JNR Class 1040 / ED50 / ED17 / ED18

In the early 1920s the Imperial Government Railways of Japan began electrification of the Tokaido and Yokosuka Lines. The railway imported electric locomotives from the UK, US and Switzerland to provide the motive power and also to give the Japanese experience with the locomotive type before they pursued their own designs. By far the largest class of locomotives to be built was the seventeen strong Class 1040 which were constructed by English Electric and North British Locomotive Company (two examples of the earlier and similar Class 1030 were also built). The locomotives arrived in Japan between 1924 and 1925 and were put into use hauling passenger trains, the locomotives were built for 1, 067mm gauge. After 1928 they were classified as the ED50.

Class 1040 [1]

Information
Number built:	17
Built:	1923
Builder:	English Electric / North British Locomotive
Motor:	4 DK86 electric motors (1500v DC OHLE)
Power:	1, 200 hp (865 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	B-B

Between 1930 and 1931 the locomotives were rebuilt as the ED17, they were regeared for their new role hauling mostly freight traffic along the Chuo Line. Two locomotives (classified as ED18) were later modified with A1A-A1A bogies to reduce the axle load on the Iida Line which was more lightly built than other lines. Most of the ED17 fleet survived the war and continued to be used on the Chuo Line but were gradually replaced by more modern types by in mid-1960s. The final ED17s and ED18s were retired from service in 1972. One ED17 has been preserved.

Another view of a Class 1040 locomotive [1]

[1] "Electric locomotives of the Imperial Government Railways of Japan", English Electric Journal Vol. 2 Issue 6 (1924) p. 294

Class 21 (North British Locomotive Company 1,100hp Type B(2) Diesel-Electric)

The Class 21 was a Type B (later Type 2) diesel locomotive built by the North British Locomotive Company. NBL had been very successful in building steam locomotives though diesel (and later electric) traction posed the company a number of problems which ultimately led to it's demise in the 1960s. The Class 21 used a German MAN diesel built under licence by NBL [2]. A very similar locomotive with diesel-hydraulic transmission was also built called the Class 22. Neither was very successful during their short service lives.

D6103 at London Kings Cross [1]

Information
Number built:	58
Built:	1958-60
Builder:	North British Locomotive Company
Motor:	NBL/MAN L12V18/21 diesel
Power:	1, 000 hp (746 kW) / 1, 100 hp (820 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	Bo-Bo

Ten pilot-scheme locomotives were built at first. Despite numerous problems with the engine and transmission which led to poor availability, a further forty eight were ordered. The locomotives were initially used on Great Eastern suburban services but later re-allocated to Scotland.

The first thirty-eight were rated for 1, 000 hp, the last twenty to be built uprated to 1, 100 hp [3], they also had a different multiple-unit coupling method (Blue Star while the earlier locomotives were Red Circle). In the mid-1960s twenty were re-engined with a more powerful Paxman unit to become the Class 29. The unreliability, coupled with design flaws which made repairs more difficult and expensive, led to the Class 21 being withdrawn from service in the late 1960s.

[1] "Railway notes", Meccano Magazine (April 1960) p. 176

[2] Brian Haresnape, Early Prototype & Pilot Scheme Diesel-Electrics (Ian Allan, 1981) p. 71

[3] Brian Haresnape, Production Diesel-Electrics Types 1-3 (Ian Allan, 1983) p. 52

LMSR/North British Locomotive 827hp Type A(1) Diesel-Electric

During the mid-1940s the LMS chief engineer H.G. Ivatt decided to order a small diesel-electric locomotive for branch line and medium-sized mixed traffic duties. The locomotive was to have the power rating of 827hp which was the same as a current Class 3MT steam locomotive it was intended to work alongside. North British Locomotive were contracted to build the locomotive for the LMS in 1945 though it did not arrive until after nationalisation and was given the British Railways number 10800 [1].

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1950
Builder:	North British Locomotive Company
Motor:	Davey Paxman 16RPHXL Mk2 diesel
Power:	827 hp (617 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	Bo-Bo

10800 had a single cab situated to one end (though not at the very end) of the locomotive in the style of US switcher locomotives. This meant it shared the visibility problems of the steam locomotives it was designed to replace. 10800 was the first British Railways locomotive in it's lowest Type A power rating (later Type 1) and the basic design saw series production in the form of the Class 16.

10800 saw service with BR in Scotland, the Midlands and also the South. Performance was disappointing though the fact 10800 was a one-off did not help. It was withdrawn in 1959 but had a second career with Brush Traction as a trials and research locomotive. It was re-engined with a Bristol Siddeley-Maybach MD655 1,400hp engine [2] and used to explore commutatorless traction motors and generators. It was finally withdrawn in 1968 though had a final hurrah being used as an emergency generator to supply power to the Brush works during the 1972 miners' strike [3]. Final scrapping took place in the early 1970s.

10800 in BR days (KD collection)

[1] Brian Haresnape, Early Prototype & Pilot Scheme Diesel-Electrics (Ian Allan, 1981) p. 21
[2] Colin J. Marsden, Diesel & Electric Locomotive Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2011) p. 30
[3] Haresnape p. 24