CLASS 20
Still serving a real purpose in its 67th year, No. 20007 ran light from Kidderminster to Long Marston on February 5, to act as a standby during the main line test runs of Great Western Railway battery unit No. 230001 (see Headline News). The Type 1 returned to the Severn Valley Railway on February 16, on the 6Z79 09.30 Long Marston-Wembley behind RailAdventure power cars Nos. 43468/480.
February 4 found Locomotive Services Nos. 37409 Loch Awe, D8096 (20096) and D8107 (20107) Jocelyn Feilding 1940-2020 travelling south with three coaches on the 5Z82 10.20 Crewe-Southall (see Coaches). Next day, the Type 1s left Southall with Mk.2 No. 17159 on a route learning journey to Canterbury West and back via Maidstone East, Ashford, Deal and Tonbridge. Similar trips ran on each of the next three days before the LS ‘20s’ and the Mk.2 formed the 5Z91 08.37 Southall-Crewe. The duo was next in action on February 19, taking three coaches from Crewe to Toton for tyre turning prior to heading back to Crewe with the same vehicles four days later.
The combination of Nos. 20142 Sir John Betjeman and 20189 had Railvac No. 2 for company on the 6X47 11.37 Butterley Midland Railway Centre-Toton on February 1, before collecting TfW Rail ‘tram-train’ No. 398001 from Old Dalby and transporting it to Pengam and on to Radyr late on February 2.
A similar move, this time with TfW Rail No. 398003, ran as the 6Q21 15.40 Old Dalby-Pengam on February 9.
CLASS 37
During February the operational ‘37/4’ sub-class diminished to just four locomotives, Nos. 37401 and 37409 belonging to Locomotive Services (LSL), Harry Needle Railroad Company No. 37405, which is hired by Colas Railfreight, and Colas’ own No. 37421. Stored pending disposal were Direct Rail Services Nos. 37407 Blackpool Tower, 37419 Driver Tony Kay 1974-2019, 37422 Victorious, 37424 Avro Vulcan XH558, 37425 Sir Robert along with Nos. 37605, 37716 and 57301. Prior to its removal from service No. 37407 hauled Beilhack snowplough ADB965581 on the 7Z40 10.28 Doncaster West Yard-Scunthorpe and back on February 2. Six days later Nos. 37407/422 had snowploughs ADB965203/243 for company on the 7Z92 06.10 Gresty Bridge-Stockport, later heading to New Mills South Junction.
