Results of recent Direct Rail Services locomotive tender revealed

Derbyshire-based Harry Needle Railroad Company has boosted its fleet with the purchase of seven locomotives from the recent sale of ‘heritage’ locomotives by Direct Rail Services (Railways Illustrated, December 2021).

HNRC secured six of the eight Class 20s offered for sale by DRS, while Crewe-based Locomotive Services Ltd successfully bid for the other two Class 20s – 20302 and 20305 – and both Class 57/3s listed.

Of the two Class 37s offered, HNRC also bought 37703 (see story opposite), while it is understood that 37606 has been secured by preservationist Steve Beniston, who has owned several Class 37s in the past and currently owns preserved main line-registered 37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach, which has recently been on hire to Colas Rail.

The sale of the Class 20s now leaves DRS without any of the locomotives with which it started its rail business back in the mid-1990s. The operator released another list of locomotives for sale by tender last month, which featured three further Class 37/6s and six Class 57/0s (Railways Illustrated, issue 229), along with a pair of DVTS, five DBSOS, and a quantity of spares.

Shortly after the tender was released, DRS announced that it had added stored 37405 to the list of locomotives being offered for sale – the first time the operator has offered one of its popular ETH Class 37/4s for disposal, and it is thought that this locomotive, in particular, will be highly sought after.

The most recent tender closed in early February and it is anticipated that the successful bidders will be revealed over the coming weeks. It is also understood that DRS will be offering more redundant locomotives for sale from what it terms as ‘heritage’ types over the coming months.