Britain's first main line diesel

[Titan]

Until recently I was under the impression that the LMS 10000 was the first main line diesel built and run in Britain.

 

There were discussions in the Riddles/Modernisation plan diesels threads about how mature diesel technology was by then and why proven designs could not have been ordered off the shelf.

 

Well much to my surprise, it would appear that there was a main line diesel that ran on the LNER in 1933. Moreover this used a combination of equipment that proved successful when BR finally ordered some for the modernisation plan - and it was not EE, but Sulzer and Crompton Parkinson!

 

 

The loco had a top speed of 70mph and was  a mixed traffic machine, rated to haul a 260 ton passenger train on the level at 60mph, or an 800 ton freight train,  so unequivocally a main line diesel, basically equivalent to a type 1. Fitted for multiple working too, despite having nothing to work with!  Does not seem to be much written about it's reliability, but it got  used on Newcastle-Carlisle passenger turns, and freight trains on various routes in the North East. Given the choice of equipment and that the construction of the loco was straightforward and simple, I would have expected it to perform well. It ran for a year until a power unit failure put it out of action. It seemed that the only reason it was not repaired was because no one had any interest in diesel at the time and as a lone demonstrator with no orders forthcoming the idea was just given up on. One does wonder how it would have changed diesel history if it had led to some orders!

 

Details and more pictures here if you scroll down a little:

 

http://www.derbysulzers.com/aw.html

[uax6]

Also look at Jasons excellent build of it here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/83896-a-powered-armstrong-whitworth-d9-plans-included/

 

Andy G