56001 at Paddington on the "Crewe Avoider" railtour. April 20th 1992.

56003 arrives at Orton Mere on October 6th 2007 with the 1344 Yarwell Junction - Peterborough Nene Valley.

56004 waits to leave St Albans on June 11th 1994 with the "National Grid" railtour.

For a while, BR blue liveried 56006 was part of a "heritage" fleet based at Old Oak Common, and on 9th June 2002, it was produced to work the "Desert Mule" tour from London to Westbury, seen here after arrival.

Much excitement for the track bashers at Witham on July 13th 2002, as the "Flower Arranger" has a photostop in the Up Loop. 56007 is in charge.

56008 at Eastleigh on 9th February 1992. It was being prepared for use on the "Thames & Weyside Wanderette" minitour later that day.

56028 (leading) & 56009 bring the 1325 Llandudno - Crewe "Trainload Coal Motive Power Day" special into Chester on 11th August 1991.

The "Mini tours" which ran from Waterloo after the DC trips to Weymouth & Yeovil got more complex as 1992 progressed. On March 1st 1992, the trip with 56010 ran south to Woking before reversing to head back to Clapham via Staines due to engineering work. The Grid pauses at Woking on arrival. Copyright (C) Steve Kemp.

56011 rests under the roof at Crewe on May 4th 1992, having worked the 1510 from Hereford, one of several Ned-exes run by Regional Railways on this date.

56012 runs into Ely on September 14th 1991, with the 1555 Kings Lynn - Cambridge additional, run in conjunction with the Cambridge open day.

56014 rolls into Arley on May 9th 1992 with the 1600 Bridgnorth - Kidderminster Town. On arrival at Bewdley, the train was caped (a tree on the line, or something similar) much to the dismay of the cranks waiting to board!

56015 at Leicester on the "Coalville Swansong". Due to a farce on the Coalville line, the Grid worked barely two miles on this trip, when it had been planned to work to Denby Colliery. May 26th 1991.

The first "Grid" I ever scored was 56017, which I managed to not get a photo of! Thanks to Gary Blyth then for this shot of it at Luton on a St Pancras - Leicester special on 21st May 1989. Copyright (C) Gary Blyth.

56018 is seen on the rear of a special to Denby at Coalville on May 26th 1991. 56015 was the machine on the front, 018 worked the return run.

56019 & 33114 propel the ECS of the "Solent & Wessex Wanderer 4" out of Weymouth on January 26th 1992.

56020 & 33116 at Waterloo on 23rd February 1992 with the "Solent & Wessex Wanderer 7".

56024 brings the "Dukeries Collier" tour into Wellingborough on June 27th 1992.

56028 & 56009 arrive at Chester on August 11th 1991 with the 1325 additional from Llandudno - Crewe.

56031 at Windsor & Eton Riverside after arriving with the "Merry Wives" tour on May 15th 1993.

In 1992 and 1993, British Rail ran an additional service a couple of times to connect with the Dart Valley Railway gala at Paignton. 1992's trip was hauled by 56033 from Paddington, and ran as a regular relief, allowing neds (like myself) to bail out en route. The 0800 departure leaves Reading on June 21st.

56034 runs round the 1132 Birmingham New Street - Bristol Temple Meads special at Gloucester on July 1st 1990.

56035 waits to leave Manchester Victoria on a grey 20th October 1990, with the 1426 relief service to Liverpool Lime Street as part of "Network North West" day.

Despite only being booked for a 56, the impressive pairing of 56038 & 37891 were used to work the 1706 Gloucester Open Day shuttle to Westerleigh on August 4th 1991. The "no heat" pairing waits to leave Gloucester.

56040 made it's preservation debut at the Mid Norfolk over the weekend of March 27th-29th 2009. On the 28th, the "Grid" worked the 1345 Dereham - Wymondham Loop, and was then left on the back of the return working to get it back to Dereham. It is seen here at Wymondham Abbey.