The Great Central Railway celebrated the 50th anniversary of one of its most popular diesels by hosting a special running weekend for Brush-built D5830, a locomotive that narrowly escaped being scrapped.
The loco was originally released into traffic from the nearby Brush works in Loughborough on 11 January, 1962.
After withdrawal D5830, by then renumbered 31563, was purchased by the Type One Locomotive Company minus windows, batteries and radiator elements, as a source of spares for sister locomotive 31418.
Discovering that its condition was better than had first been thought, enthusiasts set about restoring D5830 to full working order.
Over 25 of the class have found their way into preservation and are a firm favourite with television producers and enthusiasts alike, having starred in shows like Top Gear, Casualty and EastEnders.
