Powerscene
CLASS 20
ON May 10, Nos. 20007 and 20142 accompanied No. 33012 on ‘The Purbeck Explorer’ tour, running as the 1Z33/10.40 Ealing Broadway to Swanage. No. 20007 entered service almost 61 years ago, in September 1957, as No. D8007, one of a batch allocated originally to Devons Road shed in Bow, East London.
Pathfinder Tours celebrated the 60th anniversary of the class on May 5 by running ‘The Diamond Twenties’ tour with the BR blue duo of Nos. 20189+20205 (both relative youngsters at only 51 years of age). The charter started from Tame Bridge station in the West Midlands and ran to London Victoria, where the Type 1s were attached. The ‘Choppers’ then headed for the gypsum sidings at Mountfield, where Nos. 73141 and 73963 were attached so the tour could traverse the Dungeness branch. The tour then returned to London with the ‘20s’ at the front throughout.
The aforementioned Nos. 20007+20142 plus the London Underground 4-TC set and electro-diesel No. 73136 powered ‘The Purbeck Explorer II’ on May 13, running east as the 1Z50/15.25 Corfe Castle-Kensington Olympia, prior to collecting Nos. 20205+20189 next day and heading from Ferme Park to the Severn Valley Railway via Swindon and Worcester.
CLASS 33
FOLLOWING a successful test run from Carnforth to Hellifield and back with No. 47832 on May 2, West Coast ‘Crompton’ No. 33029 was paired with No. 37685 on the 5Z37/10.00 Carnforth-Crewe on May 10, this conveying 11 coaches of ‘Statesman Rail’ stock. Next day, having run light to the Severn Valley Railway, the same locomotives powered the 5Z33/15.09 Kidderminster-Carnforth empty stock, formed of ‘Northern Belle’ reserve Mk.1s Nos. 1953 and 92904.
Having last worked a train in February, ‘Slim Jim’ No. 33207 accompanied No. 47826
