Spot hire firm Harry Needle Railroad Company sells most assets to Austrian firm

The majority of the assets and operations of Harry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC) have been sold to Swietelsky Babcock Rail (SBR).

It comes a few months after HNRC had agreed to provide locomotives to the company, which is mainly involved in supporting and delivering infrastructure projects.

The full disclosure of the deal has yet to be made public, but RAIL understands it includes some of the Class 08/09 spot hire shunter fleet, the majority of HNRC’s Class 20s, and Class 37s.

It also includes the Worksop Yard and shed owned by HNRC. The Worksop Up yard which HNRC leased for DB Cargo will also transfer to a SBR operational site.

HNRC’s Class 25s, ‘27s’, ‘33s’ and ‘47s’, plus a handful of Class 20s, have not been included in the deal and will be retained by Harry Needle. It is not yet clear whether Needle will give up his lease on a shed at Barrow Hill, but it is expected that he will keep those and possibly move his remaining vehicles there.

Needle told RAIL that as he is now 64, it was the right time to sell up and move towards retirement, although he will be staying on as a director for three years.

Swietelsky has had a non- passenger operating licence since 2019, used to move track plant, but has previously used other operators (mostly West Coast Railways) to move kit around as required.

In a statement, Swietelsky described the purchase as “exciting news” adding: “This acquisition strengthens our fleet management and innovative rail solutions in the UK and beyond. We look forward to taking this step towards innovative rail infrastructure.”

Only a handful of the locomotives are painted in HNRC’s orange livery, which is expected to be retained, and 20302/311 have had Swietelsky branded added to them.

Locomotives confirmed as being included in the sale are 20168, 20301-305/308/309/311/312/314, 20906, 37038/059, 37259, 37405/ 419/422/424/425, 37602-604/607/ 609/610/612, 37716.

Which Class 08/09s are part of the sale is yet to be divulged, although most likely will include at least 08389, 08527, 08623/630/ 653/676/682/685, 08700/701/799, 08804/818/834/865/868/877/892, 08904/905/924/943.

HNRC also owns several industrial shunters, many of which are included in the deal.