Railway Herald
Class 31/1 No. 31105 'Bescot TMD' with a 'Bescot Quality Assured' plate lower down the bodyside is displayed at Crewe Basford Hall Yard open day on Sunday 27th August 1995. She carries the 2 tone grey Railfreight livery complete with Transrail decals and a Bescot Depot plaque on the right hand cabside. An early production loco delivered in March 1959 to BR's Eastern Region as No. D5523 the loco was never fitted with a standard roof mounted headcode display. Renumbered under TOPS as No. 31105 her allocations included Immingham, March and Stratford before moving to the London Midland Region at Bescot in January 1992 where she was named 'Bescot TMD' on 30th August 1992, a name she carried until her withdrawl in May 1997. Purchased by Fragonset Railways No. 31105 remained active on BR metals and subsequently passed to Network Rail with whom she still operates on their test trains today, painted in an overall yellow livery. Sister Class 31/1 No. 31112 to her right was not so fortunate being withdrawn from Bescot TMD in January 1997 and scrapped by T J Thomson of Stockton-on-Tees during November 2003.
Bob Woolnough
