The Class 40 was one of the early classes of diesel locomotive built by British Railways as part of the Modernisation Plan, which would ultimately replace steam traction. It was a direct development of the prototype LMS and SR diesel locomotives of the late 1940s [1] and was the first large diesel locomotive in the Type C (later Type 4) power classification to be delivered [2].
40 106 at Kidderminster Town
Class 40s served across the rail network being allocated to London Midland, Eastern, North Eastern and Scottish Regions. Initially the class was used on top link expresses though their performance, while adequate on some routes like the West Coast Main Line, was not on other routes and they were replaced by more powerful locomotives on expresses before long.
One drawback with the Class 40 was their weight, at over one hundred and thirty tons. The locomotives long 1Co-Co1 bogies with extra unpowered wheels to carry the bulk and keep them within a reasonable route availability. One Class 40 gained a bit of notoriety early in it's career as it was hauling the train involved in the Great Train Robbery in 1962.
Information
Number built:
200
Built:
1958-62
Builder:
English Electric
Motor:
English Electric 12CSVT Mk 2 diesel
Power:
2, 000 hp (1, 490 kW)
Wheel arrangement:
1Co-Co1
The popular Class 40, known as the Whistler due to the sound they make, continued to serve BR well, much of the time on freights and secondary passenger duties as newer diesel locomotives like the Class 47 and 50 displaced it from front-rank work. Withdrawals began in the late 1970s and all were withdrawn by 1985. Seven have been preserved but not all currently in running order.
Another view of 40 106 at Kidderminster Town
40 106 arrives at Highley
40 118 at Tyseley
This side view shows the length and bulk of the Class 40
40 106 at Highley
[1] Brian Haresnape, Early Prototype & Pilot Scheme Diesel-Electrics (Ian Allan, 1981) p. 49 [2] John Glover, BR Diary 1958-1967 (Ian Allan, 1987) p. 9
The Manchester Corporation bought a large number of trams when it electrified the network of horse trams it had taken over. Trams 277-436 were similar to trams 107-187 in being open-topped double deckers with a single truck. The trams were built by G.F. Milnes and had Brill 21E trucks.
In original configuration [1]
Information
Number built:
159
Built:
1901-03
Builder:
G.F. Milnes
Most of the trams received top-covers by 1914, some remained open top due to a low bridge on the Cheetham Hill-Alexandra Park route. All were withdrawn by 1938.
[1] "New power station and electric car house as Manchester, England", Street Railway Journal (September 6 1902) Vol. XX No. 10 p. 300
The Bekonscot Light Railway is a 184mm gauge railway at the famous Bekonscot model village in Beaconsfield. The railway was opened in 2001, running along the perimeter of the model village site, to give passenger rides. The railway was extended a few years later and has proved very popular carrying over 85, 000 passengers a year.
Doodargh begins a journey around the complicated layout
The railway has three battery-electric locomotives. Two were built in-house at the Bekonscot workshops and the third by Maxitrak. One of them, Number 3, is a 4w-4w railcar which passengers sit astride [1]. The railway have also added two petrol hydraulics to their fleet plus often have visiting locomotives.
A sideways view of Doodargh
Railcar number 3
Yard view
[1] Royston Morris, Miniature Railway Locomotives and Rolling Stock (Amberley, 2018) p. 17
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
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
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
