Hudson Hunslet 4wDM Shunters

Robert Hudson began producing narrow gauge locomotives for industrial use in 1911, at first steam locomotives in partnership with Hudswell Clarke. Later locomotives with internal combustion engines were built, these in partnership with the likes of Kerr Stuart. From 1937 Hudson went into partnership with the Hunslet Engine Company and the locomotives began to carry a Hudson Hunslet badge. These were simple locomotives usually powered by a 20 hp/15 kW) Alisa Craig diesel with chain drive.

Hudson Hunslet 3621 (1947) at the Statfold Barn Railway

Information for typical Hudson Hunslet 4wDM
Builder:	Robert Hudson / Hunslet Engine Company
Motor:	Alisa Craig CF2 diesel
Power:	20 hp (15 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	4wDM

The locomotives were simple in design without any enclosed cabs though there were options to add these if the customer required. Later versions, built in the 1950s, had more powerful engines, up to 50 hp (37 kW) and were slightly more refined in design though largely unchanged. A number of these shunters have been preserved both in the UK and abroad.

Atlas, Hudson Hunslet 2463 (1944) served with the MOD at Long Marston

Cab of Atlas

Another view of 3621

Rear view of Atlas, both this and 3621 are 610mm gauge locomotives

LBSCR Elevated Electric Stock / Southern Railway 2-SL / 2-WIM

These trains were built for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway for it's "Elevated Electric" South London Line between London Victoria and London Bridge. The trains consisted of three car sets with two motor cars at either end for third class passengers (one including a guard's van) and first class passengers in an unpowered (and thus quieter) centre car! [1] The trains used a bow collector to connect to the overhead lines which supplied 6.7 kV AC at 25Hz [2]. The centre cars were removed from the formations in 1913 to become steam hauled stock.

Elevated Electric Stock on delivery [1]

Information
Number built:	24 (8 3-car sets later 16 2-car sets)
Built:	1908
Builder:	Metropolitan Amalgamated Carriage and Wagon Company
Motor:	4 Winter Eichberg compensated-repulsion motors (6.7kV AC OHLE later 660v DC third rail)
Power:	460 hp (343 kW)
Formation:	Motor Third Brake (MThB) + Trailer First (TF) + Motor Third Brake

The first trains began running on the line via Denmark Hill in early 1909 [3]. The line was an immediate success and the LBSCR slowly expanded their elevated electric network on routes from Crystal Palace, more stock was produced in longer formations and with uprated Winter Eichberg motors.

However in 1923 the LBSCR was absorbed into the Southern Railway and the decision was taken to standardise on DC third rail. By 1928 the elevated electric lines had been converted to DC and the rolling stock also rebuilt. The Southern Region referred to the former elevated electric trains as 2-SL. They remained in service until 1954.

The Trailer Firsts were also rebuilt (even though they had been used as hauled stock for years) to form extra driving motor and trailer pairs. The Southern Region termed these sets 2-WIM and used them on the Wimbledon-West Croydon Line. They also remained in service until 1954.

SL stock in operation [3] note the bow collector

Comparison of first (left) and third class [1]

Motor bogie [1]

[1] "Electric Rolling Stock for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway", The Railway Times (March 6 1909) p. 241
[2] David Brown, Southern Electric Vol. 1 (Capital Transport, 2010) p. 14
[3] "Electrification of suburban lines on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway", The Railway Times (March 25, 1911) p. 289

Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway

The Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway linked Grimsby with the port of Immingham where a new large port complex had been built. The line was built by the Great Central Railway and opened in stages from 1912 with the full line open the following year [1]. The line operated hybrid tramcars incorporating tram car and railway technology running mainly on reserved railway track [2], as such this was an early tramtrain to use the current term.

Preserved number 14 at Crich

Information for GCR built cars
Number built:	4
Built:	1915
Builder:	Great Central Railway / Brush Traction
Motor:	2 DK9 electric motors (500v DC OHLE)
Power:	100 hp (75 kW)

The first batch of twelve tram cars was built by Brush and Dick Kerr, some were short bodied for use on street sections of the line in Grimsby. A second batch was built at the GCR's Dukinfield Works in 1915. Later on some more traditional ex-street tram cars were added to the fleet which after 1923 became part of the London North Eastern Railway and finally British Railways.

The line began to be run down in the 1950s with the street running section closed first and the final closure in 1961, three vehicles have been preserved. Although the line did carry a lot of passengers even to the end it was never a great money spinner for it's owners.

Original cars in GCR days [3]

Interior of GCR car [3]

Another view of 14

[1] Colin J Marsden, Light Rail (Key Publishing, 2018) p. 108
[2] E. Jackson-Stevens, British Electric Tramways (David & Charles, 1971) p. 37
[3] "Great Central's Electric Line at Immingham", The Railway Times (April 6, 1912) p. 357

Class 143 (Walter Alexander / Andrew Barclay Local & Secondary Services 2-car)

The Class 143 is one of the Pacer family of diesel multiple units. It was built at the same time as the Class 142 and is also a railbus design marrying a bus or coach type body (built by coach builder Walter Alexander) to a chassis derived from a freight vehicle [1]. The Class 143 perhaps look a bit more like a train compared to the 142, the body of which retained more aspects of its Leyland National bus heritage. The follow-on Class 144 uses the same body as the Class 143 though with a different chassis [2].

Transport for Wales 143 623 at Cardiff Central

Information
Number built:	50 (25 2-car sets)
Built:	1985-86
Builder:	Walter Alexander / Andrew Barclay
Motor:	Cummins LTA10-R diesel per car
Power:	450hp (330kW)
Formation:	DMS (Driving Motor Standard)+DMSL (Driving Motor Standard Lavatory)

Originally the 143s worked for British Rail's Provincial Sector and the Tyne & Wear PTE. In the privatised era they are operated by GWR and Transport for Wales (formerly Arriva Trains Wales). Like the 142s their original transmission has been replaced with a Voith hydraulic one.

As with the other Pacer designs the 143s are now in their final few months though the planned withdrawal by 2020 may slip by a few months. Two trainsets have already been withdrawn due to fire damage.

Transport for Wales 143 624 at Cardiff Queen Street

Arriva Trains Wales 143 606 at Cardiff Queen Street

ATW 143 609 at Cardiff Queen Street

ATW 143 614 (and a Class 142) at Cardiff Central

ATW 142 075 and 143 606 at Cardiff Queen Street

[1] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 125
[2] Brian Haresnape, Diesel Multiple Units: The Second Generation & DEMUs (Ian Allan, 1986) p. 70

Hunslet Engine Company NCB 4wDH shunters

The Hunslet Engine Company built a number of small narrow gauge diesel hydraulic shunters in the late 1970s and early 1980s for use by the National Coal Board at pits across the country.

HE8819 at the Statfold Barn Railway

Information
Builder:	Hunslet Engine Company
Motor:	Diesel
Wheel arrangement:	4wDH

HE8819 is an example of one of these shunters. It was built in 1979 and used at Nantgarw Colliery in Wales, running on the 914mm gauge network there. Now it is preserved at the Statfold Barn Railway and has been re-gauged to 610mm.

Another preserved example is HE8812, built in 1978 it also worked in Wales at Cefn Coed Colliery it has now been restored to operational condition at the museum built on the Cefn Coed site [1]. Also preserved is HE8816 which worked at Killoch Colliery in Scotland and is now preserved by the Ayrshire Railway Preservation Group [2].

Another view of HE8819

[1] Industrial Railway Society, Industrial Loocomotives (18th Edition) (Industrial Railway Society, 2019) p. 293
[2] Ibid. p. 259