Prize draw celebrates 30 years of the Fifty Fund
THE Severn Valley Railway-based Fifty Fund is marking its 30th anniversary with a raffle for a Pendolino Train Driver Simulator Experience as the star first prize, provided by Avanti West Coast.
Second prize is a limited edition Heljan O gauge model of Class 50 No. 50035 Ark Royal in large logo livery, and third prize a cast metal Anson nameplate replica.
Tickets cost £2 each and are available from the fund's online shop at www.fiftyfundstore.co.uk
The money raised by the raffle will be used to maintain its fleet of locomotives: Nos. 50007 Hercules, 50031 Hood, 50033 Glorious, 50035, 50044 Exeter, and 50049 Defiance.
The fund purchased its first locomotive, No. 50035, in 1991 and formally received it from Chris Green, Network Southeast's director that August at the Old Oak Common open day. After also purchasing No. 50044 and taking on No. 50031, purchased by two of the fund's shareholders, the group's volunteers returned all three locomotives to operation.
On November 1, 1997, No. 50031 returned to the main line with the ‘Pilgrim Hoover' charter from Birmingham to Plymouth.
The fund later merged with Project Defiance Ltd (the owner of No. 50049) to form the Class 50 Alliance Ltd.
The Fifty Fund was then reformed to become the supporters group, with its main aims to promote the work of the alliance, raise funds and publicise the role played by Class 50s in the UK's railway history.
Since then, two more locomotives – Nos. 50007 and 50033 – have joined the fleet.