On Sunday 12 April, following on from this year’s Twin Peaks event (10 & 11 April), we are running our Southern Region diesel locomotives: Class 33 and Class 73.
Come and join us for a day of Southern diesel locomotives, we will be running Class 33 (33103) and Class 73 (73001) across four round trips, allowing you to enjoy a taste of down South, here in the East Midlands.
Class 33 (33103) “Swordfish”
33103 (originally D6514) is a classic example of the push-pull “Bagpipe” workhorse that spent its life evolving to satisfy the Southern Region’s needs.
Built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company in 1960, it entered service as a standard Class 33/0 – numbered D6514.
It initially worked out of Hither Green, in South East London, hauling general freight and passenger services.
In 1967 as part of the Bournemouth electrification scheme, it was sent to Eastleigh Works to be converted into a Class 33/1. It gained the high-level jumper cables and buckeye couplings that allowed it to work push-pull 4-TC trailer sets between Bournemouth and Weymouth.
Class 73 (73001)
While the Class 33 was a diesel workhorse, 73001 (originally E6001) is a pioneer.
It was the very first electro-diesel locomotive ever built for British Rail, acting as the prototype for a design that is still in mainline use over 60 years later.
Built at Eastleigh Works in 1962, 73001 was part of the initial batch of six locomotives (Class 73/0).
The Southern Region needed something that could run as a high-powered electric locomotive on the third-rail system, but switch to a smaller diesel engine to shunt in non-electrified sidings or cross gaps in the rails.
Please refer to the special timetable for details of when the trains will be running:
PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT RUNS ON THE SAME DAY AS OUR 08 SHUNTER DRIVER EXPERIENCE