From
Rail Magazine in January
Two Class 50s are joining the GB▸ Railfreight fleet.
The Class 50 Alliance’s 50007 Hercules and 50049 Defiance are being repainted into the operator’s livery, with the former running to Eastleigh Works on January 15 for its transformation.
The locomotives will be available to operate selected GBRf trains on a ‘spot-hire’ basis, on work that includes moving locomotives to heritage railway events and rail tours. This will also release Class 66s for other duties, as the company remains eager to acquire more traction. The ‘50s’ will remain based at the Severn Valley Railway.
And this weekend from
Rail AdventGB Railfreight Class 50s, 50007 (as 50014) and 50049 returned to the mainline yesterday, Saturday 23rd March 2019, following their transformation into GBRf livery.
Following the transformation, 50007 (50014) and 50049 were booked to haul the 50 Terminator – Phoenixed from London Paddington to Penzance, promoted by Pathfinder Tours.
Good to see a smudging / working together of the heritage / preserved and main line. Still ways to go - for me personally the 'holy grail' is operations like daily trains every day, all day on routes such as Swanage to Wareham, extended to Southampton in peaks and using heritage trains - perhaps to a more gentle timetable - in the middle of the day in summer. Similarly, Minehead to Taunton to Bristol, and Kingswear to Paignton and Exeter St David's.
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