D5207 is a British Rail Type 2 locomotive built at Derby Works in July 1963, fitted with a Sulzer 6LDA28b 1259 hp six-cylinder diesel engine, dual brakes, and a steam carriage heating boiler. Delivered new to Toton shed for use on the Midland main line, it then worked at various sheds on the Midland region, where it was regularly used with the Royal Train. In 1978 it was transferred to the Western region at Laira, for working local and china clay trains. It was returned to the Midlands in 1980 for work in the North West. Condemned as surplus on 15th March 1987 at Llandudno, it was driven to Crewe for disposal, its official withdrawal date being three days later. The next day the loco was hauled to the storage sidings at Basford Hall, with the last class 25 in British Railways service being withdrawn shortly afterwards in the 23rd March 1987.

25.057 was sent to Vic Berry scrap-merchant and by July 18th had appeared in Leicester's Humbestone Road yard along with several other condemned members of the class. In September the loco was moved to Berry's premise at the ex GCR Braunstone Gate goods yard, but was left intact for possible resale. Hence it avoided the famous pyramid of class 25 and 27 bodies awaiting the cutters torch. Berry's became the graveyard for over sixty British Rail Sulzer type-2 locomotives, mainly those with heavy asbestos contamination.

The loco was purchased for preservation in January 1988, but stayed at Leicester for several more months awaiting for asbestos removal work to take place. Originally it was thought that the loco would go to the Great Central Railway, but it was delivered by road to Quainton in August 1988. Twenty out of a total class of over 300 of the class have been preserved and work on the various preserved lines in the UK, of which D5207 is the second oldest.

It was now in running order, with a top speed of 90 mph. It has an A.E.I. electric transmission fitted.

British Rail Type 2 locomotives are in many ways the missing link between steam locomotives and modern diesels. Fitted with a steam heating boiler and vacuum and air brakes, it can operate steam locomotive carriages and rolling stock. The water tank filler for the train boiler is designed to be filled from a steam locomotive water tower.

The locomotive moved to the North Norfolk Railway in April 1991, where it was reunited with D5386, which as 27066, was stored with 25057 in Berry's sidings during the winter of 1987/8. At the North Norfolk Railway it was fully restored to early dark green British Railways livery, and has been extensively used since arriving in Norfolk. More recently it was repainted into British Railways blue livery, and had some maintenance including bodywork repairs. 25057 was sold out of preservation to Harry Needle Railroad Company and left the North Norfolk Railway on the 26th November 2019.

Current Location - Harry Needle Railroad Company.

References:
Shed Noticeboard - From the Ashpit - Loco Department News - Quainton News No. 66 - Winter 1989 / 90
Quainton News No. 84, Summer 1999 / Quainton News No. 92, Autumn 2004