The British Rail Class 10 diesel locomotives are a variant of the standard Class 08 diesel-electric shunter with a Lister Blackstone diesel engine and General Electric Company plc (GEC) traction motors. The locomotives were built at the BR Works in Darlington and Doncaster over the period 1955–1962, and were withdrawn between February 1967 and June 1972.
Background British Railways built four main variants of its standard large diesel-electric shunter. Those fitted with a Lister Blackstone diesel engine were classified D3/4 if they had GEC traction motors and D3/5 with British Thomson-Houston (BTH) traction motors. The D3/4 locomotives were later reclassified to become Class 10 under TOPS.
Technical details The locomotives had the same general outline, 0-6-0 wheel arrangement and outside frames as the earlier Class 11, built originally for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway after 1945, and perpetuated by British Railways as the Class 08. However, they were fitted with Lister Blackstone 6-cylinder, 4-stroke, ER6T engines and two GEC nose suspended motors.
Building and use The first batch of thirty locomotives, originally numbered 13137–13151, (later renumbered D3137–D3151) were built at Darlington works during 1955, and allocated to motive power depots in the North Eastern Region of British Railways, notably Thornaby. Further batches were built at Darlington as follows: D3439–D3453 (1957); D3473–D3491 (1957/8); D3612–D3651 (1958); D4049–D4094 (1961/2). These were allocated to the Eastern Region of British Railways particularly in the London area. Six examples, D3497–D3502, were built at Doncaster (1957/8). The class eventually numbered 146 locomotives.
Withdrawal As they were non-standard, compared to the 08 class they had relatively short lives and were withdrawn between February 1967 and June 1972. Twenty locomotives were sold to industrial customers. + Table of withdrawals Year Quantity inservice atstart of year Quantitywithdrawn Locomotive numbers 1967 146 6 D3151, D3449/96, D3620/28/31. 1968 140 77 D3139–40/42/46–48/51,D3439–48/50–53/73–78/80–82/84–85/87–91/93–95/97–99.D3500–02, D3624–27/30/32–33/35–37/40/43,D4064/71/76/80–94. 1969 63 21 D3143–44, D3479/83/92,D3612–14/16–19/21/23/29/38–39/42/45/47/49. 1970 41 9 D3137/49, D3486, D3638/44/47, D4052/67/77. 1971 34 14 D3141, D3634/41/46/48/50–51, D4050–51/53/55/59–60/65. 1972 20 20 D3138/45, D4049/54/56–58/61–63/66/68–70/72–75/78–79.
Post BR Use +Locomotive NumberLocationDispositionD3452E.C.C. Ports Ltd., Fowey JettiesPreserved - Bodmin and Wenford RailwayD3476E.C.C Ports Ltd., Fowey JettiesScrappedD3497E.C.C. Ports Ltd., Fowey JettiesScrapped
Preservation
Four examples have been preserved: D3452 at Bodmin and Wenford Railway. it is awaiting an overhaul. D3489 at Helston Railway D4067 at Great Central Railway D4092 at Barrow Hill Engine Shed A fifth example, D3476, was stored on the Colne Valley Railway, though has since been scrapped.
Model railways Accurascale have announced their intention to produce a model of the Class 10 in OO gauge scale.
References