BR Class 50 50031 Hood

BR Class 50 50031 Hood
50031 Hood in 2017
Built By	English Electric Vulcan Foundry Works, Newton-le-Willows
Configuration	Co-Co
Power type	Diesel Electric
Status	Awaiting overhaul
Loco Number	50031
Other Numbers	D431
History
Built	1968
Designed By	English Electric
Type	Class 50
1991	Purchased for preservation
2007	Main generator failure
2010	Returned to service
2016	Refurbished at RVEL, Derby
Technical
Length	68ft 6"
Weight	115t
Diesel Locomotives

50031 Hood is a BR Class 50 diesel locomotive.

Contents

BR Class 50

The English Electric Type 4 (later BR Class 50) diesel locomotive was the last main-line diesel passenger locomotive designed for BR. The fifty members of the class were built by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works plant in Newton-le-Willows between 1967 and 1968. When built they were numbered in the D4xx series. They later became BR’s Class 50, being allocated TOPS numbers in the 50xxx series. The class was nicknamed "Hoovers" because of the distinctive sound of the inertial air-filters with which the locomotives were originally fitted.

Initially the locomotives were all based at Crewe and used to haul express passenger trains on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) between Crewe and Scotland; that section not then being electrified. This often entailed 'Multiple Working', with two locomotives under control of a single driver.

By 1974 the northern WCML had been electrified, and the Class 50 fleet was being transferred to BR’s Western Region to work main line passenger services out of London Paddington, replacing the 'Western Hydraulics' which were in the course of being withdrawn. The arrival of HSTs after 1976 saw them transferred onto other work, including Waterloo to Exeter trains and inter-regional trains from both Bristol and Paddington to Birmingham New Street.

The Class 50’s did not originally carry names, but in the late 1970s BR agreed to their being named after Royal Navy vessels with notable records in the First and Second World Wars.

The low number of Class 50s made them a target for BR's fleet rationalisation plan of 1985, and they were progressively withdrawn between 1987 and 1992.

50031 Hood in service

D431 entered service allocated to the BR Stoke Division in July 1968, having been built as English Electric Works No 3801/D1172. Less than a year later she was derailed at Lancaster whilst in charge of a parcels train.

D431 was re-numbered 50031 in February 1974. Following electrification of the WCML, 50031 moved to Plymouth Laira in May 1976.

In June 1978, 50031 was named Hood after HMS Hood, the Royal Navy’s last battle cruiser. Commissioned in 1920, HMS Hood was sunk by the German battleship Bismarck on 24 May 1941.

After working Waterloo-Exeter services and inter-regional services to New Street as pictured below, 50031 was withdrawn from service by BR on 5th August 1991.

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  50031 at Reading (1979)

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  50031 at Sonning Cutting near Reading (1982)

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  50031 at Waterloo with a service to Exeter (1983)

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  50031 (right) at Birmingham New Street (1986)

50031 Hood in preservation

50031 was purchased privately for preservation by two members of The Fifty Fund in December 1991, with the intention of placing it under the Fifty Fund's umbrella. On the understanding that the 'guide price' was £18000, they simply added the last two digits of the loco's number and bid £18031. They later found out that they had outbid their nearest rival by £31.

50031 was in near operational condition, having only minor faults when withdrawn. It was moved to St Leonards in East Sussex in March 1992 for initial repairs. After attention to the mechanical and electrical systems and bodywork, the locomotive began touring, visiting a number of railways including a guest appearance at the SVR Diesel Gala on 8-10 May 1992 where it became the first Class 50 to haul a public passenger train in preservation. While at the Mid-Hants Railway in April 1993, the locomotive was re-dedicated by members of the HMS Hood Association. Another guest appearance at an SVR Diesel Gala took place on 7-9 May 1993. The 'tour' continued including visits to the NYMR and Midland Railway Centre, ending with an appearance at the 'Exeter 150' celebrations on 1-2 May 1994. 50031 then moved to the Severn Valley Railway as a permanent resident, arriving on 6 May 1994 with 50044 Exeter.

