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Preserved Locomotive Enthusiasts Group

Welcome to the Preserved Locomotive Enthusiasts Group website!

By way of an introduction, please allow me to give you a brief overview of our group's background and aims: -

Background

The Preserved Locomotive Enthusiasts Group, or PLEG, was formally set up in 2003, though the Policy Group members of the group have been working together to bring you opportunities to travel behind the rarer UK preserved locomotives since 2001.

As a point of clarification, although we make no distinction between the different types of preserved traction, steam locomotives are currently outside of our remit.  Our interest is purely diesel (all forms, i.e. mechanical, hydraulic, electric etc.) and electric (AC/DC and electro-diesel) locomotives.  We congratulate the work done by the various steam groups around the UK and wish them well, but the world of steam is not within our sphere of interest.

The initial reason for PLEG's existence was that a number of us as haulage enthusiasts had ridden behind all the 'available' preserved locomotives and, although there were other locomotives that were available for traffic at various sites, the railways in question refused to use them on passenger trains. The reasons for this were numerous and the list below is by no means exhaustive, but serves to give you an idea: -

1) The actual loco in question could have some restriction placed upon it for technical reasons, i.e. mechanical integrity, braking issues etc.

2) There was no perceived market for these types of locomotives.

3) The railway in question was a steam railway and did not wish to use diesel locomotives, unless there was a failure on a steam train, as diesel trains were not in keeping with the lines image.

And so on....

To address this problem a group of fellow haulage enthusiasts got together and tried to find a way through this impasse.  Our preferred method of working is for the railways themselves to hold an event using the locomotive(s) in question, and we would promote the event.  This method of working has been used successfully many times in the past.  An alternative method is also available, and that is for PLEG to actually charter a train to be hauled by the required locomotives.

(It should be noted from the outset that PLEG is a NOT FOR PROFIT GROUP. WE DO NOT, AND DO NOT WISH TO, MAKE ANY MONEY WHATSOEVER FROM ANY OF THE EVENTS THAT WE ORGANISE.  THE MARGINS THAT ARE MADE ARE PASSED STRAIGHT ON THROUGH TO THE RAILWAY THAT IS HOSTING THE EVENT. )

However, having said all that, time has moved on and it increasingly seems to be the case that most preserved railways are now starting to welcome diesel enthusiasts more and more. Indeed, hitherto predominately steam only railways now hold diesel events. In this type of circumstance PLEG will assist the railway in any way it can, i.e. advice and promotion etc.

Aims

PLEG will do its utmost to work with the UK's preserved railways in order to provide all of us with opportunities to ride behind the rarer preserved locomotives.  All our activities will be conducted in strict accordance to PLEG's own guidelines and these can be viewed by clicking here.

PLEG also aims to recognise those railways that organise 'top drawer' diesel galas for themselves, there will be more on this subject to follow due course.

Footnote

I hope the above has given you answers to the Who/What/Why? questions, and you are now encouraged to browse the other pages of this website.

Please do let us have any comments that you have, at PLEG we believe in continual improvement! Click here to send us at PLEG an email.

I conclude this introduction to the group by stating that PLEG's hope is that all preserved railways will stage events to utilise their full fleets of locomotives on a relatively regular basis, without the need for the intervention of our group.  Thus, our success will ultimately be achieved by marking our own demise.

Ian Loveday (Selby),

PLEG Group Leader.

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[Since 06/09/2006]