Diesel engine 31271 pulls into Llangollen, North Wales, with carriages, heritage steam railway, 1960s, 1960

No.31271 Class 31 (Brush Type 2) A1A-A1A DE Country of origin: United Kingdom Builders: Brush Traction Ltd, Loughborough. Year: 1961. Engine: English Electric 12SVT 1, 470 hp @ 850 rpm. Maximum tractive effort: 35, 900 Ib Transmission: Brush TG160-48, 823 kW dc generator with individual traction motors on outer axles of each bogie. Locomotive weight: 107 tons. Driving wheels diameter: 3'7". Locomotive brakes: Air/vacuum. Maximum speed: 90 mph. Original owner: British Railways Eastern Region. Current owner: A1A Locomotives Ltd. This locomotive was originally numbered D5801 and entered British Railways serv­ice at Stratford Depot, East London, on 8th June 1961. With the introduction of BR's TOPS classification in 1968, when re-engined Type 2s were re-classified as Class 31s. D5801 became 31 271. The locomotive was variously allocated to eight Eastern Region and two Midland Region locomotive sheds during its main line career, Toton being its final home. With the entire Class 31s being allocated to the Eastern Region when new, it is quite possible that 31 271 (as D5801) could have worked over the Nene Valley Line right through to Northampton and even after 1964 (when the Northampton Line closed) on freight duties between Peterborough and Oundle or on ironstone traffic from Nassington Quarries to Peterborough and beyond. Wansford station was then closed - these were the pre-NVR days - so 31 271 would have run through Wansford Station non-stop and with passenger trains at least, considerably faster than it is permitted to run today. Perhaps one day some photographic evidence of such runs will come to light! From Toton it was 'stored unserviceable' from 1st May 1997, its final passenger working having been the 'Multiple Marauder' Rail Tour from Kensington Olympia to Crewe, paired with 31 308, on 10th August 1996.