British Rail 10800
Encyclopedia
British Railways 10800 was a diesel locomotive
built by the North British Locomotive Company
for British Rail
ways in 1950. It had been ordered by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
in 1946 but did not appear until after the 1948 nationalisation of the railways.
Design was by George Ivatt
and the locomotive was intended as a possible replacement for steam locomotive
s on secondary and branch lines. The single-cab layout (long bonnet forward) gave the driver a poor view of the road ahead but it was no worse than in a steam locomotive so it would have been considered acceptable at the time.
During its brief time on the Southern Region
, 10800 gained the nickname 'The Wonder Engine', from the locomotive department's daily query, 'I wonder if it will go today'.
and BR Class 16
, used the improved YHXL engine.
and rebuilt for experiments in a.c. power transmission. Brush named the locomotive "Hawk".
It was used until 1968, and slowly stripped for parts from April 1972, until it was finally scrapped at Brush Traction, Loughborough
in 1976.
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
built by the North British Locomotive Company
North British Locomotive Company
The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were...
for British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways in 1950. It had been ordered by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
in 1946 but did not appear until after the 1948 nationalisation of the railways.
Design was by George Ivatt
George Ivatt
Henry George Ivatt known as George Ivatt, was the post-war Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. He was the son of the Great Northern Railway locomotive engineer Henry Ivatt....
and the locomotive was intended as a possible replacement for steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s on secondary and branch lines. The single-cab layout (long bonnet forward) gave the driver a poor view of the road ahead but it was no worse than in a steam locomotive so it would have been considered acceptable at the time.
During its brief time on the Southern Region
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
, 10800 gained the nickname 'The Wonder Engine', from the locomotive department's daily query, 'I wonder if it will go today'.
Description
Due to having been ordered by the LMS before the creation of British Railways (BR), 10800 became the first BR mixed-traffic Diesel-Electric locomotive when it was delivered in 1950. Operationally it was successful enough for BR to order a batch of 54 in 1955 although these, destined to be come BR Class 15British Rail Class 15
The British Rail Class 15 diesel locomotives, also known as the BTH Type 1, were designed by British Thomson-Houston, and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company, between 1957 and 1961.- Design history :...
and BR Class 16
British Rail Class 16
The North British Type 1 was a type of diesel locomotive ordered under British Railways' 1955 Modernisation Plan. Like other Type 1 designs, they were relatively small locomotives intended primarily for local freight traffic....
, used the improved YHXL engine.
Extra Information
- Bogie wheelbase: 8 in 6 in (2.59 m)
- Bogie pivot centres: 22 in 6 in (6.86 m)
- Sanding equipment: Pneumatic
- Heating type: Steam- Clarkson
- Main generator type: BTH
- Aux generator type: BTH
- Gear ratio: 66:15
- Boiler water capacity: 300 gal
- Boiler fuel capacity:* 90 gal
Rebuilding
In 1961 or 1962 (sources differ) No. 10800 was bought by Brush TractionBrush Traction
This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-...
and rebuilt for experiments in a.c. power transmission. Brush named the locomotive "Hawk".
- Main alternator type: Brush
- Aux alternator type: Brush
It was used until 1968, and slowly stripped for parts from April 1972, until it was finally scrapped at Brush Traction, Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
in 1976.