Drive, Ride or Charter Britain's Railway Heritage

Class 31 203 (D5627)

Built by Brush Traction at the Falcon Works in Loughborough in 1960, our Class 31 entered British Railways service as D5627 on 23 June 1960, initially allocated to Ipswich. It spent much of its early career working in the East of England, with later allocations including Stratford, March and Finsbury Park.

Originally fitted with a Mirlees engine, the locomotive was subsequently re-engined with the English Electric power unit that became synonymous with the Class 31 and was renumbered 31 203 under the TOPS system in April 1974. During a remarkably varied career it worked passenger, parcels and freight traffic before moving into Civil Engineer duties during the 1990s.

Withdrawn from mainline service in 2000, 31 203 was saved for preservation and restored at the Chasewater Railway before moving to the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway. More than six decades after leaving Loughborough, this veteran Brush locomotive remains an impressive working survivor from the first generation of British Rail diesel traction.

Class 37 216 (D6916)

Built by English Electric at the famous Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, our Class 37 was constructed as D6916 and accepted into British Railways service on 2 January 1964, initially allocated to Landore depot in Swansea. Powered by English Electric's distinctive 12CSVT diesel engine producing around 1,750hp, the Class 37 became one of the most successful and enduring locomotive designs ever to operate on Britain's railways.

D6916 became 37 216 in 1974 and went on to enjoy a long career during an era when Class 37s could be found hauling everything from passenger services to heavy freight across the network. Today 37 216 survives in preservation, retaining the unmistakable sound, character and driving experience which made the English Electric Type 3 a favourite with generations of railway enthusiasts.

Class 47 402 (D1501) "Gateshead"

One of the earliest members of Britain's legendary Class 47 fleet, D1501 was built by Brush Traction at the Falcon Works in Loughborough in 1962, carrying Brush works number 343. It was the second locomotive of the original D1500-D1519 batch of Brush Type 4s "Generators" and was powered by the formidable Sulzer 12LDA28-C diesel engine.

These locomotives became the backbone of British Rail's mainline diesel fleet, with Class 47s working express passenger trains, parcels, freight and charter services across virtually every part of the network. D1501 became 47 402 in February 1974 and was later named Gateshead in November 1981.

Following withdrawal from regular British Rail service, the locomotive was ultimately preserved and restored to its magnificent original identity as D1501. More than sixty years after it was built, D1501 represents one of the defining diesel locomotive designs of the British Rail era and forms a particularly significant part of the McLaren Rail fleet.

Class 47 367 (D1886) "Kenny Cockbird"

Built by Brush Traction at the famous Falcon Works in Loughborough in 1965, entering British Rail service as D1886 as part of the enormous fleet of Brush Type 4 locomotives that would become one of the most successful and recognisable diesel classes ever to operate in Britain. Powered by the distinctive Sulzer 12LDA28-C diesel engine, it was later renumbered 47 367 under British Rail's TOPS system and went on to enjoy a long and varied mainline career hauling freight and other traffic across the national network.

47 367 has a particularly strong association with Stratford Depot in East London, where it was based between 1987 and 1990 and subsequently carried Stratford's famous silver sparrow depot emblem. In 1992 it acquired the unofficial name "Kenny Cockbird" at Tinsley, an unusual identity which has remained closely associated with the locomotive ever since.

Following the end of its mainline career, 47 367 was secured for preservation by the Stratford 47 Group, ensuring that another important example of the legendary Class 47 survived into preservation. Today, more than sixty years after leaving the Brush works at Loughborough, 47 367 remains a superb reminder of the era when Class 47s were an everyday sight across Britain and forms an important part of the locomotive collection owned by McLaren Rail.