Preserved locos/stock hired back to mainline use?

[5ArchBridge]

Deltics were hired for freight and stock movements in the late 2010s if I remember correctly.

Are there any other instances of this happening with preserved locos/stock?

 

[Gloster]

One rarity was the hiring of 0-6-0ST 3 R.H.Smyth (Avonside, 1928), formerly of the Londonderry Port and Harbour Commisioners, for relaying works on the NIR system. Possibly the most recent use of a steam loco for proper commercial work in these islands.

 

[JonathanH]

Are there any other instances of this happening with preserved locos/stock?

50007 and 50049 are used by GBRf on stock movements. Technically they are preserved locomotives.

 

[High Dyke]

I seem to recall an Austerity made a foray from the East Lancs Railway onto the Manchester Metrolink network in 2015 working a ballast train. Admittedly not main-line use, but not a regular occurrence either. This thread was on the forum at the time.

 

[Cowley]

When it comes to main line registered diesels (especially 20s, 37s, 47s and 50s) over the last decade or so, the boundaries between being preserved and being in revenue earning service seem very fuzzy.

 

[renegademaster]

Hastings Diesel's unit got used to shunt Thameslinks at Three Bridges before it got juiced

 

[alexl92]

I seem to recall an Austerity made a foray from the East Lancs Railway onto the Manchester Metrolink network in 2015 working a ballast train. Admittedly not main-line use, but not a regular occurrence either. This thread was on the forum at the time.

It did indeed as the regular diesel was out of service.

 

[m79900]

37099 was preserved for a time, but bought out of it by Colas.

 

[43096]

125 Group’s 43048/089 were used briefly by DATS as part of their contract to test the MML electrification north of Bedford.

 

[Magdalia]

37099 was preserved for a time, but bought out of it by Colas.

Not the only one, also includes at least 37025, 37175, 37219 and 37254.

 

[1Q18]

Not the only one, also includes at least 37025, 37175, 37219 and 37254.

37025 was never owned by Colas, it was hired by them for several years from it’s owners at the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway, and so is exactly the kind of scenario the OP is describing. The majority of the 37s that Colas have actually owned were indeed purchased from preservation.

 

[Taunton]

City of Truro, after its 100mph record in 1904, was put into York railway museum (the old one) in 1931. But in 1957 it was taken out, and put back into mainstream service at Didcot shed to the end of steam, where it did various tasks, not necessarily lighter ones, as one time it took over The Bristolian from a failed Warship diesel. However its regular run, on the days it was steamed, was the gentle lunchtime run from Didcot, through Newbury, to Southampton, coming back on the 4.56 from Southampton, stopping at Eastleigh just after 5pm, and thus bringing back home to Winchester all the senior staff from the Southern's Eastleigh Works. Just to show them what a grand old loco can do.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Didn't 55022/D9000 work some of the last Virgin CrossCountry services into Kent back in the early 2000s?

 

[Flange Squeal]

The then AC Locomotive Group owned 86101, 86401 and 87002 were hired to Serco for Caledonian Sleeper work 2015-2019. I believe they have all since passed from the AC Loco Group to Locomotive Services Limited (86101/87002) and West Coast Railways (86401) though.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

IIRC 89001 is in its second spell as a preserved loco after being bought back onto the ECML

 

[Harvester]

Although not specifically hired, Jubilee 5690 Leander was removed from a CME to rescue a failed Class 40 hauled freight on the S&C in August 1980.

 

[Strathclyder]

As mentioned by the OP, a Deltic was hired out for stock movements in the 2010s. Specifically, 55022 (owned by Martin Walker at the time IIRC) was hired out to GB Railfreight to work ScotRail EMU transfers between Yoker Carriage Sidings, Shields Depot, Glasgow Works and, during the 2012-2014 Class 334 refurbishment, Brodies in Kilmarnock (running via Barrhead outbound and Barassie inbound initially, then via Barassie both ways). This started in May 2013, taking over from a mixture of 57s and 66s (37685 appeared on one out-and-back turn in January that year, merely acting as extra braking force IIRC), becoming the sole loco employed on the workings from July onwards. After the 334 refurb was finished in November 2014 (two refurbished 334s went back south for corrosion repair work following this), 022 remained employed by GBRf on Glasgow area EMU moves as mentioned above until at least late 2015/early 2016 (can't recall exactly when the last working was), such as this example from September 2015 that I was on hand to catch at Springburn:

Preserved 55022 Royal Scots Grey (on hire to GB Railfreight)/ScotRail 320312 | 5N11 | Springburn

Reached way back (Sep. 2015) into the recesses of my DLSR archives for this, the only half-decent Deltic shot in my collection. 55022 Royal Scots Grey (on long-term hire to GB Railfreight & disguised as long-lost classmate 55007 Pinza) rumbles through Springburn with ScotRail's 320312 in tow...

www.flickr.com

This wasn't the first time GBRf had hired 022 out however, as she had previously seen extensive use on Alcan workings between Lynemouth and North Blyth in April/May 2011 (and one especially notable jaunt up the North Clyde & West Highland Lines to Fort William; she worked the return trip as far as Mossend).

