Diesel Locomotives
English Electric Electro-Diesel Class 73 no. 73130
Class 73 locomotive, 73 130 has a new owner and a new home. On Friday November 4th 2022 it was delivered to the Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway (L&MMR) having been collected from its previous home with the Coulsdon Old Vehicle & Engineering Society (COVES) at Bicester the previous evening. The locomotive has been purchased outright by a new company set up expressly for the purpose of owning, restoring, and managing the continued operation of the locomotive, 73 130 Ltd which has been formed and funded by both members of the L&MMR and also class 73 enthusiasts from further afield who have joined forces to create this new venture.
The team has stated their intention for the locomotive to remain in the condition it is now with the Scharfenberg coupling adaptors used for coupling to the original Eurostar sets and it will retain the two-tone grey Eurostar livery with the cast metal tunnel roundels on the bodyside from its time based at the North Pole International depot in West London which was the home of Eurostar's UK fleet from 1994 to 2007. The team will be looking at replacing the name plates worn by the loco prior to its Eurostar years when it was named 'City of Portsmouth', a name it carried from 1988 until 1996; the loco had been named at a ceremony held at Portsmouth & Southsea station on July 2nd 1988. The loco will be a slice of railway history that represents the very beginnings of international cross-channel rail travel. There are several class 73s still in existence but amongst them 73 130 is utterly unique.
English Electric 0-6-0 Class 08 Diesel Shunter no. 08795 - Loco Currently on hire to Chrysalis Rail Landore
This loco is our most recent arrival, having been transferred from Landore TMD during March 2019 following closure of the depot under Great Western Railway. Built by English Electric at Crewe, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster and Horwich locomotive works a total of 996 examples of Class 08s were produced between 1952 and 1962. This particular example was delivered new as D3963 on the 21st May 1960 to it's first depot allocation at Old Oak Common Depot, London under the shed allocation 81A.
Further allocations would follow as Oxford from 13th August 1960, Southall 11th July 1965, Old Oak Common again on 18th March 1968. After a long period in and around London the loco would transfer to Plymouth Laira Depot on 28th September 1974 before moving to Swindon Depot on 25th January 1975.
Allocations after this date involved a long stint as Gloucester station pilot, however the locomotive would eventually be allocated to Landore TMD from the mid 1990s, carrying DCE Grey livery, then Intercity stripes and then First Great Western Green. During this time it was utilised for duties such as postal van shunting duties in and out of Swansea High Street Station, as well as in the latter years shunting Class 43 HST power cars within the Landore Depot confines. It was painted into black livery in house at Landore during 2013 and retained this livery along with mainline registration until the end of its life with Great Western Railway. It could even be seen on the odd jaunt around the Landore triangle as recently as 2014 turning errant power cars. From 2015 onwards use of the loco lessened and eventually depot duties were taken over by 08645. It would remain stored at the depot until Friday 22nd March 2019 when it was to enter preservation at the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway at Cynheidre where it is to be permanently based. It has the distinction of being the final locomotive to leave Landore TMD.
The loco was brought back into a serviceable condition during 2021. In late March 2021 the loco made an unlikely return to Landore Depot, where it would once again become the depot pilot, this time on hire to Chrysalis Rail. Once it returns to Cynheidre, it will see use hauling our mark 2 buffet car. We also hope to reinstate its vacuum braking equipment to make it an invaluable dual braked locomotive which will also allow us to use it with our BR brakevan and Class 122 DMU.
Sentinel 4wDH Diesel Shunter no. 10222 ‘Peter J Griffiths’
Sentinel 4wDH Diesel Shunter no. 10222 was built at Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd, Shrewsbury in 1965. Built purely for industrial use, it spent many years shunting wagons at ARC Penderyn Quarry (Hirwaun) and later Machen Quarry. The locomotive was donated to the L&MMR by Hanson Aggregates in 2001 and was moved to Cardiff Cathays Works where it was used as yard pilot in return for free storage. It was to spend 3 and a half years in Cardiff before being moved to the Royal Naval Stores at Llangennech for secure storage. It moved to Cynheidre during 2009 and has proved to be invaluable for on-site rail movements.
Hanson Aggregates kindly donated the paint and transfers to us to aid the restoration of the loco, which was completed during 2011. Being vacuum brake fitted, it is very useful for both shunting and for working passenger trains.
Following restoration, the locomotive was named ‘Peter J Griffiths’ at Cynheidre Station platform by Councillor for the Glyn Ward Mr. Jim Jones on Saturday 29th October 2011. Peter J Griffiths was born in 1942 in Cynheidre, and lived in a house overlooking the mine. He was educated at Five Roads CP, Llandovery College and Lincoln College, Oxford. He and his family emigrated to Denver, Colorado in 1972 where he worked as an investment counsellor but during the past few years, he and his wife, Yvonne, have renewed their links with Wales. This has been evidenced by his very real interest and practical support of our project and the locomotive was named to show our gratitude and appreciation of this.