LMS diesel shunters 7059-7068
| Company type | Locomotive series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Founder | Armstrong Whitworth |
| Headquarters | Crewe South and Kingmoor , United Kingdom |
| Products | Diesel-electric shunting locomotives |
Template:Infobox locomotive LMS diesel shunters numbered 7059 to 7068 were a series of ten 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunting locomotives constructed by Armstrong Whitworth in the year 1936, bearing works numbers D54 through D63. Their diesel engines were Armstrong-Sulzer model 6LTD22 six-cylinder units, delivering a power output of 350 bhp at 875 rpm, with an overload capacity up to 400 bhp at 1,000 rpm. Propulsion was provided by a single Crompton Parkinson traction motor rated for continuous operation at 231 hp or one-hour rating of 358 hp. Power transmission involved double reduction gearing with a ratio of 11.1:1 driving jackshafts. These locomotives bore a resemblance in external design to LMS units numbered 7080 to 7119 (later classified as British Rail Class D3/7), though their internal components differed significantly. Upon entering service in 1936, they were assigned to Crewe South (units 7059 to 7063) and Kingmoor (units 7064 to 7068).
War Department service
During the period of 1940 to 1941, the entire batch was requisitioned by the War Department. Several units were deployed overseas across locations including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Egypt. The four locomotives dispatched to Egypt received the designations MEF19 through MEF22 (with MEF standing for Middle East Forces), and in 1944 these were renumbered as WD numbers 70019 to 70022. The remaining six retained their original LMS numbers until that same year when they were assigned War Department numbers ranging from 70213 to 70218.
Detailed service records
The operational histories of these locomotives throughout and following World War II are intricate due to their widespread distribution. Therefore, each unit’s individual record is outlined below:
- LMS 7059
Operated in France and Belgium under WD number 70213. It carried the informal name "Old Joe". Subsequently acquired by SNCB and renumbered as 230.001 before being withdrawn from service in March 1958.
- LMS 7060
Deployed in Egypt with WD identifiers MEF19 and later 70019. Withdrawn from use in 1945 and reportedly "canalised" at Suez—a term suggesting it was disposed of in the Suez Canal, where it may remain, albeit heavily corroded.
- LMS 7061
Served across France, Belgium, and the Netherlands bearing WD number 70214. Nicknamed "Pluto" unofficially, it was later purchased by SNCB and assigned number 231.101 before withdrawal in February 1965.
- LMS 7062
Remained within the United Kingdom during its service life, carrying WD number 70215 and the unofficial moniker "Flying Scotsman". It was renumbered as 882 in the year 1952 and transferred to the British Army of the Rhine by approximately 1958. The locomotive was sold in 1959 to LKW-Union Dortmund; its ultimate fate remains unknown.
- LMS 7063
Also retained domestically with WD number 70216, later renumbered as 883 in 1952. It was employed at both the Cairnryan Military Railway and Bicester Military Railway#Bicester Depot. In August of 1963, it was sold to E. L. Pitts Ltd based in Brackley. Subsequently loaned to the Central Electricity Generating Board for operations at Hams Hall Power Station during the year 1966 before eventual scrapping.
- LMS 7064
Deployed overseas in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands under WD number 70217, this unit carried the informal name "Ubique"—Latin for "everywhere" and also the motto of the Corps of Royal Engineers. Later incorporated into SNCB stock as number 231.102 and withdrawn from use in May of 1961.
- LMS 7065
Assigned to Egypt with WD numbers MEF20 and later renumbered as 70020. Around circa-1954 it was absorbed into Egyptian State Railways inventory as number 4022. Its final disposition is unrecorded.
- LMS 7066
Also served in Egypt bearing WD numbers MEF21 and subsequently identified as number 70021. This locomotive was withdrawn from service in 1945 and dismantled between the years of approximately1951 and1952.
- LMS 7067
Operated within France and Belgium under WD number 70218. Later acquired by SNCB where it was renumbered as 231.103 before being retired in January 1966.
- LMS 7068
Assigned overseas to Egypt with WD numbers MEF22 and later 70022. It entered Egyptian State Railways stock as number 4021; its ultimate fate remains undocumented.
See also
References
- Rowledge, J.W.P. (1975). Diesel Locomotives of the LMS. Oakwood Press.
- Template:Rowledge-Engines of the LMS