Class 69s on the move

AFTER its successful trials on the Severn Valley Railway, No. 69001 was expected to return to EMD Longport on March 12 behind Rustonpowered former classmate No. 56312. However, due to issues with clearances at Kidsgrove, the pair only made it as far as Crewe, with the former DCR ‘Grid’ returning to the EMD facility on its own.

No. 69001 was eventually rescued by Nos. 66706 and 66758 running as a 0G69 Hams Hall-Crewe-Longport light engine move on March 15. No. 66706 departed Longport the same day, swapping its two partners for No. 69002, which it then transported to Eastleigh Works (0O69).