After arrival, 50031 became a familiar sight on SVR Summer Saturday 'dated trains', special charters, diesel galas and footplate experiences. The Fifty Fund were also keen to see 50031 working on the main line, and it became only the third preserved diesel to receive mainline certification. On 1 November 1997 Hood became the first preserved class 50 to haul a main line railtour, "The Pilgrim Hoover". The tour, originally named "The Pilgrim Hoovers", was to have been double headed with D444 but the latter was not certified in time. 50031 successfully took load 12 single-handed from Birmingham International to Plymouth and return, with the route including the Lickey Bank and the South Devon Banks.

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  50031 Hood arriving at Bridgnorth in 2013

50031 suffered a failure of the Train Heat Generator while at Swanage in May 2014 and was withdrawn from traffic for repairs and attention to the body work. It was sent to RVEL, Derby for refurbishment in June 2015. On 11 April 2016, it was revealed in a fictitious BR Inter-City livery, with the locomotive returning to the SVR on 13 April 2016. Following a return to service, the locomotive was re-dedicated in a ceremony at Kidderminster on 17 September 2016. The ceremony marked two anniversaries; 100 years since the keel of HMS Hood was laid in 1916 and 75 years since the ship was sunk during World War 2.

50031 was withdrawn from service in 2019 following an engine big end bearing failure, pending an engine overhaul. This is not likely to commence until after the completion of BR Class 37 37308 and other projects.

In August 2022 the Class 50 Alliance announced that "2022 marks 30 years since the first run of a Class 50 on the SVR when 50031 appeared at the 1992 Diesel Gala and became the first 50 to haul a public passenger train in preservation. We are going to celebrate this anniversary formally on Saturday 24th September 2022 when 50s are rostered to "S1 diagram" with two round trips on the SVR commencing with the 09:45 departure from Kidderminster. To all our supporters and shareholders both old and new, we would very much like to see you there if possible to celebrate this important milestone in the ongoing Class 50 story!"

It is owned by 50031 Consortium Limited.

50031 Hood on the main line in preservation

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  50031 (431) and 50049 on a rail tour in March 2002

A list of 50031's main line appearances is as follows (possibly incomplete):

