56 of these Swindon-built centre cab type 1 locomotives were introduced in 1964 to work on shunting duties, local freight and transfer trip workings. They were introduced during the Beeching era - the very time when the work for which they were intended was rapidly disappearing. Thus they saw only two or three years’ BR service and earned the nickname “Teddy bears”. On withdrawal by BR they were readily purchased and continued to enjoy a much longer lease of life in industrial use. Two examples are in use on the K&ESR, although they have led rather different lives.

No. 48 was built at Swindon in 1964 and as D9504 and entered traffic the same year. It saw service at Bristol Bath Road and later at Hull Dairycoates but by December 1966, after just two years service, was in store at Worcester. D9504 was condemned on 1 April 1968 but was sold by BR Doncaster to the North Eastern Area of the National Coal Board, arriving at the NCB Lambton Colliery, County Durham in November of that year. The NCB allocated their number 506 in August 1969. The locomotive was withdrawn in 1987 and laid aside at Ashington.

No. 506 was acquired for the K&ESR and arrived on the line in October 1987 in company with D9525 (NCB No. 507) which became the first K&ESR No. 49. The latter locomotive proved to be in much better condition and quickly went into service. No. 48 was stored until the late 1990’s when it received an off-site overhaul at the Nene Valley Railway. It entered traffic in 1999.

Sister locomotive No. 49 (D9525) was sold on during 2000 and replaced by former D9529, which was also built at Swindon in 1964 and had an equally short BR career. On arrival at the K&ESR in 2000 it acquired the vacated stock No. 49. During the intervening years it had been located as follows:

To Stewart & Lloyds, Buckminster, August 1968

To Corby Quarries, September 1972

To BSC Steelworks Disposal Site, Corby, 29 December 1980

To NYMR 16 march 1981

To GCR, Loughborough, 11 December 1984

To Nene Valley Railway, 8 December 1988

To Shackerstone, on loan, 10 April 1995

To Nene Valley Railway, 9 November 1995

To K&ESR 23 June 2000

No. 49 is presently running in BR blue livery with the spurious TOPS No.14 029, the class never having survived long enough in BR service to carry either.

Class 14 locomotives have proved capable of handling heavy works trains and running the passenger service in emergencies. No. 48 was used extensively on the Bodiam extension project.

TECHNICAL DATA

Weight: 50 tons
Engine: Paxman ‘Ventura’ 6YJXL, 6 cylinder with Napier Turbo-charger,650hp at 1,500rpm
Transmission: Voith L217U hydraulic transmission consisting of two torque converters in series with fluid coupling; Hunslet triple reduction and reverse gear box
Tractive Effort: 39, 910 lb max
Max Speed: 40 mph
Wheel arrangement: 0-6-0 diameter: 4ft 0ins