THE D829 MAGPIE STORY

As celebrity Warships go, D829 Magpie, enjoyed royal status and the TV spotlight through the children’s TV series of the same name. Rumours have circulated throughout the years since the class finished on British Railways in December 1972 that the Thames TV programme wanted to save the locomotive for preservation. However, thanks to newly revealed documents, the full and fascinating story can now be told by diesel-hydraulic historian, author and researcher, Adrian Curtis.

*First published in the August 2019 edition of Railway Magazine.

Tony Bastable, Magpie TV presenter, interviews the driver of D829 Magpie during a visit to Laira depot, Plymouth, for the show. Note the Magpie TV show sticker under nameplate. Below: Article picture credits: Page 17: Both top and bottom: Adrian Cur… — Tony Bastable, Magpie TV presenter, interviews the driver of D829 Magpie during a visit to Laira depot, Plymouth, for the show. Note the Magpie TV show sticker under nameplate. Below: Article picture credits: Page 17: Both top and bottom: Adrian Curtis Collection. Page 18: RPP; and page 19 Rail Online. The remainder are duly credited.