East Lancs is new home for Class 56

Preserved 56006 will be based at the East Lancashire Railway for at least three years from the start of July.

Owned by the Class 56 Group, the locomotive moved to the ELR for its summer gala on July 7-9. It had been based at UK Rail Leasing’s Leicester depot.

The C56G said in a statement: “This is exciting news for both the Class 56 Group and the ELR. Not only will it mean that the Group now has a home where 56006 can gain some meaningful work, it also means that the ELR’s hunt for a preserved Class 56 to fill a gap in its locomotive line-up is over.”