50044 Exeter

50044 Exeter worked its last train in December 1990 and was withdrawn in January 1991 due to main generator damage, thereby becoming the 28th Class 50 locomotive to be withdrawn after over 22 years of active service. Engine hours stood at 8,910.

After its withdrawal, 50044 was moved to Stratford depot in East London for component recovery and was subsequently placed on a tender list as suitable only for scrap. Inspection by The Fifty Fund revealed that the locomotive was almost complete with very few missing parts and thus 50044 was purchased for restoration and preservation. It was moved to its current home at the Severn Valley Railway in 1994.

Externally 50044 has been cosmetically restored close to an ex-delivery condition by the removal of the high power headlight and the restoring of the sandbox covers, roof cut-in and glass headcode panels. The locomotive until recently sported its original number of D444 and a non-authentic British Rail two-tone green livery. Considerable work was undertaken during the winter of 2010 and the locomotive is now painted in authentic British Rail corporate blue livery, together with its 50044 TOPS number, nameplate and crests.

In 2007, 50044 became part of the fleet locomotives owned and operated by The Class 50 Alliance Ltd, a company formed by the merger of The Fifty Fund and Project Defiance.

Dates: 2005-2019