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BR Class 50 50035 Ark Royal

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BR Class 50 50035 Ark Royal
50035 20170510.jpg
50035 Ark Royal at Hampton Loade
Built By English Electric Vulcan Foundry Works, Newton-le-Willows
Configuration Co-Co
Power type Diesel Electric
Status In service
Loco Number 50035
Other Numbers D435
History
Built 1968
Designed By English Electric
Type Class 50
1991 Purchased by The 50 Fund
Technical
Length 68ft 6"
Weight 115t

Diesel Locomotives

50035 Ark Royal is a BR Class 50 diesel locomotive.

Contents

BR Class 50

Fifty English Electric Type 4 (later BR Class 50) diesel locomotives 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 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.

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.

Withdrawal of the class began in the early 1990s.

50035 Ark Royal in service

D435 entered service at Stoke in August 1968, having been built as English Electric Works No 3805/D1176.

In May 1973 D435 was transferred to Crewe, being re-numbered 50035 in March 1974. Following electrification of the WCML, 50035 moved to Plymouth Laira in December 1976 (following a brief spell at Bristol), moving again to London’s Old Oak Common in June 1980.

In January 1978, 50035 was named Ark Royal after HMS Ark Royal, a Royal Navy World War 2 aircraft carrier. Commissioned in 1938, HMS Ark Royal was sunk on 14 November 1941 after being torpedoed by German U-boat U-81.

50035 was withdrawn from service by BR on 5th August 1990.

50035 Ark Royal in preservation

50035 was the first Class 50 to be preserved, being acquired by The Fifty Fund (now Class 50 Alliance). Having been advised that the going rate for a Class 50 was £16500, the fund simply added the last two digits of the locos number to this and bid £16535. 50035 was handed over by Network SouthEast at the 1991 Old Oak Common Open Day held on 17-18 August.[1] It was moved initially to St Leonards where the initial restoration work and start-up was carried out.

Subsequently, the loco was moved by road to the SVR, arriving 19 September 1996, since when it has been a regular performer.[2] Ark Royal is not registered to work on the main line but can be hauled for the purposes of visiting other railways.

For some years 50035 ran in a fictitious Load Haul livery and numbered 50135, but in 2015 it was repainted into BR blue livery.

  • Invoice for the sale of 50035

  • 50035 as 50135 in 'Load Haul' livery

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)

Diesel Locomotives on the SVR
RH 165hp Shunters
BR Shunters
BR Class 14
Clayton Class 17
BR Class 20
BR Class 33
BR Class 35
BR Class 37
BR Class 40
BR Class 42 Warship
BR Class 50
BR Class 52 Western
Diesel Multiple Units
Former residents and locomotives hired by the SVR
RH 165hp Shunters
Main Line locomotives
Other
  1. ↑ BR Open Days (Retrieved 18 August 2019)
  2. ↑ SVR Stock Book, 9th edition
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Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Wiki

From this week's featured article
Eardington is situated on Eardington Bank, mid-way between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade. In recent years, rebuilding the platform was completed in 2019 and the water tower was dismantled in 2021. Although the station no longer features in daily operations, it resumed use during gala events in 2023 more than 40 years since regular timetabled trains ceased. (Full article...)
Schematic Map of the SVRSevern Valley Railway
BridgnorthEardingtonHampton LoadeCountry Park HaltHighleyThe Engine HouseArleyVictoria BridgeNorthwood HaltWyre Forest LineBewdleyStourport BranchBewdley TunnelConnection to Network RailKidderminsterMaps#Schematic maps of the pre-closure SVRMapandlinks2.png
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For 101 years between 1862 and 1963, the Severn Valley Railway formed part of the national railway network, running for 40 miles between Hartlebury and Shrewsbury. Established as a separate company, it was mainly operated by the Great Western Railway (GWRGreat Western Railway) and later by British Railways (BRBritish Rail or British Railways).

The present day Severn Valley Railway (SVRSevern Valley Railway) was established in 1965 to preserve part of the line as a heritage railway. Today it has six stations and two halts and runs for 16 miles along the Severn Valley between Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route. Operations involve a mixture of steam and heritage diesel-hauled services.

This unofficial website is a project aimed to collect information and record events relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both past and present.

For timetables, fare information, and news about special events, please visit the SVR Official Website. Other news and information of interest to members, shareholders and enthusiasts can be found on SVRLive.

In April 2023 the SVRSevern Valley Railway announced the launch of a Survival Fund to enable it to overcome the current financial crisis and implement longer-term plans for its future. Information and details of how to donate may be found on the SVRSevern Valley Railway's Survival Fund page.

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Unsurprisingly, there are a large number of questions about the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both in pre-preservation days and for a number of historical items since then. Take a visit down to Query Corner to see if you have a recollection relating to some long forgotten event, or know of a reliable source (maybe an early edition of the SVR News?) that might have the information we need!

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