PRESERVATION
Class 31, 37 and 60 locos leave for a private storage site in West Yorkshire.
Wensleydale fleet reduced; HST coaches for AFRPS and Colne Valley; ‘Whistler’ due for LSL tours; ELR ‘Thumper’ moves to new home.
THE removal of rolling stock from the Wensleydale Railway continued during March with the departure of several locos to a private storage yard in Kinsley, West Yorkshire.
The first loco to arrive at The
Shires Removals Group’s premises was part-restored No. 37503 on March 11, and it was followed by Nos. 31454 and 60086, with No. 60050 due to make the journey down the A1 from Leeming Bar soon after.
The departure of these four locos follows on from Nos. 20169 and 37674 towards the end of last year.
No. 47785, which has been stored on the line since 2014, is also due to leave the line shortly.
The Wensleydale has adopted a policy whereby if an item of rolling stock has no long-term plan or no position in the railway’s strategy, then the best option may be at another site where renovation would be more practical.
WHAT’S LEFT?
The removals leave a fleet of four resident main line diesels, these being privately owned Class 14
No. D9523, HNRC’s No. 20166, the Pioneer Diesel Locomotive Group’s No. 33035 and privately owned No. 37250. All are operational, unlike the recent departures.
The Wensleydale Railway says these four locos cover its immediate needs and all are suitable for use along the line. Larger locos have additional running costs in terms of fuel and track wear, although visits on special trains or for galas have not been ruled out.
Despite some suggestions, the line is not becoming a ‘Pacer railway’. Although it plans to use these DMUs, particularly on mid-week trains, the use of locomotive-hauled coaching stock is the preferred option for more heavily used services and at events or galas.
The line’s Mk.2 set, which includes recently acquired ‘air-con’ No. 6163, is in the process of being repainted into blue/grey livery.