Event Details

Day(s) of the Diesels

We have a special treat for fans of Diesel locomotives this September. On selected days throughout the month DMU Services will be replaced by Diesel services.

What’s Included

Featured locomotives include:

50015 (Class 50) "Valiant": The class 50 was designed to haul express passenger trains at 100mph. They were affectionately known by the nickname "Hoovers" due to the sound produced by their clean air plant. This name is believed to have originated amongst the staff at Paddington Station.

33109 (Class 33): This class was built between 1960 and 1962. They were introduced as a more powerful development of the Type 2 Class 26, with a larger engine in place of a steam heating boiler. The lack of a heater was deemed acceptable because the traffic requirements of the area where the loco would be based relied on Summer tourist traffic, when heating was not needed.

37109 (Class 37): This class was built between 1960 and 1965 as part of British Rails modernisation plan. They saw wide use all over the network, and were particularly common for intercity services in East Anglia and Scotland. They were nicknamed tractors by some enthusiasts due to the sound of their engines.

40106 (Class 40): The class was built between 1958 and 1962. For some time they were considered the pride of BR’s early diesel fleet, though sadly by the time the last of their class entered service they were already being superseded by more powerful engines.

D832 (Class 42): This class was built between 1958 and 1961 and were actually based on the German Federal Railway’s “V200” design, though they were scaled down to accommodate Britain’s smaller loading gauge.

D1501 (Class 47): One of the original 20 Class 47s assigned to the Eastern region, this loco was one of the engines that was fitted with both steam and electric train heat capability right from the start and was fitted with Westinghouse brake equipment as opposed to the usual Davies and Metcalfe.

Dates and timetable

The following locomotives will be running on the dates listed below:

Find the timetable here.

Tickets

Please note that tickets are only valid on the diesel service that runs between Heywood and Ramsbottom. Each ticket is valid all day on those services. There are a limited amount available and they cannot be purchased on the day, so don’t miss out.