Tri-ang Class EM2

Following my recent entry on the Tri-ang TC Electrics, we have here three of their other electric locomotives, namely their ever-popular Class EM2 Co-Cos, aka Class 77.

In the photograph, above, we see the first two of them at Davemoor behind Class 53 Nº 1200 'Falcon' as they are about to be led away for storage.

Immediately behind 'Falcon' is 27000 'Electra' in BR Green livery and she has clearly been fitted with replacement pantographs since, doubtless, the original ones had been damaged,; something that is not uncommon with these locos, given their age.

The Catalogue Nº is R351 and she dates from between 1961 and 1965.

Behind 'Electra', we see the other two EM2's, both in BR Blue livery, with the first of these being 26006 'Pandora'.

The Catalogue Nº is R388 and she dates from between 1969 and 1970. Actually this loco came with a choice of three names & numbers: 27000 'Electra', 27002 'Aurora' and 27006 'Pandora.

Bringing up the rear is, indeed, 'Aurora' albeit she is incorrectly numbered as 27006 rather than 27002. Presumably this will be corrected in due course.

These 1.5kV DC electric locomotives, like the Class 28, were built by Metropolitan Vickers between 1953 and 1954 specifically for use on the Woodhead Route between Manchester and Sheffield.

Originally the plan was to build 27 of these locomotives, however, once the benefits of using the 25kV AC system was realized, the order was reduced to just seven with all seven being given names from Greek Mythology.

The entire class was withdrawn in September 1968 with Class 76 electrics continuing to operate passenger services until this ended in January 1970 with the Woodhead route itself closing as a through route in July 1981.

Happily three members of the class have survived into preservation:

27000 'Electra' at the Midland Railway in Butterley.
27001 'Ariadne' at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.
27003 'Diana' at the Utrecht Railway Museum in the Netherleands..

Heljan Class 28

A recent addition to Lakeland Railway's locomotive fleet is this Heljan Metro-Vick Co-Bo Type 2 diesel locomotive, aka Class 28, Nº: D5711.

These locos were built as part of BR's 1955 Modernisation Plan and were, for BR, uniquely fitted with a Crossley eight cylinder, two-stroke, HST V8 diesel engine.

They were also the only BR diesel locomotives to have a Co-Bo wheel arrangement, meaning they had three axles at one end and two at the other end.. 

With all axles being driven it meant that, at 50,000 lbf, the maximum tractive effort for these Type 2 locomotives was very good. 

As their name suggests they were built by Metropolitan-Vickers at their Bowesfield Works between 1958 and 1959.

Only 20 of these quirky locomotives were built and they were all initially allocated to the London Midland Region where they regularly operated the overnight Condor Express freight services between London and Glasgow where they would often operate in pairs.

Following refurbishment in 1961 they were sent to the Barrow-in-Furness depot before, in 1967, being transferred to Carlisle.

Unfortunately, the Crossley engine proved to be problematic and replacement engines were considered, however, given the uniqueness and small number of the class, it was eventually decided to scrap them with all being withdrawn between 1967 and 1968.

Happily a sole member of the class did manage to avoid the cutter's torch, namely D5705, and is currently being restored on the East Lancashire Railway.

Below is a short video of our model, fitted with an excellent Digitrains DCC sound decoder, at the head of a short rake of ventilated vans, the type of work that it will no doubt be called upon to do quite regularly on the railway.