Type 2 Diesels

Moving on to Type 2 locomotives, we currently have five of these in our fleet and all them, except one, are in weathered condition.

CLASS 22 DIESEL-HYDRAULIC NORTH BRITISH - D6319

The North British diesel-hydraulic Class 22, or 'Baby Warship' as she was also known due to its similarity to the BR Class 41 Warship Class of locomotive. 

The Class 22 was introduced in 1959 and consisted of 58 locomotives, numbered D6300-D6357. Initially there were problems with the transmission and the engines, albeit these were nowhere near as bad as those issues with the company's diesel-electric equivalent Class 21 locomotives.

Besides which, following repairs by NBL their reliability did improve somewhat although they were soon displaced by the more powerful Hymeks and Class 42 Warships.

Our model is by Dapol (Catalogue Nº: D1000d) and is a great little runner. It has a Howes DCC sound decoder fitted and is used on similar duties to it bigger sisters, namely, freight workings, local passenger trains and ECS workings.

Sadly, none of these locos survived into preservation although D6319 was purchased from BR but was cut up at Swindon before the purchaser could save it from the cutter's torch.
One Locomotive (D6319) was purchased by a private individual from BR, but it was cut up at Swindon before the buyer could retrieve it.

On a more positive note, 'The Project Class 22 Society' do plan to build a new locomotive and their website, for those who are interested, is here www.project22society.co.uk.

CLASS 23 DIESEL-ELECTRIC EE - D5909

Built by English Electric at its Vulcan Foundry, the Class 23, or Baby Deltics, were another small class of locomotives, numbering only 10 in the fleet. It used the Napier Deltic T9-29 9-cylinder engine of 1,100 bhp, a single version of the engine used in the Class 55 locomotive.

As with the Class 22's, they were introduced in 1959 but, unfortunately, this was another prototype diesel that was beset with problems and they were all withdrawn by 1971. Once again, none of the fleet survived although one of the Napier T29 engines did avoid being cut-up and this is now being used (together with the body of 37372) by the Baby Deltic Project to build a new Class 23 - D5310.

Their website is: www.thebabydelticproject.co.uk.

As with the prototypes, our Heljan model (Catalogue Nº 2323) also gave us a few problems in that the drive shaft kept dropping out. I replaced it myself a couple of times but eventually decided to send it back to Howes who managed to effect a more permanent repair.

Our loco has been weathered and is fitted with a Howes DCC sound decoder and she does sound amazing. We use her for a variety of tasks from frieght to ECs to both local and semi-fast passenger work.

D5909 was also the only member of the class to receive the full rail-blue livery.

CLASS 24 DIESEL-ELECTRIC BR SULZER TYPE 2 - 24081

Our model of the Class 24 (24081) is by the Sutton Locomotive Works (Catalogue Nº: 2402) and is a great model in so many ways. She looks fantastic, she sounds amazing and is just like the real locomotive to drive!

She is fitted with DCC sound (plus stay-alive capacitor) and has two speakers, which means her sound quality is awesome.

The model also features the later exhaust arrangement, exposed solebars and plated over front doors.

The class numbered 151 locos and were built between 1958 and 1961 with 24081 being the last one to be withdrawn in October 1980. It is also one of only four of the class to have been preserved.

Our model is very much a mixed traffic loco and can be seen on a variety of goods trains as well as on both local and semi-fast passenger workings.

So popular is this loco with us that we have put in an order for a two-tone green version (D5040) due to be available in the summer.

CLASS 25 DIESEL-ELECTRIC BR SULZER TYPE 2 - 25248

Our Class 25 locomotive is by Bachmann and, in fact, she started out as 25245 (Catalogue Nº: 32-326DS) although we later had her weathered and renumbered as 25248. She also originally she came with Bachmann's factory-fitted DCC sound files but we have since had her reblown with Howes sound files.
There were 327 Class 25's built, between 1961 and 1967 and so ubiquitous were they that they became known as 'Rats' by trainspotters. 
The final 25 was withdrawn in March 1987 but, happily, 20 of the class were saved for posterity although, sadly, neither 25245 nor 25248 is amongst those preserved.

