Class 45 Diesel Locomotive Driver Experience (Notch Three)

Get ready for the ultimate diesel adventure with the Diesel Notch Three Driver Experience. Take control of a Class 45 heritage diesel train for a full-day, 48-mile journey across Britain’s only main line steam and diesel railway. This experience offers three complete round trips and is perfect for those looking for a truly immersive railway experience.

Your experience includes:

• A welcome briefing with tea/coffee for the driver and their guests
• Introductory film viewing
• Drive of a Heritage Diesel Train (locomotive and coaches) – 48 miles of driving, covering three full round trips
• Choice of traditional breakfast or afternoon tea (both served at lunchtime) for the driver and up to four guests
• Exclusive Great Central Railway gift bag for the driver
• A guided tour of the locomotive works
• A visit to the Loughborough Signal Box
• Complimentary travel on the day for the driver and up to eight guests
• Presentation certificate to commemorate the day
• 12 months membership of Friends of Great Central Mainline for the driver

Enjoy a full day of diesel-powered fun with family and friends, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

The Class 45 diesel-electric locomotives were a mainstay of British Rail’s first generation of main line diesel traction. Introduced as part of the sweeping changes brought in under the 1955 Modernisation Plan, they formed a vital link between the era of steam and the dawn of high-speed rail travel. D123, later renumbered 45125, is a prime example of the class and today runs in preservation at the Great Central Railway, carrying the name Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry.

Built at Crewe Works and released to traffic from Derby on 28 October 1961, D123 was one of 126 Class 45s constructed between 1960 and 1962 at Crewe and Derby Works. These locomotives followed the earlier Class 44 “Peaks” in design but featured an uprated Sulzer 12LDA28B twelve-cylinder diesel engine producing 2,500 brake horsepower. As diesel-electrics, the power unit drove a generator supplying electricity to traction motors on the axles, allowing the locomotive to deliver up to 55,000 lbf of tractive effort. With a maximum speed of 90 mph, the Class 45s were intended for express passenger work and were among the most capable locomotives of their day.

When first introduced, Class 45s were paired with coaching stock designed for steam haulage, which required steam heating. To meet this need, D123 was fitted with a Stones steam-heating boiler capable of producing 2,750 lb of steam per hour. It worked top-link passenger trains on the Midland Main Line between the East Midlands and London, before taking on cross-country duties as newer traction was introduced.

In 1971, fifty locomotives in the class, including D123, were equipped with Electric Train Heating (ETH) to work with newer carriage stock. The steam boiler was removed, water tanks ballasted, and the locomotive was reclassified into the 45/1 subclass. During its later years with British Rail, D123 worked trans-Pennine services from Newcastle and Scarborough to Liverpool and North Wales. Allocations during its career included Derby, Toton, and finally Sheffield Tinsley. It was withdrawn on 7 May 1987, having been deemed beyond economic repair.

Following withdrawal, D123 was stored at March depot before being moved in 1989 to the Mickleover test track, where it served as a dead-load vehicle for Class 60 trials. In 1991 it was purchased for preservation by the Humberside Locomotive Preservation Group, now the 5305 Locomotive Association, and moved to Hull Dairycoates. Over the next few years, the locomotive underwent a major restoration programme including rewiring, engine and cooling system overhaul, generator repairs, and brake system work.

D123 arrived at the Great Central Railway in April 1998, and on 22 June 2000 it was named Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry by Lt Colonel Ridley Thomson, reviving a name previously carried by Class 46 locomotive D163. Since then, it has seen regular use on heritage passenger trains, continuing to represent the power and engineering of Britain’s early diesel era. Routine maintenance keeps the locomotive in operational condition, ensuring it remains a working reminder of the transitional years between steam and modern high-speed traction.