A Very Happy New Year to you all from the SDR 50 002 "Superb" moves to Buckfastleigh Since its arrival on the South Devon Railway the Devon Diesel Society’s Class 50 ‘Superb’ has been stored at Totnes. The opportunity has now been taken to move it up to Buckfastleigh where the group will be able to undertake preliminary work to return the locomotive to working condition. The move was carried out on Monday January 3rd using Class 20 D8110. For the journey all the coolants were drained from the engine which brought it more or less down to the current axleweight limit on the SDR. Previously it had been deemed inappropriate to transfer the locomotive to Buckfastleigh whilst the severely weight restricted Nursery Pool Bridge was still in place, but with that bridge now rebuilt to RAU standard and the locomotive's weight suitably reduced that restriction no longer presented a concern.

6thJanuary Update The Devon Diesel Society website has further pictures of 50002’s move. Have a look at the following page 50002 "Superb".

During December all of our "Santa Trains" ran to capacity with every train being fully booked. The "Mince Pie" specials that ran on the 31st December, 1st, 2nd and 3rd of January were also very well loaded and helped the New Year off to a fine start. Have a look for yourself at the picture of locomotive 5786 waiting at Buckfastleigh for the off .(See the link referred to earlier above.)

Work is due to start this week to upgrade the small culvert bridge just on the Staverton side of Hood bridge, once the work is completed then the way will be clear for the SDR to apply for an upgrading of the axle limit which when granted will allow us to have any locomotive we want operating over the branch with the possibility of Buckfastleigh being able to offer full servicing  facilities to locomotives working the specials over the main line from Exeter — Plymouth.