A Type 2 loco, built in the late-1950s by The English Electric Co. Ltd. at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows.  They were fitted with one 9-cylinder Napier Deltic engine rated at 1100 bhp.

 

The were called 'Baby' Deltics because of the engine being smaller than the 18-cylinder engines fitted to their Type 5 brethren (later Class 55), not because they bore any resemblance to them.

Ten were built and they were all scrapped - primarily as a result of the need to standardise traction in the late-1960s.

Eight of the locos were cut up at Cohen's near Kettering and one each were cut at Cashmore's near Great Bridge and BREL Doncaster works.

To all intents and purposes they were prototypes. It's true that they were refurbished and rebuilt soon after introduction in the early 1960s but the majority of the work concentrated on auxiliary systems rather than the engine.  After the refurbishment the locos gained a reputation for good availability and reliability.

We will not be using the same design for 'power take off' used to drive the compressor, traction motor blower and radiator cooling fan. The compressors - there will be two - will be electrically driven, as will the traction motor blower and the radiator fan will be hydrostatic. This removes the need for a huge drive shaft at the free-end of the engine which (before the loco's refurbishment programme) used to break and destroy anything in its path.

To recreate, as far as reasonably practicable, a replica 'Baby' Deltic loco. 

Certain sensible modifications will be incorporated; dual brakes, hydrostatic fan drive (engine cooling), electronic load regulator (engine output), electronic engine condition monitoring, no train heating boiler.

The loco will be in 'as originally built' condition; disc headcodes, gangway doors and a nose-end ladder.  It will be in two-tone BR green with a cream lower body stripe and a red lower stripe on the nose end.

When finished the loco will carry the number D5910 as this would have been the next in the series, the original locos carried numbers D5900 - D5909.

No. It's nothing to do with cost, neither is it anything to do with the fact that it's built using another loco as a donor.  It's about preserving the loco - 'main line' operation is extremely stressful on the power unit (engine / generator) and our engine is unique.  

It will be certified to be hauled on the national network to attend other preserved railways, etc.

Yes, we purchased the sole-remaining Napier T9-29 engine complete with its generators from the National Railway Museum in 2001.

It was installed to the loco in July 2021 and is ready to go when the loco is ready.

When it's finished!

We are concentrating on building the loco to our satisfaction rather than artificial targets.