North Norfolk Brush Type 2 relaunched into traffic
RESTORATION of Class 31
No. D5631 (31207) has been completed at the North Norfolk Railway (NNR), including a repaint in BR green.
Owned by the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society (M&GNJRS), it was formally relaunched into service at the mixed traction weekend on July 21. There was a short ceremony to mark the completion of the overhaul and handing back to its owners. It then headed the 13.00 charter train for members, shareholders and the media.
No. D5631 was withdrawn from use in late 2016, entering the Weybourne workshops of NNR Engineering in January. Considerable work was undertaken (RM Jan p69) including the fitting of a steamheat boiler. Class 31s were so-equipped when built, but this was removed from many in the 1970s/80s during major overhauls following the demise of steam-heated carriages on BR. No. D5631 lost its boiler during an overhaul at Doncaster in 1986.
No. D5631 was purchased privately from English, Welsh & Scottish Railways (EWS) on January 29, 2004, arriving at Sheringham on February 12. It was sold to the M&GNJRS in March 2005.