Changes

|years2 = 1994|events2 = Entered SVR service|years3 = 2012|events2 events3 = Diesel engine damaged|years3 years4 = 2018|events3 events4 = Returned to service

'''50044 Exeter ''' (D444) is a '''BR Class 50 diesel locomotive'''.  

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. These 'advanced' Type 4 locomotives were amongst the first in the UK to include innovative features such as electronic control, dynamic braking and electric train heating incorporated into their design. The fleet was delivered in BR blue to the London Midland Region and utilised on all types of traffic, including prestige trains such as the 'Royal Scot'.<ref name=SVR156>SVR News 156</ref> When built they were numbered in the D4xx series. They later became BR’s Class 50, being allocated [[TOPS codes|TOPS numbers ]] in the 50xxx series. The class was nicknamed “Hoovers” "Hoovers" because of the distinctive sound of the inertial air-filters with which the locomotives were originally fitted.

Following withdrawal, 50044 was sent to London’s London's Stratford depot for component recovery and later offered for sale as suitable for scrap only. The Fifty Fund were seeking a locomotive as a source of sparesfor [[BR Class 50 50035 Ark Royal|50035 Ark Royal]], but finding that few components had been removed, successfully purchased 50044 for preservationin November 1991 at a cost of £5,044 (plus VAT). It arrived from The locomotive was initially moved to St Leonards Depot in East Sussex in January 1992. A poll of the Fund's shareholders voted to cosmetically 'de-furbish' the locomotive to as near to as-built condition as practical.<ref>[https://www.fiftyfund.org.uk/index.php/our-locomotives/50044-exeter Fifty Fund. Our Locos]</ref> On 1-2 May 1994, 'Exeter Railfair' was held at Exeter Riverside Yard to mark the City's 150-year link with the railways.<ref>[https://www.tauntontrains.co.uk/oldsite/MEMORIES-EXETERRAILFAIR.htm Taunton Trains, Memories – Exeter Railfair.]</ref> 50044 was re-dedicated in a ceremony 1 May 1994. Following the event, 50044 was moved to the SVR on 6 May 1994 with [[BR Class 50 50031 Hood|50031 Hood]].<ref>SVR Stock Book, ninth edition</ref> . 50044 made its inaugural passenger operation at the SVR in the same month,<ref>SVR News 214</ref>while both appeared at Kidderminster as static exhibits at the [[Vintage transport events|Vintage Vehicle Day]] on 9 October that year.<ref>SVR News 112</ref> After arrival repairs were carried out to the B1 cylinder liner which was leaking coolant into the sump. The No. 6 traction motor was also running in an isolated condition.<ref>SVR News 115, Summer 1995</ref> In summer 1996 50044 and 50031 attended the Tinsley Depot Open Day. While there, 50044 had the No. 6 traction motor changed; the proportional brake valves were also changed at the same time. In that autumn, all the traction motor brushes were changed, and the locomotive has been cosmetically dewas repainted into a 1960-refurbished70s livery.<ref>SVR News 119, 120, Summer/Autumn 1996</ref>  Between 1996 and 1998 50044 Exeter (D444) performed the brunt of all the class 50 diagrams on the SVR, <ref>SVR News 122, Spring 1997</ref> being used for rostered passenger work and driver training. In 1998 it attended the Toton Depot open day and the West Somerset Railway Diesel Gala. After visiting Brush Engineering at Loughborough to have a faulty field winding attended to appear as in the generator; it did when released to BR from English Electric's Vulcan Foundry workswas re-registered with RESCO for main line work. Since its preservation <ref>SVR News 128, 129</ref> 50044 has worked was operational until the end of 1999 both on the SVR and the main line. In early 2000 50044 returned to Brush Engineering under warranty to check out what was thought to be a small earth fault on the recently repaired generator. 50044 returned to the SVR where other overhaul work was undertaken, while the generator underwent a lengthy repair carried out by Dowding and Mills. The locomotive eventually returned to service in May 2004 having also been fitted with TWPS which had become a requirement for main line working by that time. It had been repainted as D444 (nameless) in an early BR two tone green livery (non-authentic, but representing how the class would have appeared if BR had not turned to blue livery at that time.<ref>SVR News 142, 146, 148</ref> On Saturday 14 October 2006, D444 was rededicated to HMS Exeter by Lieutenant Commander Scott Sellars, Logistics Officer of the later HMS Exeter,<ref group="note">A type 42 Destroyer launched in 1978; as of 2006 the only surviving veteran of the 1982 Falklands War.</ref> as part of the Kidderminster Station Festival.<ref name=SVR156/> In early 2011 50044 was repainted by Pullman Rail at Cardiff Canton into an authentic BR blue livery, returning to main lineuse in the late summer of that year.<ref>SVR News 178</ref>  <gallerymode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">File:Hugh llewelyn D444 (5581607177).jpg|D444 (50044 Exeter) on a mainline tour at Bristol, October 2008

Exeter was repainted in un-prototypical two tone green and rededicated by During 2012 a problem with oil temperature on a mainline rail tour damaged 50044's diesel set. 50044 entered the Crew of HMS Exeter at Kidderminster new [[Diesel Depot]] facility when it became available for use in 2007January 2016. '44 has subsequently been repainted <ref>SVR News 196</ref> A replacement English Electric 16CSVT was secured from Portugal (ex CP 1807) which was fitted with adjustments made to bring it in BR Blueline with UK specifications.

In 2012 a problem with oil temperature on a mainline railtour damaged On 30 August 2017 50044's diesel set. A replacement English Electric 16CSVT has been secured from Portugal (ex CP 1807) which was fitted with adjustments made travelled to bring it the Old Oak Common open day in line with UK specificationsa convoy which also included 50049, 50047, 50035 and D1015. On 10 September 2018 <ref>SVR News 200</ref> 50044 returned to passenger duty on 10 September 2018 having received the overhauled engine and overhauled main, ETH and auxiliary generators.<ref>Severn Valley Diesels Official Facebook Group.</ref> It received a bogie overhaul in the [[Diesel Depot]] over the winter of 2019/20. It , and returned to the mainline in 2021.

An A potentially incomplete list of main line appearances is as follows:

*[[Diesel Locomotives]]<br>*[[List of preservation groups]]<br>*[[SVR-based diesel locomotives visiting other events]]<br>*[[Locomotive numbering|Locomotives running under different identities]] ==Notes==<references group="note"/>

*[http://www.class50alliance.co.uk/ Class 50 Alliance web site]<br>*[http://www.fiftyfund.org.uk/ 50 Fund web site] (still maintained)<br>

[[Category:Operational passenger hauling diesel locomotives]] [[Category: Featured articles]]