NEWS ROUND-UP
ALSTOM
MID-February brought an exchange of shunters at Polmadie, with No. 08954 being unloaded on the 17th, following maintenance at Eastleigh Works. This in turn released No. 08451 for the long journey south to the Arlington workshops, where the scheduled work includes a repaint.
FREIGHTLINER
REINSTATED back in January, overhauled No. 08891 finally departed Bartonunder-Needwood on April 4, bound for Crewe Basford Hall. Here it replaced
No. 08691, which had departed three days earlier, and via a weekend stopover at the haulier’s yard, for attention by Nemesis Rail at Burton Wetmore.
HNRC
THE last two Class 08s stored at Long Marston both departed for the Battlefield Line during March, No. 08701 being the first away on the 3rd, with unloading taking place the next day. It was then joined by No. 08653 on March 24. Both have been out of use for well over a decade, No. 08653 being stored at
Bescot with engine defects in July 2010, while No. 08701 was stopped at Hams Hall in August 2009. Somewhat closer to a return to traffic, No. 08799 departed Shackerstone for Barrow Hill on March 4, it having received a number of contract repairs by Heritage Transport Restoration and Supplies (HTRS) since arriving from the East Kent Railway last May.
The latest exchange of shunters on the
Celsa contract saw No. 08924 returned to Cardiff Tidal from Barrow Hill on March 2, with No. 08630 then departing to Burton Wetmore on March 16. The latter faces a spell on the sidelines as it is awaiting new wheelsets. Another HNRC machine was delivered to the Nemesis Rail depot for major repairs on April 12, No. 08527 arriving from the Attero Recycling site at Rossington having suffered shifted cranks.
HUNSLET
THE year-long stint of No. 08401 at Hams Hall came to a dramatic conclusion on February 19, after the loco combusted and required the attention of the fire brigade. By late March, it had been removed to the company’s Bartonunder-Needwood workshops for repairs.
METEOR POWER
THE appearance of No. 08649 at the Very Light Rail test centre at Dudley proved to be unexpectedly short-lived as it was transferred back to its former home at Wolverton Works in midFebruary, for the continuation of its hybrid development.
RMS LOCOTEC
THE near two-year stay of No. 08762 on the Norfolk coast came to an end on March 24, with the shunter departing Great Yarmouth for the rather less picturesque surroundings of the Attero Recycling plant at Rossington, on the outskirts of Doncaster, as it replaces HNRC’s failed No. 08527 (see left).