Locos and Rolling Stock: Locomotives D8069

D8069 at Garvestone during the 2003 Diesel Gala. 23rd March 2003. Photo: Owen Stratford

Built at the Vulcan Foundry Works of the English Electric Company Ltd, D8069 was the last of the initial batch of locomotives delivered new to an English depot - D8070 to D8127 being Scottish machines from new. D8069 was delivered new to Darnall shed, Sheffield, on 30th June 1961 and remained a Sheffield-area loco until April 1966, with the exception of a one-month loan to Cardiff Canton in June 1965; although nothing is known of what the loco actually did in south Wales.

A period on loan to Toton depot in Nottinghamshire was made permanent in June 1968, from where she was employed, along with many other Class 20s, on coal trains in the North Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire coalfields. Following the end of steam on British Railways in August 1968, many locomotives had the "D" prefix of their number painted out or removed, although D8069 for some reason kept its "D" into the early 1970s, and this is how she appears today: in blue livery, but with her original number. Along with all other locomotives on the network, 8069 was re-numbered into the TOPS system, receiving the number 20 069 in February 1974.

Following a downturn in traffic and being well overdue for an overhaul (she was only fitted with vacuum brakes) 20 069 was withdrawn from Toton depot in February 1981 and was stored at the North Yard dump at Swindon works, alongside many other locomotives destined for the cutter's torch.

However, somebody had a change of heart which saw 20 069 nominated for an overhaul and a new lease of life in Scotland, along with several other Class 20s. She left Swindon dump in June 1982 and, following a Heavy General Overhaul at Springburn Works, Glasgow (including conversion to the dual air/vacuum brake system), she was re-allocated to nearby Eastfield depot from June 1982. Her stay at Eastfield was a short one, and by that November she had been transferred to the other side of Scotland, working on coal trains around Fife from Haymarket shed, Edinburgh. In March 1985, 20 069 returned south of the border to her old haunts based at Tinsley depot, Sheffield.

D8069 stabled at Dereham. 22nd March 2002. Photo: Owen Stratford

In the late 1980s, the run-up to privatisation saw all locomotives allocated to a business sector of British Rail, and 20 069 was designated a "metals" sector freight engine, and as such, was re-allocated to Immingham depot. Following the introduction of Class 60s in 1989, many Class 20s found themselves looking for work, and there followed a period of use from January 1989 on engineer's trains working out of Toton depot, Nottinghamshire. It was around this time that BR were having major problems with their Sprinter units and, along with a great many other supposedly freight-only locomotives, 20 069 found itself pressed into use on secondary passenger duties between Derby and Matlock, Crewe and Llandudno/Blackpool, and on the Derby to Skegness summer holiday trains.

The engine's last home was to be Thornaby depot on Teesside, yet again working metals trains. 20 069 was based there from October 1990, until she was stopped for the last time on the 15th May, 1991 with a power unit defect thought to be serious enough to make repairs uneconomic, and she was finally condemned a mere five days later.

It was around this time that seven East Anglian enthusiasts decided that they would like a bigger toy to play with, and following registration with the then British Rail procurement section at Derby, disposal lists for scrap locomotives were received, studied and sent back. On advice from friends in the know, we discounted any locomotive stored at Toton or Bescot, as these depots us were still using Class 20s and, as such, machines at these locations had been extensively robbed of spare parts. Following an inspection of the dozen or so locomotives sidelined at Thornaby, 20 069 was chosen and, in May 1992, moved to MC Metals in Glasgow for asbestos inspection - not being released to his proud new owners until certified clear of the dreaded blue and white asbestos and finally arriving at County School on the 19th June, 1992. There then followed a period of very hard work to replace both turbochargers - which had seized up - and one piston and cylinder liner, which had broken rings (these being the components that caused its eventual condemnation). After unsuccessful attempts on the 29th August, 1992, the loco was started for the first time in preservation the following day and worked its first passenger train on 31st August, following numerous checks, examinations and liberal applications of Easy-Start!

I hope that this brief insight into the past of the Mid-Norfolk Railway's resident Class 20 is of some interest, and I would like to appeal for reprints of 20 069 working trains on the branch and, better still, any photographs of the locomotive in BR service would be of great interest to the owners.

Based on an original article by Martin Reeve, which appeared in Blastpipe number 78.

22nd March 2003. Photo: James Steward