The Class 50 Alliance has received the tremendous news that they are among the nominees that has been shortlisted for award in the prestigious Heritage Railway Association 2024 Annual Awards.

The nomination of the Class 50 Alliance is in “The Team of the Year” category, in recognition of the alliance successfully providing locomotives for 100 main line rail tours.

Based at the Severn Valley Railway, the alliance, which is a volunteer-run organisation, first provided a loco for a rail tour just over 25 years ago, when 50031 Hood worked Past Time Rail’s “The Pilgrim Hoover”, in the process making history by becoming the first main line certified class 50 in private ownership to work a rail tour.

Since that inaugural run, Hood has been joined on the on the mainline by Class 50 Alliance owned and maintained locomotives 50007 Hercules, 50044 Exeter and 50049 Defiance.

Between them, these locomotives have hauled charter trains over a wide range of routes throughout England, Scotland, and Wales, operating along both their traditional stamping grounds and on routes when they were never seen.

A milestone was reached with the 100th charter train in September 2023, when 50007 Hercules and 50049 Defiance hauled Pathfinder Railtours’ “The Pilgrim Centurion” rail tour between Swindon and Edinburgh.

The early rail tours were operated by The Fifty Fund using 50031 Hood and 50044 Exeter. However, in 2000 a partnership was formed with Project Defiance, and subsequent rail tours s were run with the support of 50049 Defiance.

In 2006, The Fifty Fund and Project Defiance merged to form the Class 50 Alliance, since when all rail tours have been operated by the merged organisation.

Tony Middleton, chairman of the Class 50 Alliance added “We are honoured to be recognised with this nomination and wish to thank the Heritage Railway Association. We are looking forward to attending the award ceremony in February.”