CLASS 56 LOCOMOTIVES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
05426226 · ltd · incorporated 2005-04-15
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Oct 2025
Net worth
£259.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Museum activities
Sector: Arts, entertainment & recreation
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 59). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (77/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
10 officers (2 active, 10 linked, 8 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
98 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £259,502
Cash YoY
+1933%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£101k
↑ 1933% YoY
Net Worth
£260k
↑ 2.0% YoY
Current Assets
£136k
↑ 179% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£52k£104k£156k£208k£260kOct 2024Oct 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-10-312024-10-31
Total assets£259.5k£254.4k
Current assets£135.5k£48.7k
Cash£101.2k£5.0k
Debtors£1.8k£6.2k
Net assets£259.5k£254.4k

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
3
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 officers
Last 180 days
3
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 officers
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (38 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2026-04-19
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  3. 2026-04-08
    ➖
    BROOKS, Christopher Alan resigned
    director
  4. 2025-11-20
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  5. 2025-11-15
    ➖
    BULMER, Keith resigned
    director
  6. 2025-10-05
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  7. 2025-07-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2025-04-24
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  9. 2024-06-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2024-04-26
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  11. 2024-04-25
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  12. 2024-04-25
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  13. 2023-04-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2023-03-21
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  15. 2022-08-01
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  16. 2022-08-01
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  17. 2022-07-23
    ➖
    PAYLING, Richard Forbes resigned
    director
  18. 2022-07-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2022-04-25
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  20. 2021-05-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  21. 2021-04-08
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  22. 2021-03-22
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  23. 2019-02-05
    ➖
    WILSON, Andrew resigned
    director
  24. 2016-07-02
    ➕
    PAYLING, Richard Forbes appointed
    director
  25. 2016-01-29
    ➖
    COTTON, Nicholas resigned
    director
  26. 2015-07-04
    ➕
    BROOKS, Christopher Alan appointed
    director
  27. 2015-01-01
    ➕
    BULMER, Keith appointed
    director
  28. 2009-09-28
    ➕
    COTTON, Nicholas appointed
    director
  29. 2009-07-18
    ➖
    JOHNSON, Paul Andrew resigned
    director
  30. 2006-09-01
    ➕
    WILSON, Andrew appointed
    director
  31. 2005-09-01
    ➖
    ELLIOTT, Roger Geroge resigned
    director
  32. 2005-04-20
    ➕
    DAWE, Michael Timothy appointed
    secretary
  33. 2005-04-20
    ➖
    CLARK, Stephen John resigned
    secretary
  34. 2005-04-20
    ➕
    ELLIOTT, Roger Geroge appointed
    director
  35. 2005-04-20
    ➕
    JOHNSON, Paul Andrew appointed
    director
  36. 2005-04-15
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CLASS 56 LOCOMOTIVES LIMITED
  37. 2005-04-15
    ➕
    DAWE, Michael Timothy appointed
    director
  38. 2005-04-15
    ➕
    CLARK, Stephen John appointed
    secretary

Owner dependency

93/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 59 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 59. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 21 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

1 med ·
2 director resignations in last 12 months
medium

Multiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.

Evidence: BROOKS, Christopher Alan resigned 2026-04-08; BULMER, Keith resigned 2025-11-15

Group structure

Class 56 Group Committee holds 25-50% — a significant corporate investor but not a controlling parent.

🏛️
Class 56 Group Committee
Corporate parent · holds 25-50% shares
significant stake
⬇
CLASS 56 LOCOMOTIVES LIMITED
This company · 05426226

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Class 56 Group Committee
Corporate entity
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2005-04-15
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC91020 — Museum activities

Registered office

1 Stanley Avenue
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
B75 7EQ

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-29
Last: 2026-04-15

Officers (2 active · 8 resigned)

DAWE, Michael Timothy→
secretary · appointed 2005-04-20
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DAWE, Michael Timothy→
director · ~59y · appointed 2005-04-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CLARK, Stephen John→
secretary · appointed 2005-04-15 · resigned 2005-04-20
Resigned
BROOKS, Christopher Alan→
director · ~60y · appointed 2015-07-04 · resigned 2026-04-08
Resigned
BULMER, Keith→
director · ~61y · appointed 2015-01-01 · resigned 2025-11-15
Resigned
COTTON, Nicholas→
director · ~58y · appointed 2009-09-28 · resigned 2016-01-29
Resigned
ELLIOTT, Roger Geroge→
director · ~57y · appointed 2005-04-20 · resigned 2005-09-01
Resigned
JOHNSON, Paul Andrew→
director · ~61y · appointed 2005-04-20 · resigned 2009-07-18
Resigned
PAYLING, Richard Forbes→
director · ~58y · appointed 2016-07-02 · resigned 2022-07-23
Resigned
WILSON, Andrew→
director · ~63y · appointed 2006-09-01 · resigned 2019-02-05
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (98 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-05-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-27
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2026-04-19
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-11-20
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2025-10-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-09
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-25
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2025-04-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-06-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-26
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2024-04-26
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2024-04-25
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2024-04-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-13