Class 506 (Metro-Cammell / Birmingham Railway Wagon and Carriage Company LMR Manchester Suburban Services 3-car)

The Class 506 was built for the electrification of the LNER Woodhead route between Manchester (London Road) and Sheffield [1] and the Glossop branch. The electrification of the line had begun in the late 1930s but due to the war was not completed until the early 1950s. These units, built to the same design as the AC electric Shenfield line Class 306 [2], but drawing on 1500v DC overhead electric spent their working lives on the Hatfield and Glossop line [3].

Information
Number built:	24 (8 3-car sets)
Built:	1954
Builder:	Metro-Cammell / Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Comany
Engine:	4 GEC traction motors (1500v DC OHLE)
Power:	740 hp (555 kW)
Formation:	Driving Motor Brake Standard (DMBS)+Trailer Composite (TC) +Driving Trailer Standard (DTS) later TC became a Trailer Standard (TS)

They were built with first class accommodation in the central trailer but this was declassified in 1960. Although they physically could have operated elsewhere on the Woodhead route the Class 506s seldom left their line. The Woodhead route was closed East of Hatfield in 1981 but the Class 506s continued in service until their line was converted to AC electrification in 1984. They became the last mainline trains to operate using the once standard 1500v DC overhead line method. All that remains of the class is a single severed cab that has survived into preservation.

This cab of M508404M is all that survives

The pantograph can be seen on the cab roof

[1] Alec Swain, Overhead Line Electric-Multiple Units (Ian Allan, 1990) p. 21
[2] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recogition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 384 
[3] Alan Whitehouse, The Woodhead Route (Ian Allan, 2014) p. 38

Vale of Rheidol Number 10 (BMR002)

Diesel shunter Number 10 (works number BMR002) performs shunting and hauls engineering trains on the narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol railway between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge. The locomotive was bought while the railway was still part of British Rail (until 1989) and thus was the last shunter bought by BR!

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1987
Builder:	Brecon Mountain Railway / Baguely Drewry
Engine:	Caterpillar diesel
Power:	165 hp (123 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	0-6-0

The locomotive was built at the Brecon Mountain Railway at Pant from parts obtained by Baguely Drewry [1] when that company went out of business. Number 10 is a diesel hydraulic. Two similar locomotives are also operated by the Ffestiniog Railway.

Number 10 shunts coaching stock at Aberystwyth

Bringing the train in

Number 10 is painted in GWR Brunswick green to match the VoR's steam fleet

[1] Vic Mitchell, Corris & Vale of Rheidol (Middleton Press, 2009) p. 90

Thomas Hill Sentinel rebuilds

The small diesel shunter Thomas Hill Class 188c is interesting as it started life as a steam locomotive! It is one of a number of Sentinel vertical boiler steam locomotives converted to diesel in the 1960s by Thomas Hill of Rotherham.

Information
Builder:	(Original) Sentinel Wagon Works (Rebuild) Thomas Hill
Engine:	Rolls Royce C6 diesel
Power:	170 hp (126 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	4wDH

Conversion involved replacing the steam boiler with a Rolls Royce diesel locomotive, adding diesel-hydraulic transmission and new buffer beams plus changes to the superstructure. Thomas Hill 188c was built in 1955 as a steam locomotive and converted in 1967 to diesel. It was used by the CEGB at the North Stella power station before passing into preservation, one of a number now preserved.

Thomas Hill 188c at Wirkworth on the EVR

Thomas Hill 111c at the Foxfield Railway

Another view of 188c

LMS 7400 (7050)

The LMS was an early pioneer of diesel traction and built a number of experimental diesel shunters in the early 1930s. Number 7050 (originally allocated the number 7400) was the smallest of these. It was built by Drewry (establishing what would become the very familiar look of their shunters) at the EE Dick Kerr works in Preston [1].

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1934
Builder:	Drewry Car / EE Dick Kerr
Engine:	W H Allan 8RS18 (Later) Gardner 6L3
Power:	160 hp (120 kW) (Allan) 153 hp (114 kW) (Gardner)
Wheel arrangement:	0-4-0

Although a small shunter, 7050 had an impressive performance and was able to haul up to 400 tons. It was sold to the War Department in World War 2 and remained in MoD service until being preserved in 1979 [2]. It is during its military service that the original Allan engine was replaced by a Gardner one. It is now part of the national collection at York.

LMS 7050 at the National Railway Museum, York

At the time 7050 was in the NRM Great Hall

Front view of 7050, note the taper on the bonnet

[1] Brian Haresnape, Diesel Shunters (Ian Allan, 1984) p. 6
[2] Colin J. Marsden (ed.), "The LMS Designs", Modern Locomotives Illustrated No 217 February-March 2016 (SR, GW, LNER, LMS & Trial Shunters & Class 03) p. 4