non-standard diesel shunters on br...and train marshalling yard operations - it seemed almost...

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR

NON-STANDARDDIESELSHUNTERSOFBRITISHRAILWAYS

PARTI[Drewry,Swindon,Hunslet&Hudswell-Clarke]

RodgerBradley

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR 2

1

BritishRailwaysstandarddieselshunterwastheEnglishElectricdesigned0-6-0,withalmostanynumberofvariationsofthe‘K’seriesengineof1930svintage.Thiswasdevelopedfromthe1930sdesignsusedontheLMS,andwasthemainstayofgoods,andtrainmarshallingyardoperations-itseemedalmostforever.

However,in1962therewerenofewerthan666dieselshuntinglocomotivesinoperationonBR,ofeither0-4-0or0-6-0wheelarrangementandpoweredbyenginesoflessthan350hp.These"non-standard"typesperformedavarietyofthemostmundanetasks,andtheirearliestappearancewasfromapre-nationalisationordertotheHunsletEngineCo.ofLeeds,alsobytheLMS.FollowingtheendoftheSecondWorldWar,manymorewereorderedfromvariousmakers.

Bytheearly1980stherewereonlyahandfulleftinservice,mainlyoftheClass030-6-0sbuiltatSwindon,togetherwithsamplesfromAndrewBarclay,Ruston&Hornsby,Hunslet,DrewryCarCo.,Hudswell-Clarke,etc.Amongstthisgrandtotalof666,anumber,24,wereallocatedtovariousservicedepartments,rangingfromS&TEtotheDinsdaleRailWeldingDepotandBroadClystsleeperworks,amongstothers.DuringBRdays,amotleycollectionofsome11differentdesignswereinservice,carryingoutshuntingandmanyotherlightdutiesatyardsthelengthandbreadthofthecountry.Althoughsomeofthedesignsdatedfromthe1930s,themajoritywereconstructedafter1948.

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AlthoughIhavereferredtothesmallershuntersoperatedbyBRas‘non-standard’,thismaynotbethebestdescription,sincewiththearrivaloftheBR/SwindonClass030-6-0somedegreeofstandardisationarrived.Thiswasespeciallytruefortheshunterswith204hpdieselengines.Amajordistinguishingfeatureofthesmallershunterswasthatalmostallwerefittedwitheithermechanicalorhydraulictransmissions,unlikethestandard350hpshunters,whichwerefittedwithelectrictransmission.

Priortonationalisation,theHunsletEngineCo.ofLeedssuppliedthefirstsampleofthesesmalldiesel-mechanicalshunters,deliveredtotheLMSin1932.Thislocomotivewitha150hpM.A.N.enginewasNo.7051inLMSlists,butintriguinglyitwasre-acquiredbythemakersin1945andwasavailableforhireuntil1960,whenitwassoldtotheMiddletonRailwayPreservationSociety.Duringthemid-1930ssevenmoreofthesesmalldiesel-mechanicalshuntersweredelivered,builtby;DrewryCarCo.,HudswellClarkeandHarland&Wolffe.FollowingtheleadgivenbytheLMS,theGWRalsotooksomeinterestinthistypeofshunterandpurchaseda70hp0-4-0typefromanotherLeedsmaker,JohnFowler&Co.Theothertwo‘bigfour’railwaycompanies-theLNERandtheSouthern-didnotmakeanymoveintheuseofsmalldieselshuntingtypesuntilaftertheSecondWorldWar.

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR 3

TheclassicBRClass03Drewryshunter,carryingnumberD2282fromnew,togetherwiththemorecommonnarrowexhauststack.StandardBRunlinedgreenandthefinalstyleofnumeralsandcrest,withblackunderframeandredbufferbeamswhennewthisFrankwasastrikingdesign(c)RodgerP.BradleyCollection

In1947thoughtheLNERplacedwhatturnedouttobethemostsignificantorderwiththeDrewryCarCo.ofStafford,forasix-wheeledshunterpoweredbyaGardnertype8L3204hpengine,matchedwithaWilson-Drewrymechanicaltransmission.Thefinaldrivetothewheelswasbymeansofajackshaft,flycrankandoutsidecouplingrods.