 

[Mothball]

I seem to recall an Austerity made a foray from the East Lancs Railway onto the Manchester Metrolink network in 2015 working a ballast train. Admittedly not main-line use, but not a regular occurrence either. This thread was on the forum at the time.

In previous years the 03 and 08's have made a few voyages down the Bury line, aswell as 37109, 37418 and 37901 that took part in a major track renewal while preserved at the ELR.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Also not quite mainline use, but believe that in July 1964 the Bluebell railway were asked to hire out a couple of their steam locos (= possibly North London Railway 0-6-0T No. 58850 and definitely LBSCR E4 0-6-2T No. (32)473 'Birch Grove') to the demolition contractors based at Ardingly whose Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter had failed on the first day it was required, and so the Bluebell ironically assisted in the lifting of the branch line from Ardingly to Horsted Keynes.

 

[1Q18]

Also not quite mainline use, but believe that in July 1964 the Bluebell railway were asked to hire out a couple of their steam locos (= possibly North London Railway 0-6-0T No. 58850 and definitely LBSCR E4 0-6-2T No. (32)473 'Birch Grove') to the demolition contractors based at Ardingly whose Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter had failed on the first day it was required, and so the Bluebell ironically assisted in the lifting of the branch line from Ardingly to Horsted Keynes.

The NLR tank was used for the demolition of both the Ardingly branch and the line north from Horsted Keynes to East Grinstead, eventually ending up being marooned at East Grinstead and returned to Sheffield Park by road. Some much-needed financial income for the railway at that point in their development.

Bluebell Railway Locomotives - 27505

www.bluebell-railway.co.uk

 

[Merle Haggard]

Regarding hired rolling stock; the loco-hauled Birmingham International - North Wales trains of the late '90s - early 2000s were formed of Mk1 coaches hired from a steam railway; I think, the West Somerset. At least one was in chocolate and cream.
The particular coaches hired were ones that had been in preservation a comparatively long time, and I was given to understand that later purchases form preservation had a 'not to be used for commercial purposes' clause but these earlier ones did not - and that the railway simply replaced the hired-out stock on their line with Mk1s by buying more.

 

[jumble]

Didn't 55022/D9000 work some of the last Virgin CrossCountry services into Kent back in the early 2000s?

It did in 1998 1999
I had the slightly bizarre experience of traveling on her from Kensington Olympia to Bromley South on a one day travel card
I also travelled to Oxford from KennyO on another day

Deltics were hired for freight and stock movements in the late 2010s if I remember correctly.

Are there any other instances of this happening with preserved locos/stock?

Does Tornado on the Settle and Carlisle Northern service trains in Feb 2017 count ?
I was there
Summer the Cocker Spaniel

 

[ac6000cw]

Does Tornado on the Settle and Carlisle Northern service trains in Feb 2017 count ?

Tornado isn't really a preserved loco - it's a modern steam loco (completed 2008) built as an improved version of the Peppercorn A1 design. It's much younger than probably everything else mentioned in this thread!

 

[steamybrian]

After Hastings Unit no. 1001 was restored in 1996 it was used many times
In 1998 worked between Norwich- Great Yarmouth/Lowestoft to cover stock shortages.
Many times between Ashford-Hastings
In 2002 it was used for 6 weeks on its former regular route between Charing Cross- Hastings.
It has also been hired by train companies to cover for their special public trains

 

[1Q18]

Tornado isn't really a preserved loco - it's a modern steam loco (completed 2008) built as an improved version of the Peppercorn A1 design. It's much younger than probably everything else mentioned in this thread!

At the time that it was operating Northern services it was substantially younger than anything else in the Northern fleet!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

It did in 1998 1999
I had the slightly bizarre experience of traveling on her from Kensington Olympia to Bromley South on a one day travel card
I also travelled to Oxford from KennyO on another day

Thanks for the correction, my timeline for when the Kent XCs finished was a bit off, for some reason I thought they ended at the same time as the Brightons (even though I know I know better!).

 

[SeanG]

After Hastings Unit no. 1001 was restored in 1996 it was used many times
In 1998 worked between Norwich- Great Yarmouth/Lowestoft to cover stock shortages.
Many times between Ashford-Hastings
In 2002 it was used for 6 weeks on its former regular route between Charing Cross- Hastings.
It has also been hired by train companies to cover for their special public trains

It was used on the Whitby line I believe

 

[12LDA28C]

47798, donated by EWS to the NRM at York for preservation and display was hired out to West Coast for use on railtours some years ago which unsurprisingly didn't go down too well with EWS...

Similarly preserved 47580, preserved by the Stratford 47 group was also hired out for several years to West Coast for charter use and of course currently preserved 47712, owned by the Crewe Diesel Preservation Group is in main line use for LSL on charter work.

 

[Peddles88]

The Class 56 Group's Fastline liveried 56301 is currently on long term hire to DC Rail

 

[DarloRich]

In 1998 worked between Norwich- Great Yarmouth/Lowestoft to cover stock shortages.

that was a very pleasing surprise! it ran for 14 months on the GY run

I have also heard tell it worked services on the Tees Valley line at one point - but I think that was simply a transfer to the NYMR