RCTS president Canon Brian Arman recalls a story concerning the repurposing of the Class 56s with new technology to emerge as Class 69s.
Back in 1977, when he was studying for his postgraduate degree at Durham University, he managed to persuade his great aunt, who was driving him north from his home in Swindon, to divert into a suburb of Sheffield. As a lifetime railway enthusiast he had found out that new Romanian-built Class 56s were arriving atTinsley depot and they had to be copped!
Brian, in a collar and tie and having left his great aunt in theThree Magpies pub in Brinsworth (strictly for a coffee!), marched up and into the depot, being acknowledged as an inspector. We think the tie and the notebook persuaded the overworked fitter to allow him to enter.