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British Rail Class 33
The British Rail Class 33, also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton, is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives, ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962.
They were produced as a more powerful Type 3 (1,550 bhp) development of the 1,160 bhp Type 2 Class 26. This was achieved, quite simply, by removing the steam heating boiler and fitting a larger 8 cylinder version of the previous 6 cylinder engine. This was possible because of the traffic requirements of the Southern Region: locomotive-hauled passenger traffic depended on seasonal tourist traffic and was heavier in the summer, when carriage heating was not needed. In the winter, their expected use was to be for freight. Thus, they became the most powerful BR Bo-Bo diesel locomotive. The perennially unreliable steam heating boiler could also be avoided.
A total of 98 were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) and they were known as "Cromptons" after the Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment installed in them. Like their lower-powered BRCW sisters, the Class 26 and Class 27 locomotives, their bodywork and cab ends were of all steel construction. They were very similar in appearance to Class 26 locos, but carried Southern Region two-digit headcode blinds between the cab windows.
The original (1957) number sequence was D6500–D6597.
The locomotives were initially needed, unusually, because of an electrification scheme. The 'Kent Coast scheme' was one of five major electrification schemes put forward by the 1955 Modernisation Plan. Under Stage 1 of the scheme, the majority of railway lines east of a line drawn between Reading and Portsmouth would be electrified. On secondary and branch lines not electrified, such as Tonbridge – West St. Leonards, diesel electric multiple units would work passenger services. The scheme involved the electrification of 250 route miles (400 km) of track at a cost of approximately £25m. The British Transport Commission (BTC) approved the scheme in February 1956.
The Southern Region established an Electrification Committee, which met monthly from August 1955. On the South Eastern section, electrification was to be carried out in two phases. Phase 1 would cover the north Kent routes via Chatham and Margate, including the Sheerness line, which had not featured in any previous electrification proposals. Phase 2 would cover the remainder of the South Eastern section routes that were to be electrified. The initial assessment was that eighty-eight 1,000 horsepower (750 kW) and twenty 2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW) Bo-Bo diesel locomotives would be needed, plus twenty electric locomotives. By November, it was thought that 98 locomotives of 1,000 to 1,250 horsepower (750 to 930 kW) would be needed. That figure was based on the locomotives collectively achieving 2,375,624 miles (3,823,196 km) annually. The locomotives would be used on passenger, van and freight trains, as well as working inter-regional services. The British Transport Commission approved the electrification scheme in February 1956.
By April 1956, it was apparent that the new locomotives would not be powerful enough, as the Southern Region was intent on eliminating the steam heating of its trains in favour of electric train heating (ETH). As an interim, it was intended that fifteen 1,160 horsepower (870 kW) Sulzer Type 2 locomotives would be allocated to the Southern Region. The Electrification Committee informed the BTC of their requirements in October, advising them that they had been in contact with Sulzer Brothers Ltd. to determine whether or not a locomotive in the 1,500 to 1,750 horsepower (1,120 to 1,300 kW) range could be built. On 4 December, a meeting between the General and Assistant General Managers of the Southern Region and the BTCs Secretary-General, Chief Mechanical Engineer and a Technical member, it was agreed to approach English Electric to build the locomotives. This was against the competitive tendering policy in force at the time, but was done as it was thought that this would be the quickest way to acquire the locomotives. A few days later, BTC Chairman Sir Brian Robertson told a director of Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. of the plan at a social event. Vickers-Armstrong was the builder of Sulzer engines in the United Kingdom. The company was not happy with the situation and a protest was made. In February 1957, the BTC decided to put the process for the procurement of the new locomotives out to tender.
To enable Phase 1 of the electrification to be implemented in June 1959, forty-five diesel locomotives would be needed. In addition, fifteen Type 2 locomotives (later class 24) would be loaned by the London Midland Region. Tenders were returned to the Electrification Committee in July 1957. The committee made its recommendations to the BTC, which met on 8 August. The BTC discussed an order for forty-five locomotives at a cost of £76,970 each. They were to be built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW), with Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment and Sulzer engines. Deliveries were to start in April 1959, with thirty locomotives in service by June. Despite offering a cheaper locomotive and better delivery times, English Electric did not gain the order. The BTC approved the order on 26 September. The order was not placed until 5 December. Under the terms of the tender, deliveries were to start 21 months from the placing of the order, and continue at three per month thereafter. This meant that the first locomotives would be delivered in November 1959 and completed by February 1961. None of the locomotives would be in service for the planned start date of Phase 1 of the electrification plan. At their January 1958 meeting, the Electrification Committee heard that delivery of the locomotives would be calculated once all technical details had been agreed. One locomotive would be delivered 21 months thereafter, two the following month and three per month after that. This pushed back final delivery until March 1961.
