Time For Two

A nice side view of D2852

CJM Collection

Front and rear views showing verandah at cab end

and buffer beam detail of coupling and vacuum brake

CJM Collection

D2854 hauling a passenger train
on the Middleton Railway in 1994

A M Hurrell

D2860 at the National Railway Museum
Steven Barker

So, following on from my posting on the Class 01, it is now time to take a look at the Class 02 diesel-hydraulic shunter.

This 20-strong class of locomotive was built by the Yorkshire Engine Company of Sheffield with the first ten being produced in 1960 and a further ten being built in 1961.

Like the Class 01 shunter, the Class 02's were built for locations where there were track restrictions, such as a limited loading gauge or tight curvature and were allocated to the Midland Region for much of their working life.

Unusual amongst BR locomotives, although not amongst those built by the Yorkshire Engine Co., was the fact that the entrance to the Class 02's cab was via a verandah at the rear of the loco.

Unfortunately, with the closing of many of the locations and facilities in which the Class 02 worked the locos became increasingly surplus to requirements. As such, it was in December 1969, only eight years after the last locos were built, that the first five were withdrawn.

During 1970 ten more were removed from traffic with another being withdrawn in April 1971 and one more in October 1973.

This meant that just three of their number survived with BR long enough to enter the TOPS scheme, these being: D2851 (02 001), D2853 (02 003) and D2856 (02 004). D2852 was to have been 02 002 but this was the loco withdrawn towards the end of 1973.

The final three locos then survived until June 1975 when they too were finally withdrawn.

Due to the fact that they were not very old when they were taken out of service, six of the 02's (as far as I can ascertain) have passed into private ownership and these are as follows:

D2854: Heritage Shunters Trust

D2858: Midland Railway, Butterley

D2860: National Railway Museum, York (for moving large exhibits)

D2866: Heritage Shunters Trust

D2867: Battlefield Line Railway

D2868: Heritage Shunters Trust

The loco specification is given in the table below: