Brighton Lovers Walk is the home to one locomotive, Class 09 No. 09026 which until recently has been used for depot pilot duties.

It does not have a Dellner coupler, but is able to be fitted with a mobile coupler adopter to allow attachment to the depots Class 377 allocation if needed.

However, in recent months a new and novel use has been found for the loco, which will see its retention at Lovers walk, that of a depot de-icer! With the two Southern-operated de-icing EMUs at Selhurst either out of use or unable to visit Lovers Walk depot, it was agreed for Southern staff to modify No. 09026 to apply de-icing fluid from ‘trickle pipes’ attached below the nose end foot steps. The de-icing fluid is kept in an engine room mounted tank and application to the head of the live rail to inhibit freezing is controlled from a switch in the driving cab.

No. 09026 has recently been renovated by Lovers Walk staff, and now sports green livery. It is not allowed to operate in its de-icing role outside the depot limits. It is thought that this is the first time an 08 or 09 has been modified for de-icing duties.