THE Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway has expanded its resident diesel fleet with the purchase of No. D8110 (20110) from Harry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC). The Class 20 arrived from the Battlefield Line, where it had been located since March 2021, on February 22. It had been in use, with classmate No. 20087, on passenger services just three days earlier.
Unlike the other main line diesels based at Embsay, Nos. D1524 (47004), D5600 (31435), D9513, 31119 and 37294 which are privately owned, the ‘Chopper’ has been bought outright by the line’s Trust, its purchase being financed by loans from members.
By owning the ‘20’, the E&BASR will have greater control over it than other resident locomotives, some of which have been laid up owing to a lack of agreement with the owners regarding repairs.
The E&BASR is also, in light of escalating costs, keen to reduce its coal usage and hire fees, particularly during the Santa Special season, and it says a small economic diesel will provide significant savings.
