D2156 - 03156

Plinthed at Ferramanta Puglliesie, Terlizzi, Bari is this locomotive. Very careful examination of photography evidence has concluded that it is in all probability 03156. The photograph was taken on 26th September 2015. Peter Wreford

Still Plinthed at Ferramanta Puglliesie, Terlizzi, Bari on 6th February 2019 was 03156. This is the most recent picture of the locomotive received. Dave Pollock

Reported (p.226 7/76 RO) as having been hauled, along with 03010, 03098 and 03153 as 9Z10 00:40 Tyne to Stranraer special freight on 18th May 1976 for, it is understood, shipment to Italy. Curiously no observations or other evidence has so far been found confirming Stranraer, a ferry and fishing port, was actually port of embarkation. It has thus been concluded they were actually moved from Stranraer to Cairnryan, where Shipbreaking (Queenborough) Ltd had a port side yard. A visitor to this yard that September was told three Class 03 had been sold from there to Italy. Thus, port of embarkation was most likely to have been Cairnryan.

Port of disembarkation in Italy is reported as Trieste. It is then recorded to have been used at the Lucchini Group steelworks at Servola where it was disused by 1984. Nothing to confirm this has emerged.

Recent research by David Gregory casts doubt on the Servola reference. David says that a list of all Lombarde Falck holdings show no evidence of any link to the Servola steelworks which was actually part of the ILVA company - known simply as 'Italsider' at the time of the locomotives' export to Trieste. Servola has since changed hands and names several times! In fact, any documentation that suggests that Ex BR locomotives were exported for use by Lucchini at Servola is an anachronism - Lucchini group did not have any holding/interest at Servola until 1995.

If indeed it was at Servola what then became of it is a mystery.

Thirty years later the pictured locomotive was discovered at Terralizzi. Careful examination of a series of photographs of it taken in 2015, along with a mass of historical photographs of Class 03's, has concluded that the only possibility is this.

So where has it been hidden for over a quarter of a century?

It may well be very significant though that of the four which have been reported as having been exported through Stranraer, this is the only one for which a confirmed sighting or photograph in Italy has emerged. Also that it has surfaced in the south of Italy rather than the north where it and the other three have been recorded as located. No mention of any of the former BR locomotives being in the south of the country had emerged prior to the discovery of this but subsequently it has been established that D2295 which had arrived in Italy earlier saw use in this part of the country. Perhaps others were in this part of the country?

Sightings for D2156

Loco	Location	Date	Seen by
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	17/05/2006	Google Earth
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	18/07/2007	Google Earth
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	31/07/2009	Google Earth
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	12/03/2011	Google Earth
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	19/04/2011	Google Earth
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	25/09/2013	Google Earth
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	10/10/2014	Google Earth
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	30/05/2015	Google Earth
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	26/09/2015	Peter Wreford
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	02/07/2016	Google Earth
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	14/03/2018	Mark Jones
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	06/02/2019	Dave Pollock
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	01/07/2020	Mark Jones
03156	Ferramanta Pugliesie, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy	15/07/2023	Justin Edwards

This page is maintained by Peter Hall.