Hanson Traction

Hanson Traction Ltd was a locomotive leasing company based at Washwood Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands.

The company owned thirteen locomotives, consisting of seven class 56's (two of which are stored), one class 50 and five class 31's. They were the first company to return class 56 locomotives to mainline use in the United Kingdom after the previous fleet (operated by Fastline Freight) was withdrawn in 2008, owing to a decline in traffic levels (specifically the intermodal arm).

In October 2010, the company was merged into the operations of British American Railway Services and the locomotives rebranded as part of their Devon & Cornwall Railways fleet.

Hanson Traction was founded by IT entrepreneur Garcia J Hanson in 2006. The company purchased Neil Boden's preserved class 56, BR large logo blue liveried No. 56057 "British Fuels" in 2008. The locomotive later became 56311 and was painted into a non-standard yellow & grey colour scheme at Derby Railway Technical Centre. Purchase of a second class 56, Load Haul liveried No. 56003 followed shortly afterwards - this became 56312 and was repainted into the striking "Artemis" livery which consisted of a purple bodyside, yellow cabs, grey roof and large green "ARTEMIS" name complete with squiggly green vinyls. Both of these 56's returned to the mainline in late 2008 and have seen use with Colas Rail, having appeared on their Washwood Heath to Immingham & Boston to Washwood Heath steel workings (the former was a short lived trial run), Dagenham to Dollands Moor "Transfesa" trains and Dollands Moor to Hams Hall Norfolk Line container workings. They have also been used on track machine movements and excursion trains from time to time.

56312 was repainted again in October 2011 and now wears the same livery as 56311, this being a non-standard grey and yellow colour scheme with 'DCR' (Devon & Cornwall Railways) logos and advertising for the June 2012 'Railfest' event (DCR being a subsidiary of British American Railway Services, the present owners of Hanson Traction).

As of August 2012 the 'Railfest' event logos and advertising have been removed.

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