Simplex 60S

The Motor Rail / Simplex 60S was, along with the 40S, the successors to the highly successful 32/42. The 60S has increased power between 50 to 72hp and had an improved version of the 32/42's three speed gearbox [1]. The 60S could be fitted with a cab or an exhaust quencher depending on the customer's requirements.

Sandy (11218/1962) at the Statfold Barn Railway

Information
Builder:	Simplex
Motor:	Dorman L series diesel
Power:	Up to 72 hp (52 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	4wDM

The illustrated locomotive, Sandy, is Simplex 11218/1962 which is fitted for 607mm gauge. It is preserved at the Lancashire Mining Museum [2] and is shown whilst undergoing work at the Statfold Barn Railway.

Another view of Sandy

Sandy is fitted with a cab

[1] Alan M. Keef, Simplex Locomotives at Work (Lightmoor Press, 2019) p. 11

[2] Industrial Locomotives Handbook 18th Edition (Industrial Railway Society, 2019) p. 157

Class 700 Desiro City

The huge fleet of Class 700 EMU has being built for the upgrade of Thameslink. They have replaced a number of old (and not quite so old units) such as the Classes 317, 319 and 377. The Class 700 is designed for high reliability, rapid acceleration, short dwell time and an increase in capacity.

The Class 700 is a development of the Desiro which is already common on British rails (the Class 450 for example). As they operate on cross-London services (North-South) they are equipped for both 25kV AC OHLE and 750v DC third rail operation.

Thameslink 700 134 at Oxted

Information
Number built:	1140 (115 8 and 12 car units)
Built:	2016-19
Builder:	Siemens Transportation
Engine:	Siemens traction system (750v DC third rail / 25kV AC OHLE)
Formation:	(700/0) Driving Motor Composite Open (DMCO)+Pantograph Trailer Standard Open (PTSO)+Motor Standard Open (MSO)+ Trailer Standard Open (TSO)+TSO+MSO+PTSO+DMCO (700/1) DMCO+PTSO+MSO+MSO+TSO+TSO+TSO+TSO+MSO+ MSO+PTSO+DMCO

The Class 700 was originally planned to enter service in 2012 though was delayed - however mostly due to political and legal not technical reasons. The first train arrived in the UK in 2015 and entered service in the Summer of 2016 with Thameslink.



The Class 700 comes in two versions, the 700/0 is an eight car unit and the 700/1 a twelve car unit. There are sixty 700/0s and fifty-five 700/1s. 

The Class 717 is a similar unit built for Great Northern for the Northern City Line. The Class 707 is another member of the Desiro City family operated by Southeastern Railway.

700 003 at Bedford

700 003 again this time at St Pancras International

700 004 passes through Mitcham Junction

700 007 at Catford

700 024 at London Bridge

Manchester Corporation Tramways 107-187

Manchester Corporation Tramways was the second largest tram network in Britain after the combined London tram network. At it's peak the corporation operated 953 trams. The corporation took over from the horse tram Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company in 1901 when the earlier company's leases expired. The corporation began a huge programme to electrify the network, and obviously required a lot of electric trams. Following a small number of trams built for evaluation purposes, the corporation placed large orders for three types for delivery in 1901, eighty were these double decker trams built by Brush.

Manchester Corporation Tram [2]

Information
Number built:	80
Built:	1901
Builder:	Brush Traction

The trams were originally open topped though top covers were retrofitted to most of the fleet at a later stage (Manchester, due to it's weather, began adding top covers to it's trams as early as 1904! [1]). The trams were built with Peckham Cantilever trucks though these were later changed to Brill 21E trucks. All of the trams were withdrawn by 1938. One tram (173) has been preserved.

