Welcome to the Class 40 Preservation Society

D306/40106

Operating status: operational

Steam Heat Boiler: Operational
Livery: Dark Brunswick green, full yellow ends
Running number: 40106

40106 was one of 20 Class 40's (40105 to 40124) built at the Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn factory in Darlington, allowing production capacity at Vulcan Foundry to build the 22 production Deltics.

40106 was the second Class 40 to enter preservation, but the first to be returned to operational condition.

After years of anonymous hard work with the rest of the fleet, by 1978 the loco was among a handful of Class 40's which still hadn't been repainted into Corporate Blue and yellow. During her last works overhaul at Crewe in September 1978, the loco was repainted into blue and yellow, but shortly afterwards, it was then decided to repaint the loco in Dark Brunswick green with full yellow ends. This repaint was apparently carried out before she left works. 40106 then became a favoured loco on railtour and other special passenger workings for several years.

40106 took part in the 'Rocket 150' celebrations at Rainhill, in May 1980, appearing on national television. She was withdrawn from BR traffic in April 1983, being deemed 'life expired' and less useful having only vacuum train brakes. The pioneer Class 40, D200, had been restored to operational condition, and became the replacement for 40106 as favourite on special passenger duties. D306 was bought by the late, Gerald Boden, in March 1984.

40106 was unloaded onto GCR metals on 18th April 1984, the 26th anniversary of D200's inaugural working from London Liverpool Street. The power unit was restarted in a matter of days, on 23rd April. On 11th August 1984, the now renumbered D306 was named "ATLANTIC CONVEYOR", in memory of the Cunard cargo ship and those on board who lost their lives in the 1982 Falklands war. The name was dedicated by John Brocklehurst, Chief Officer of the ship. Although in keeping with the naming tradition of the Class, this upset many of the purist 40 followers, as the loco did not carry a name in BR service. Following the naming ceremony, D306 worked its first passenger train in preservation, becoming the first Class 40 to do so.

The loco gained world-wide attention in a brief film career. Cleverly disguised as D326, the loco was used in a re-enactment of the 'Great' Train Robbery for the hit movie "Buster" . Filming took place at the Great Central Railway on 29th October 1987.

In November 2015 the loco was purchased by the Class 40 Preservation Society.

D335/40135

Operating Status: Operational

Steam Heat Boiler: Not Operational
Livery: BR Blue
Running Number: 40135

This locomotive was from the batch of twenty (D325 to D344) built with 'split-box' type headcode. Train identification roller blinds were housed in illuminated units on either side of the nose ends. This enabled interconnecting gangway doors to be fitted. These were a little-used facility for crew changing purposes on 'double-headed' locomotive workings. This same locomotive batch included the notorious D326, involved in the 'Great Train Robbery' of 1963 and various other incidents.

40135 was built by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, entering service on 11th March 1961 allocated to 5A Crewe North. She was later reallocated in April 1966 to Western Lines, June 1968 to D05 Stoke Division, May 1969 to D09 Manchester Division, Jan. 1972 to D08 Liverpool Division, May 1973 to Springs Branch, August 1973 to Carlisle Kingmoor, and May 1975 to Longsight, where she remained until withdrawal on 22nd Jan. 1985.

From this point, the locomotive led something of a charmed life. Thanks to behind-the-scenes intervention, the loco avoided a very close call with the cutter's torch at Doncaster Works. Having survived scrapping, she was one of four Class 40's miraculously returned to departmental traffic in May 1985, for use in the remodelling of Crewe Station approaches. Based at Crewe Diesel TMD and renumbered to 97406, she and the other three 97's worked around Crewe and on various other freight duties in the London Midland Region.

Final withdrawal from British Rail service came on 16th December 1986. Thankfully, further intervention prevented the loco from reaching Swindon Works for scrapping. After painstaking negotiations and discussions, 40135 was put onto the BR tender list, along with 40012. The CFPS successfully tendered for the loco in May 1988, and she was delivered to Bury later that year.

The CFPS carried out their first locomotive repaint on 40135 during the summer of 1991 to a very high standard. Steam heating was restored in December 1991, which included the re-manufacture, virtually from scratch, of the boiler water tanks. The loco then went on to become a reliable ELR winter passenger loco for a considerable period. The Clayton steam heat generator was subsequently transferred to 40145. A light overhaul of the power unit was completed in 1997.

The loco unfortunately suffered engine damage in April 1998. After lengthy repairs, D335 was successfully restarted in September 2000, in time for the ELR Diesel Gala. Following this, bodywork restoration and a repaint into rail blue were completed for the ELR July 2001 Diesel Event.

The loco is back to full operational status after extensive electrical repairs mainly carried out by member Seton Spencer and with the assistance of the CFPS volunteer engineering team.

D345/40145

Operational Status: Operational
Mainline Registered: Yes
Steam Heat Boiler: Isolated
Livery: BR Blue
Running Number: 40145

40145 was the first locomotive of the final delivery batches, constructed with centre-headcode panels. Along with 180 of the 200-strong fleet, the loco was built by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry, entering service on 17th May 1961. D345 was one of four (D345 to D348) which were allocated to 55H Neville Hill, and used to upgrade the short-lived 'Queen of Scots Pullman' running between Leeds and Edinburgh / Glasgow, replacing L.N.E.R. Pacific steam power. She was subsequently reallocated in Jan. 1963 to 50A York, Jan. 1967 to 56B Healey Mills, Oct. 1969 to 52A Gateshead, Feb. 1976 to Healey Mills, Oct. 1976 to Gateshead, March 1978 to Haymarket, and finally in May 1978 to Longsight. She was based at Longsight until withdrawal on 10th June 1983 after sustaining derailment damage in Stourton Yard, Leeds. Fortunately, this was one of the final Class 40's to receive a General Overhaul at Crewe Works in November 1980. 40145 was purchased and delivered to Bury in February 1984, the first Class 40 to enter preservation.

The loco has since undergone extensive repairs to the derailment damage, bogies, springs, and an axle. Various sections of bodywork were also re-panelled, followed by a full repaint into corporate Rail Blue in 1994. The standard of this work and the relatively short time between works overhaul and withdrawal leaves 40145 as one of the best diesel locomotives in preservation. She has always been a consistent and reliable performer on the ELR, and won the title 'Best Presented Preserved Locomotive' at the 1995 Crewe Railfair.


40145 visited the West Somerset Railway for their September 1995 Diesel Weekend, where she proved very popular. This was the first time a Class 40 had ever been on the line. In autumn 1999, 40145 revisited the WSR, followed by visits to Severn Valley Railway and the North Yorkshire Moors.

Steam heating was restored to the loco early in 1996, including the 'transplant' of D335's Clayton steam heat generator. Again, this required the re-manufacture of boiler water tanks from scratch, as those fitted to the loco for cosmetic reasons (ex 40172) were too corroded. As with D335's water tanks, this was contracted to Riley & Son (E) Ltd., based on site at ELR.

40145 was repainted again in summer 1997 into original all-over Dark Brunswick Green, returning to running number D345.

The loco gained a certificate for mainline operation on 28th October 2002. As promised twelve months beforehand, D345 hauled her first mainline railtour since preservation on 30th November 2002 - "The Christmas Cracker IV".