Autumn diesel events round off 2021 season
AFTER A delayed start to the 2021 operating season for most of our heritage railways – due to Covid lockdowns – and a busy September for diesel events, things are starting to quieten down again as heritage lines bring their main operating seasons to a close in preparation for the start of Santa Specials and seasonal services.
On October 8-10 the Epping Ongar Railway is holding a London Transport Weekend, which will see LT liveried 20227 Sherlock Holmes visit the line to join fellow Class 20 Locomotive Society D8001 (subject to completion of engine repairs) and two LT liveried steam locomotives, former Great Western and London Transport pannier tank L.92, and former Great Western Prairie locomotive 5521, running in London Transport Livery as L150.
The event is planned to include a Saturday evening real ale train on which both Class 20s will feature. It is likely one steam locomotive will work the first evening round trip, with the 20s then taking over. During that same October 8-10 weekend, the Nene Valley Railway will hold its Three Peaks Challenge event, which will see an example of each type of Peak locomotive in operation, with Class 44, D4, 45041 and Class 46, 182, all due to take part.
D4 should have visited the NVR in 2018 but problems with the completion of the overhaul and then Covid-19 restrictions have all conspired to delay the visit, while the Class 46 has been repainted into BR blue at Swanwick on the Midland Railway Butterley following repairs. Also in operation at the NVR event will be Class 14, 9529, recently-delivered 143602 and the TASC (Track and Service Car), with ‘Driver for a Fiver’ taking place on Sentinel DL83 in Wansford Yard. The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is celebrating 40 years of operation with a mixed traffic gala over the weekend of November 6/7, with a home fleet line-up featuring both steam and diesel locomotives. The GWR diesel fleet in action will be an all BR blue selection, with Class 24, D5081, 37215, 45149 and 47105 all booked to operate.
The next weekend, November 13/14, the East Lancashire Railway will be holding its annual DMU gala when the whole weekend is devoted to the line's DMU fleet. Making appearances at the event should be examples from Class 104, 105, 110 and 122 and, if it follows previous events, there should also be a locomotive-hauled DMU drag.