Farewell To The Deltics Event February 27th 1982
We start the videos this weekend, with some archive footage by ThePictureDome. 39 years ago to this day (Saturday, Feb 27th 1982) BR held a final farewell event to the Deltics. The Deltics had been withdrawn from service at the end of 1981 & on January 2nd, 1982 a farewell rail tour from Kings Cross to Edinburgh & back to Kings Cross took place. After that, the Deltics then went to the scrap line at Doncaster works. With the interest at the time in these ECML racehorses still very high, BR pulled the remaining Deltics off the scrap line & opened up Doncaster works for a final Deltic farewell event. The event was very well attended, by Deltic enthusiasts & the public alike (including one of our SMS team members as a ten-year-old!!). Out of the 22 production Deltics, 6 have been preserved plus some of the cabs. A 7th Deltic which was the prototype is preserved & currently at the NRM’s Locomotion Museum at Shildon.
Did you attend this event? You may just spot yourself in this video.
Here’s the video…
I was at The Plant that day. What an amazing turnout, and a fitting farewell to arguably the best diesel locomotive Class to grace British metals.
Was there as well, we may well have walked past each other that day. I remember the massive Q to get into the Plant. One day I’ll always remember.
Blimey. I remember when the Deltics were new. Hated them because they ousted the A4s. Was sad to see them go though, replaced by something even more box-like ! I remember seeing the dismal sight of them stored at Donny.
I was at the farewell event in the video, was quite a day. One i’ll certainly will always remember.