British Rail Class 26

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26014 and 26008 ready to depart Inverness with a passenger train, September 1977.

The British Rail Class 26 diesel locomotives, also known as the BRCW Type 2, were built from 1958-1959. 47 of these locomotives were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, the first twenty of which were ordered as part of the 1955 British Rail modernisation plan. This class was used as the basis for the development of the Class 27 locomotives - although, ironically, they outlasted them in service.

The first 20 of the class were initially used in the London area, but were soon transferred to Scotland, hauling both passenger trains and light freight. The class were extensively used on passenger trains from Inverness, notably on the lines to Wick/Thurso and Kyle of Lochalsh. They were later superseded on these routes by Class 37s.

The final locomotives were withdrawn from Inverness depot in late-1993.

[edit] Technical details

• Introduced: 1958
• Weight:
  • D5300-D5319, 77 tons 10 cwt
  • D5320-D5346, 74 tons
• Engine: Sulzer 6LDA28 of 1,160 bhp at 750 rpm
• Transmission: Electric, four Crompton Parkinson traction motors
• Maximum tractive effort: 42,000 lb
• Driving wheel diameter: 3ft 7in
• Coupling code: Blue star (electro-pneumatic)
• Train heating (where fitted): Steam generator

[edit] Preservation

Preserved no. D5301 painted in original green livery without yellow warning panels inside the shed on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway on 31st May 2005. This was one of the final locomotives in traffic, being withdrawn in late 1993.

Several locomotives have been preserved.

[edit] Sources

• Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, summer 1966 edition

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British Rail Class 26

[edit] External links

• Caledonian Railway Diesel Group.

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