LMS Route: Trent Valley Line

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

Nuneaton Station: lnwrns3838

Bulleid designed 1Co-Co1 Diesel locomotive No 10202 passes through Nuneaton station on a down express in the 1950s. Built by Ashford works in September 1951, this was the second of three prototypes designed prior to nationalisation in 1948 but not built until afterwards. Designated British Railways Class D16/2 the diesel engine and transmission were supplied by the English Electric company but the Bullied influence was obvious. The box-like body style closely resembled Bulleid's electric locomotives and was quite different from the usual English Electric style, typified by British Rail Class D16/1. Unusually for pioneer British diesels, the first two prototypes, 10201 and 10202, were originally specified (prior to alteration of gear ratios to improve tractive effort when operating as mixed-traffic units) with a top speed of 110 mph rather than the 90 mph of 10203, pre-dating the three-figure maximum speeds of the Deltic and Class 50 designs by some years. Percy Bollen's bogie design and the power train of the third prototype, 10203, were taken almost unmodified for the first ten production British Rail Class 40s but with a more traditional English Electric design of body with prominent noses and louvered side panels. The first two prototypes initially worked services on the Southern Region of British Railways before being transferred to Camden depot in the London Midland Region in April 1955. Locomotive 10202 ran 728,647 miles in service until December 1963 before withdrawn from 1A Willesden shed to be stored prior to be scrapped in May 1968 by J Cashmores of Great Bridge.

back