EE & RSH Ltd 20 Bo-Bo
Information and History |
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The final and most successful batch of Type A (Type 1) locomotives ordered under the Modernisation Plan were the English Electric series, now classified Class 20. The initial order placed in 1956 was for just 20 locomotives, however following subsequent orders a total production run of 228 locomotives ensued. The English Electric Co. after receiving the contract for 20 pilot scheme locomotives, (allocated numbers D8000- D8019) sub-contracted the mechanical construction to the Vulcan Foundry works at Newton-Ie-Willows where construction commenced during mid 1957. The body styling followed the other pilot scheme Type A locomotives, having a single cab at one end, but was far more streamlined in appearance following closely previous EE constructed locomotives for New Zealand and Tasmania. After the first locomotive was completed testing was carried out in the Penrith area before the locomotive was handed over to the BTC at Euston. The allocation of all 20 pilot order locomotives was to Devons Road Bow, from where freight and local passenger duties were operated. The design was an immediate success and before all 20 were available, running and testing trials were being carried out all over the LMR and even in Scotland. Before the final locomotive of the pilot order was delivered a subsequent order had been placed for 30 locomotives for delivery at the end of 1959. These 30 locomotives, intended for use on the Eastern and Scottish Regions, were constructed equally by Vulcan Foundry and Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns. During the ensuing months other repeat orders were placed with English Electric for identical locomotives until 128 were in traffic by July 1962. Production then ceased in favour of the ’Standard Type 1 'C|ayton’ locomotives then on order. As time proved the new 'Standard' Type 1 was to be little less than disastrous and subsequently a further 100 English Electric Type 1s were ordered in the mid 1960s with delivery from mid 1966, construction of this batch being awarded to Vulcan Foundry. With the delivery of the 100 additional locomotives insufficient straight numbering in the D80xx and D81xx range remained, and as the D82xx series was already in use the additional locomotives carried on in the D83xx series. The prime mover installed in the EE Type 1s was the well established English Electric 8SVT Mk111 with electric equipment also being provided by English Electric. When built all locomotives were fitted with vacuum brake only equipment, however over the years dual brake equipment has been fitted to all remaining serviceable locomotives. A number of detail differences exist within the EE Type 1, later Class 20 fleet. The first 128 locomotives were constructed with disc style train reporting equipment, while all subsequent locomotives sport 4-character alpha/ numerical reporting equipment. Locomotives built for Scottish operation are fitted with space for token exchange apparatus, while round and oval buffers were fitted at various times during the build. Once the entire fleet of BR Class 20s was in service allocation was shared between the London Midland, Eastern and Scottish Regions, with the class visiting both Western and Southern Regions at times. Under more recent rationalisation of BR motive power the Class 20s are one of the few classes that are undergoing major refurbishing to keep them ’on the road' for many years to come. A considerable number have in the early 1980s passed through BREL works for major refurbishing, emerging without train reporting equipment, frontal identification being provided by sealed beam marker lights. Much work has also been carried out internally. Withdrawals of some life expired machines commenced in the mid 1980s, but usually only where spare parts were required or locomotives had suffered collision damage that was outside repair budgets. When constructed the entire fleet was painted in BR standard green livery, yellow warning panels and later full yellow ends being progessively applied. After blue was adopted as the standard livery, the entire class were repainted into this scheme with of course full yellow warning ends. With the implementation of the operating sectors in the 1980s and the Class 20 fleet being allocated primarily to the 'Rai|freight’ sector, a number of machines have emerged in the 'RaiIfreight' grey livery with wrap around yellow ends, giving a somewhat different appearance to these 25-30 year old workhorses. In July 1988 No. 20088 was outshopped in new Railfreight sub-sector colours and others have emerged with headlights. |