The aims of CFPS - mainline
Quote from a 1980 CFPS Membership Prospectus:

"The Society does not merely wish to 'stuff and mount' a static Class 40. We feel that a member of the class should be preserved in full working order, operating on a preserved railway or on special trains on B.R. The policy of British Rail towards restored diesels at present

forbids such locomotives from travelling under their own power on B.R. lines. However, since B.R. had previously adopted this policy towards steam locomotives we hope that they will reconsider their attitude to preserved diesels, enabling our 'Whistler' to work special trains on B.R. metals."

A great deal of administration has been carried out to prepare the Society for the financial, legal and contractual implications involved in running trains on the main line. The CFPS constitution was updated early in 2002 in line with our main line aims, and preparation work on the locomotive was completed on time. Resco Railway Ltd certified the loco fit to run on the mainline following successful test runs on 28th October 2002.

Operating company
The main line operating company of the CFPS, CFPS mainline limited, was officially formed on 27th February 2002. This will become the locomotive hiring body. The CFPS will hire D345 to CFPS mainline limited, who will in turn hire the locomotive to the appropriate operators. As the CFPS is a charity, formation of CFPS mainline limited was vital to provide a legally-recognised means of hiring the locomotive, and to protect the Society assets and Membership from any legal proceedings should any unfortunate circumstances arise. Two company directors have been appointed from the CFPS management committee, they are John Stephens and David Peacock.

Funding
The project has been funded by donations from CFPS Members, non-Members and other fundraising activities, channeled into the target Mainline Running Fund. Thank you to all our Members who have made a donation, large or small. You have made it all possible. A huge 'thank you' goes to a handful of supporters who wish to remain anonymous, but who have given three or four-figure donations to the MLR Fund.

A huge 'thank you' also goes to Engineroom Art, who kindly donated a profit-share from the sale of the first artwork, 'Class 40 Trio'. Engineroom Art have continued to support us in the MLR project by assisting with publicity, along with promotion and donating prizes for the 2002 CFPS-mainline draw.

Thank you also to American Express. We received a contribution of several hundred pounds in October from the Charities Aid Foundation, thanks to an application by one of our long-standing Members, Andrew Walton, made under an Amex employee scheme.

Many thanks also go to Pathfinder tours for their support and co-operation throughout the project. Pathfinder very kindly allowed us to distribute publicity material and hold the on-train raffle on their sell-out tour 'The Post Festive Freighter' in June 2002, raising several hundred pounds towards the fund.