Boden Rail Engineering, Colwick

A private railway engineering company founded by Neil Boden in 2009, which maintains and overhauls preserved main-line diesel locomotives. It worked from Washwood Heath in Birmingham until that site was cleared for HS2, and is now based at Colwick in Nottingham.

Boden Rail Engineering Ltd was set up by Neil Boden in 2009 at Washwood Heath in Birmingham, offering locomotive servicing, fabrication, power unit overhauls and wheelset changes. Boden had previously been involved with Hanson Traction before forming the company.

The Washwood Heath works stood on part of the former Metro-Cammell and Alstom site. When that land was handed to HS2 for redevelopment the locomotives were moved out and the factory demolished, and the company transferred its maintenance and overhaul work to Nottingham, where it is now based at Colwick.

History

Visitor information

A commercial engineering works, not a visitor attraction; there is no public access.

Engines based here

50007 Hercules — 50007 Hercules, an English Electric Class 50 sold to Neil Boden in 2013 and restored at his Washwood Heath works, where it was repainted from GWR green to BR blue and renamed from Sir Edward Elgar back to Hercules. The Class 50 Alliance bought it in November 2016. Unlike the Alliance's other locomotives, which are kept at Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway, 50007 has no current running agreement with the SVR and remains with Boden Rail Engineering, whose works moved from Washwood Heath to Colwick in Nottingham. It is main-line registered and has worked for GB Railfreight among others.
50050 Fearless — 50050 Fearless, the former D400 and first of the English Electric Class 50s. Sold to Neil Boden in January 2015 and moved the following month from Yeovil to Boden Rail Engineering, then at Washwood Heath in Birmingham, it was extensively restored there to main-line standards and joined the company's other registered Class 50s. The works has since moved to Colwick in Nottingham. Fearless returned to main-line work after fifteen years out of traffic and hauled the Fearless Express from London Euston in February 2026.

Founded (heritage operation)	2009
Headquarters	Colwick, Nottingham