Yorkshire Engine Company Taurus

Taurus was a diesel-hydraulic locomotive developed by the Yorkshire Engine Company trip freight work and heavy shunting. It had two Rolls Royce diesel engines, only one being used at very slow speeds. Taurus was demonstrated on British Railways in 1961-2 though no orders arised, but in any event the kind of duties a locomotive such as Taurus could be used for were soon to disappear.

Taurus on test [1]

Information
Number built:	2
Built:	1961-63
Builder:	Yorkshire Engine Company
Motor:	2 Rolls Royce C8SFL diesels
Power:	600 hp (450 kW)
Formation:	0-8-0DH

With a glut of ex-BR shunting locomotives entering the market in the late 1960s, the Yorkshire Engine Company found it difficult to sell Taurus to any industrial users. A second Taurus was built however, this was for the Spanish railway operator RENFE and was to 1668mm gauge. No other orders were forthcoming though the Spanish Taurus has survived into preservation.

A similar type built by the Yorkshire Engine Company was the Indus. This was very similar to the Taurus though had a similar gearbox (the differential compound gearbox of Taurus having proved to be problematical - indeed the Spanish Taurus was given the Indus gearbox). Two Indus were built for industrial users and survived into the 1980s.

Taurus under construction [1]

[1] "The Taurus multi-purpose locomotive", International Railway Journal Vol. 1 Issue 5 (1961) p. 16