[1] Charles Knapper, The Golden Age of Tramways (David & Charles, 1974) p. 134

[2] "New power station and electric car house as Manchester, England", Street Railway Journal (September 6 1902) Vol. XX No. 10 p. 300

Class 307 AM7 / PCV

The Class 307 EMU, originally known as the AM7, was built for London Liverpool Street-Southend Victoria services. Originally they operated off 1500V DC overhead supply but in the early 1960s were converted to AC electric, first at 6.25kV and later the standard 25kV [1]. They were built to the then-standard EPB style of Southern Region though operated on Eastern Region rails.

Preserved DTBS 75023

Information
Number built:	128 (32 4-car sets)
Built:	1954-56 (PCV conversion) 1994-96
Builder:	BR Ashford/Eastleigh (PCV conversion) Hunslet-Barclay
Engine:	4 GEC WT44 traction motors (1500V DC OLHE later 6.25/25kV AC OLHE)
Power:	700 hp (520 kW)
Formation:	(original) Driving Trailer Standard Open (DTSO)+ Motor Brake Standard (MBS)+Trailer Composite (TC)+ Driving Trailer Standard (DTS) (AC conversion) Driving Trailer Brake Standard (DTBS)+ Motor Standard (MS)+TC+DTS (refurbished) DTBS+MS+Trailer Standard (TS)+ Driving Trailer Composite (DTC)

The Class 307s were refurbished in the 1980s, which introduced gangways between the vehicles, improved interiors and new bogies. They continued to be used on Great Eastern routes throughout the 1980s, some also working on the Wakefield Line for a time. All were withdrawn from passenger service in the early 1990s.

Originally it was planned to rebuild the Class 307s for parcel traffic as the Class 300 but the Class 325 was built instead for this work. However forty-two were rebuilt as Propelling Control Vehicles (PCV) for use on the end of locomotive hauled mail trains (the other end from the locomotive obviously) with the cab allowing for the train to be controlled at slow speeds [2], the PCV itself is unpowered. All but two were withdrawn from use in the early 2000s and many scrapped though some remain in storage. One PCV has also been preserved as well as an unconverted driving trailer as shown below.

Front view of the preserved car

Another view, at the time the car was at the Electric Railway Museum (now closed)

[1] Alec Swain, Overhead Line Electric Multiple Units (Ian Allan, 1990) p. 28
[2] Colin J Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 221

Class 24 (BR/Sulzer 1,160hp Type B(2) Diesel-Electric)

The Class 24 was part of the original wave of diesel locomotives built as part of the British Railways Modernisation Plan in the 1950s. The initial twenty were Type B (later Type 2) pilot-scheme locomotives and the design was sufficiently successful to gain a full production run of 151. The locomotive was further developed as the follow-on Class 25.

Preserved 5081 at Kidderminster Town

Information
Number built:	151
Built:	1958-61
Builder:	BR Darlington, Derby and Crewe
Motor:	Sulzer 6LDA28 diesel
Power:	1, 160 hp (865 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	Bo-Bo

The Class 24 saw service across the network but mainly on the London Midland and Eastern Regions handling lighter freights and passenger services, and double heading on heavier trains. One problem which the locomotives had was a lack of sufficient brake force on longer loosely coupled freights which meant that diesel brake tenders were required [1]. The locomotives also served on the Southern and Scottish Regions, the latter batch having tablet catchers on the cab side for use on the Far North Line.

Compared to other Type 2s such as the Class 26, which had the same engine, the Class 24 had a number of disadvantages. The engine room air intakes and louvres were awkwardly situated making maintenance difficult [2] and filtering inefficient, they also suffered from having draughty cabs due to the little used cab end doors. 

Withdrawal of the Class 24s began in earnest in the 1970s with the last withdrawal from revenue earning service in 1980. A number remained in departmental use [3] until the last was withdrawn in 1987. Four have been preserved.

