The Class 56 Group is pleased to announce the completion of the transfer of 56301 to new owners DC Rail ( part of Cappagh Group).
We are proud to have been part of the locomotives history and it’s a sobering thought that we owned and operated 56301 for 14 years. BR only owned it for 16 years.
During those 14 years the loco travelled far and wide giving enthusiasts a chance to see and photograph it in far flung locations across the network.
The revenue generated by the mainline hire work helped fund work on 56006, the upkeep of 56301 itself and purchase of tools and spare parts for 56006.
Of course the loco spent significant periods out of traffic, for wheelset issues and more recently power unit repairs.
It was never our long term plan to own two locos. The time and effort spent managing a mainline registered locomotive was significant and the sale of 56301 will release us all to concentrate our efforts on 56006.
It’s been a great experience owning a mainline locomotive , frustrating at times, but immensely rewarding at others.
None more so than last Monday when I made a trip to Peak Forest to witness what was a loaded test run prior to the expected handover to DCR and was to be one of the last workings of 56301 as a Class 56 Group loco. The fact it was an 03:38 departure says a lot about how I felt personally about 56301.
We wish DCR good fortune with the loco and hope to see it hauling heavy trains for many years to come.
Keith