Locomotives through the ages at Old Oak Common

A line-up of eight trains depicting the 111 years of Old Oak Common’s history will be the highlight of the West London depot’s open day on September 2.

The display will feature steam locomotives 6023 King Edward II and 7903 Foremarke Hall as well as diesel hydraulics D821 Greyhound and D1015 Western Champion. Preserved 50035 Ark Royal is also included in the line-up, along with 43002 Sir Kenneth Grange, a Great Western Railway Class 180 Adelante and a brand-new Class 800/0 Intercity Express Programme trains.

Other highlights of the event will include six Class 50s. Confirmed as attending are Boden Rail Engineering Ltd’s 50017 Royal Oak and 50050 Fearless, Paul Spracklen’s 50026 Indomitable and the Class 50 Alliance’s 50007 Hercules, 50035 and 50049 Defiance. Two more could yet attend, although their identities have not been revealed.

The event will celebrate the 111 years of Old Oak Common depot, ahead of the closure of part of the site for HS2 works.

Examples of Western Region traction past and present will also be on display, along with other exhibits from the steam and diesel eras, as well as some GWR Electrostars.

Booked to attend are preserved D7017 from the West Somerset Railway, D9516 from Didcot Railway Centre, and D05 Preservation Limited’s 47828. The latter is expected to be lined up alongside GWR 43185 Great Western, as both carry Intercity Swallow livery. GB Railfreight 66779 Evening

Star will be on display, while 31438 from the Epping & Ongar Railway is also expected to attend. Prototype High Speed Train power car 41001 has been confirmed as attending, and UK Rail Leasing’s 37905 is also expected to be on display.

Examples of the GWR fleet on show will include: 08483 Neil

Morgan, 08836, Class 43 HST

power cars rostered to be at the depot (including several under repair), 57602 Restormel Castle, 57603 Tintagel Castle, freshly repainted 57604 Pendennis Castle and 57605 Totnes Castle, with Direct Rail Services 57310 Pride of Cumbria a possibility unless it is used on September 1’s ‘Night Riviera’ Sleeper service.

Members of the GWR Mk 3 and 16x fleet will be on display, as will Class 387/1s.

DAVID STAINES. One of six Class 50s to attend the Old Oak Common 111 event will be 50026 Indomitable. Owned by Paul Spracklen, it was a locomotive allocated to the west London depot in the latter years of its British Rail career, and recently starred at the Spa...

Great Western 57605 Totnes Castle (left) is one of four Class 57s that could be on display at the September 2 open day at Old Oak Common. GWR Class 43s not in use are also likely to be on display. On April 10, the ‘57’ and 43127 Sir Peter Parker...