Deltic Preservation Society Ltd

The Deltic Preservation Society Ltd is the largest diesel locomotive preservation society in the United Kingdom, and owns three of the six surviving Deltics. A total of 22 Deltics were built for British Rail in 1961/62, for use on the East Coast Main Line out of Kings Cross. By the late 1970s, they were being replaced by new Inter-City 125 trains, and were gradually phased out, the last examples being taken out of service at the beginning of 1982.

In 1977, many people realised that the future introduction of High Speed Trains on the East Coast Main Line meant the days of the Deltics were numbered. A small group of enthusiasts decided on a long-term aim to preserve a working Deltic locomotive, and formed the Deltic Preservation Society in order to raise funds to do this.

They were so successful that, following withdrawal from British Rail in 1982, membership had reached more than 1500, and the society was able to purchase not one but two locomotives, Alycidon (55009) and Royal Highland Fusilier (55019). Following completion of the sale, the two locos were moved from Doncaster Works, where they had been stored, to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in August 1982 and put into service immediately. A third example, Tulyar (55015), based at the Midland Railway Centre, was added in 1986 when it was purchased from Peter Sansom.

Since then, our locomotives have made appearances over the country, and have hauled trains on a wide variety of private lines including the the East Lancashire, Great Central, Keighley & Worth Valley, Llangollen, Mid-Hants, Nene Valley, Severn Valley, and West Somerset Railways.

Site URL: https://www.thedps.co.uk/
Date resource added: 16-Jul-2000
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