LMS diesel shunters 7059-7068 were 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunters built by Armstrong Whitworth

Armstrong Whitworth

Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...

 in 1936. Maker's numbers D54-D63. The diesel engine

Diesel engine

A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...

 was an Armstrong-Sulzer 6LTD22 of 350 bhp at 875 rpm (400 bhp at 1,000 rpm on overload). There was a single Crompton Parkinson

Crompton Parkinson

Crompton Parkinson was a British electrical manufacturing company formed in 1927 by the merger of Crompton & Co., and F & A. Parkinson Ltd.Crompton & Co. was a lamp manufacturer founded by Colonel Rookes Evelyn Bell Crompton in 1878 and had designed and installed electric lighting installations at...

 traction motor

Traction motor

Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....

 with a rating of 231 hp (continuous) or 358 hp (one hour). Final drive was by double reduction gears of 11.1:1 ratio and jackshafts . These locomotives were similar in appearance to LMS 7080–7119 (which became British Rail Class D3/7

British Rail Class D3/7

British Railways Class D3/7 were diesel shunters built from May 1939 through to July 1942 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at their Derby Works. They were the first of a new design of diesel shunters based on the English Electric 6K diesel engine of .-Numbering:These were given LMS...

) although the internal equipment was different. They started work in 1936 and were allocated to Crewe South (7059-7063) and Kingmoor (7064-7068).

War Department use

All ten locomotives were requisitioned by the War Department in 1940-1941 and some were sent abroad to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Holland, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 or Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

. The four sent to Egypt were numbered MEF19-MEF22 (MEF = Middle East Forces) but, in 1944, they were re-numbered 70019-70022. The other six retained their LMS numbers until 1944 when they received WD numbers 70213-70218 .

Individual histories

History of the locomotives during, and after, World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 is complex, because they were so widely scattered. It is necessary to describe them individually:

LMS 7059
Served in France and Belgium. WD number 70213. Given unofficial name "Old Joe". Later bought by SNCB and numbered 230.001. Withdrawn March 1958.

LMS 7060
Served in Egypt. WD numbers MEF19, 70019. Withdrawn 1945 and "canalised" at Suez. This presumably means it was dumped in the Suez canal

Suez Canal

The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...

 so it might still be there, although it would be heavily corroded.

LMS 7061
Served in France, Belgium and Holland. WD number 70214. Given unofficial name "Pluto". Later bought by SNCB and numbered 231.101. Withdrawn February 1965.

LMS 7062
Remained in the UK. WD number 70215. Given unofficial name "Flying Scotsman". Re-numbered 882 in 1952. Transferred to British Army of the Rhine

British Army of the Rhine

There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...

 by 1958. Sold 1959. Disposal unknown.

LMS 7063
Remained in the UK. WD number 70216. Re-numbered 883 in 1952. Used at Cairnryan

Cairnryan

Cairnryan is a small Scottish village in Dumfries and Galloway on the eastern shore of Loch Ryan. The village has been of vital importance in maritime history.-Ferry Port:...

 Military Railway and Bicester Depot

Bicester Military Railway

The Bicester Military Railway is a railway in Oxfordshire, England belonging to the Ministry of Defence. It links military depots at Piddington, Arncott and Graven Hill with the Oxford to Bicester Line.The line has no road bridges...

. Sold to E. L. Pitts Ltd, Brackley

Brackley

Brackley is a town in south Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Oxford and miles form Northampton. Historically a market town based on the wool and lace trade, it was built on the intersecting trade routes between London, Birmingham and the English Midlands and between Cambridge and Oxford...

, August 1963. Lent to Central Electricity Generating Board and used at Hams Hall Power Station

Hams Hall Power Station

Hams Hall Power Station refers to a series of three, now demolished coal-fired power stations, situated in Warwickshire in the West Midlands of England, from Birmingham.-Hams Hall A:...

 1966. Later scrapped.

LMS 7064
Served in France, Belgium and Holland. WD number 70217. Given unofficial name "Ubique

Ubique

Ubique was a software company that developed instant messaging and collaborationproducts. It is best known for the Virtual Places software product and the technology used byLotus Sametime. It is now part of IBM Haifa Labs.- Virtual Places :...

" (Latin for "everywhere" and the motto of the Corps of Royal Engineers). Later bought by SNCB and numbered 231.102. Withdrawn May 1961.

LMS 7065
Served in Egypt. WD numbers MEF20, 70020. Taken into Egyptian State Railways stock c. 1954 as number 4022. Disposal unknown.

LMS 7066
Served in Egypt. WD numbers MEF21, 70021. Withdrawn 1945. Scrapped 1951-2.

LMS 7067
Served in France and Belgium. WD number 70218. Later bought by SNCB and numbered 231.103. Withdrawn January 1966.

LMS 7068
Served in Egypt. WD numbers MEF22, 70022. Taken into Egyptian State Railways stock as number 4021. Disposal unknown.