Trustworthy
23
edits
Changes
m
Spelling of Gardner
When 418596 arrived on the SVR on 1 November 1980, it was owned by SVR(H) having been acquired at a cost of £1000. It was repainted in BR green livery with the later BR 'ferret and dartboard' emblem, and given the fictitious number '''D2961''' in keeping with former BR fleet numbers.<ref name=SB9/> After receiving mechanical attention it was allocated to the P-Way department as intended. However by summer 1981 experience proved that it was better suited to yard work and it had become resident in Bridgnorth yard.<ref>SVR News 60</ref> It quickly transpired that William and Archibald, the latter owned by Pete Cherry, were not going to be kept long-term so ownership of Archibald and D2961 was simply swapped, with Pete Cherry becoming owner of D2961.<ref name=PC>Pete Cherry</ref> Both William and Archibald were subsequently cannibalised for spare parts.
D2961 was used as the principal Bridgnorth yard shunter until the arrival of the more powerful [[BR Class 08 D3586]] in 1986,<ref name=SB9/> after which it continued in service at Bridgnorth performing movements in and out of the [[Bridgnorth Loco Works#Boiler shop|boiler shop]] and light yard shunts. However by spring 1997 D2961 was out of traffic due to a blown engine. A Gardener Gardner bus engine had been acquired to see if it was possible to achieve an easy engine swap<ref name=SVR122>SVR News 122</ref> although with no success.
In spring 2003 a report from Trevor Davies in SVR News noted that the [[Class 08 Society]] were assisting with returning "the Bridgnorth boiler shop Ruston" to service by repairing and restoring parts, in addition to their main activity of restoring [[BR Class 08 D3201| 08133]].<ref>SVR News 143</ref> By winter of that year D2961 was at Kidderminster with repairs still incomplete.<ref>SVR News 146</ref>