Withdrawn Class 20 pioneer 20050 (D8000) seen languishing at Doncaster Works
<b>Sun. 5th June 1983 1Zxx - 'The North Midlander' railtour</b> Another great railtour - this one managed to include scheduled stops at Doncaster Works and Toton TMD open days :)

<b>Class 20 20050</b> stands at Doncaster works. As D8000, new in 1957, this was the first main line diesel delivered to BR under the 1950s Modernisation Scheme. Fortunately, things aren't quite as bad as they seem, as the loco had been rescued from the Swindon Works scrapline and earmarked for preservation at the NRM :)
 
<b>D8000 / 20050 short Locomotive History</b> The initial pilot batch order for English Electric Type 1s (later Class 20s) in 1956 was for just twenty locomotives (D8000 – D8019); however, the design was such an immediate success that, before all twenty were in traffic, an order was made for an additional thirty locomotives for delivery to the Eastern and Scottish Regions. Built at the Vulcan Foundry and was new in June 1957, D8000 was first allocated to Devons Road, Bow, depot in East London. It was only withdrawn from service as 20050 in December 1980, and is now preserved at the National Railway Museum in York. (Info. courtesy John Woolley &amp; Lewis Bevan whose photo I've added to the Comments section below :)

<b>Locos Used</b>: 45149, 45125
<b>Locos &amp; Route</b>
45149 London St Pancras - (via MML) - Kettering - Corby - Manton Jn - Oakham - Syston East Jn - Syston North Jn - (via MML) - Trent - Toton Centre - Trowell Jn - Pye Bridge Jn - Clay Cross South Jn - Chesterfield - Dronfield - Sheffield - Doncaster [for works visit]
45149 Doncaster -Sheffield - Dronfield - Chesterfield - Clay Cross South Jn - Ambergate Jn - Derby - Spondon - Sheet Stores Jn - Trent - Stapleford &amp; Sandiacre
45149 Stapleford &amp; Sandiacre - Toton Depot [for depot visit]
45125 Toton Depot - Stapleford &amp; Sandiacre
45125 Stapleford &amp; Sandiacre - Trent - (via MML) - London St Pancras Info.courtesy: <a href="https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/830605lc.htm" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/830605lc.htm</a>

<b>Photos that were nearly lost to oblivion!</b>
The original slide was rescued from a box of 'duds' that I could never quite bring myself to throw away - now I am glad that I kept them ;)

Taken with a Zenith TTL SLR camera and standard lens. <b>Scanned from the original slide with minimal digital restoration</b>

You can see a random selection of my railway photos here on Flickriver: <a href="http://www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/</a>
d8000 8000 20050 class20 diesel locomotive doncasterworks brel doncaster scrap scrapline englishelectric