Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR

NON-STANDARDDIESELSHUNTERSOFBRITISHRAILWAYS

PARTIII[YorkshireEngineCo.-Ruston&Hornsby-BrushTraction]

RodgerBradley

Lookinglikeapowerfuldieselshunter,thesewereproducedbyRuston&Hornsbyin1960,andintendedforuseastheprincipalshunterforuseatSouthamptonDocks.Laterclassifiedas‘07’undertheBritishRail‘TOPS’scheme,theywerelessthansuccessful,butcertainlylookedthepart.©RodgerP.BradleyCollection

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR 2

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ThefinalselectionofbuildersprovidedtheleastnumberofdieselshunterstoBRinthe1950sandearly1960s,butanumberofthesehavesurvived-includingexamplesoftheRollsRoycepoweredshuntersfromYorkshireEngineCo.BrushTractionontheotherhandsuppliedonlyonediesel-electricprototype,whichhaslongsincedisappeared,whilstmanyofthedepartmentalvarieties,includedsamplesfromJohnFowler,HibberdandevenanaeroplanemanufacturerfromBristol.Someofthesewerecuriousshuntingtypesindeedforanationalisedrailway,butwerenonethelessanessentialpartoftheorganisation,whetheronstandardornarrowgaugetracks.

YorkshireEngineCo.,inadditiontoNorthBritishwastheonlycompanytosupplyBritishRailwayswithdiesel-hydraulicshunters.BycomparisonwithexistingdesignstheywereacuriouslookingmachinesandunlikeeventheNorthBritishlocomotives,werenotfittedwiththealmostuniversaljackshaftandflycrankdrivetothecoupledwheels.

Twentylocomotivesof0-4-0wheelarrangementweredeliveredtotheLondonMidlandRegionin1960/61,numberedbetweenD2850andD2869,theywerepoweredbya179bhpRollsRoyceC6NFLengine.ThisinturnwasconnectedtoaRollsRoycetwindisctransmission,directlyconnectedtotherearcoupledaxle’sreductiongearboxthroughaLayrubshaft.Inordertoaccommodatethisdirectdrive,theengineandtransmissionweremou7ntedintheframeataslightangle.Theenginecasingtaperedslightlyfromthecabspectacleplateforwardstotheradiator/noseend.

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Althoughthecabitselfwasthefullwidthofthefootplate,itwasquiteshort,withaccessfromareardoor,insteadofthemoreconventionalsidedoors.Aplatformandstepswereprovidedbehindthecab.

Throughouttheirworkinglife,D2850-69wereallocatedalmostentirelytodepotsinLancashire-atBankHall,FleetwoodandNewtonHeath.In1968theywerereclassifiedas02andthefourthatremainedinservicein1972/3,theywererenumberedas02001-02003(D2851-3)and02004(D2856).Withawheelbaseofnomorethan6ft0ins,theywerestillnotthesmallest0-4-0sinservice,thatparticularhonourbefelltheHunsletlocomotives(D2950-2)andBarclayshunters(D2953-6),eachofwhichhadawheelbaseofamere5ft6ins.OntheYorkshireEngine0-4-0s,thewheelswere3ft6insindiameter,withamaximumtractiveeffortof15,000lbsavailableforanallupweightof28tons.

LeadingDimensions

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR 3

Ruston&Hornsbyanditspredecessorshaveakeyplaceinthedevelopmentofdieseltraction,withtheEastAngliancompanyboastingoneRichardAkroyd-acontemporaryofRudolfDieselamongstitsnumber.However,Ruston&Hornsby'scontributionstoBritishRailneverfullyextendedbeyondtheshuntingandservicelocomotivestock.PWM650isseenheresportingtheearliestBRliverystyle-usedonrunningdepartmentstocktoo.Thisexamplewasthefirsttoappearin1953and,incommonwiththeBrushdesign,anelectricmotorprovidedthedrivetothewheels.(c)LensofSutton

