‘Deltic’ Royal Scots Grey now to debut in 2022

The inaugural run of Class 55 ‘Deltic’ No. 55022 Royal Scots Grey, owned by Locomotive Services, has been put back to May 2022 – some nine months later than originally planned and over 40 years since the production series pioneer headed the ‘Deltic Scotsman Farewell’ railtour that brought down the curtain on the fleet’s BR service days.

One of its Napier power units is receiving attention by a specialist contractor. The locomotive will then require recertification and will include a loaded test run. Locomotive Services, being both a Train Operating Company with its own stock, will be facilitating this process itself.

The original railtour to be operated by LSL’s Inter

City company from Wolverhampton to Newcastle via the Tyne Valley line, then ECML to York, Leeds, Manchester and outward stops, had been sold out, illustrating the enormous popularity of this Class 55. The new date for this tour is August 22. However, No. 55022’s first sortie under the LSL banner is ‘The Deltic Deviation’ on May 7, which comprises pure ECML running. Royal Scots Grey is the only preserved diesel/electric locomotive (out of three ‘heritage’ locomotives in total) nominated to be fitted with European Train Cab Signalling (ETCS). The other two are steam locomotives A1 ‘Pacific’ No. 60163 Tornado and a LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0.

Fans of pioneer production series ‘Deltic’ No. 55022 (originally D9000) Royal Scots Grey will now have to wait until May 2022 before the celebrity machine returns to railtour work. Here the locomotive is seen on railtour duty at King’s Cross about to depart with ‘The Royal Scots Grey’, a return trip to Edinburgh, on March 5, 2011. Simon Jowett/Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)