Deltic society and Siemens to work in partnership

NO. 55019 ran through a banner at the Deltic Preservation Society’s (DPS) Barrow Hill depot on December 6 to mark a significant agreement made with Siemens Mobility.

The two organisations are working together, with Siemens apprentices learning about rail engineering and diesel-electric traction. The DPS will benefit from Siemens’s technological knowledge and workshop facilities.

One- and three-day courses started in January, taking place in a classroom set-up in a building at Barrow Hill previously used for storing spare Napier power units. These are now housed in the main DPS depot building.

It is hoped ‘Deltic’ components will be overhauled, and eventually the partnership will lead to No. 55019 being restored for use on the main line again.

Following its calamitous failure on the ‘Auld Reekie’ railtour on March 3, No. D9009 Alycidon has remained at Nemesis Rail, Burton-on-Trent.

The DPS has now been authorised by its insurers to proceed with repairing the six traction motors damaged in the incident, caused by a huge power surge. The motors have been removed and assessed by Sulzer, which will be making the repairs.

Discussion continues with the insurers regarding the loss of revenue from four railtours, which had been booked, as well as remedial work required on No. 2 generator.

No. D9009 is returning to Barrow Hill by road as it is currently sitting on accommodation bogies.

The power unit and generator will then be lifted out and a replacement generator installed while the original is sent away for attention.

A large amount of finance still needs to be raised by the society to repair a defective bogie, which remains with Nemesis for attention.

Donations can be made to the DPS via the MoneyGiving account on website: www.thedps.co.uk.