Locomotive No. D9520 Class 14 (Type 1) 0-6-0 Diesel Hydraulic
Country of origin: United Kingdom.
Builders: British Rail, Swindon. Year: 1964/65. Engine: Paxman Ventura 6YJXL 650 hp (485KW) @ 1500 rpm. Tractive effort: 32,000 Ibs. (142KN) Transmission: Hydraulic; Voith/North British L21 7U /Hunslet 650 gear box. Locomotive weight: 50 tons. (50.8tonnes) Driving wheels diameter: 4'0"(1219mm). Train brakes, D9520: Air/Vacuum. Max. Speed; 40mph (64km/h) Original owner: British Railways (WR). Current owners; Iron & Steel Traction Group |
Background History
56 of these Swindon Type 1(later class 14) diesel hydraulic locomotives (it was initially envisaged that there would be over 300), numbered D9500 to D9555, were built in 1964/65 by British Railways' Swindon Works, as the final stage of the Western Region's diesel hydraulic program. At this time the other British Railways Regions had
adopted diesel -electric traction to replace steam. The class 14’s, principally designed to replace the numerous 'Pannier' and Prarie' tank engines on the Western Region, replacing them in the South Wales coal fields and for short freight 'trip' workings which required the 4-character route indicators and vacuum brakes, where periodic shunting around a station yard would be required between fast dashes along the main line. But even as the locomotives were being built, much of this work was
rapidly disappearing as the so-called 'Beeching Axe' reshaped British Railways and dosed down wayside stations, along with their wagon load goods traffic and indeed, some of the main lines themselves.
Initial allocations of the class 14’s were therefore on the Western Region, at London's Old Oak Common (Shed Code 81A), Bristol Bath Road (82A), Worcester (85A), Cardiff Canton (86A) and Landore (87E). The locomotives became surplus as their work disappeared and many were stored at places such as Gloucester and Worcester, although a number had been transferred to Hull Dairycoates (5OB) for use on the North Eastern Region, ousting the remaining steam locomotives in that area.
With hindsight, it can now be seen that the Class 14’s need never have been built and in fact, all the locomotives had been withdrawn from BR service by 1970, less than 5 years from new. It would have been at this time that, under BR's new TOPS classification, the Type 1's were re-classified as Class 14s.
Realising the economic advantages of acquiring cheap, relatively new, ex BR locomotives, Corby based Stewart & Lloyd Minerals Ltd. (subsequently part of British Steel Corporation) purchased 23 Class 14s from BR in 1968. These were allocated to S & L Minerals' ironstone quarries at Buckminster and Harlaxton in Lincolnshire and to Corby and Glendon in Northamptonshire, replacing their existing steam fleet. This action effectively closed the Sentinal works because the ‘Steelman’ projected customer . At about the same time the National Coal Board purchased 19 Class 14s from BR, allocating many of them to the Northumberland area.
This 'bulk purchase' of Class 14’s by S & L Minerals and the National Coal Board included the 4 locomotives that have been based on the Nene Valley Railway. With the subsequent contraction of the British steel industry and closure of the quarries and then Corby Steelworks itself in 1980 (where the remaining members of BSC's fleet had gathered) the locomotives were, once again,surplus to requirements and were either scrapped, re-sold or acquired for preservation. The decline of the British coal industry followed within a few short years and the same fate befell the NCB Class 14s.
Locomotive History
D9520 was completed at Swindon Works on llth November 1964 and initially allocated to Cardiff Canton. In January 1967, it was transferred to Hull(Dairycoates) with
other members of the Class for work in the North East Region but was withdrawn from BR service there in April 1968.
Purchased by Stewart& Lloyds Minerals Ltd. the loco arrived, in company with D9523 (see below) at Glendon Quarries near Kettering on 16th December 1968 where it became No. 24 (Plant No. 8311/24) and was used to haul wagons of ironstone from the quarries to the exchange sidings, from where BR then hauled the trains to Corby Iron and Steel Works.
A year later, on 12th January 1970, the loco travelled along the Midland Main Line to Gretton Brook loco depot for work on the Corby Ironstone Quarries system, where it was eventually renumbered 45 in the Minerals' loco fleet. In the course of time, it became the designated loco on the North Bank crusher sidings where all incoming ironstone was received by Corby Steelworks and as such, the loco would often work around the clock on a three shift system.
With the decline in steel production nationally and the subsequent closure of Corby's ironstone quarries and the Iron and Steel Works in 1980, No. 45 was transferred to the Corby Tubeworks (which is still in operation today) for short-lived general shunting and transfer duties until Early 1981
Preservation History
D9520
On 16th March 1981, the loco (along with '61' - D9529 - see below) left Corby Works in a BR freight train bound for preservation on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR). However, with the influx of larger diesels on the 'Moors Line', D9520 was again surplus to requirements and was re-sold, moving south, this time by road, to Rutland Railway Museum, Cottesmore, thus returning to the East Midlands old ironstone field (but United Steel Corporation's old 'territory') on 21st February 1984. In March 1998, the loco was transferred on loan to Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre at Ruddington. It was no stranger to the Great Central main line - the loco had previously been a guest at GCR, Loughborough's Diesel Gala in October 1985 to celebrate the Twenty-First Anniversary of the Class, working with the GCR's then resident Class 14s, D9516, D9523 and D9529 - the latter having also 'moved on' from the NYMR.
On 20th April 2004, D9520, now owned by the Iron and Steel Traction Group, arrived at Wansford for completion of restoration and is now permanently based on the Nene Valley Railway, being 'reunited' with D9504, D9516, D9518, D9523 and D9529 until the others went their own way.