Another view of 5081

5081 (24 081) was the last loco to be withdrawn from revenue service in 1980

5081 at Kidderminster Town

5081 arrives at Arley

[1] Brian Haresnape, Early Prototype & Pilot-Scheme Diesel-Electrics (Ian Allan, 1981) p. 67

[2] Brian Haresnape, Production Diesel-Electrics Types 1-3 (Ian Allan, 1983) p. 33

[3] Colin J Marsden, Departmental Stock (Ian Allan, 1984) p. 106

London Underground 1973 Tube Stock

The 1973 Tube Stock fleet was ordered to replace the mixture of 1938, 1959 and 1962 Tube Stock which operated on the Piccadilly Line in the early 1970s. A large fleet was ordered so that more trains could be provided, they were also needed for the extension of the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow Airport in the late 1970s [1]. The trains entered service from 1975 and are now the second oldest stock in operation on the London Underground.

235 at Acton Town

Eighty six 6-car units were ordered with an extra three-car unit for the Aldwych branch, seventy six of these are needed for peak time operation. The trains usually operate with two Uncoupling Non Driving Motors in the middle though twenty units can operate as a complete three-car unit with a Driving Motor at either end however service trains usually contain six cars. When the Aldwych branch of the Piccadilly Line was still operating a single three-car unit was used on it [2].

Information
Number built:	519 (86.5 6-car units)
Built:	1974-77
Builder:	Metro-Cammell
Engine:	4 LT118 traction motors per motor car (630v DC fourth rail)
Power:	260 hp / 196 kW per motor car
Formation:	Driving Motor (DM)+Trailer (T)+Uncoupling Non Driving Motor (UNDM)[+UNDM+T+DM] (some as DM+T+DM)

At eighteen metres in length the 1973 Tube Stock cars were longer than previous tube stock (which were usually around sixteen metres in length) this allowed for six-car trains instead of seven as was the case before with earlier tube stock but with virtually the same capacity. This resulted in a reduced operating cost due to smaller number of bogies, car bodies et cetera needed [3]. The 1973 Tube Stock was refurbished by Bombardier in the late 1990s and has regularly been London Underground's most reliable fleet of rolling stock [4].

The 1973 Tube Stock is due to be replaced in the Deep Tube Upgrade Programme in the mid 2020s. Originally replacement of the 1973 Tube Stock was planned much earlier and indeed at one time they were considered the preferred and natural replacement for the 1938 Tube Stock / Class 483 on the Isle of Wight. However now they are planned to remain in service until 2026 when they will be replaced by the 2025 Tube Stock, and the Isle of Wight had to make other plans!

Arriving at Holborn

198 at Acton Town

Arriving at Ealing Common

Approaching Acton Town

Passing through Ravenscourt Park

[1] John Glover, London Underground Rolling Stock in Colour (Ian Allan, 2009) p. 8
[2] Anthony Badsey-Ellis and Mike Horne, The Aldwych Branch (Capital Transport, 2009) p. 72
[3] J. Graeme Bruce, The London Underground Tube Stock (Ian Allan, 1988) p. 114
[4] John Hawkins, "LU Train Reliability", Underground News No. 644 (August 2015), p. 458

Baguley Cars 800

This locomotive was built to order by McEwan Pratt & Co. for Dought Son & Richardson in 1920 (McEwan Pratt being a pseudonym for Baguley Cars). However, the locomotive was never delivered and instead remained at Baguley as a works locomotive until 1933. It was finally sold to the London Brick Company and remained in service with a number of owners until the mid-1960s until it entered preservation.

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1920
Builder:	McEwan Pratt & Co (Baguley Cars)
Motor:	Baguley 4-cyl petrol engine
Power:	100 hp (74 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	0-4-0PM

Baguley Cars 800 is similar in form to the earlier 680 from the same manufacturer though more powerful. The engine was located next to the cab, ahead of it was a large water tank used for coolant. This gave the locomotive an appearance similar to the steam engines it was intended to replace.

