 In the 1960s, as the railway preservation movement began to gather momentum, a small number of R class locomotives found a new role as power for excursion train services.In this role they were able to fulfill their intended role of high speed passenger travel, with speeds of over being recorded.R 707, which due to various defects had still not been put into service by 1954, was selected for modification for precipitated brown coal (PBC) operation in conjunction with trials of this fuel being undertaken with X class 'Mikado' X 32.