Downinagriculturalcountry,Ruston&Hornsby,throughoutBR’sdieselisationphaseinthe1950shadsuppliedonlytwolocomotivesfornormalshuntingduties-althoughanumberhadbeenbuiltforservicestockwithan0-4-0wheelarrangement.At28tonstheywerethesameweightastheYorkshireEngineCo.’sdiesel-hydraulicdesign,butcarriedon3ft4inscoupledwheels,theyprovidedatractiveeffortof14,350lbs.PowerwasprovidedbyaRustonsix-cylinder6VPHLengineof165bhp,drivingthecoupledwheelsthroughajackshaft,SLMclutchandRustongearbox.Whatmightbeconsideredaconventional,lowprofileenginecasing,withremovablepanels,wasfitted,togetherwithafullwidthcabatthetrailingend.Bothoftheselocomotiveswereallocatedto,andspenttheirworkinglivesatStratfordontheEasternRegion.ConsideringthatRuston&Hornsbyevolvedfromthepioneeringdaysofnon-steamtractioninthe19thcentury,itisperhapscuriousthattheirdevelopmentofoil-enginesformainlinerailservicewasneverfullyexploited.

In1962,nolessthan14locomotiveswithan0-6-0wheelarrangementweredeliveredbyRustonsforuseinSouthamptondocks,basedatEastleigh.Inthisdesignthoughanelectrictransmissionwasused,withpowersuppliedfromaPaxman6RPHLengine.ThesingleAEIRTA6652tractionmotorwasmountedonaspigotfromadoublereductiongearbox,suspendedfromthetrailingcoupledaxle.

ThesewerethemostpowerfuldieselshuntersinserviceonBRandcoulddevelopamaximumtractiveeffortof28,240lbs,althoughkeepingbroadlythesamearrangementastheothertypes,theyhadamoredistinctiveappearance.

Thecabprovidedmuchgreatervisibility,certainlybycomparisonwiththeearlierRuston&Hornsbydesigns,withahigharcroof,muchmorecommodiousaccommodationwasprovided.Theenginecasinghadsidesthattaperedinwardsslightlyfrombottomtotop,whereasthemajorityofpreviousdesignshadverticalsides.

LeadingDimensions

Ruston&Hornsby

OneofthetwoRuston&Hornsby165hp0-4-0dieselshuntersbuiltforBRin1956-No.D2958(ex-No.11508)inBRgreenliveryatStratfordMPDinJuly1967.Photo:HughLlewelyn-D2958UploadedbyOxyman,CCBY-SA2.0,https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24383181

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR 4

Underthe1968classificationschemetheselocomotivesbecameClass07.In1972and1973theywererenumberedas07001-14,havingpreviouslycarriednumbersD2985-D2998.Laterstill,anumberoftheclasswerefittedwithair-brakeequipment.

BrushTraction’sassociationwithBRhasbeenbasedlargelyonthedesignofmainlinetypesandtheprovisionofelectricalpowerequipment.ThehighlysuccessfulandnumerousClass47beingthemostobviousexample.In1960asolitary0-4-0dieselshunterenteredserviceasNo.D2999.ThemechanicalpartsofthishadbeenconstructedforBrushbyBeyer-PeacockofManchester,fittedwithasix-cylinder180bhpPetter-MacLarentypeLE6engine,runningat1800rpm.AswiththeRustonlocomotivesasingletractionmotorprovidedthedrivetothewheelsthroughreductiongearing.Withawheelbaseof6ft0ins,wheeldiameterof3ft6insandanallupweightof30tons,amaximumtractiveeffortof19,200lbswasavailable.

ExternallytheappearanceofD2999wassimilartothegenerallayoutofothersmalldieselshunters,withacabatoneendandasimplecasingoverthepowerunit,fittedintothemainframes.Inthiscase,thewheelswereactuallyinsidetheframes,withcouplingrodsandcranksoutside,withoverhungleafspringsprovidingthesuspension.Likealldieselshunters,steamtechnologyformedthebasisofthedesignofthemechanicalparts,especiallythefull-lengthframes,inmildsteelplate.TheBrushdesignboreanuncannyresemblancebelowtherunningplate,toanoutside-framedsteamengine.Accesstothecabwasthroughadoorintherear,fromanarrowplatform,inexactlythesamewayastheYorkshireEngineCo.’sdesign.InBritishRailwaysservicethislocomotivewasbasedatStratford,beforebeingsoldbyBRforindustrialuseinthelate1960s-wonderwhathappenedtoitthen?

