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Class 31 31207 (D5631)
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History
The Class 31 - 31207/D5631 - A Brief History-by Steve
Allen
I covered the generic history of the Brush Type 2 (BR
Class 31) back in Joint Line 114 (Summer 2002) when
D5580
arrived, so I won't repeat it in detail here, other than
to re-emphasise that this class is probably the only ex-BR
mainline diesel motive power that is synonymous with the
former M&GN system. The first members of the class were at
work on the M&GN even before the 1959 closure. After
closure they became familiar sights on the Melton goods,
through trains to Cromer Beach, the Norwich sand trains,
the Lenwade concrete beam trains, the Rudham grain trains,
the Eye brick trains from Murrow and so on.
The Society's new Class 31 was delivered new from Brush
Traction at Loughborough (works no. 231) to Norwich shed
32A on the 7 th of July 1960 as D5631. Here it joined our
B12 and J15, and the AIA Loco Society's D5580 (currently
on the NNR) which were already allocated there. There is
every chance that it worked over the remains of the former
M&GN system from here. After just four months at Norwich
it moved to Ipswich (32B) in November. Here it remained
until the following June when it was transferred back to
Norwich. It did have a claim to fame whilst at Norwich. On
the last day of the 1961 summer timetable in East Anglia,
which was also the last day of steam hauled express
passenger workings in the area, an early morning Norwich
to London service failed near Diss behind Britannia 70006
‘Robert Burns' and D5631 was sent to the rescue. This no
doubt upset the plans for this 'last day' service.
D5631 stayed in Norfolk for slightly longer this time, not
moving again until September 1962 when it moved to March
depot (31B), where it obviously liked the Fenland air, as
it remained there for the next ten and a half years.
During its time there, in November 1966, it was re-engined,
its original troublesome Mirrlees engine being replaced
with an English Electric one, at this point it was
reclassified from a Class 30 to Class 31. It's during
D5631's time here that it is well documented that it
actually worked on the remnants of the M&GN mainline. On
the 17th of February 1968 it worked the East Rudham grain
train that included a Norfolk Railway Society party riding
in extra brake vans. Five years
later, on the 3rd of May 1973 it is reported to have
double-headed a March to Colchester PW train with Class 25
D7614.
In May 1973 it moved to the ‘Smoke' and entered the big
time at Finsbury Park on the ECML, home to the legendary
Deltics. From here it would have worked over the
Metropolitan Widened lines into Moorgate with the Mk1
suburbans now on the NNR. Other duties would have included
King's Cross pilot and ECS duties, and ‘stoppers' up the
GN mainline to Peterborough. In March 1974 it was
renumbered as 31207. It's reported to have worked the SO
09.25 King's Cross – Skegness in tandem with 31108 on the
6 th of July 1974.
In May 1979 it moved on to York for the summer season
before going home to the Fens at March in the September of
that year. After another five years at March, 31207's next
tour of duty took it north to Immingham on Humberside in
January 1984. In November 1984 its steam heating boiler
was isolated. From here it took the short trip to
Doncaster works in May 1986 for ‘life-extension'
refurbishment, during which its boiler was removed, it was
dual-braked and fitted with a headlight. Whilst it was at
Immingham, BR underwent sectorisation, and 31207 was
allocated to the FPCI (Immingham Petroleum) pool.
Having now tired of the East Coast, the next move, in
February 1992, took it to Crewe diesel depot to join the
LWDC pool (Trainload Freight West). Obviously this didn't
suit it, and just over two years later in May 1994 it
moved north again, to Wigan Springs Branch depot where it
was allocated to the LWNC pool (Nuclear Traffic) from here
it could have worked to almost anywhere in the country on
nuclear flask work. At this time it was repainted from BR
blue into the Civil Engineers' yellow and grey ‘Dutch'
livery that it still carries. In July 1994 it was assigned
as part of the fleet of new freight company Transrail.
Whilst at Wigan it was recorded single-handedly working a
Regional Railways Blackpool North to Liverpool Lime Street
service on the 8 th of July 1992, a service normally only
worked by a brace of 31s.
In November 1996 it was back to Crewe again in the RCJC
pool (North West Infrastructure) but this time owned by
EWS who took over Transrail. In July 1997 it moved on
again, this time to Bescot as part of the LWNW pool (Class
31s). Put into store at Bescot in February 1999 it was
soon back in action, receiving a new set of bogies in
April 2000. After this 31207 moved back to London, being
based at Stratford. It lived out its final days working
out of Stratford on Civil Engineers duties with its sister
locos 31110 (the first class 31 delivered new to Norwich),
31420 and 31466. 31207 received its final exam at
Stratford on the 8 th of February 2001, and was withdrawn
from service on 10th having worked the 19.45 0Z31 from
Stratford to Old Oak Common with 31110 and 31466.
Interestingly they arrived 31 minutes early! These three
locos were the last operational 31s on EWS' books and were
withdrawn as surplus to requirements.
Since then the loco has languished at Old Oak Common
amongst several other withdrawn classmates. Interestingly,
it was left remarkably intact, whilst the other locos in
the line were heavily robbed of spares.
Having been offered by tender, the loco was purchased by
the Society from EWS on 29th January 2003, leaving EWS
metals at 21:45 on Tuesday 10th February, arriving on NNR
metals at 11:00 on Thursday February 12th.
31207 loco required little work to get it working again.
All missing items (including a drivers door) have been
secured from a scrap class 31 at T.J.Thompsons yard in
Stockton.
Following an examination of the power unit, the fitting of
the missing AWS relay unit, and charging the batteries,
the loco returned to action! Not bad for three years
out of use!
....**.
Thanks to Ian McNally and Chris Milner for their help in
compiling this history.
** 31 207 is now resplendent having been repainted in
Railfreight Grey with full yellow cabs including doors. Bodysides are grey with BR white double arrows
This article first appeared in Joint Line, the Midland and
Great Northern Joint Railway Society's award winning
quarterly journal, which all members of the Society
receive.
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