These diesel locomotives were built by English Electric for the Malaysian Railways (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad) in 1957. They were the first main line diesel locomotives to be introduced in Malaysia. They were used for the main passenger express services but also could be used on some freights. They had a bonnet nose like other English Electric diesel locomotives such as the Classes 37 and 40though had the same engine which was fitted to re-engined Class 31s! The locomotives were built for metre gauge.
A Class 20 on delivery (right), with it is another EE built loco, a class 15 shunter [1]
Information
Number built:
26
Built:
1957
Builder:
English Electric Vulcan Foundry
Motor:
English Electric 12SVT diesel
Power:
1, 500 hp (1, 119 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
Co-Co
The locomotives were withdrawn from services in the late 1980s. One has been preserved.
[1] "Export orders", Board of Trade Journal Vol. 199 Issue 3831 (19 August 1970) p. 416
These locomotives were built for the Córas Impair Éireann (Irish Railways) in the 1950s and became the backbone of the CIE locomotive fleet performing mixed traffic duties for several decades. However, as built they had Crossley 2-stroke diesel engines which turned out to be very unreliable. Finally in the late 1960s, CIE had the fleet rebuilt with EMD engines which proved much better, though had to be downrated from 1, 650 hp due to stresses on the cooling and transmission systems.
CIE A3 in service [1], this locomotive is now preserved
One operational drawback with large steam locomotives is driver visibility, when the locomotive is operating smoke box first. The large boiler can make seeing signals and on-track obstacles difficult. The first batch of Type 1 diesel locomotives like the Class 15 and Class 20shared this problem as they only had a single cab at one end. The Class 17, known as the "Clayton", was an attempt to alleviate this problem with a new standard Type 1 which had a cab sandwiched between 2 smaller and low profile diesel engines [1].
D8568 at Highley
Information
Number built:
117
Built:
1962-5
Builder:
Clayton Equipment
Engine:
2 Paxman 6ZHXL diesels (2 locos were fitted with Rolls Royce D diesels)
Power:
900 hp (672 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
Bo-Bo
As happened with a number of early British Rail diesel locomotives in the 1960s, amid a clamour to replace steam, series production was agreed and begun before much testing had taken place. In the event this was a real problem with the Class 17 as 117 of them had been built and they proved to be very unreliable. Availability of the fleet dropped to 50% (by comparison the Class 20 was about 90%) with numerous problems including cracked crankcases and oil leaks, some were put into storage straight from the factory.
As the reliability problems continued (even with a couple of examples retro-fitted with Rolls Royce engines), and the kind of light freight traffic they were designed for dropped post-Beeching, British Railways decided to withdraw them after only a few years of service. All were gone from revenue service by 1971.
No Class 17 saw ten years of BR revenue service though a couple remained in departmental service until the late 1970s [2]. One of these, D8568, survived long enough to make it into preservation.
D8568 in BR blue livery at Kidderminster Town
D8568 at Bewdley
Overhead view demonstrating the great driver position
D8568 brings a train into Chinnor
At Kidderminster Town, note how much of the loco length is taken up by the cab!
[1] Brian Haresnape, Production Diesel-Electrics Types 1-3 (Ian Allan, 1983) p. 74 [2] Colin J. Marsden, 25 Years of Railway Research (OPC, 1989) p. 79
The Class 33 was built for British Rail's Southern Region in the early 1960s as the region's main diesel locomotive. It was based on the earlier Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon locomotives, the Classes 26 and 27 though benefited from the lack of a need for gangway connections so had a much neater cab design [1]. It was also more powerful than the earlier locomotives being a true Type 3 (over 1, 500hp).
D6515 arrives into Kidderminster Town
They were originally intended mostly for freight work but, with good foresight by Southern Region, they were fitted with electric train heating only - indeed the lack of a need to carry a boiler for steam heat had allowed a more powerful diesel to be fitted in the same body shell as the earlier locomotives [2]. They were often to be found on passenger services on the Kent Coast and to Bournemouth and elsewhere.
Information
Number built:
98
Built:
1960-62
Builder:
Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company
Engine:
Sulzer 8LDA28 diesel
Power:
1, 550 hp (1, 156 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
Bo-Bo
Most Class 33s were in the standard 33/0 sub-class, however a number were also fitted for push-pull operations as 33/1 and operated with the 4-TC (Class 438) [3] though could also work with any Southern Region Electro-Pneumatically controlled multiple units and locomotives.
A batch of locomotives was also reduced in width by 178mm for operation on the Hastings Line with its restricted clearances as the 33/2. Sadly the expense and effort in modifying the design for what turned out to be a small batch of locomotives is said to have contributed to BRCW's bankruptcy in the mid-1960s.
