A mainline locomotive requires a Service Crew. The Duke is no exception. The Service Crew are all volunteers (the Trust is entirely managed by volunteers). Kevin Deacon, Support Crew Principal, describes the work behind the scenes to get The Duke’s Support Crew up to speed.
The volunteers selected had to pass a medical examination and obtain their PTS (Personal Track Safety) qualification; with those completed, we were on our way to once again support The Duke, one of the most powerful steam locomotives Britain has produced, on the rail network. Having done this many times over several years, I knew pretty much what to expect, but for most of the team, this was new territory. The days can be long, but rewarding, something they were about to find out!
In late 2024, Locomotive Services Limited (LSL) offered the team the opportunity of a trip on other members of the LSL pool: 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, 60532 Blue Peter, 34046 Braunton and 70000 Britannia.
Part of the training was to undertake a series of four trips for an assessment of the team’s competencies and abilities, and by the end of 2025, this had been largely completed. Because The Duke was still not quite ready, the ‘Team’ got the chance to support other locomotives within the LSL pool. This took us to all LSL’s outposts, the West Somerset, Southall, Carlisle and their main base, Crewe.
My first turn came at the West Somerset Railway, where both West Country class Braunton and Castle Class Nunney Castle were stabled. Having never been on a West Country footplate, I favoured that option; however, it wasn’t to be, and Nunney Castle was the chosen steed. “Bracing” is the description I used after experiencing a Great Western engine on the mainline!
Of the other members of the Team, Steve Mitchell got Braunton on a York – Kings Cross turn, Ben Dargie got Britannia on a Slough – Bristol run, Owen Griffiths got Blue Peter on a York trip, whilst Jack Martin got Mayflower from Southall – Canterbury.
Once The Duke had emerged from the LSL paint shop and further loaded test runs, including the members’ trip, had been undertaken, The Duke was to head the LSL Chairman’s trip from Crewe to Carlisle. Steve Mitchell was on Support Crew duties for the week and, unfortunately, whilst the rest of the week went by with only minor issues to attend to, the Chairman’s run didn’t quite go to plan, making Steve’s week a rather long, drawn-out one.
December 2025 marked a series of runs for The Duke to keep our team busy. We all made ourselves available for runs that would fit in nicely to maintain a work/life balance (well, as best we could). I found myself with five days’ holiday to use or lose before the end of the year, so decided to make myself available for a whole week. December 1st arrived, and the day didn’t quite get off to the start planned. A points failure around Rugby meant that instead of getting picked up just North of Rugby station at the water stop, I would now be picked up from platform 6 before moving on to the Colas depot for watering. I’ve never had a train stop just for me before, quite exciting to think I’m the only one getting on, although I did have visions of it not stopping.
After watering, and the train crew having a good look round, we set off via Northampton to Southall to meet up with Jack Martin, who was joining us for the run the next day. The run on 2nd December, the first of the week to Bath, was full of anticipation and all went well; the water stop at Newbury Racecourse even allowed some passengers to get a picture on the footplate. A spirited run from Newbury to Bath followed, where passengers alighted for the Christmas market and beyond, whilst we took the train on to Bristol to turn and service the loco. This would be the routine for the next few runs, with the day after the run being a prep day for the following run. During the week, the roster was such that I would be working turns with both Jack and Ben, whilst Steve would start the second week with a trip and Jack getting a second run later in the week; Owen had to wait a further week before he got the chance to ride behind The Duke.
For the second trip of the week, The Duke was facing the wrong way and needed to be turned. In the event The Duke was permitted to go on the network without his support coach, a sight you don’t see very often. Two days later saw an even rarer event with 71000 and 61306 Mayflower running chimney to chimney going to be turned.
The Duke and Mayflower chimney to chimney, being turned on the national network
Photo: S Stirland
The rest of the week went to plan until, unfortunately, on Saturday night, having come off the train, we made contact with a set of buffer stops at a very low speed; this meant certain procedures were put into place, and we didn’t get off the coach until gone 1am on Sunday. The knock-on of this mishap meant The Duke might not be available for the runs the following week, however with luck on our side and with LSL staff and Network Rail working together, The Duke was back on shed a day or so later, fully checked and made available in time for the next run to Bath.
Unfortunately, an Automatic Warning System (AWS) fault meant The Duke had to be left at Bristol East Yard, and the train was diesel-hauled back, disappointing but a demonstration of how quickly things can change. Jack Martin was on the next run, though obviously it was not going to be The Duke as he was in Bristol, so the team made 61306 Mayflower ready. The plan was to get The Duke back to Southall, where a pit was available, to fix the AWS fault.
The question of getting The Duke back to Southall was solved by running him as the train engine inside Mayflower on the return leg (the AWS needed to be isolated for the train to run), a treat for both passengers and linesiders alike.
A Double-Headed treat for Bristol to London, with 61306 piloting 71000
Photo: M Abbott
To complete the December runs, The Duke hauled a trip to Oxford, which allowed Owen Griffiths his first Support Crew run. A points failure saw the train arrive some 20 minutes down, but at one point it was nearly an hour down. Owen’s comment on how well The Duke flies, although a different word was used, suggested he had a great day.
Two things stick in my mind during my week down at Southall. Firstly, I was lucky enough to be on the footplate when we were returning via the western mainline and as we powered through Swindon I glanced over to the driver’s side where some of the footplate crew were saluting Swindon works – or what’s left of it – as we passed; not the driver though, being a Southern man he was having none of it! Good to know that even 80 years on, ‘friendly’ rivalries remain!
And second, another sight you don’t see very often, we went for an evening meal with some of 34028 Eddystone’s Support Crew, some 14 or so guys with soft drinks, as we all had an early start the next day.
And so, at the end of 2025, The Duke was safely tucked away inside Southall shed, awaiting his next duties.
From the Support Crew’s perspective, yes, some long days, some longer than others, early starts and sometimes with the weather not to our liking, but having had a fantastic time working alongside the LSL team, who have made us feel so welcome and part of their team.
We are all looking forward to more of the same in 2026.
To see where The Duke will be running please visit our Where & When page.