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Severn Valley Railway helps to convert hydrogen engine

Severn Valley Railway The Class 08 08635 will be the donor shunter for the projectSevern Valley Railway
A Class 08 08635 engine will be used for the project

A heritage railway is aiding with work to convert a diesel engine to run on hydrogen power.

Volunteers from the Severn Valley Railway are stripping down the vehicle at its depot in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

The hydrogen power pack is in development and will be installed in the coming months.

The railway said it is "actively looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint".

The University of Birmingham is part of the Harrier HydroShunter project, along with start-up Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions, who is designing the power pack.

Volunteers are currently removing the existing diesel engine, generators and overhauling components from a Class 08 shunter No 08635, to prepare the vehicle.

Severn Valley Railway Jack Baldwin is working on the Harrier Hydroshunter projectSevern Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway's vice chairman said the project is an "excellent opportunity" for its young volunteers - including Jack Baldwin

Inside the power pack is hydrogen, stored as a pressurised gas, which will be combined with oxygen from the air, to produce electricity to power the locomotive.

Mike Ball, the Severn Valley Railway's vice chairman, said: "The current preparation stage for the Harrier shunter is providing an excellent opportunity for some of our younger volunteers to put their skills to good use.

"The group working on the 08 are all still in their teens and their ability to plan and implement this task has been nothing short of amazing," he said.

Severn Valley Railway Sam Bradley, pictured here, removes part of the current engineSevern Valley Railway
Sam Bradley is one of the volunteers helping to remove parts from the diesel engine

"They're the volunteers of the future, working on a locomotive for the future."

Charles Calvert, chief engineer at Vanguard Sustainable Transport Systems, added: "Using hydrogen produced from renewable electricity, the Harrier will be a clean and quiet loco that just happens to also be an innovation superstar at work on one of the UK's leading heritage railways."

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