Thereasonforthesignificanceofthisparticularorderliesinthefactthatdespitetheprototype’sarrivalontheEasternRegionin1948,thisarrangementwasappliedtobyfarthemajorityofBritishRailways’smalldieselshunters.Thisfirstlocomotivewasfordepartmentaluseonly,carryingnumberDS1173,butlaidthefoundationsofthemostnumerousdesignofitstypeusedonBR.

Restingat"Steamtown"in1979,D2381wasoneofthelaterbatchofDrewrytypeshunters,builtatBR'sSwindonandDoncasterWorks.Thesteamstyleexhaustwasacharacteristicofanumberofthese0-6-0shunters,whilstthelinedgreenliverywasanequallyunusualfeature.(c)RodgerP.BradleyCollection

ThefirstofthenumerousDrewrylocomotiveswereorderedbyeasternRegionin1950.Theseweretakenontostockasreplacementsforex-GERsteamtramlocomotivesusedontheWisbech&Upwelltramway.Thebasicdesign,althoughfollowingthatofthesolitaryDS1173differedinanumberofaspects.Themostnoticeableofthesewasthefittingofdeepsidevalances,‘cowcatchers’tothefrontandrearbufferbeams.Lessnoticeablebutmoreimportantlyperhaps,wastheprovisionofanenginespeedgovernorlimitingthetrackspeedto12mph.Afurtherorderforsixmoreofthese204hpshuntersin1951didnothavethesefeatures,buttheDrewrydesignthenbegantoresembleitslater,morefamiliarappearance.Theselocomotivesweredeliveredin1953andputtoworkonshuntingdutiesatHarwich(ParkestoneQuay)andinthenortheastatWestHartlepool.

DrewryCarCo.&BR/Swindon0-6-0Locomotives

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR 4

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FurtherordersplacedwithDrewrybetween1951and1958broughtthetotalinserviceto141,withgoodoldDS1173from1948stillinDepartmentalstock.EvenwiththelaterdeliveriesoftheDrewrydesigntherewereanumberofdifferencesbetweensuccessivebatches.ThecommonequipmentthroughoutwastheGardner8L3Bengine,WilsontypeCA5epicyclicgearboxandWisemanF11finaldriveunit,connectedthroughtheframesviajackshaftandflycrankstothecoupledwheels.Thefirst30locomotiveshad3ft3insdiameterwheelsonawheelbaseofexactly9ft0ins,althoughthisdimensionremainedthesame,laterbatchessawanincreaseinwheeldiameterto3ft6ins.Anincreaseinfrontandrearoverhangsbroughttheoveralllengthupfrom22ft61/2insto26ft0ins.Modificationstothecabincludedthefittingoflargersideandfrontwindows,thelatterbeingshapedtofollowtheoutlineoftheuppercornersoftheenginecasing.ShunterscarryingBRnumbersD2200toD2241wereconstructedbytheVulcanFoundryatNewton-Le-Willows,withRobertStephenson&hawthornsofNewcastlesupplyingnumbersD2242toD2340.

In1955theDrewryCarCo.receivedanorderfor23powerequipments,includingengineandtransmission,butwiththemechanicalpartstobebuiltbyBRatSwindonWorks.Thiswasthestartofthedeliveryofthe228locomotiveslatertobecomeClass03,builtbetween1957and1962.Nolessthan146wereoutshoppedfromSwindon,includingtwoforservicestock,sportingnumbers91and92,deliveredin1958.Theremaining82shuntersinthisclassweresuppliedfromBR’sDoncasterWorks.

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DifferencesinappearancebetweentheDrewryandBRversionsofthisshunterincludedthefittingofasteamenginestylechimneyattheleadingendoftheenginecasing,fittedonthemajorityofBRbuiltlocomotives,alongwithalterationstothecabroofprofile.TheearliestBRbuiltshunterswereprovidedwiththesamestyleofexhaustastheDrewrydesign-taperingtoanarrowoutletfromawidebase.ItmayhavebeenduetotheeverpresentsenseofindividualityontheGWRandBRWesternRegionthatasteamtypechimneywassubstituted-althoughnotevenSwindonmanagedacoppercaponthisone!!ThewheelsontheSwindonbuiltvarietywere3ft7ins,an1inchmorethantheDrewryversion,withanallupweightof30tons16cwt,comparedwiththe32tons4cwtofthelatter.

