BR Swindon Type 1 0-6-0 Diesel-Hydraulic Locomotives - Class 14: Their Life on British Railways

The Western Region of BR identified a need for 400 Type 1 diesel locomotives for short-haul freight duties in 1957, but it was 1964 before the first was introduced. Swindon created a cheap no-frills Type 1, 65% of the cost of the Bo-Bo alternative, to fill the trip-freight niche. By 1963, the original requirement had been reduced, and 56 locomotives were constructed in 1964/65. However, traffic losses resulted in the class becoming redundant by 1969. Fortunately, a demand for high-powered diesels on larger industrial railway systems saw the bulk of the locomotives finding useful employment for a further twenty years.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 02 March 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

In 1957, the Western Region of British Rail (BR) identified a pressing need for 400 Type 1 diesel locomotives to handle short-haul freight duties. However, it took until 1964 for the first of these locomotives to be introduced. While General-purpose Type 1s were being delivered elsewhere, WR management considered them too expensive for their specific requirements. Consequently, Swindon, the engineering hub responsible for designing the Western locomotives, shifted their focus to developing a cost-effective and basic Type 1. Dubbed the Swindon 0-6-0, it achieved a remarkable 65% cost savings compared to the Bo-Bo alternative. This made it an ideal choice for the trip-freight niche, offering a better fit for BR's needs.

Over the years, the privatised road-haulage industry had taken a significant toll on BR's wagon-load sector. While the 1962 Transport Act provided relief from BR's financially-debilitating public-service obligations, the damage had already been done. The 1963 Beeching Plan, aimed at closing unprofitable routes and associated services, further exacerbated the situation. By 1963, the original requirement for 400 Type 1s had been drastically reduced. Only fifty-six locomotives were constructed in 1964/65, and unfortunately, continuing traffic losses led to the entire class becoming redundant by 1969.

However, fate intervened in the form of a demand for high-powered diesels on the larger industrial railway systems. Fortunately, many of the withdrawn Type 1 locomotives found new life and purpose for another twenty years. This book delves into the history of these locomotives on British Railways, while a companion volume will provide an in-depth appraisal of their life in industry after their withdrawal from BR.

Weight: 1156g
Dimension: 258 x 248 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526792372