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D1015 Western Champion is a BR Class 52 ‘Western’ diesel-hydraulic locomotive, owned by the [[Diesel Traction Group]] (DTG). The locomotive visited the railway on various occasions for diesel galas and for attention by the DTG’s engineering staff. From 2015 onwards the locomotive has remained at the SVR for extended periods of time, and as of from 2017 is regarded as a resident locomotive.<ref>[http://www.svr.co.uk/pdf/Special%20Events/SVR%20Spring%20Diesel%20Festival%20Brochure%202017.pdf SVR Spring Diesel Festival 2017 Brochure], which listed D1015 under "Home Fleet"</ref>
==D1015 in service==
In 1980 D1015 became the third locomotive to be acquired by the DTG, which already owned SVR residents [[BR Class 42 D821 Greyhound | D821 Greyhound]] and [[BR Class 35 D7029 | Hymek D7029]].<ref>[http://www.westernchampion.co.uk/about.php westernchampion.co.uk About Us]</ref> D1015 achieved main line certification in 2002, since which it has hauled over 60 rail tours as far as Penzance in the south and Kyle of Lochalsh in the north.<ref>[http://www.westernchampion.co.uk/loco-d1015-railtour-archive.php D1015 Western Champion Railtour Archive]</ref>
In 2002 and 2015 D1015 attended the diesel galas and in 2016 D1015 attended both the May diesel gala and the August ‘Western Weekend’. By December 2016 the DTG had entered into a running agreement with the SVR, when the locomotive returned following an issue experienced with the B engine during The Canterbury Champion rail tour.<ref>[http://www.westernchampion.co.uk/loco-d1015-railtour-archive-2013.php#tour060|The Canterbury Champion railtour]</ref> In January 2017 the DTG announced that the engine needed to be replaced before D1015 could commit to further mainline running and an appeal for £50,000 was launched, which was rapidly filled and the share offer closed the following month.<ref>[http://www.westernchampion.co.uk/ DTG website announcement] (retrieved 6 January 2017)</ref> The loco operated on one engine while two engines are rebuilt in parallel, one by DTG engineers at Kidderminster and one on their behalf in Germany. {{As of|In August 2019|08}} the locomotive is in moved to the [[Diesel Depot]] for a replacement engine to be fitted.
The picture below shows the locomotive still carrying the identity of D1031 Western Rifleman which was used during the rail tour.