BeforetheadventoftheBRModernisation&Re-Equipmentprogrammeof1955,alllocomotiveswereallocatedallfigurerunningnumbers,whichinthecaseofthesmalldieselshuntersmeantablockbetween11100and11719.TheDrewrylocomotivescarriednumbersbetween11100-11160and11212-11229LaterbecomingD2200-41andD2242-59),whilsttheBRbuilt0-6-0swerenumbered11187-11209(D2000-22).Inadditiontheywerepaintedaratherdrabliveryofallblack.However,torelievethemonotonysomedetailswerepickedoutinothercolours,includingbufferbeams/stocksinred,steam

CapturedatBo’NessontheBo’Ness&KinneilRailwayinthe1990s,bythenClass03073initsfinal‘RailBlue’livery,thiswasoneoftheDrewrybuilt0-6-0s,withthe‘Flowerpot’chimney.(c)RodgerP.BradleyCollection

NOTES: * Later in their working life a number of the BR/Swindon locomotives were fitted with air-brake equipment to work air-braked trains. TOPS codes were 03 for the BR shunters and 04 for the Drewry locomotives. None of the Class 04 received or carried TOPS numbers and only 123 of the 03 class were allocated a new number in the range 03004 - 03399. Two of these, 03370 and 03371 were formerly Departmental locomotives 91 and 92.

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR 5

TheHunsletEngineCo.ofLeeds,althoughapioneerofdieseltractionforshuntinglocomotives,didnotprovideanyexamplesforservicewithBRuntil1955,whenthree150hp0-4-0sweredelivered.ThisnewdesignagainmadeuseofaGardnerengine,butthistime;thesix-cylinder6L3typewasused.ThemechanicaltransmissionconsistedoftheHunsletpatentfour-speedgearboxandfinaljackshaftdrivetothe3ft4inscoupledwheels.Weighingamere22tons9cwt,amaximumtractiveeffortof10,800lbswasavailable.

AswiththefirstDrewrylocomotives,deepsidevalancesand‘cowcatchers’werefittedtothese0-4-0s,numbered(originally)11500-2.Thefullwidthcab,withaflattishroofhadthreelargewindowsinthespectacleplate,allowinggoodvisibilityovertheenginecasing.Theuppersidesofthebonnetwereangledinwards,butunliketheDrewrydesignstherewasnoprominentexhaust.

Subsequently,orderstoHunsletwerefor0-6-0types,withthe204hpGardnerengine,destinedfortheeastern,NorthEasternandScottishregions.Some69werecompletedbetween1955and1961.Thefirstofthese0-6-0swerenumbered11136-43and11161-76,withthesame3ft4insdiameterwheelsastheearlier0-4-0design.Thefinalserieshowever,hadthewheelsizeincreasedto3ft9ins,weightwasupfrom30to32tons,withthemaximumtractiveeffortgrowingfrom14,500to17,400lbs.

TheHunsletpatentfour-speedgearboxwasretained,alongwiththefullwidthcab,butnosidevalancesthistime,althoughverydeepfrontandrearbufferbeamswereacharacteristicfeature.Modificationstothecabwindowstofurtherimprovevisibilityincludedalonghorizontalpaneoverthefourverticalpanesinthecabsidepanel.

ByfarthemajorityoftheHunsletlocomotivesworkedontheEasternandNorthEasternRegions,withsomeinScotlandandthethree0-4-0spermanentlyresidentatIpswich.Intheearly

1960s,twoofthe0-6-0s,numbersD2612andD2615weretransferredtoDepartmentalstockasNos.88and89.OnlyonelocomotivesurvivedtocarryaTOPSnumber,althoughD2550-D2618werelistedin1968asnewlyclassified05,D2554wasrenumbered05001in1973.Thiswasinfactthethirdnumbercarriedbythislocomotive,withthefirstbeingë11140íin1955.Itwassubsequentlytransferredtodepartmentalstockinthelater1970sandcarriednumber97863.

In1956and1961,Hudswell-Clarke-justdowntheroadfromtheHunsletEngineCo.inLeeds-supplied20shuntersin,outwardlyatleast,twoverydifferentstyles.Thefirst10werenumbered11116-20and11144-48,laterrenumberedD2500-9andallocatedtoBirkenheadforuseonthedocklines.Althoughallofthediesel-mechanicalshunterscouldbesaidtohavebeenbuiltratherlikesteamlocomotives,thefirstHudswell-Clarkedesignsperhapsemphasisedthatpointmorethanmost.