The detailed restoration programme, currently being undertaken by its owners, the ISTG, covers mechanical overhaul and rewiring and an internal and external repaint - which will show the loco's original BR two tone livery as D9520 and its Corby Quarries identity of '45'. To enable D9520/45 to operate air braked trains an air braking system has been installed.
56 of these Swindon Type 1(later class 14) diesel hydraulic locomotives (it was initially envisaged that there would be over 300), numbered D9500 to D9555, were built in 1964/65 by British Railways' Swindon Works, as the final stage of the Western Region's diesel hydraulic program. At this time the other British Railways Regions had
adopted diesel -electric traction to replace steam. The class 14’s, principally designed to replace the numerous 'Pannier' and Prarie' tank engines on the Western Region, replacing them in the South Wales coal fields and for short freight 'trip' workings which required the 4-character route indicators and vacuum brakes, where periodic shunting around a station yard would be required between fast dashes along the main line. But even as the locomotives were being built, much of this work was
rapidly disappearing as the so-called 'Beeching Axe' reshaped British Railways and dosed down wayside stations, along with their wagon load goods traffic and indeed, some of the main lines themselves.
Initial allocations of the class 14’s were therefore on the Western Region, at London's Old Oak Common (Shed Code 81A), Bristol Bath Road (82A), Worcester (85A), Cardiff Canton (86A) and Landore (87E). The locomotives became surplus as their work disappeared and many were stored at places such as Gloucester and Worcester, although a number had been transferred to Hull Dairycoates (5OB) for use on the North Eastern Region, ousting the remaining steam locomotives in that area.
With hindsight, it can now be seen that the Class 14’s need never have been built and in fact, all the locomotives had been withdrawn from BR service by 1970, less than 5 years from new. It would have been at this time that, under BR's new TOPS classification, the Type 1's were re-classified as Class 14s.
Realising the economic advantages of acquiring cheap, relatively new, ex BR locomotives, Corby based Stewart & Lloyd Minerals Ltd. (subsequently part of British Steel Corporation) purchased 23 Class 14s from BR in 1968. These were allocated to S & L Minerals' ironstone quarries at Buckminster and Harlaxton in Lincolnshire and to Corby and Glendon in Northamptonshire, replacing their existing steam fleet. This action effectively closed the Sentinal works because the ‘Steelman’ projected customer . At about the same time the National Coal Board purchased 19 Class 14s from BR, allocating many of them to the Northumberland area.
This 'bulk purchase' of Class 14’s by S & L Minerals and the National Coal Board included the 4 locomotives that have been based on the Nene Valley Railway. With the subsequent contraction of the British steel industry and closure of the quarries and then Corby Steelworks itself in 1980 (where the remaining members of BSC's fleet had gathered) the locomotives were, once again,surplus to requirements and were either scrapped, re-sold or acquired for preservation. The decline of the British coal industry followed within a few short years and the same fate befell the NCB Class 14s.
Locomotive History
D9520 was completed at Swindon Works on llth November 1964 and initially allocated to Cardiff Canton. In January 1967, it was transferred to Hull(Dairycoates) with
other members of the Class for work in the North East Region but was withdrawn from BR service there in April 1968.
Purchased by Stewart& Lloyds Minerals Ltd. the loco arrived, in company with D9523 (see below) at Glendon Quarries near Kettering on 16th December 1968 where it became No. 24 (Plant No. 8311/24) and was used to haul wagons of ironstone from the quarries to the exchange sidings, from where BR then hauled the trains to Corby Iron and Steel Works.
A year later, on 12th January 1970, the loco travelled along the Midland Main Line to Gretton Brook loco depot for work on the Corby Ironstone Quarries system, where it was eventually renumbered 45 in the Minerals' loco fleet. In the course of time, it became the designated loco on the North Bank crusher sidings where all incoming ironstone was received by Corby Steelworks and as such, the loco would often work around the clock on a three shift system.
With the decline in steel production nationally and the subsequent closure of Corby's ironstone quarries and the Iron and Steel Works in 1980, No. 45 was transferred to the Corby Tubeworks (which is still in operation today) for short-lived general shunting and transfer duties until Early 1981
Preservation History
D9520
On 16th March 1981, the loco (along with '61' - D9529 - see below) left Corby Works in a BR freight train bound for preservation on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR). However, with the influx of larger diesels on the 'Moors Line', D9520 was again surplus to requirements and was re-sold, moving south, this time by road, to Rutland Railway Museum, Cottesmore, thus returning to the East Midlands old ironstone field (but United Steel Corporation's old 'territory') on 21st February 1984. In March 1998, the loco was transferred on loan to Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre at Ruddington. It was no stranger to the Great Central main line - the loco had previously been a guest at GCR, Loughborough's Diesel Gala in October 1985 to celebrate the Twenty-First Anniversary of the Class, working with the GCR's then resident Class 14s, D9516, D9523 and D9529 - the latter having also 'moved on' from the NYMR.
On 20th April 2004, D9520, now owned by the Iron and Steel Traction Group, arrived at Wansford for completion of restoration and is now permanently based on the Nene Valley Railway, being 'reunited' with D9504, D9516, D9518, D9523 and D9529 until the others went their own way.
The detailed restoration programme, currently being undertaken by its owners, the ISTG, covers mechanical overhaul and rewiring and an internal and external repaint - which will show the loco's original BR two tone livery as D9520 and its Corby Quarries identity of '45'. To enable D9520/45 to operate air braked trains an air braking system has been installed.