What’s happe

20166 – Leeming Bar: The Class 20, owned by Harry Needle, remains on long-term loan to the Wensleydale Railway and was started on December 12, 2020 for the first time in several months after work was completed to reinstate it to traffic. The return to traffic of the orange ‘Chopper’ helped volunteers with several engineering works in January to make the railway fit to reopen in spring.

20228 – Toddington: After 13 years at the Barry Tourist Railway 20228 has finally made its long awaited move to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, arriving just before Christmas on December 19, 2020. One of four 20s sold to CFD in France it was preserved on its return, and after use in French condition the lengthy restoration began to return it to British Rail condition. There is still some work to do but it is hoped the BR Blue locomotive will return to use sometime during 2021.

27001 – Bo’ness: The BRCW Type 2 was started on December 31, 2020 for the first time in more than a year after an extensive generator refurbishment. It has also had its engine room floor replaced with new stainless steel.

D5705 – Bury: Following the completion of traction motor repairs on Class 15 D8233, which only requires its pinions to be fitted, Bowers has moved its attention to the repairs on the generator for the Class 28 Co-Bo. Initially during testing the interpoles were found to be to earthing, but following removal, drying out and retesting they have been performing well. The armature was also tested and it gave a reading of 400 Mohm after a clean and an initial bake, which is not bad considering its age.

37674 – Studley: The Red Stripe Railfreight Class 37/5 is another loco that has left the Wensleydale Railway. It was collected by road on December 20, 2020 and initially taken to a layby on the A59 near Skipton, fuelling speculation it was heading to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway. It was left there over the Christmas break, luckily escaping the attention of any local graffiti vandals, and on December 31 was collected and moved to store at the Allelys’ site at Studley pending developments.

37674 was bought in February 2007. It spent June 2012 to May 2014 at the Stainmore Railway before moving to Leeming Bar. Unlike 20169, the 37 was resurrected and