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In the days when Deltics still had control over the main
Anglo-Scottish expresses 55019 (D9019) "ROYAL HIGHLAND FUSILIERS" powers
through Welwyn Garden City on 8th March 1978 with the 1S35 14:00 King’s
Cross - Aberdeen which the locomotive would take as far as
Edinburgh.
55019 had been out-shopped from Doncaster Works following an unclassified repair
a few days previously on 5th March, though the locomotive had been out of
service from 15th January awaiting power units. During 1978 Doncaster Works
suffered chronic shortages of spare power units for the class resulting in
lengthy sojourns for the locomotives at the works. Often a locomotive would come
onto works requiring one power unit only to be robbed of its good one in favour
of another member of the class. Such was the case when 55019 entered Doncaster
in January 1978: No.2
power unit 458 was dephased and both main generators had flashover damage with
suspect flashover damage to all traction motors. As a result No.1 power unit 407
was donated to 55022 and later replaced by 538. 458, the original damaged unit, was
replaced by power unit No. 429.