British Rail Class 28
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 28 (Metropolitan-Vickers
Type 2) diesel locomotive
s, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo
wheel arrangement (a 6-wheel bogie
at one end, a 4-wheel bogie at the other) – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan. This affected their route availability
, due to the different axle loading at each end of the loco, and made maintenance more complicated. The maximum tractive effort of 50000 lbf (222.4 kN) was unusually high for a Type 2 locomotive but, as there were five (not four) driving axles, the risk of wheelslip
was minimal.
8-cylinder HST Vee8 two stroke engines, they represented an experiment in two stroke versus four stroke engines for diesel-electric traction.
The engines had exhaust pulse pressure charging
and developed 1,200 horsepower (895 kW) at 625 rpm. There were no valves, and inlet and exhaust were via ports in the cylinder walls. The same engine was originally fitted in the Irish
A Class
and the Western Australian Government Railways
X class
Almost from the beginning the Metrovick's Crossley engines were problematic. They suffered frequent failures and by 1961 the entire class was handed back to the manufacturer for remedial work on the engines and to cure problems with cab windows falling out while running. The cab windows were modified such that instead of wrapping round to the side the outer front windows were replaced by a flat piece of glass facing the front only. The engines were also extremely noisy and prone to unacceptable levels of smoky exhaust fumes
, due to the two-stroke cycle burning a proportion of the lubricating oil.
–Glasgow
“Condor” express freight service. Later they were transferred to the Barrow-in-Furness
area prior to withdrawal after only 11 years at work and in service.
Despite the locomotives being otherwise reliable the Crossley engines were still giving problems and British Rail
considered replacing the engines, as was done with the Class 31
diesels and, later, with Crossley-engined locomotives in Ireland. Instead the entire class was withdrawn from service during 1967–1969, and all but one were scrapped by the end of 1969.
for its Tribology Test train. It was superseded by a Class 24, and was used as carriage heating unit TDB968006 before being preserved in 1980. It is currently on the East Lancashire Railway
. The Class 15
Preservation Society has signed an agreement with the owners of D5705 to become its custodians during its restoration and operation for the next ten years, although funding will remain separate.
children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends, he carries the number D5702.
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...
Class 28 (Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
Type 2) diesel locomotive
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...
s, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo
Co-Bo
In the UIC classification, the Co-Bo or Co′Bo′ wheel arrangement features two uncoupled bogies. The "Co" bogie has three driven axles and the "Bo" bogie has two....
wheel arrangement (a 6-wheel bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
at one end, a 4-wheel bogie at the other) – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan. This affected their route availability
Route availability
Route Availability is the system by which the permanent way and supporting works of the National Rail network of Great Britain are graded. All routes are allocated an RA number between 1 and 10....
, due to the different axle loading at each end of the loco, and made maintenance more complicated. The maximum tractive effort of 50000 lbf (222.4 kN) was unusually high for a Type 2 locomotive but, as there were five (not four) driving axles, the risk of wheelslip
Locomotive wheelslip
Locomotive wheelslip is an event that affects railway motive power when starting from stationary.The greatest effort is required from a locomotive when starting...
was minimal.
Engine
With low-speed CrossleyCrossley
Crossley, based in Manchester, United Kingdom, was a pioneering company in the production of internal combustion engines. Since 1988 it has been part of the Rolls-Royce Power Engineering group.More than 100,000 Crossley oil and gas engines have been built....
8-cylinder HST Vee8 two stroke engines, they represented an experiment in two stroke versus four stroke engines for diesel-electric traction.
The engines had exhaust pulse pressure charging
Exhaust pulse pressure charging
Exhaust pulse pressure charging is a system for supercharging two-stroke diesel engines of the loop-scavenge type. Loop-scavenge engines cannot be pressure-charged in the same way as uniflow engines or four-stroke engines because the inlet and exhaust ports are open at the same time.-Overview:The...
and developed 1,200 horsepower (895 kW) at 625 rpm. There were no valves, and inlet and exhaust were via ports in the cylinder walls. The same engine was originally fitted in the Irish
Córas Iompair Éireann
Córas Iompair Éireann , or CIÉ, is a statutory corporation of the Irish state, answerable to the Irish Government and responsible for most public transport in the Republic of Ireland and, jointly with its Northern Ireland counterpart, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, between the...
A Class
CIE 001 Class
The Córas Iompair Éireann 001 Class locomotive was manufactured by Metropolitan-Vickers at their Dukinfield Works in Manchester.The 001 Class locomotive was the backbone of mainline passenger and freight train services on the Irish railway network for forty years from 1955 until the mid-1990s when...
and the Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
X class
WAGR X class
The WAGR X class was a class of 48 diesel electric locomotives built for Western Australian Government Railways by Beyer Peacock and Metropolitan Vickers, at Bowesfield Works, Stockton-on-Tees between 1954 and 1956.-The Crossley engine:...
Almost from the beginning the Metrovick's Crossley engines were problematic. They suffered frequent failures and by 1961 the entire class was handed back to the manufacturer for remedial work on the engines and to cure problems with cab windows falling out while running. The cab windows were modified such that instead of wrapping round to the side the outer front windows were replaced by a flat piece of glass facing the front only. The engines were also extremely noisy and prone to unacceptable levels of smoky exhaust fumes
Exhaust gas
Exhaust gas or flue gas is emitted as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel fuel, fuel oil or coal. According to the type of engine, it is discharged into the atmosphere through an exhaust pipe, flue gas stack or propelling nozzle.It often disperses...
, due to the two-stroke cycle burning a proportion of the lubricating oil.
Operation
All 20 were initially allocated to the Midland Division of BR's London Midland Region, where they were often used in pairs on the overnight LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
–Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
“Condor” express freight service. Later they were transferred to the Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
area prior to withdrawal after only 11 years at work and in service.
Despite the locomotives being otherwise reliable the Crossley engines were still giving problems and 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...
considered replacing the engines, as was done with the Class 31
British Rail Class 31
The British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotives, also known as the Brush Type 2 and originally as Class 30, were built by Brush Traction from 1957-62.- Description :...
diesels and, later, with Crossley-engined locomotives in Ireland. Instead the entire class was withdrawn from service during 1967–1969, and all but one were scrapped by the end of 1969.
Preservation
A single locomotive, D5705, survived by historical accident, being renumbered S15705 and used from December 1968 by the Research DivisionBritish Rail Research Division
The British Rail Research Division came into being in 1964 directly under the control of the British Railways Board, moving into purpose-built premises at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby. The intention was to improve railway reliability and efficiency, while reducing costs and improving revenue...
for its Tribology Test train. It was superseded by a Class 24, and was used as carriage heating unit TDB968006 before being preserved in 1980. It is currently on the East Lancashire Railway
East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
. The Class 15
British 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 :...
Preservation Society has signed an agreement with the owners of D5705 to become its custodians during its restoration and operation for the next ten years, although funding will remain separate.
In fiction
The Class 28 was the basis for BoCo, a character in The Railway SeriesThe Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends, he carries the number D5702.
Models
The Class 28 has been made as a 00 gauge model in several forms, including a ready-to-run version by Hornby Dublo and a kit by Silver Fox Models. A ready to run model is being produced by Heljan on behalf of and exclusive to Hatton's Model Railways in Liverpool as of 2010.External links
- Co-Bo World
- Silver Fox Models (Class 28) – includes brief history of class and photo of model in rail blue livery