AnotherRuston0-6-0shunter-D2998-thelastofthe1962orderfor14locomotivesforSouthamptondocks,poweredbyaPaxmanengineandasingletractionmotor.AlongwiththelaterHudswell-Clarkelocomotives,thisdesigngaveprobablythebestallroundvisibilityforthecrew.AkthoughtheywereapparentlynotveryreliableasshuntersaroundSouthamptonDocks.(c)LensofSutton

TheuniqueBrushTractionD2999,aruggedlookingmachine,capitalisingonBrushexperienceinthediesel-electrictractionfield.Withitslateentryintothefield-thenumberofyards

forwhichthistypeofshunterwassuitedwerealreadydisappearingby1960-thiswasperhapsalwaysdestinedto

beaoneoff.ThemechanicalpartswerebuiltbyBeyer-Peacock,whilstPetter-MacLarenengineswerenotcommon

inrailwayuse.Thestyleandgeneraldetailsweremorecommonlyseenonindustriallinesathomeandabroad.

(c)LensofSutton

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR 5

Ofthe24servicelocomotivesinoperationonBritishRailwaysaquarteracenturyagoandmore,22hadbeenconstructedespeciallyfordepartmentaluse.Anumberofothersweretransferredfromcapitalstockandtwowereofnarrowgaugedesign.ThemajorityofthestandardgaugeshunterscamefromRuston&Hornsby(9)andAndrewBarclay(8),withtheformersupplyingthenarrowgaugetypesforuseatHorwichWorksandBeeston.

MostnumerousoftheRustondesignswerethe0-6-0diesel-electrics,thefirstofwhichappearedin1953,tocarrythenumberPWM650.Powerwassuppliedbyasix-cylinderRuston&Hornsbyengine,developing165bhpanddrivingthe3ft2inscoupledwheelsthroughasingleaxlehungtractionmotor.Theweightinworkingorderwas30tons,withamaximumtractiveeffortof17,000lbs.Afurtherfourlocomotivestothisdesignweredeliveredin1959,numberedPWM651-654,allofwhichwereallocatedtovarioussitesanddepotsontheWesternregion.Two0-4-0diesel-mechanicallocomotiveswerebuiltbyRustonsin1956and1957-onegoingtoReadingSignalWorksandtheother,thefirsttoarrive,wasdespatchedforusebytheCivilEngineerísDepartmentatHull.Bothoftheseshunterswerefittedwithan88bhp4-cylinderRustonMk.4Vengine,withachaindrivetothe3ft0insdiameterwheels,exertingamaximumtractiveeffortof9,500lbs.TheEasternRegionlocomotivewasgiventhenumber56andtheWesterncarriednumber20andwasstillatworkinandaroundReadingSignalWorksintheearly1980s.

Thetwonarrowgaugeshuntersintroducedin1958,includedNo.ED10fortheBeeston3ft0insgaugelines,withaRuston4YCLengineand2ft6inswheels,thisexampleweighedinatamere8tons4cwt.Thesecond,carryingnumberZM32,wassenttothe18insgaugeHorwichWorkslines,witha20bhpengine,3.5tonsallupweight,providedamaximumtractiveeffort1,890lbs.ThislatterwascompanyforthefamousHorwichWorks0-4-0steamlocomotive,survivinginBRstockastheunnumbered‘Wren’.Itsnewpartner,ZM32,lastedonly6yearsandwaswithdrawnin1964.

TheAndrewBarclaylocomotiveswerebasicallythesamediesel-mechanicalshuntersastheD2954-6seriesdescribedearlier,includingthesameenginetransmissionandotherdetails.Theservicelocomotivescarriednumbers81to87,with81appearingin1958,Nos.82-85in1959andthelasttwo,Nos.86/7in1961.Thefirstofthesewastransferredtorunningstockin1967toreplace,forashorttime,thewithdrawnD2956.AlloftheAndrewBarclayshunterswereallocatedtotheEasternregionandputtoworkatvariousdepots,fromCambridgeandYorkengineeringdepots,totheDinsdalerailweldingplant.

