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Friday, 14 November 2014

KWVR the Diesels

 
D0226 and D0227 were two prototype diesel shunting locomotives built in 1956 by English Electric at its Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows to demonstrate its wares to British Railways. They originally carried numbers D226 and D227, their Vulcan Foundry works numbers, but these were amended in August 1959 to avoid clashing with the numbers of new Class 40 locomotives.
 
 
They were both of 0-6-0 wheel arrangement and were fitted with English Electric 6RKT engines of 500 hp. They were painted black with an orange stripe along the middle of the bodyside, which turned into a 'V' at the nose end. The major difference between the two locomotives was that D0226 had diesel-electric transmission and D0227 had diesel-hydraulic transmission.
 

 
British Railways Type 2, Class 25 BO – BO

 
Class 8 shunter. This class of engine was first introduced to the British Railways network in October 1952 a the culmination of over 20 years’ work by English Electric in partnership with the pre nationalisation big four companies. Over 1,100 built with No. D3336 leaving Darlington works as 13336 in 1957, the last example to be turned out in black.

 
Preserved railways all over the country soon realised that having a decent shunting locomotive would be advantageous and the KWVR was no exception. After No. 08 226 was withdrawn, it was sent to Swindon from where the KWVR rescued it from the scrap-line. The engine has found useful work, predominantly shunting the heavy steam locomotives around Haworth Yard and occasionally undertaking works-train duties. On rare occasion (usually special events) it has been seen hauling passenger services on the line.

 
As, D6775 was built by English Electric at their Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns plant and completed in 1962, initially allocated to Thornaby Depot, Teeside. The locomotive gained its TOPS number of 37075 in February 1974 and, after a nomadic life and now in the ownership of EWS, was withdrawn officially in November 1999, 3 months after being bought for preservation.
 

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