Class 50 50008 Thunderer

Can anyone give current status and/or outlook on this loco? I know it was destined for export at one time(to Peru!), but was then resold and taken to Crewe for restoration. Since then I have heard that progress has been made towards restarting around now, but haven;t seen anything in the preservation press. I used to see 50008 at Waterloo on West of England trains when I was stuck on a 4 VEP - it must have been one of the last of the class to be withdrawn.

 

I'm not totally up to speed on 50008's current situation (other than having read elsewhere that it could move to the Nene Valley Railway for either running-in or further work at some point in the near future, but I'm sure others have much more accurate info on this).

But to answer your query about whether it was one of the last to be withdrawn - it was among the late survivors, but you might not have seen too much of it at Waterloo in its final years with BR. In the late 1980s/early 1990s 50008 was one of the 50s allocated to the DCWA engineers' pool rather than passenger duties. All bar five of this group were withdrawn by early 1991. 50031, 50036 and 50046 then joined the rest of the class on the Waterloo-Exeter line, but 50008 and 50015 instead became railtour locos with 'celebrity' liveries - 50015 being the only 50 to wear the 'Dutch' grey/yellow engineers' colours, and 50008 going into the 'Laira blue' variant of BR blue previously carried by 50019 and 50037(?).

So while most of the last group of 50s were on Waterloo runs in the final summer, I think during that time 50008 only made one appearance rescuing a failure from Salisbury onwards (in late September 1991, I think). 50008/15 were eventually withdrawn just before 50007/50033/D400 became the railtour engines for the two years from their last scheduled services to the farewell tour in March 1994. I believe Pete Waterman bought both and took them to the ELR, with 50008 then going to Crewe ostensibly for a main line return. My memory gets really hazy at this bit, but when Waterman sold most of his loco collection, 50008 eventually ended up with Sea Containers, which is when it was planned for export, before this was abandoned and it was stored for a few years before ending up with its current owner.

There are probably more knowledgeable people on here who will correct a lot of that, but your post set me off on a wave of nostalgia for tatty DCWA 50s turning up on surprise passenger duties, and 50008/15 hammering through Cornwall on railtours! So sorry for launching into a narrative without really answering your question!

 

50008 / 15 we're both withdrawn and placed in secure storage at laira. Both "slipped under" the bidding net and went to private purchase of Pete Waterman, and both left Laira working.
The organizers of the Longsight Open Day team we're fundamental in getting 50008 / 15 preserved and both were dragged to manchester and stored at Longsight where they were started up and even moved around shunting DMUs in the evenings. (I have pictures taken during this time as i was initially part of that "in crowd" at LO).

Just before the ELR Gala, both we're brought upto Bury and appeared a few days later at the ELR diesel gala, which at the time was their busiest ever (and many people though the 2 class 50's were actually still in BR service and we're going back afterwards).

50015 was transfered to a new group (based on the LO committee), and 50008 stayed with Pete Waterman.
As with many things at Bury, if your not in the crowd, life gets tough.. the engine was parked in inaccessible locations, people make comments, assistance becomes hard and eventually people just give up and leave.

As a result 50015 lay neglected, until whats left of the group sold it and the engine came into a new era.

50008 on the other hand left Bury for a return to mainline condition with Waterman Railways, and appeared at Crewe Open day (that one with all the promise.. with D1048, Ixion, D120, 25909 etc etc of going mainline... all which came to nothing).
Then 50008 was abandoned part restored, parts of it were sold, and it became one of preservations "forgotten" engines.. hopefully soon it could start coming back, but as many engines.. it entered preservation, not just working, but 100mph capable, and within 2 years lay with all kinds of bits missing.

Although 50015 works today in a non-authentic blue, and 50008 sits on Pallets in Crewe, I still remember them as the Engineers Blue and Dutch Yellow 50s that did all the railtour work until the Waterloo-Salisbury/Exeter's ended and D400/50007/50033 took over the railtour mantle.

 

50 015 is now in full large logo and has been since september last year. As for 8, expect to hear some news in the next couple of months.

 

I recently found this photo which shows some progress. Taken from http://midis.fotopic.net/

 

Many thanks for the info chaps. let's hope those guys in the pic with the crane are supposed to be there

 

50008 hauled by 31601 from Leicester to Washwood Heath Metro Cammell today 12/11/15.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O42288/2015/11/12/advanced