BR Bo-Bo Class 33 "Crompton" No. 33012 / D6515

D6515 (later 33012) was built by Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co Ltd (BRCW) at their works in Smethwick (works number DEL107) and entered service on 8th July 1960 being allocated to Hither Green depot and numbered D6515.

It was one of a fleet of 98 delivered to British Railways Southern Region in 1960 which, in due course, earned an enviable reputation for reliability and capability across many of BR's regions.

It was re-allocated to Eastleigh in August 1965 and received all over plain blue livery in  August 1968. In January 1974 it was re-numbered 33012 under the TOPS system.

33012 was withdrawn on Thursday 13th February 1997 as surplus to requirements and saw a few months use as Eastleigh depot pilot until finally switched off with a number of electrical faults. Eighteen 33s were put up for sale in early March by EWS and 17 of them were acquired for preservation including the 71A Locomotives Group purchasing 33012. It was moved to the Mid-Hants Railway at Ropley where it was stored for a while. Repairs to the electrical systems were undertaken gradually and the loco was

started at Easter 1999 before moving under its own power in October 1999.  

It was delivered to Swanage by road on Thursday 7th October and undertook its first loaded test run the same evening. Bodywork repairs commenced promptly, although the loco appeared at the Swanage Railway Diesel Day in red primer!

It received the name “Stan Symes”, on Monday 27th November 1999, after the Bournemouth and Swanage Driver who had achieved 60 years on the footplate. Eventually, 33012 was handed over to the SR Operations Department for driver training in March 2000, following completion of bodywork restoration and re-paint into original BR Green livery. It soon became an invaluable member of the motive power fleet.

Since then, D6515 has provided reliable service and has also had a bodywork overhaul which took place in late 2006. During 2008 the owners decided to move 33012 to Knights Rail at Eastleigh Works for a general overhaul, including generators and running gear, and upgrading to main line requirements. The loco travelled to Eastleigh on Wednesday 14th January 2009 and stayed there for two and a half years.

During this time it was equipped with TPWS, GSMR and OTMR allowing the loco to work on the national mainline network. 33012 underwent a successful mainline test run on Thursday 5th May 2011 and has been based at the Swanage Railway since then.

D6515 was re-named 'Lt Jenny Lewis RN' on Thursday 12th June 2014 at a special ceremony at Swanage Station. Lt Lewis, from Sherborne in Dorset, was Royal Navy helicopter observer, and a fan of Class 33 diesel locos, who died in a training accident. The Lynx helicopter she was co-piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia on 12th June 2002.

33012 continues to be available for both mainline work and visits to other heritage railways, and the owners can be contacted via their website here: 71A Locomotive Group - Index