Nowadays a handful of the locomotives, known as Cromptons by enthusiasts after the Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment installed in them, remain in mainline use with the West Coast Railway Company however twenty-nine have been preserved covering all three sub-types.
33 103 in BR Blue at Wirksworth
The difference a repaint makes! 33 103 at Wirksworth again but in BR engineers grey
33 108 and a Class 14 at Kidderminster Town
Side view of D6515
33 035 at Kidderminster Town
[1] Brian Haresnape, Production Diesel-Electrics Types 1-3 (Ian Allan, 1983) p. 58 [2] David Brown, Southern Electric Vol 2 (Capital Transport, 2010) p. 215 [3] John Vaughan, Diesels on the Southern (Ian Allan, 1980) p. 33
These locomotives were built by English Electric / AEI Traction for Ghana Railways. The locomotives were very similar to the British Rail Class 37 though had hood type cabs. These locomotives formed the mainstay of the Ghana Railways locomotive fleet for many years.
Being delivered [1]
Information
Number built:
16
Built:
1969-70
Builder:
English Electric / AEI Traction
Motor:
EE 12CSVT Mk II diesel
Power:
1, 850 hp (1, 380 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
Co-Co
However, by 1999 only two remained in service. The last survived in storage between 2003 and 2007 before it was finally scrapped.
The Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company's Class 26 was one of the earliest pilot-scheme diesel-electrics built as part of British Railway's Modernisation Plan and ended up being one of the longest lived of the Type 2 designs. They out lasted a number of later built (and more powerful) locomotives being finally withdrawn in 1994. The Class 26 had a good basic design which was later used on the Class 27 and Class 33, the latter still in service on National Rails.
D5343 (26 043) at Duffield
Information
Number built:
47
Built:
1958-59
Builder:
Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company
Engine:
Sulzer 6LDA28-A diesel
Power:
1, 160 hp (865 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
Bo-Bo
Twenty locomotives were ordered from the BRCW in the Type B power classification (later Type 2). The Class 26 shared some visual design guidance (Wilkes & Ashmore) with the Brush Type 2 (Class 30, later 31) [1] though had an improved power/weight ratio and hence was able to use a Bo-Bo not A1A-A1A wheel arrangement [2].
Following the success of the pilot-scheme batch a further twenty seven were built before the design was power uprated to form the Class 27. Initially the Class 26 was allocated to Eastern Region for London suburban services [3] though later were reallocated to Scotland where they spent the majority of their careers. The pilot-scheme locomotives became the Class 26/0 under TOPS with the later batch 26/1. There were a number of detail differences between the two sub-classes though some of these differences were removed during refurbishments [4].
The Class 26 remained in service working mostly on freight traffic in Scotland, including Merry-Go Round coal traffic, seven locomotives being fitted with slow speed control [5]. Their numbers were gradually reduced in the late 1980s and early 90s with the last examples withdrawn by 1994, being surplus to requirements. Thirteen have been preserved.
D5343 runs around its train at Duffield
D5343 at Wirksworth
Another view of D5343 at Duffield
[1] David Lawrence, British Rail Design 1948-97 (Ian Allan, 2016) p. 128 [2] Brian Haresnape, Early Prototype and Pilot-Scheme Diesel-Electrics (Ian Allan, 1981) p. 56 [3] Colin Alexander, The British Railways Pilot Scheme Locomotives (Amberley, 2017) p. 49 [4] Colin J Marsden, Motive Power Recognition 1: Locomotives (Ian Allan, 1988) p. 33 [5] Alexander p. 55
Despite the fact that diesel locomotives often spend a fair amount of time operating along electrified routes it is unusual that British Rail only ever built two classes of electro-diesel locomotives (these days better known as bi-mode) which could operate both as electric or diesel locomotives, the Class 73 and Class 74. Both were operated by BR's Southern Region, the Class 73 is the only survivor [1]. A number have been rebuilt and upgraded in the last few years (Class 73/9) so they look set to remain in service for a long time to come. these will be covered separately.
GB Railfreight 73 128 leads a class mate through Tonbridge
Information
Number built:
49
Built:
1962, 1965-67
Builder:
BR Eastleigh / English Electric
Motor:
English Electric 4SRKT Mk II diesel
EE542A or EE546/1B traction motors (750v DC third-rail)
Power:
1, 420 hp (1, 059 kW) - Electric
600hp (447kW) - Diesel
Wheel arrangement:
Bo-Bo
The Class 73 is an electric locomotive designed to work with SR's 660-750v DC third-rail system. It also has a small diesel engine for operating on non-electrified lines or if the power is off. They are highly versatile locomotives that served on a whole range of traffic in Southern England, being true mixed traffic locomotives they could be found on passenger and freight services.
