Deltic Preservation Society - Formation

Formation

The society was founded in 1977 following the entry into service of the High Speed Train. A group of Class 55 enthusiasts made the decision to join together to ensure that a working locomotive was kept running, forming the Deltic Preservation Society to raise funds to this end. By 1982, when the Class 55 was withdrawn, the Society numbered over 1500, with the result that it was able to purchase two locomotives, D9009/55009 (Alycidon) and D9019/55019 (Royal Highland Fusilier), from British Rail. These two units were moved immediately from Doncaster Works and put into service on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. A third locomotive, D9015/55015 (Tulyar) was added to the inventory in 1986 when it was purchased from a private owner. For the first few years, the Society provided its locomotives to run on a number of private railways. However, following a change of policy by British Rail in 1991, a few years before its privatisation, it became possible for private operators to run trains on the mainline rail network. With this in mind, the Society sent Alycidon for a major overhaul, completed in 1998, which allowed the locomotive to gain a certification for running on the public railway. Royal Highland Fusilier was given a less extensive overhaul, receiving its certification at the same time. Both locomotives re-entered passenger service in May 1999, operating railtour services for the Society. At the same time, both were also used on many occasions by Venice-Simplon Orient Express to haul the Northern Belle charter train. In 1997, Tulyar was withdrawn from its private railway services and sent for an overhaul along the same lines as Alycidon to restore it to mainline service.