CLASS 20
Recently repainted into Harry Needle Railroad Company orange and black livery, Nos. 20302/311, along with No. 50021 Rodney, were hauled from Eastleigh to Swanage by No. D1015 Western Champion on May 8, prior to their involvement in the weekend diesel gala, the ‘Western’ hydraulic having travelled light from Kidderminster where it is based on the Severn Valley Railway. On May 14, all four locomotives plus No. 50026 Indomitable formed the 0Z50 10.32 Swanage-Eastleigh Works where the two Class 50s were detached prior to No. D1015 taking the EE Type 1s to Barrow Hill. Privatelyowned No. 20007 undertook railtour work on May 25, (see Class 50) with the Branch Line Society special from Eastleigh to Kings Lynn in aid of Martin House Children’s Hospice.
The Balfour Beatty pairing of Nos. 20901/905 left Barrow Hill for King’s Norton on the morning of May 2, and commenced crew training between there and Nuneaton with the ‘drain train’ on May 13. Two days later they formed the 5Z20 09.00 Kings Norton-Nuneaton running at either end of two ‘Universal Barrier Vehicles’ Nos. 96602 and 96607, both former Motorail vans. Later that day the ‘20/9s’ and the barriers moved West Midlands Trains’ EMU No. 323222 on the 5Q25 16.57 Soho LMD-Tyseley, undertaking a similar trip when passing through Birmingham New Street station early on May 18. Four days later the Type 1s reached Crewe with the first ‘drain train’ duty running as the 6J09 10.41 Kings Norton-Gresty Lane before heading to Oxenholme on May 23, Shap Harrison’s Sidings early on May 25, then moving to Bridgeton Yard five days later, their base for the next few weeks.
CLASS 33
Privately-owned No. D6515 (33012) undertook a busy period of main line use in early May prior to taking its rightful place at the Swanage Railway diesel gala. On May 3, the BRCW Type 3 set off with the London Transport 4-TC set forming the 1Z32 09.21 Eastleigh-Hinksey Reception, the Branch Line Society’s ‘Return of the Shedi’ tour and the following day, Nos. 33012 and GB Railfreight 73136 ‘top and tailed’ the BLS ‘May the Fourth Be with You’ charter departing Eastleigh at 06.48 initially bound for Exeter Central (337). On May 9, GBRf No. 69002 took charge of the ‘Jurassic Crompton’ special running as the 1Z34 10.56 London Waterloo-Swanage and ‘tailed’ by GBRf No. 73109 . No. 33012 was added to the front of No. 69002 at Woking