Baguley 800 at Tyseley

Class 57 (Brush Traction/EMD 2,500/2,750hp Type 4 Diesel-Electric)

The Class 57 was devised as a low-cost way to create a "new" diesel locomotive [1]. Class 47s were gutted down to their body shells and then refitted with refurbished and reconditioned equipment including second-hand General Motors diesel engines and reconditioned Class 56 alternators [2]. The resulting locomotives still look like Class 47s (though some have had major modifications to the cab ends) but are completely different inside.

ROG 57 312 at Derby

Information
Number built:	33 rebuilds
Built:	1964-67 (as Class 47) Rebuilds 1998-2005
Builder:	Brush Traction (rebuilds) BR Crewe
Engine:	EMD 645-12E3 diesel (57/0) EMD 645-12F3B diesel (57/3 and 57/6)
Power:	2, 500 hp (1, 864 kW) (57/0) 2, 750 hp (2, 051 kW) (57/3 and 57/6)
Wheel arrangement:	Co-Co

The initial batch of twelve (57/0) were built as freight locomotives for Freightliner and now are operated by DRS. Virgin Trains had sixteen locomotives rebuilt as Class 57/3s to haul VT and Cross Country multiple units such as the Class 390 on "Thunderbird" duties (for diversionary routes and to rescue units in the event of an overhead line failure), these have provision for electric train heating and drop-head Dellner couplers to enable working with Virgin's (now Avanti West Coast's) multiple units. DRS now operate these "Thunderbird" locomotives as well.

First Great Western (later GWR) have had four rebuilt, also with electric train heating, as Class 57/6s to work sleeper trains from London Paddington to Penzance. Some Class 57s are now in service with West Coast Railways and the Railway Operations Group. 

West Coast 57 313 at Derby

DRS 57 309 at Rugby

DRS 57 306 at Kidderminster Town

West Coast 57 316 at Haslemere

DRS 57 308 at Crewe

[1] Colin J. Marsden, Traction Recognition (2nd Edition) (Ian Allan, 2009) p. 52
[2] Pip Dunn, British Rail Main Line Locomotives Specification Guide (Crowood Press, 2013) p. 126

SR/English Electric 1,750/2,000hp 1Co-Co1 Diesel-Electric (Class D16/2)

As with the LMR with what became the Class D16/1, the Southern Railway also looked into diesel main line locomotives in the final few months of the company's existence before nationalisation. These locomotives were designed by Oliver Bulleid, and similar in appearance to Bulleid's electric Class 70 locomotives, though did not arrive until the early days of British Railways. The first two were built at Ashton Works with the third, which followed a couple of years later, built at Brighton. Unlike other early diesel locomotives, they were geared for express passenger services and could reach 180 km/h though this was later reduced to 140 km/h when the gear ratios were reduced to better suit mixed-traffic work.

10201 after delivery [2]

Information
Number built:	3
Built:	1950-54
Builder:	BR Ashton & Brighton Works
Motor:	English Electric 16SVT diesel
Power:	1, 750 hp (1, 300 kW) / 2, 000 hp (1, 500 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	1Co-Co1

The first two locomotives were rated for 1, 750 hp (for one hour) [1] though after 1957 were downrated to 1, 600 only. The third locomotive had a number of modifications ands refinements and was rated at 2, 000 hp. All three locomotives worked on the Southern and London Midland regions of British Railways. The power train and bogie design of the third locomotive became the basis of the highly successful Class 40.

Being non-standard the locomotives did not have a long life. All three were withdrawn in the early 1960s and scrapped a few years later.

One of the locomotives at work [3]

10202 [3]

Under construction [2]

[1] Brian Haresnape, Early Prototype & Pilot Scheme Diesel-Electrics (Ian Allan, 1981) p. 25

[2] "Southern Diesel Express Locomotives", Meccano Magazine (May 1951) p. 197

[3] S.C. Townroe, "Riding a Southern Main Line Diesel", Meccano Magazine (July 1952) p. 290