Their numbers however were reduced in the privatisation era but only ten have been scrapped to date. Twelve have been preserved with the rest still operating on the network most usually employed hauling engineering trains.
Sub-class
Details
73/0
Original prototype batch, originally to have been called the Class 72
73/1
Main production batch, higher power output and speed
73/2
Modified for Gatwick Express push-pull duties (coupled to the Class 488 and 489)
73/9
Re-engineered and upgraded examples
They are currently operated by GB Railfreight, Network Rail, South Western Railway and Southern.
GB Railfreight 73 136 is led through Kidderminster
73 140 preserved in NSE livery seen at Eridge
73 136 at Kidderminster Town
Another view of 73 140
73 210 preserved in Intercity livery at Wirksworth
[1] Colin J. Marsden, Traction Recognition (2nd Edition) (Ian Allan, 2008) p. 82
The success of the revolutionary Deltic diesel engine and the Deltic prototype saw British Railways explore the possibility of putting a single cut-down version of the engine into a smaller mixed-traffic locomotive in the Type B (later Type 2) power classification. The Class 23 "Baby Deltic" was hence born for services on the Great Northern network [1]. With hindsight the experiment and resulting small fleet of Type 2 locomotives was an unnecessary mistake. There was found to be no real advantage over similar sized locomotives with traditional diesel engines but the Deltic engine also bought with it extra complexity and cost [2]. The Baby Deltics owed little to their larger brethren except for the engine technology and in design and cab terms owed a lot to the Class 40.
Baby Deltic replica under construction at Barrow Hill
Information
Number built:
10
Built:
1959
Builder:
English Electric
Engine:
Napier T9-29 Deltic diesel
Power:
1, 100 hp (820 kW)
Formation:
Bo-Bo
The fleet was refurbished in 1963 and modernised with a 4 character headcode replacing the original headcode discs and gangway doors [3]. They continued to serve British Railways though had high maintenance costs, and passengers and crews found they had excessive noise and fumes in operation. With these disadvantages, and being such a tiny fleet, there was no way the Baby Deltics could survive the fleet rationalisation at the end of the 1960s and all were withdrawn from normal service by 1971.
One survived with the Railway Technical Centre and hauled test trains until 1975 [4] but was scrapped like the rest of the class. No Baby Deltics now exist though the Baby Deltic Project is building a replica using a Class 37, a surviving T9-29 engine and Class 20 bogies. Work is ongoing at Barrow Hill.
D5901 at Doncaster in 1959 (KD collection)
Another view of the replica
[1] John Vaughan, Diesels on the Eastern (Ian Allan, 1982) p. 31 [2] Brian Haresnape, Early Prototype and Pilot Scheme Diesel-Electrics (Ian Allan, 1981) p. 72 [3] Haresnape p. 75 [4] Colin J. Marsden, 25 Years of Railway Research (OPC, 1989) p. 67
The early days of BR dieselisation was littered with mistakes and sometimes outright lunacy, and the sad story of the Class 14 must rank as one of the worst. The Class 14s were built, at BR Swindon - the final locomotives built at the historic old works, as part of Western Region's experiments with diesel hydraulic transmission.
D9551 in yellow ochre livery at Kidderminster Town
However, the Class 14 was doomed from the start. Even as they were being built BR was already moving to standardise on diesel electric transmission and marking the WR diesel hydraulic fleet for early withdrawal. If that wasn't enough the work intended for these small Type 1 locomotives, trip working and inter-freight yard transfers, was quickly drying up [1] in the wake of the Beeching Report.
Information
Number built:
56
Built:
1964-65
Builder:
BR Swindon
Engine:
Paxman Ventura 6YJXL diesel
Power:
650 hp (485 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
0-6-0
BR began withdrawals of the Class 14 in 1968 as work dried up. Some were sent to work outside of Western Region such as at Hull but their lack of power and poor reliability did nothing to delay the inevitable [2]. All were gone by 1970, at most the locos had five years service for BR and most had far less than that.
Luckily, many were sold on to industrial users who eagerly snapped up these nearly new locomotives going cheap! Most of these locomotives went on to have good careers on private metals, with a number going abroad. Nineteen have been preserved, with many in running order.
One preserved Class 14 was even hired by BR's successor to work on the High Speed 1 route then under construction mainly shunting near London St Pancras. The Class 14s have been nicknamed the Teddy Bears.
