Namings and nameplate sales at Direct Rail Services’ Kingmoor open day

Direct Rail Services staged its biennial open day on July 6, with crowds flocking to its Carlisle Kingmoor depot.

It was the first of the freight operator’s open days to have no older ex-BR locomotives of Classes 20/37 in attendance.

The event, which alternates between Crewe Gresty Bridge and Kingmoor, raised more than £65,000 for local charities.

Two Class 66s were named at the open day: 66431 received the Kingmoor TMD nameplates previously carried by 37688 and more recently 66301; and 66429 was named Charlie Birse in honour of a senior manager in the maintenance side of DRS who died in a motorcycle accident in September last year, near Gretna.

Other locomotives on display were: 57309 Pride of Crewe, 66421 Gresty Bridge TMD, 66424 Driver Paul Scrivens 1969-2021, 68001 Evolution, 68006 Pride of the North, 68007 Valiant, 68016 Fearless, 68017 Hornet, 68033 The Poppy, 68034 Rail Riders 2020, 88005 Minerva, 88008 Ariadne, and off-lease 68019/021/024/025.

The event also featured a host of nameplates from former DRS locomotives offered for sale by auction. Mary Queen of Scots (37401) sold for £4,500, Blackpool Tower (37407) for £3,100, Victorious (37422) for £2,559, Spirit of the Lakes (37423) for £6,100, and Concrete Bob (37425 one side) and Sir Robert McAlpine (37425, other side) both for £3,400.

Of the nameplates from some of DRS’s former newer locomotives, Endeavour (66302) sold for £1,221, Brutus (68019) for £5,102, Reliance (68020) for £1,350, Tireless (68021) for £2,200, Resolution (68022) for £3,781, Achilles (68023) for £3,781, Superb (68025) for £1,800, Enterprise (68026) for £3,750, Splendid (68027) for £2,550, Courageous (68029) for £3,300 and Destroyer (68032) for £5,102, all via sealed bids.