David Element's Railway Page 15

David Element's Railway Web Page 15...

Diesel Locomotives 1

47 767

50007 'Sir Edward Elgar'

50 015 'Valiant'

50 044 'Exeter'

55 010 'The King's Own Scottish Borderer'

55 018 'Ballymoss'

Photographs of home-built diesel locomotives in BR service are now tainted with nostalgia as their numbers have diminished significantly in recent years. Several classic designs are shown here in a variety of liveries. Numerous examples of Class 47, Class 50, and Class 55 locomotives are now in the ownership of preservation organizations including the unique GWR green-liveried 50007 'Sir Edward Elgar', seen here at Clapham Junction on 3rd March 1990. The other two Class 50 locomotives illustrated here have also been preserved, albeit in a non-authentic two-tone green livery in the case of D444 (ex 50 044 'Exeter'). See: http://www.preserved-diesels.co.uk/engines/index.htm for up to date information about preserved diesel locomotives. The photographer was once allowed into the cab of 55 018 'Ballymoss', one of the Finsbury Park-based 'racehorse' 'Deltics', typically embellished with a white cab surround in their final years of regular use on the East Coast main line. One curiosity here is the (by now) 2 car sliding door prototype electric multiple unit seen in the background of the third photograph. This is presumed to have been in Departmental service at the time.