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British Rail Class 33
The British Rail Class 33, also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton, is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives, ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962.
They were produced as a more powerful Type 3 (1,550 bhp) development of the 1,160 bhp Type 2 Class 26. This was achieved, quite simply, by removing the steam heating boiler and fitting a larger 8 cylinder version of the previous 6 cylinder engine. This was possible because of the traffic requirements of the Southern Region: locomotive-hauled passenger traffic depended on seasonal tourist traffic and was heavier in the summer, when carriage heating was not needed. In the winter, their expected use was to be for freight. Thus, they became the most powerful BR Bo-Bo diesel locomotive. The perennially unreliable steam heating boiler could also be avoided.
A total of 98 were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) and they were known as "Cromptons" after the Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment installed in them. Like their lower-powered BRCW sisters, the Class 26 and Class 27 locomotives, their bodywork and cab ends were of all steel construction. They were very similar in appearance to Class 26 locos, but carried Southern Region two-digit headcode blinds between the cab windows.
The original (1957) number sequence was D6500–D6597.
The locomotives were initially needed, unusually, because of an electrification scheme. The 'Kent Coast scheme' was one of five major electrification schemes put forward by the 1955 Modernisation Plan. Under Stage 1 of the scheme, the majority of railway lines east of a line drawn between Reading and Portsmouth would be electrified. On secondary and branch lines not electrified, such as Tonbridge – West St. Leonards, diesel electric multiple units would work passenger services. The scheme involved the electrification of 250 route miles (400 km) of track at a cost of approximately £25m. The British Transport Commission (BTC) approved the scheme in February 1956.
The Southern Region established an Electrification Committee, which met monthly from August 1955. On the South Eastern section, electrification was to be carried out in two phases. Phase 1 would cover the north Kent routes via Chatham and Margate, including the Sheerness line, which had not featured in any previous electrification proposals. Phase 2 would cover the remainder of the South Eastern section routes that were to be electrified. The initial assessment was that eighty-eight 1,000 horsepower (750 kW) and twenty 2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW) Bo-Bo diesel locomotives would be needed, plus twenty electric locomotives. By November, it was thought that 98 locomotives of 1,000 to 1,250 horsepower (750 to 930 kW) would be needed. That figure was based on the locomotives collectively achieving 2,375,624 miles (3,823,196 km) annually. The locomotives would be used on passenger, van and freight trains, as well as working inter-regional services. The British Transport Commission approved the electrification scheme in February 1956.
By April 1956, it was apparent that the new locomotives would not be powerful enough, as the Southern Region was intent on eliminating the steam heating of its trains in favour of electric train heating (ETH). As an interim, it was intended that fifteen 1,160 horsepower (870 kW) Sulzer Type 2 locomotives would be allocated to the Southern Region. The Electrification Committee informed the BTC of their requirements in October, advising them that they had been in contact with Sulzer Brothers Ltd. to determine whether or not a locomotive in the 1,500 to 1,750 horsepower (1,120 to 1,300 kW) range could be built. On 4 December, a meeting between the General and Assistant General Managers of the Southern Region and the BTCs Secretary-General, Chief Mechanical Engineer and a Technical member, it was agreed to approach English Electric to build the locomotives. This was against the competitive tendering policy in force at the time, but was done as it was thought that this would be the quickest way to acquire the locomotives. A few days later, BTC Chairman Sir Brian Robertson told a director of Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. of the plan at a social event. Vickers-Armstrong was the builder of Sulzer engines in the United Kingdom. The company was not happy with the situation and a protest was made. In February 1957, the BTC decided to put the process for the procurement of the new locomotives out to tender.
To enable Phase 1 of the electrification to be implemented in June 1959, forty-five diesel locomotives would be needed. In addition, fifteen Type 2 locomotives (later class 24) would be loaned by the London Midland Region. Tenders were returned to the Electrification Committee in July 1957. The committee made its recommendations to the BTC, which met on 8 August. The BTC discussed an order for forty-five locomotives at a cost of £76,970 each. They were to be built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW), with Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment and Sulzer engines. Deliveries were to start in April 1959, with thirty locomotives in service by June. Despite offering a cheaper locomotive and better delivery times, English Electric did not gain the order. The BTC approved the order on 26 September. The order was not placed until 5 December. Under the terms of the tender, deliveries were to start 21 months from the placing of the order, and continue at three per month thereafter. This meant that the first locomotives would be delivered in November 1959 and completed by February 1961. None of the locomotives would be in service for the planned start date of Phase 1 of the electrification plan. At their January 1958 meeting, the Electrification Committee heard that delivery of the locomotives would be calculated once all technical details had been agreed. One locomotive would be delivered 21 months thereafter, two the following month and three per month after that. This pushed back final delivery until March 1961.