Into the 1960s British Rail continued to have a number of goods yards with very tight radius curves which required locomotives (and indeed rolling stock) with short wheel bases. The Class 02 locomotives were built to replace 0-4-0ST "Pug" steam locomotives mostly at dockyards in the Liverpool area [1] but also at other locations in London Midland Region such as Burton-on-Trent [2] and Fleetwood [3].
D2868 at Barrow Hill Roundhouse
Information
Number built:
20
Built:
1960
Builder:
Yorkshire Engine Company
Engine:
Rolls Royce C6 diesel
Power:
170 hp (130 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
0-4-0
These neat little diesel hydraulic locomotives were designed to be similar in size, weight and flexibility to the little steam engines they replaced. An interesting part of their design was that cab access was via a platform at the rear, the only production class of locomotive built for British Rail to have this feature [4].
As with many shunters though they soon were becoming surplus to requirements as the nature of the freight business changed and many marshalling yards closed. Withdrawals began in 1969, though a small number did see service into the early 1970s and carried TOPS numbers. All were withdrawn by 1975, some of these shunters were sold onto further service with industrial users. Seven have been preserved (one with the National Collection) which is a good proportion of what was only a small number built.
D2854 at the Heritage Shunters Trust
02 003 at Barrow Hill
A Class 02 being rebuilt at the Heritage Shunters Trust
D2854 ahead of some fellow shunters
Another view of 02 003
[1] Brian Haresnape, Diesel Shunters (Ian Allan, 1984) p. 63 [2] David Dunn, D for Diesels 10 (Booklaw Publications, 2015) p. 16 [3] David Dunn, D for Diesels 11 (Booklaw Publications, 2016) p. 47 [4] Heritage Shunters Trust Stock List May 2015 p. 2
These were the third batch of tramcars delivered to the Manx Electric Railway in 1895. However, they were not a success due to being open at the sides and having no glazed windows. All four were converted (after the open sides were boarded up) to carry cattle instead!
No. 12 after conversion to cattle car
Information
Number built:
4
Built:
1895
Builder:
G.F. Milnes
Motor:
4 SEHC electric motors (550v DC OHLE)
Power:
100 hp (75 kW)
However, their time in service was relatively short (especially compared to other stock on the line). Three have been scrapped. The survivor has been preserved though no longer is in use.
[1] "The Manx Electric Railway", Street Railway Journal (Vol. XXIV No. 10 March 05 1904) p. 356
The Class 82 (or AL2) was another of the five classes of AC electric locomotive built for the West Coast Main Line electrification. The Class 82 used AEI/Metropolitan-Vickers electrical equipment though the locomotive building was sub-contracted out to Beyer Peacock [1]. The Class 82 used a number of components in common with the Class 81, though were overweight compared to British Rail's specification due to a sturdier and more traditional method of construction used. To get back within the weight limit some parts of the structure were replaced with aluminium or fibre glass and lighter versions of some items of electrical equipment were fitted [2].
82 008 at Barrow Hill
Information
Number built:
10
Built:
1960-62
Builder:
Beyer Peacock / Metropolitan-Vickers
Engine:
4 Metropolitan-Vickers 189Z traction motors (6.25 / 25kV AC OHLE)
Power:
3, 300 hp (2, 460 kW) continuous
Wheel arrangement:
Bo-Bo
Although the Class 82 had problems with their mercury-arc rectifiers like some of the other early electric locomotives, it was not as bad as with some of the other classes. The rectifiers were replaced with silicon-diode rectifiers as with the other classes in the early 1970s. One problem the Class 82 did have at times was a tendency to overheat when stationary if the equipment was still running due to inadequate internal ventilation [3].
One was withdrawn due to fire damage in 1966, another in 1971. The rest survived into the 1980s but began to be withdrawn as sufficient supplies more modern traction became available. Two survived (along with two Class 83s) on Euston empty stock movements until 1987. One Class 82 (82 008) has been preserved.
Another view of 82 008, externally it is very similar to the other five early AC loco classes
[1] Gavin Morrison, AC Electric Locomotives (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 11 [2] Brian Haresnape, Electric Locomotives (Ian Allan, 1983) p. 49 [3] Morrison p. 11
Greenwood & Batley produced electric railway vehicles, including for the Post Office Railway) under the Greenbat name. This included many battery electric locomotives for industrial use which were built from 1927. In 1970 they built 420253 for the Weardale Lead Company, a typical low profile locomotive for use in mines.
420253
Information
Number built:
1
Built:
1970
Builder:
Greenwood & Batley
Motor:
2 Battery electric motors
Power:
52 hp (39 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
4wBE
The locomotive has entered preservation and is currently at the Statfold Barn Railway.
The Class 47 is the largest single class of mainline diesel locomotive built for British railways with a total of 512 built in the 1960s [1]. They became the standard Type 4 diesel locomotive and have operated over all parts of British railways on passenger, freight and engineering services. Most have now been withdrawn but there are still around thirty in mainline service plus others in preservation. Thirty-three have also been rebuilt and re-engined as Class 57s.
47 580 at Crewe
Information
Number built:
512
Built:
1962-68
Builder:
Brush / BR Crewe
Motor:
Sulzer 12LDA28-C diesel
Power:
2, 580 hp (1, 920 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
Co-Co
The Class 47 was built to allow British Railways to finally withdraw steam traction on mainline services by 1968 and became the definitive second generation diesel locomotive for BR.
Originally they were a follow-on from the Class 45/46 Peaks and indeed the first twenty Class 47s replaced the last twenty Class 46s on order [2] with some of the equipment used (and in subsequent locomotives) was chosen because it was left over from the "Peak" production. The Class 47 had an uprated version of the Sulzer 12LDA28 powerplant but had a flat front as mandated by British Rail and took advantage of improvements in technology especially in terms of weight savings to be a Co-Co not a 1Co-Co1.
There were some teething problems as might be expected with such a big class, the Sulzer diesels needed to be derated to 2, 580hp to reduce wear and tear on the engine, but the Class 47 soon became the mainstay of heavy duty services. Five locomotives were fitted with the Sulzer V12 12LVA24 engine and classified as Class 48 though were later converted back into "normal" Class 47s.
Sub-class
Details
47/0
Original with train steam heating boilers
47/3
Dedicated freight locos with no train heating
47/4
Fitted with electric train heating
47/6
Single loco fitted with Rushton 16RK3CT engine testing for later Class 56
47/7
Fitted for push-pull services
47/8
Fitted with extra fuel tanks
47/9
47/6 loco later fitted with engine to test for Class 58
Surviving Class 47s are still used on a variety of services such as charters, spot-hires and engineering services. Over thirty have been preserved to date many in working order. One Class 47 has even worked charters in Hungary. When the class was being built in the 1960s few would have suspected that might happen! [3]
West Coast 47 237 at Tyseley
ROG 48 813 at Derby
47 773 in BR green livery at Tyseley
West Coast 47 804 at Birmingham New Street
GBRf 47749 (with 56081) at Derby
[1] Colin J Marsden, Traction Recognition (Ian Allan, 2011) p. 40 [2] Brian Haresnape, Production Diesel-Electrics Types 4 and 5 (2nd Edition) (Ian Allan, 1984) p. 52 [3] "47 375 named Falcon", Railways Illustrated No.166 (December 2016) p. 10
