60116 Mountfield returns to public passenger service
This article was closed on 4 May 2003
On Tuesday 11 March 2003 HDL’s recently-certificated third motor coach, 60116 Mountfield, carried fare-paying members of the public on the main line for the first time since preservation.
Mountfield was formed into unit 1001 for use by South Central on the Ashford & Hastings line, because sister motor coach 60000 Hastings became “stopped” for various reasons. Although since refurbishment it had operated our Cambridge Cracker railtour and been used for the de-icing train, this was Mountfield’s first use on a scheduled main-line service since withdrawal on Sunday 11 May 1986.
![[PHOTO: new-looking DEMU with full yellow warning end, rainy day: 53kB]](20030311EDLp1front-Price.jpg "Motor coach Mountfield with its full-yellow warning-end")
Unit 1001 waits for the clock to show 1331 so that it can leave platform 1 at Hastings station, bound for Ashford International. Resplendent in its full-yellow warning-end in spite of the rain, motor coach 60116 Mountfield leads the train on its first day back on scheduled workings. Photo by Colin Price.