CLASS 31 DIESEL-ELECTRIC BRUSH TYPE 2 - 31268

Our final Type 2 locomotive, at least for the moment, is this Hornby Class 31, 31268, Catalogue Nº: R2413B. She came factory-weathered and we have not added to that weathering although, as with most of our locos, she has been fitted with a Howes DCC sound decoder. 

She is a great loco, too, and sounds fantastic although, of late, she has started giving us trouble by frequently derailing, especially on points. I am not sure why this is and is something that we need to investigate.

The prototype Class 31's became the BR standard Class 2 locomotives and 263 of them were built between 1957 and 1962.

Such was their success that 26 of the class have been purchased / preserved (although unfortunately not 31268) and they can still occasionally be seen on the main line today. 

Our loco, when she is running well, can be seen in charge of the same variety of trains that the prototypes could be seen handling across the BR network.

Type 1 Diesels

We currently have four Type 1 diesels in our fleet and we use these for both shunting as well as for main line working. All are fitted with sound and have been weathered subsequent to purchase.

CLASS 15 DIESEL-ELECTRIC BTH/CLAYTON - D8239

This is the Heljan Class 15, Catalogue Nº 1508, which we have had fitted with Howes sound files. It is a very popular loco on our layout and is used for both shunting purposes as well as the occasional freight working. It is seldom seen hauling passenger trains but is frequently used on ECS workings.

Only 44 of the prototype locos were produced; they were designed by British Thomson-Houston and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company between 1957 and 1961. 

They were numbered D8200 - D8243 and, although they definitely had their problems, they were more successful than the contemporary Class 16 and Class 17 Type 1 locomotives.

Only one Class 15 has been preserved, D8233, and she is currently undergoing restoration work by the Class 15 Preservation Society - www.d8233.org.uk.

Happily for us, unlike the prototypes, our model is a reliable and popular little runner.

CLASS 17 DIESEL-ELECTRIC CLAYTON - D8568 'RIBBLE CEMENT'

Our Heljan Class 17 (or Clayton Type 1) is a model of the only one of these locos to be preserved. It is here seen in it's Ribble Cement (now Castle Cement) livery wherein it was used by the company to shunt heavy trains at Clitheroe. 
In 1983 it was purchased from them by the Diesel Traction Group for the princely sum of £1,000. Since then it has spent most of its time at Chinnor where it has undergone an overhaul and repaint. Indeed, since the DTG carried out preventive maintenance on the loco, it has greatly improved its reliability and it is a great shame that BR did not try and do something similar, instead of withdrawing all 117 of the locos as hastily as they did.

Our model is another good performer and is used for shunting coal wagons up the Tipper Branch as well as other assorted freight duties. She is also, occasionally, to be seen hauling local passenger trains.

Once again she has been fitted with Howes sound files and we love her two-tone horn, which is really rather mournful!

CLASS 20 DIESEL-ELECTRIC TYPE 1 - D8158

This is the first of two Class 20 Type 1 locomotives that we have in our fleet and she can be seen performing all manner of duties on the layout, from shunting and ECS work to hauling various goods trains and some local passenger services, both on the main line and up the branch.

This Class 20 is by Bachmann, Catalogue Nº 32-033DS, and she still has the factory-fitted sound files, which are much better than Bachmann's previous attempt (see below) and she has also been weathered since we acquired her.

As for the prototype 8158, she came into service in September 1966 and was renumbered 20158 under the TOPS scheme. Sadly she was withdrawn in May 1989 and cut up in March 1991.

CLASS 20 DIESEL-ELECTRIC TYPE 1 - 20034

The second Class 20 that we have is also by Bachmann, Catalogue Nº 32-035DS, and she was actually acquired before 8158. As with her sister, she also came with factory-fitted sound but, as I alluded above, this initial attempt by Bachmann at the Class 20 sound files was pretty poor so she was soon sent to Howes to be reblown and, I must admit, she sounds very good indeed. 

As with her green stablemate she has been weathered since purchase and is similarly called upon to perform a wide variety of duties, all of which both locos perform with great aplomb.

With regards to the prototype 20034, she began life as D8034 and came into service in March 1960. She was, though, withdrawn after 8158, in October 1990 and was cut up in July 1991.

228 of these highly successful and reliable Type 1 locomotives were produced and many were either preserved or went into private ownership.