The sole-surviving Class 28 Metrovick Co-Bo, D5705, was extracted from the Baron Street shed at the East Lancashire Railway and taken to Bury Bolton Street for a night photoshoot on February 6, the day before the railway held its first diesel event of the year.
For the event, the loco was positioned with a freight train and a half-red, half-blue replica ‘Condor’ headboard. The ‘Condor’ – which stood for ‘Containers door to door’ – was a famous freight train launched in 1959 and ran overnight from London to Glasgow, regularly worked by pairs of Class 28s.
It had small containers which were able to be transhipped to and from lorries on four-wheel flat wagons. It ran until 1965, although by that time the 20 Class 28s, which were not the most reliable of locos, had been moved to Carlisle to work in Cumbria. The train for the photoshoot had one of the wagons with its ‘Condor’ container, as well as four vans and two parcels vans.
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Also involved in the shoot was Class 24 D5054, running as scrapped classmate D5053. Another product of the 1955 Modernisation Plan, it would have run alongside Class 28s during the latter’s short career in 1958-68.
The Class 28 is undergoing a full overhaul, with its Crossley 1200hp two-stroke V12 engine removed and sent away to Louth, Lincolnshire, for overhaul. Therefore, it needed to be shunted around for the photographers by Class 08 13594. However, its electrics work, which meant the cab lights and headcode discs could be lit up.
After the event, the Class 28 was shunted into Platform 1’s bay to be on display for the diesel day, giving a rare chance for visitors to photograph it in daylight.
The event saw D5054, Warship 832 Onslaught, 47735 and 50015 Valiant in action, while 40106 Atlantic Conveyor was booked to take part but failed as it wouldn’t take power from one end. Despite the best efforts of CFPS volunteers to rectify the issue, it had to sit the event out.
The photoshoot was in aid of the Co-Bo appeal, and the response to photos and videos of the photo charter was incredible and saw a good boost in donations. The appeal has now passed £8300, meaning it is more than half way to the target of £16,680. To donate, visit www.facebook.com/donate/1773219470041882/1259663319540306
This article first appeared in Railways Illustrated Magazine. To subscribe for more great news and features please visit HERE