Hunslet&Hudswell-ClarkeLocomotives

Hunslet0-4-0D2951-withadistinctivesmall"D"prefix-wasoneofthethree153hpshuntersorderedfromtheLeedsbasedcompanyin1955.Minusitsfinaldrivegearbox,flycranksandcouplingrod,thisexamplelooksfairlysorryforitself.Worthnotingtoo,isthelackofanyseriftotheletterD,thecrestisof1956vintage,buttheabsenceofhazardstripessuggestthedateisbetween1957and1961.©LensofSutton

AnextractfromaHunsletadvertisingleaflet,showingthefirstoftheir0-6-0designswithoriginalnumbersandthefirstBritishRailwaylionandwheeltotem.(c)RodgerP.BradleyCollection

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR 6

Forpower,theGardner8L3enginewasagainselected,mountedonthemainframes,drivinga3-speedSSS‘Powerflow’gearboxwithjackshaftandflycrankdrivetothecoupledwheels,mountedatthefrontofthelocomotive.Thetallenginecasingorbonnet,stoppedjustinfrontoftheleadingcoupledwheels,witharaisedcasingonthefrontfootplate,coveringthefinaldriveassembly.Perhapsthetwofeatures,whichgavethefirstHudswelllocomotivestheirsteamtype‘air’,wastheneatchimneyatthefrontoftheenginecasingandthecab.Althoughthefullwidthcabwasanestablishedfeatureofthedesignofdieselshuntersbythistime,arearwardprojectionfromthecabbackplatehousingsomecontrols,resembledinprofile,atankenginebunker.

Inworkingorder,numbersD2500-9weighed36tons7cwtandwerecarriedon3ft6inswheels,withawheelbaseof8ft7ins,givingamaximumtractiveeffortof16,100lbs.Ontheseenginesonlyairandhandbrakeswerefitted,consequentlytheywereunabletoworkvacuumfittedstock,unlikethelaterdesignfromthesamestable,an0-6-0typecarryingrunningnumbersD2510-9.

Thefinalten0-6-0sfromHudswell-ClarkeweredeliveredtoBRin1961andwerealighterdevelopmentofNos.D2500-9,withthesamepowerunit,buta4-speedSSSgearboxandfinaldrive.Thejackshaftandflycrankswerelocatedinwhatcouldbedescribedasthemoreconventionalposition,attherearoftheengineframe.

ThefirsteightofthesewereallocatedtoBarrowontheLondonMidlandRegionandworkedshuntinganddocksdutiesthere,throughouttheircareer,whilstonewasputtoworkatKilburnParcelsDepotinLondon,fromitsWillesdenbase,withthelastoftheclass,No.D2519wastobefoundatCrewe.

Theupperworksfeaturedamuchlowerenginecasingthantheearlierdesign,withamorecentralcab,havinglargewindowsinthefrontandrearspectacleplates,givinggoodallroundvisibility.TheGardnertype8L3enginewasplacedinthefront,largerportionofthebonnet,withthegearboxandconnectiontothefinaldrivepassingbeneaththecabfloor.

NoneofthetwoHudswell-Clarkedesigns-therewereonly20locomotivesinall-survivedevento1968,totheintroductionofthelaterTOPSclassificationschemeandanumberweresoldforusebyindustry.

AgoodexampleofHudswell-Clarke'searlycontributionsisNo.11147.OrderedfromthisothermajorLeedsbasedbuilderin1956,theyspentmuchoftheirworkinglivesonthedocklinesatBirkenhead.Inthelater1950stheywererenumberedD2500-9,with11147carryingD2508.TherewassomethingverysteamenginelookingaboutthesefirstHudswelltypesandnonesurvivedtotheBRTOPSschemein1973.(c)LensofSutton

NOTES: No Hudswell-Clarke locomotive survived to be reclassified in 1968. Of the Hunslet designs, only the 0-6-0s were classified as 05 in 1968, including Nos. D2550-2618. TOPS numbers were given to one locomotive, No.D2554, which became 05001 in 1973.

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR

OneofthelaterbatchesfromHunslet,withthenewlogoandliveryapplied.