These three battery electric locomotives were built by English Electric for the Post Office Railway, ready for it's opening. They were used in the event of breakdowns and also to deliver spares when the electric current of the railway was turned off (as it was every day for two hours). The locomotives were stationed at King Edward Building, Mount Pleasant and Paddington. The locomotives were regularly rotated to even out any wear and tear and to facilitate maintenance at Mount Pleasant. The sidings that the locomotives were stored on were locked while the conductor rail was live [1].
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| Locomotive #2 at Mount Pleasant |
| Information |
| Number built: |
3 |
| Built: |
1926 |
| Builder: |
English Electric |
| Motor: |
2 Electric motors |
| Power: |
50 hp (37 kW) |
| Wheel arrangement: |
4wBE |
The locomotives were powerful enough and had enough battery capacity to be able to haul two fully loaded mail trains around the system on one charge [2]. They remained in use while the Post Office Railway was in operation. Two still exist and are on display at Mount Pleasant Post Office Museum.
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| Locomotive #3 |
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| Another view of #2 |
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| The battery compartment of #3 takes up considerable space |
[1] Peter Johnson, Mail by Rail (Ian Allan, 1995) p. 118[2] Mike Sullivan, Mail Rail (Redshank Books, 2019) p. 27
