D1062 Withdrawn from SVR Spring Diesel Gala

It is with regret that we have to announce that D1062 Western Courier has been withdrawn from participation in the SVR Spring Diesel Festival, taking place from the 14 to 17 May, 2026.

The organisers required a clear position from the WLA, and with progress not going entirely as planned due to pending equipment, the extent of work required, and the time needed on the pit, it was felt best to withdraw from the event in order to focus on having the locomotive ready for our running week, commencing 24 May 2026.

The locomotive has recently received an exceptional amount of TLC lately, including the fitting of a new set of cardan shafts on the “A” end bogie.

Work remains to complete the torque settings for the thrust brackets and the transmission to intermediate gearbox cardan shafts.

In the meantime, we will continue preparing D1062 for the season ahead, including the refitting of the air receivers, followed by full system testing.

Apologies for the disappointing news, and thank you for your understanding.