The Great (Central) Class 25 Feast.
Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd September 2001 saw the Annual Diesel Gala at the Great Central Railway.
From the motive power available the theme was very much centred on the East Midlands holiday trains of years gone by. Examples of these erstwhile services are the Derby - Yarmouth (2 x Class 25s); Derby - Llandudno (usually one Class 25); Derby, Burton or Leicester to Skegness (2 x Class 20). Added to this the event's line-up included a member of Classes 31 & 37.
As detailed elsewhere in this section 25279 has required herculean efforts in restoring to operational status. Most recently this wasn't helped when the turbocharger siezed (again). Fortunately a suitable company were sourced who have refurbished the offending device which was installed and the locomotive tested just one week before the event. It is safe to say the look on everyone's faces having sampled 279 must have made all of the grief more than worthwhile.
The event yielded a grand total of 238¼ miles of Class 25 travel (a wonderful thing with a pair of locos is double the track mileage!!) which is most likely a record in preservation!
All photos by Phill Taylor.
25279 paired with 25265 at Leicester North. An interesting point is that in 1984 '2J87' was none other than the 17:05 Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury service. The inward working was the 10:10 from Euston. The increasingly famed headboard nearly didn't reach the event as it was left on a train bound for London on the Friday morning (!) Several phone calls later and with greatly valued assistance from various Midland Mainline staff board and owner (me!) were re-united at Loughborough during the afternoon!!
Continuing the Cambrian theme 265 sports a charming headboard.
A view of the pair, a once familiar sight on the BR system.