Switcher - Shed/works Pilot

Shed/works Pilot

Pilot locomotives are now limited to use in locations such as Traction Maintenance Depots and heritage railways to move rolling stock and "dead" locomotives in and out of the buildings. The National Railway Museum in York uses a BR Class 08 for this purpose, as does Heaton TMD near Newcastle upon Tyne. Locomotives performing this particular duty were traditionally known as shed pilots when working at a motive power depot, and as works pilots when shunting at locomotive, carriage or wagon works. On heritage railways, where there is not enough work for the shed pilot to justify the cost of keeping even a small locomotive in steam all the time, diesel shunters usually act as shed pilots. At the Tanfield Railway near Gateshead, a four-coupled Armstrong Whitworth diesel-electric shunter of 1933 vintage generally performs pilot duties. On other heritage railways, a number of preserved Class 03 and Class 08 shunters have been given a new lease of life as shed pilots, making the Class 03s some of the few preserved locomotives whose regular duties remain largely the same as those they were used for prior to preservation.