | 6Z61 1628 Merehead Quarry (Fhh) to Willesden Dc Rail Sidings | 27/07/2023

This will be the first time a pair of class 56s have worked out of Merehead for many years.

Today (Mon 24th July )56301 ran as planned from Leicester to Chaddesden Sidings and is now multied up with 56091 ready to work tomorrows 4Z43 0947 Chaddesden -Willesden DCR Sidings. This working will be formed of empty aggregates hoppers and as such will only require one loco to be powering and 56301 is likely to be dead in train.

Realtime Trains | 4Z43 0947 Chaddesden Sdgs to Willesden Dc Rail Sidings | 25/07/2023

56301 is booked to run light engine tomorrow 24th July as

0Z56 11:30 Leicester LIP – Chaddesden Sidings arr 12:32

(Realtime Trains | 0Z56 1130 Leicester L.I.P. to Chaddesden Sdgs | 24/07/2023

Following a test run last Wednesday when 56301 (with 47749 in tow) ran from Leicester to Barrow Hill and back, the locomotive has been returned to operational status.

The locomotive has been out of traffic for over 4 years since returning from a hire period at Peak Forest in 2018 .

After a very long wait, the Class 56 Group are pleased to announce that 56301 is scheduled to take up duties with DCR from Monday 24th July. Actual duties are unspecified at this time but it is expected that trails will be undertaken to ensure 56301 works successfully in multiple working mode with DCR’s 56091. This is in anticipation of the pair being utilised on some of DCR’s heavier workings which are normally handled by their class 60 fleet. Of course 56301 is also likely to be used as a single locomotive and hopefully its reputation as a strong and reliable locomotive will be re established.

Followers of the DCR locomotive fleet will know that their sphere of operation covers locations such as King’s Lynn, Brandon, Peak Forest, Carlisle , Grain, Westbury to name a few , with all operations being based out of either Willesden or Chaddesden (Derby).

Workings will initially be posted on this website , and then repeated on our facebook page.

Hopefully 56301 will get to locations where a C56G members may have an opportunity to see one of their locomotives doing what it was designed to do.

Regards

C56G