Class 35 Hymek, And English Electric Orders Extended

1960 Article

The British Transport Commission has concluded contracts for another 50 main line diesel-hydraulic locomotives, to be built by Beyer Peacock (Hymek) Limited, and 98 more sets of engines and electric transmissions from English Electric Co. Ltd., to equip 350-hp diesel shunting locomotives which are being erected in British Railways workshops at Darlington (35) and Horwich (63). All the mainline locomotives and 41 of the shunters are for the Western Region. The London Midland Region will have 40 of the remaining shunting locomotives, the Eastern Region seven, the Scottish Region four, and the Southern Region six. The total value of the orders is about £5.5 million. The 50 main line locomotives, which will have 1700hp Maybach diesel engines and Mekydro hydraulic transmission incorporating gearbox and oil-operated torque converters are an extension of an earlier order for 45 locomotives of the same type. The total of 95 locomotives is for further stages of the Western Regions schemes for the replacement of steam by diesel power in the Bristol area, the West of England (west of Newton Abbot), and in South Wales, including the principle passenger, parcels and freight services, and many other trains between these areas and London (Paddington). Deliveries of the 95 main-line locomotives will begin next year and will be completed in 1963.
The English Electric Co. Ltd. completed its one-hundredth 2000hp 1Co-Co1 diesel electric locomotive for British Railways in October, when D299 left the Vulcan Foundry works at Newton-le-Willows. It was delivered to Doncaster , for acceptance trials on behalf of the London Midland Region. Since 1958, when D200 entered service on the Great Eastern Line, these type 4 diesel locomotives have been allocated to principal East and West Coast route services. Two hundred of the 450 main-line diesel locomotives ordered to date from the English Electric Co. Ltd. under British Railways modernisation plan are for this type.

(The Hymek order was later increased by six locomotives to bring the total to 101)