THE Avon Valley Railway took delivery of fully operational Class 08 No. 08663 on July 8 – being in effect a donation from Great Western Railway (GWR).

The loco has been used in recent years at GWR’s St Philip’s Marsh depot, Bristol for moving diesel multiple units and high-speed train carriages around the depot.

The 350hp shunter is fitted with air brakes and needs some work to enable it to haul the AVR’s vacuum-braked stock. It will be useful at Bitton station for the railway’s weekly shunting duties and occasional works trains, as it is relatively quiet. 

However, the AVR will be looking for opportunities to hire out the loco in order to help pay for its maintenance.

Class 09 No. 09015, in faded EWS livery, arrived at Bitton on July 10 from RSS, Wishaw.

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