The Ivatt Diesel Recreation Society, which is recreating the iconic diesel-electric locomotive LMS 10000, has announced that it has bought two English Electric 16SV power units.

A contractor who was dismantling a military base in Lincolnshire offered the motors to the reconstruction project.

One of the motors has run for 1500 hours, and the Society had the opportunity to witness it running, which it described as doing so “very nicely”.

The second motor has not been commissioned from rebuild, and has run just 74 hours. Because of this, the Society was able to buy it for a nominal sum.

The Society reports that the two units give it “the long-wished-for goal of having a reserve historical unit and many spare parts”.

Both of the units are now in dry storage. It is still pursuing buying another 16SV, which is currently in a separate military base.

Earlier this year, a Dutch locomotive group, Werkgroep 1501, donated traction motors to the LMS 10000 project.

The original London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) No. 10000 was scrapped in 1968, which was before the preservation movement began to include historically important diesel locomotives. Along with its twin loco No. 10001, No. 100000 was a forerunner of many current British mainline diesel locomotives.

The locos were designed by H. G. Ivatt, the last Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LMS, who worked closely with English Electric. They were built in 1947/48 at Derby Works. Many of their parts and concepts are still in use on the railway network today.

The Society, which exhibited its work at The Greatest Gathering held recently, is reminding supporters that it was able to afford to buy these two motors because of the donations that they make, and is thanking them for doing so.

It still needs to raise further funds to pay for future development of the project, which includes design acceptance and bodywork. It plans to launch a new fundraising drive once the final designs for the rebuild have been approved and costed.

As the project enters its construction phase, the Society is inviting people to get involved and to donate, both of which they can do by visiting the LMS1000 website.