D9500 at Darley Dale
D9539 at Rowsley South, this was the only livery they carried in BR service
D9551 at Bewdley, the yellow ochre was a "what might have been" livery
D9539 at Rowsley South
D9551 before it's repaint at Bridgnorth
[1] Brian Haresnape, Western Region Diesel Hydraulics (Ian Allan, 1982) p. 74 [2] John Jennison & Tony Sheffield, Diesel Hydraulics in the 1960s and 1970s (Ian Allan, 2004) p. 38
Class 97 is the designation of locomotives used by British Rail (and it's successors) for departmental and special duties. Most locomotives which have been used for this purpose have been former revenue earning locomotives though some have been especially built. The only Class 97s currently in service are four Class 37s which were converted to test ERTMS radio signalling equipment. They are currently used mainly on the Cambrian Line from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth which uses ERTMS.
97 303 at Derby
Information for 97/3
Number built:
4
Built:
1960-65
Builder:
English Electric (Modifed by Network Rail)
Motor:
English Electric 12CSVT diesel
Power:
1, 750 hp (1, 305 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
Co-Co
Other locomotives which have carried 97 XXX numbers include a quartet of Class 31s which were used to haul test trains for the Railway Technical Centre, one has been preserved and currently carries RTC livery. Class 25s, Class 45s and Class 46s were among the diesel classes also been used by BR for test purposes. One of the latter was 97 401 (46 009) which famously was destroyed by deliberately driving it into an empty nuclear flash to prove the integrity of the latter!
Class 97/6 were five 165 series shunters built by Ruston & Hornsby for departmental duties [1], unlike the mainline locomotives mentioned above, these were purpose built for departmental use. Numerous other shunters have also been transferred to the Class 97 fleet.
Former 97 654 now preserved at Peak Rail
Former 97 403 Ixion at Rowsley South
Side view of 97 303
97 205 at Princes Risborough
97 303 pulls away with a test train
[1] Colin J Marsden, Departmental Stock (Ian Allan, 1984) p. 108
The Class 31 was the last surviving Type 2 diesel locomotive in National Rail service with a small number remaining in mainline service into the late 2010s. Originally they were known as the Class 30 and were amongst the earliest diesel locomotives to enter service with British Railways. When first designed they had just two windows on the cab ends with a look similar to the likes of the Class 21 but the design was amended to have three windows due to the need to fit gangway doors [1].
D5581 as 97 205 preserved in pseudo-RTC livery, at Princes Risborough
Information
Number built:
263
Built:
1957-62
Builder:
Brush Traction
Motor:
Mirrlees JVS12T
later changed to English Electric 12SVT diesel
Power:
1, 470 hp (1, 100 kW)
Wheel Arrangement:
A1A-A1A
The Class 30's Mirrlees JVS12T engines gave British Railways a lot of trouble, the engines beginning to develop metal fatigue after just a few years service. It is thought that uprating the engines may have been to blame as the originally rated engines did not develop as many faults. The original pilot-scheme locomotives were rated at 1, 250hp but later production batch locomotives were uprated to 1, 365 hp and beyond. One was even uprated to 2, 000hp and became a Type 4!
Eventually the decision was made to give the entire class more reliable English Electric powerplants instead in the mid-1960s [2] and they were re-classified the Class 31. The Class 31 has the unusual A1A-A1A wheel arrangement which means the middle axle in each bogie is unpowered.
As true mixed traffic locomotives Class 31s could be found on regional and secondary passenger services, freights and engineering trains and have survived into the privatised era. In their later years they were mainly seen on spot hires and engineering trains [3]. A few remain mainline registered with around twenty-six having been preserved.
Sub-class
Details
31/0
Original pilot-scheme batch of twenty, non-standard control equipment
31/1
Main production variant
31/4
With Electric Train Heating (ETH)
31/5
Former 31/4s with ETH isolated
31/6
Wired for ETH but without equipment
Although numbered 31 018 this was the first of the class built, preserved at the NRM
EWS liveried 31 466 at Kidderminster Town
BR Blue 5580 at Kidderminster Town
31 270 in Regional Railways livery at Rowsley South
DCR 31 452 at Bewdley
[1] David Lawrence, British Rail Designed 1948-97 (Ian Allan, 2016) p. 124 [2] Brian Haresnape, Production Diesel-Electrics Types 1-3 (Ian Allan, 1983) p. 48 [3] Colin J Marsden, Traction Recognition (Second Edition) (Ian Allan, 2009) p. 20
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
