The LNER Encyclopedia

On the 26th July 1928 the board authorised the purchase/construction of a Diesel freight locomotive. On the 3rd of January the estimated cost was raised by £429

Part A- To what price.
Part B- Was the loco ever built and if so which one was it? (It's price rules out a shunting engine)

421

Jingling Geordie wrote:On the 26th July 1928 the board authorised the purchase/construction of a Diesel freight locomotive. On the 3rd of January the estimated cost was raised by £429

Part A- To what price.
Part B- Was the loco ever built and if so which one was it? (It's price rules out a shunting engine)

421

I think there was something about this in RCTS 'Green' Part 10A.

The proposed loco was not built. The purchase that was approved was only for a diesel power unit, not a complete locomotive. The LNER intended to convert one of the NER Shildon - Newport electric locos into a diesel-electric, as the traffic on that line had decreased and the electrics were redundant.

Watto Flamingo, the exact wording is Diesel Electric Freight Locomotive and the final estimated price was £12k. You can see why I ruled out a shunter. I'll have to go through the minutes more thoroughly to see if they make any further reference to this loco.

Thanks for your time and info,

421

I think the original quote might have been for a complete locomotive and have it built by contractors, but on second thoughts the LNER may have decided it would be cheaper to build i£ themselves. 12K does sound a lot for just a diesel engine in 1930. To do the conversion they would also have needed to buy a generator and those don't come cheap either. Plus other bits and pieces no doubt.

Flamingo wrote:I think the original quote might have been for a complete locomotive and have it built by contractors, but on second thoughts the LNER may have decided it would be cheaper to build i£ themselves. 12K does sound a lot for just a diesel engine in 1930. To do the conversion they would also have needed to buy a generator and those don't come cheap either. Plus other bits and pieces no doubt.

The only loco that seems to fit the time frame was the Kitson-Still and 12k seems about right for the cost of these.

Watto Bill,
Could you tell us a bit more about the Kitson/Still loco?

421

Watto JWA,

As the minutes only authoriied the expenditure and don't describe it as a Diesel/Electric like they had when mentioning rail coaches. I think this could be the engine.

Thank you all for your time and assistance,

421

jwealleans wrote:http://www.lner.info/locos/IC/kitson.shtml

Just read the article indicated in the thread re the loco.
The following sentance struck me.
Later in 1928, it successfully hauled a 400 ton goods train from Darlington to Starbeck and back. It managed to restart this load on a 1 in 33 gradient from a signal stop.

Where was this 1 in 33 gradient?