Ruston&Hornsbyanditspredecessorshaveakeyplaceinthedevelopmentofdieseltraction,withtheEastAnglian

companyboastingoneRichardAkroyd-acontemporaryofRudolfDieselamongstitsnumber.However,Ruston&

Hornsby'scontributionstoBritishRailneverfullyextendedbeyondtheshuntingandservicelocomotivestock.

PWM650isseenheresportingtheearliestBRliverystyle-usedonrunningdepartmentstocktoo.Thisexamplewasthefirsttoappearin1953and,incommonwiththeBrushdesign,anelectricmotorprovidedthedrivetothewheels.

(c)LensofSutton

Twootherservicelocomotivesbasedonrunningstockdesigns,werethe0-6-0diesel-mechanicalshunters91and92.ThesetwowerebuiltbySwindonWorkstotheClass03(D2000)designin1958andallocatedtoCambridgeEngineer’sdepot.Curiouslyperhaps,theyweretheonlydepartmentallocomotivesbuiltwiththe204bhpGardner-Wilson-Drewryengineandtransmission,butin1967theyweretransferredtocapitalstockandbecameNos.D2370andD2371.

Althoughtherewereanumberof0-4-0sinserviceusefromtheLeedsworksofJohnFowler&Co.,almostallofthesewereofLMSorigin,datingfromthe1930s.TheonlyFowlerdesignforBRappearedin1955asED7andwasassignedtoFazakerleyfor10years,until1964.Theenginewasa4-cylinderFowlertype4C,developing150bhpat1,000rpm,drivingthe3ft3inswheelsthroughamanuallyoperated,multipledryplateclutchand4-speedsynchromeshgearbox.TheFowlerdesignwasoneofthefewcentrecabtypesoperatingonBR-Hudswell-ClarkeandRuston&Hornsbyprovidingtheotherexamples.

ServiceLocomotives

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR

Non-StandardDieselShuntersonBR

Finally,anotherofthechaindrivencuriositieswasemployedontheEasternRegionintheshapeofa52hp0-4-0suppliedbyHibberd&Co.in1950.Weighingameagre11tons,thisparticulardesignwaspoweredbyaNational4-cylindergastypeengine,drivingthewheelsthrougha3-speedgearbox.Ondeliveryitwasallocatedthenumber11104,butanewnumberingsystemfordepartmentalstock,introducedin1952,providedthisexamplewithNo.52,whichitcarrieduntilbeingsoldin1967.IthadbeenallocatedtotheCivilEngineer’sDept.atWestHartlepoolandYorkontheEasternRegion,butinlateryearswasreportedatworkonSouthernRegionmetals,especiallyintheWokingarea.

Bythe1980s,onlyahandfulofthedepartmentalshunterswereatwork,including,oddly,thatchaindrivencuriosityfromRuston&Hornsby,0-4-0No.20,togetherwithfivediesel-electric0-6-0s,Nos.PWM650-PWM654.TheseweregivennewTOPSnumbersas97020(No.20)and97650-07654(PWM650-PWM654).

Nowadays,noneoftheseshuntingtypesexist,exceptonpreservedlinesorasmuseumexhibits,sinceasaresultofmajorchangesinthe1960s,thedisappearanceofmanysmalleryardsspelledthedeathknellforthistypeoflocomotive.Thereare58,possiblymoreifanyonehasanyadditionalinformation,atavarietyoflocationsaroundtheUK.ByfarthelargestgrouparetheformerBRClass03shunters,with45examples,manyofwhichareoperational.ThereareseveralexamplesfromAndrewBarclay,Hunslet,YorkshireEngineCo.andasolitaryHudswell-Clarke.

Anyadditionalinformationonthecurrentoperationalorpreservedstatusoftheseoftenoverlooked,butveryimportantlocomotiveswouldbeverywelcome.Someofthemoreobscureexampleshaveclearlylongsincedeparted,butofthosethatremain,manyperformkeytasksonthesepreservedlines,akintosupportingactorsandactressesinfilm,stageandtelevision.Hightimetheywereaccordedtheoscarstheydeserve.

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Almostlookslikeatoy,thisviewofYorkshireEngineCodieselhydraulic0-4-0Class02D2868,inpost1956BRgreenlivery.Photo:Gillett'sCrossingfromBristolhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31980465