London Underground battery-electric locomotives
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London Underground Battery-electric locomotives, most commonly known as battery locomotives are used for hauling engineers' trains. These locomotives are also named tunnelrats.
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[edit] Main battery locomotives
[edit] Roster
| Battery Electric Locomotives | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LT Numbers | Number Built | Builder | Year | Notes |
| L15 - L19 | 5 | BREL Doncaster | 1970 | Withdrawn from service |
| L20 - L32 | 13 | Metro Cammell | 1964/5 | |
| L33 | 1 | LT Acton Works | 1962 | Originally L76, now withdrawn from service |
| L35 - L43 | 9 | GRC&W | 1936/8 | Withdrawn from service, L35 in museum depot |
| L44-L54 | 11 | BREL Doncaster | 1973/4 | |
| L55-L61 | 7 | Pickering | 1951/2 | Withdrawn from service |
| L62-L67 | 6 | Metro Cammell | 1985 | Withdrawn from service |
[edit] Design
All locomotives were built to a similar design, but with a number of variations included over the years of development. The locomotives have a cab at each end and are built to the standard 'Tube' loading gauge so that they can work over all lines on the London Underground network. The are equipped with standard buffers and coupling (the buffers are either hinged or retractable), 'Ward' type couplings and 'Buckeye' couplings. They have train air-brake equipment.
The body sides take the form of louvres to allow ventilation around the batteries (most locomotives had four solid body panels on one side only). All body panels are hinged to allow the batteries to be removed.
The original livery was Maroon, but this was changed to Yellow in the early 1980s.
[edit] Power
The locomotives can draw power from the 630V electrified rails like a normal tube train, or run on 320 V DC traction batteries when the power is switched off. The lead-acid batteries are usually recharged inside a depot.
[edit] Protection
All battery locomotives are fitted with tripcocks and some are also fitted with Central Line ATP. Some locomotives were fitted with Victoria Line ATP equipment but this has since been removed.
[edit] Ownership
The locomotives are since the start of London Underground's PPP scheme in the ownership of TransPlant. The locomotives are usually stabled at Lillie Bridge depot or West Ruislip depot.
[edit] Use
The traditional use of these locomotives has been to haul trains as electric locomotives until they reach the area where work is to be undertaken, then (as the electrified rails would be isolated) switch to battery operation. They are also used for transporting dieselpowered equipment like tampers through tunnel sections. Normally one locomotive will be at each end of the train, this allows the train to be reversed easily (the connections between different underground lines often require reverses on route). Early locomotives were not allowed to operate on their own as they only had a single air compressor. Twin compressors were fitted after 1964. With the building of the Jubilee Line diesel-powered locomotives took over part of the jobs the battery locomotives did.
The London Underground battery locomotives have been rented to Network Rail on several occasions for trackwork in the London area.
[edit] Metronet battery locomotives
In February 2006 Metronet received four small battery locomotives. They were bought for work on London Underground's Waterloo and City Line but will also be used on other projects. The locomotives are named Walter, Lou, Anne, Kitty, with a wink to the line's name, and are used for hauling materials and equipment on the job site.
The locomotives were specially designed and built for work in narrow tunnels with tight curves and steep gradients. Clayton Equipment of Derby designed and built them in about four months, which is relatively fast. They weigh 15 tonnes each and have a 75 hp motor on each axle. The locos have spring applied disc brakes which are pneumatically released which basically means they are fail-safe. Cameras aid the operator in shunting. The locos have 200 Volt DC motors which means they can't recharge from the electrified rails. Since the locos usually work during a long-term engineering possession this is no objection, although it does mean an alternative means of recharging has to be provided.
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