Preserved loco's on "real" trains

Anyone know what the last example might of been ?, nearly a decade ago 55022 was used by Virgin Cross Country on a Birmingham - Ramsgate diagramme and more recently 50049/31 did the Cardiff - Fishguard sorties one summer, has there been anything since ?.

 

I read something last year that FGW was planning preserved traction on some of the overnight sleepers..
but I guess nothing happened.

It was the Royal Mail contract making class 67's redundant that killed off preserved diesel workings.

However does the class 86's working for Royal Mail last year, and the KX-Doncaster diagram for Grand Central count ?

 

I think tht you will find that 1015 has worked movemnts of on track machines for COLAS. The last one I heard of was from Bristol to Southampton Docks in May.

Where is the dividing line for some classes? For a really confusing example try the privately owned class 73's which are maintained and operated by First GBRf. Would a loco count as "preserved" if it was still owned by a network operator but running in a heritage livery ....

Cheers, Neil

 

Hmm.. and the NRM 47 working for WCRC ?, is WCRC a "real train" operator ? - they look real enough to me
Is silverlinks Bubble car preserved ?

 

Hmm.. and the NRM 47 working for WCRC ?, is WCRC a "real train" operator ? - they look real enough to me
Is silverlinks Bubble car preserved ?[/quote]

I would say WCRC is a real operator. They have a national access licence for passenger and inspection trains. It's just that nearly all their work is railtours and associated workings.
The bubble cars on the national network are owned by Arriva Trains Wales and Chiltern Trains and work for their livings.

Cheers, Neil

 

How about the NYMR's Whitby services? As with West Coast, run on an Open Access arrangement.

 

IIRC 40145 rescued a failed oil train last year - only hauled it a mile or so - does that count?

 

D1015 hauled various China Clay trains several years ago in connection with driver training, see the Day on the Clay DVD.

 

It's repeat intinery but still technically comes under tours rather then scheduled passenger & freight in the normal sense (ie a normal ticket is not valid).

Sounds like the 40 doing the thunderbird job at Nuneaton is the most recent unless anyone knows better ?, interesting thread.

The line between Preserved/Privately owned & TOC can be a little blurred in some cases but some cases are more obvious than others, didn't 55022 work a few Liverpool St - Norwich express's as well ?.

 

Didnt 'Nunney Castle' or a classmate come to the rescue of a failed regular service not too long ago?

 

Well it does say preserved rather than diesel, that said if 5029 did a thunderbird job im sure the mags would of rushed to tell us, thats before all the braking and coupling incompatability issues.

That said 5690 did rescue a 40 hauled freight in the Blue n Grey era on the S&C when vac brakes were still widespread.

 

Alas, my rush to post prevented me from noticing the forum section.....

Alas.

 

I have seen a couple of workings of Inspection specials in the York area about 2008 with what appeared to be preserved diesels.
I raised a query about it and was told it was cheaper than using EWS.

 

Suspect they would of been WCRC/DRS/NR loco's, while being heritage diesels, it would be pushing it to call them preserved i suspect.

 

I THINK, though I may be wrong, that passengers were transferred from the failed service on to a tour hauled by 5029, which was already operating. Does this still count?

 

Definately not NR or DRS and I cant recall anything bearing WC decals

 

Vacs on the last Arriva south Wales shuttles in November 2006 were the last preserved locos I've had on a service train:

http://class50.zenfolio.com/p205990892/e38fa238c
http://class50.zenfolio.com/p205990892/e2cf567ff

 

Interesting, any more info ?.