A GoFundMe page has been set up to help fund the cost of restoring diesel locomotive WD820, which is currently at the Foxfield Railway.
Locomotive owner and GoFundMe page owner, Matt Higham, bought the locomotive recently. The locomotive has been out of operation for 10 years following a major gearbox failure in 2008.
Many mechanical parts will need overhaul or replacement. The aim of the locomotive is to pay tribute to the servicemen and railwaymen who worked and relied on the little locomotive which supported the allied victory in Europe.
The estimate for the cost of the work is around £8000. This funding will enable the work to start and overhaul major components such as the gearbox and engine to be started.
The restoration is to be undertaken by up to 5 volunteers and will take at least a year.
You can find out more on the overhaul project, and how to donate, by clicking here.
A brief history of WD820
WD820 was completed during 1941 at the Vulcan Foundry. In 1944, it crossed the channel to Normandy and was put into service to support the allied advance, this included a lot of shunting work around Caen and Bayeaux. Returning to the UK in 1946, the locomotive became WD820 in 1952 and worked at many Ministry of Defence (MOD) depots, including Bicester and West Hallam.
In 1959, the locomotive was moved to Germany to support the British Army in the Rhine and returned in 1969 and renumbered to WD123. After this, it worked around many depots for the MOD and ROF. In 1993 the loco was preserved and moved to Foxfield Light Railway.
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