British Rail Class 55 - Preservation

Preservation

Six locomotives were saved after their withdrawal:

• D9000 (55 022) Royal Scots Grey was purchased by the Deltic 9000 Fund and was handed over in fully running condition after work and a repaint by BR. Its first base was the Nene Valley Railway. It now resides in Bury at the East Lancashire Railway and is owned by Beaver Sports (Yorks) Ltd, who have heavily modified the locomotive away from its original English Electric design, are committed to its preservation in running order with main-line certification. It completed an 18-month overhaul and was re-certified for running on the main line in August 2006. Royal Scots Grey has been re-allocated visually to York (YK depot) and York City coat of arms crests above the numbers as done in 1981. It is the first out of the Class 55 to carry York coat of arms crest since 1982
• D9002 (55 002) The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was donated to the National Railway Museum, York and was the first preserved Deltic to return to the main line when it worked light engine to York after participating in the Doncaster Works Open Day on 27 February 1982.
• D9009 (55 009) Alycidon was purchased by the Deltic Preservation Society Ltd (DPS) and has been mostly based at the DPS depot at Barrow Hill.
• D9015 (55 015) Tulyar was purchased by a private buyer, Peter Sansom; in 1986 it was sold to the Deltic Preservation Society. It has led an itinerant existence on many preserved railways.
• D9016 (55 016) Gordon Highlander was purchased by the Deltic 9000 Fund, with the intention that it would be restored to running condition, whilst acting as a 'twelve wheeled mobile source of spares'. As of November 2007 the locomotive was based at the Peak Rail (Heritage Railway), near Bakewell, Derbyshire, where it could sometimes be seen hauling trains (especially on 'diesel weekends'). In July 2008, this loco was sold by a private individual to HNRC as a business venture. In spite of previous announcements to the contrary, HNRC put the loco up for sale at the end of September 2008. Bids from the Gordon Highlander Preservation Group and Martin Walker (the owner of 55 022) were rejected by HNRC in favour of a higher offer from Direct Rail Services (DRS) Ltd. Direct Rail Services (DRS) Ltd kept D9016 (55 016) at Barrow Hill for a year with intention of a full overhaul but these plans never surfaced. The loco was sold year later to Martin Walker (the owner of 55 022) and his team and is now based at East Lancashire Railway with 55022. 55 016 donated one of its two engines to 55 022 in April 2010 as one of 55 022's engines was not one of the original Napier-Deltic engines fitted in 1959.
• D9019 (55 019) Royal Highland Fusilier was purchased by the Deltic Preservation Society. In April 2005, it became the first Deltic to be fitted with TPWS equipment.

Two Cabs were saved after their withdrawal:

Cabs from D9008 (55 008) The Green Howards and D9021 (55 021) Argyll and Sutherland Highlander are both owned by the DPS. Both are currently located at the DPS depot at Barrow Hill.

• D9008 (55 008) The Green Howards was acquired when the locomotive was being scrapped at Doncaster Works in August 1982. 55008 is mounted on a road trailer and has been fitted out with computer simulation equipment which allow anybody to take the controls.

• D9021 (55 021) Argyll and Sutherland Highlander 55021 was scrapped at Doncaster in September 1982 but the cab was saved and bought by DPS member. The cab was in later years given to the DPS society where it has been put on display at the DPS depot.