Date	Tour name	Tour Operator	Route	Notes	Reference
1 Nov 1997	The Pilgrim Hoover	Past-Time Rail	Birmingham Int's to Plymouth + return		[1]
16 Sep 2000	The Celtic Hoovers	Pathfinder Tours	Birmingham New Street to Glasgow Central + return	50031 (as D431) + 50149	SBJ
30 Jun 2001	Cornwall	Pathfinder Tours	Worcester to Penzance + return	50031 + 449	SBJ"
7 Jul 2001	Galloway Princess	Pathfinder Tours	B'ham International - Carlisle + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
3 Nov 2001	The Northern Lights	Pathfinder Tours	Cardiff to Blackpool + return		SBJ
3 Nov 2001	Nor' by Nor' West	Pathfinder Tours	Blackpool to Sutton Oak (Hays Chemicals) mini-tour		SBJ
1 Dec 2001	The County of Kent	Pathfinder Tours	Cardiff to Asford, Kent + return		SBJ
27 Apr 2002	Brighton Bell	Daylight Railtours	Alresford - Red Hill - Brighton + return	50031 + 37308	SBJ
4 May 2002	Penzance Castles	Pathfinder Tours	Lonton to Taunton, Penzance to London	Steam from Taunton to Penzance with 5029 + 5051	SBJ"
13 Jul 2002	Harrogate Hoovers	Pathfinder Tours	Reading to York + mini-tour & return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
3 Aug 2002	Settle & Carlisle Excursion	Pathfinder Tours	Salisbury to Carlisle + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
10 Aug 2002	The West Wales Excursion	Pathfinder Tours	London to Swansea + minitours & return	50031 + 50049 & 66092	SBJ
22 Sep 2002	Countryside Alliance	?	York to Kings Cross + return	50031 + 50049, one of a series of trains to get people to a large "countryside march" in London.	SBJ
21 Dec 2002	The Cornubian	Pathfinder Tours	Ealing Broadway to Par and Newquay + return	50031 + 50049 & 66092	SBJ
12 Jul 2003	The Garden of England	Pathfinder Tours	Cardiff to Canterbury + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
16 Aug 2003	Shrewsbury, Llangollen & Chester	Pathfinder Tours	Reading to Chester + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
10 Sep 2003	Cathedrals Express	Steam Dreams	Waterloo to Salisbury + return	Replaced 34016 Bodmin due to a steam ban	SBJ
20 Sep 2003	The Cream of Cornwall	Pathfinder Tours	Slough to Par + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
29 Nov 2003	York, Harrogate or Leeds	Pathfinder Tours	Swindon to Harrogate and Leeds + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
16 Dec 2003	The Christmas Diner I	Pathfinder Tours	Gloucester to Gloucester via Hereford	50031 + 50049	SBJ
18 Dec 2003	The Christmas Diner III	Pathfinder Tours	Bristol Temple Meads to Bristol Temple Meads via Exeter	50031 + 50049	SBJ
24 Jul 2004	The Eden Belle	Pathfinder Tours	Guildford to Par + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
27 Aug 2004	The Northern Lights	Pathfinder Tours	B'han Int to Preston, Carlisle to B'ham New Street		SBJ
25 Sep 2004	The Royal Sovereign	Steamy Affairs	Kings Lynn to Bath Spa + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
9 Oct 2004	The Alton Observer	Pathfinder Tours	Sheffield - London Victoria - Alresford - Sheffield	50031 + 50049 & 60001	SBJ
27 Nov 2004	The Yorkshire Royale	Pathfinder	Cardiff-Derby (detached/reattached)-York (steam)	With 50049 Defiance and 6233 Duchess of Sutherland	SBJ
18 Dec 2004	Luncheon Festive Dining Excursion	Pathfinder Tours	Bristol - Salisbury - Reading - Bristol	50031 (on rear) + 50049	SBJ
18 Dec 2004	Evening Festive Dining Excursion	Pathfinder Tours	Cardiff to Worcester + return	50031 (on rear) + 50049	SBJ
12 Feb 2005	BBC Filming Special (?)	?	Paddington to Frome & Westbury + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
4-7 Mar 2005	The Monarch of the Glen	Pathfinder Tours	Swindon to Fort William & Mallaig + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
9 Apr 2005	The Irish Mail	Steamy Affairs	Ashford to Crewe, Crewe to Tonbridge	50031 + 50049	SBJ
7 May 2005	The Irish Mail	Steamy Affairs	St Albans to Crewe + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
30 May 2005	Football special	?	Stratford (London) to Cardiff + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
7 Aug 2005	Football special	?	Kensington Olympia to Cardiff + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
26 Aug 2005	The Whistling Scotsman	Pathfinder Tours	Birmingham to Bradford, York to Birmingham		SBJ
24 Sep 2005	Pixies Revenge / Eden Belle	Pathfinder Tours	Banbury to Penzance + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
1 Oct 2005	The Devonshire Riviera Express	Steamy Affairs	Northampton to Bristol, Kingswear to Northampton	50031 + 50049. Also 60009	SBJ
15 Oct 2005	The Devonshire Riviera Express	Steamy Affairs	Ashford Int'l - Kingswear - Newton Abbot; Westbury - Ashford Int'l	50031 + 50049	SBJ
4 Dec 2005	Rhymney Valley Diesel Extravaganza	Arriva Trains Wales	Cardiff to Rhymney + return	50031 + 37411	SBJ
25 Mar 2006	Redmire Rambler	Pathfinder Tours	Cardiff Central to Redmire + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
16-19 Jun 2006	The Orcadian	Pathfinder Tours	Swindon to Inverness, Kyle of Lochalsh, Wick & Thurso + return	50031 + 50049	SBJ
16 Dec 2006	The Airean Raider	Pathfinder	Cardiff to Leeds	50031 + 50049

See also

• Diesel Locomotives
• List of preservation groups
• SVR-based diesel locomotives visiting other events
• Locomotives running under different identities

Links

• Class 50 Alliance web site
• 50 Fund web site (still maintained)
• British Rail Class 50 on Wikipedia
• HMS Hood on Wikipedia