Flying the flag for the diesel hydraulic classes (along with Teds D9551 & D9526) at the seaside! I've edited together two clips of D7017 on the same mixed local train at two different locations on the line which demonstrates, I think, what a photogenic design the Class 35s were.
The surviving members of the class (D7017, D7018, D7029 & D7076) have now been in preservation for much longer than they were ever in BR service - 50-ish years as against not much more than 10 years before they were withdrawn as "non-standard" by the Western Region.
According to our guide on the SVR's Kidderminster depot tour, it's not so much the engines that are problematic to source as the transmissions for the different hydraulic classes. They're all derived from what is now vintage (West) German technology descended from their V200 class, so if you have deep pockets and know how to acquire the spares the DTG at Williton would doubtless like to hear from you!
