40 Years of Deltic Preservation
On Thursday 4th September the Milton Keynes Branch welcomed Murray Brown, chairman of the Deltic Preservation Society to give his presentation "Forty Years of Deltic Preservation". Murray was brought up in Yorkshire and his first memory of Deltic haulage was a journey from Leeds Central to Wakefield Westgate. On leaving school he joined British Railways working in the CM&EE Department for over a decade. He became part of the "Shopping Control" which decided the priority for locos to going into main works for overhaul (or "shopping"). Deltics were pretty near the top of the list, given their Class 1 duties and Murray explained the quick turn rounds that Doncaster Works gave the Class, with 57 power units available for 22 locos, 44 were in the fleet and 13 were available for overhaul or to replace defective ones.
On leaving BR Murray spent some time in journalism editing "Rail Enthusiast" and then "Rail" magazines. During this time the end of the Deltics on BR occured with the "Deltic Tribute" railtour in 1981. He and other Deltic stalwarts decided that the fleet could not face oblivion at the scrap yard and thus set up a fund to preserve a member of the class. Such was their success in fund raising that in 1982 55009 and 55019 were purchased by the Deltic Preservation Society, for £15,509=09 each. Initially they were based on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Later the locos, along with 55015, which the DPS had purchased, were moved to Barrow Hill loco shed. In time the DPS built a dedicated maintenance shed for the Deltics on the Barrow Hill site, which has become a "centre of excellence" for maintaining preserved Deltics. A high point has been the work to get 55009 main line certificated, which, Murray stressed, is a task not for the faint hearted nor those who don't possess deep pockets. The satisfaction is immense though.
A thoroughly fascinating presentation which was enjoyed by a good turnout of members.