Rail Express – November 2018

The first of the Fifties, No. D400, rolled out of English Electric’s Vulcan Foundry in October 1967, with each of the subsequent 49 locos following every week or so after that – meaning that the past 12 months have been the 50th anniversary of the class, which has been marked in a number of different ways.

First, there was a gathering of seven locos back at Old Oak Common in September last year. Then a number of railtours have run – not least ‘The Caledonian’, supported by our sister title The Railway Magazine, and ‘The Cumbrian Hoovers’ supported by Rail Express. And now the year has ended with the greatest gathering of the fleet since BR days.

Of the 18 that survive today, 11 came together for the Severn Valley Railway’s Class 50 Golden Jubilee Gala – which is nearly all the
currently operational ones – and what a sight and sound it was. Thousands came to see them, and we have a round-up of highlights on pages 7-9.

Stars of the show were No. 50044 Exeter, which has been out of action since 2012 and is now fitted with the engine from a ‘Portuguese 50’, and No. 50033 which has not worked since 2004. The latter loco has seen a tremendous effort by volunteers, first at Tyseley and then Kidderminster, to get it ready in time, with many people thinking it just could not be done. It was. No. 50033 still needs a repaint, however, and a novel fundraising idea saw visitors allowed to write something on the loco using a marker pen in return for a donation. This raised almost £3,500, which is a lot of ‘tags’ at £5 a go, and the loco ran over the three days in this ever-more unique livery.

On behalf of this magazine and it readers, I would like to thank the Severn Valley Railway, the Class 50 Alliance, the other loco owners and everyone else who took part, for making such a special event happen and so marking this milestone year for this charismatic class in such a fitting way.