British Rail Class 27

Last updated

BRCW Type 2
British Rail Class 27
Carlisle 26066.jpg
A Class 27 at Carlisle.
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
Builder Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
Serial numberDEL190–DEL258
Build date1961–1962
Total produced69
Specifications
Configuration:
   UIC Bo'Bo'
  Commonwealth Bo-Bo
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Wheel diameter3 ft 7 in (1.092 m)
Minimum curve 5 chains (100 m)
Wheelbase 39 ft 0 in (11.89 m)
Length50 ft 9 in (15.47 m)
Width8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
Height12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
Loco weightOriginally: 72.50 long tons (73.7  t; 81.2 short tons)
71–76 tonnes (70–75 long tons; 78–84 short tons)
Fuel capacity685 imp gal (3,110 L; 823 US gal)
Prime mover Sulzer 6LDA28-B
Generator DC
Traction motors four GEC WT459 DC traction motors
Transmission Diesel electric
MU working Blue Star
Train heatingAs built, Steam generator
subclass 27/2, Electric Train Heating, Houchin 120 kW (160 hp) alternator powered by Deutz 8-cylinder air-cooled diesel engine, type F8L413
Train brakes Initially 14 dual-braked, 10 fitted with additional air brakes later on. Remainder vacuum only.
Performance figures
Maximum speed90 mph (145 km/h)
Power outputEngine: 1,250  hp (932 kW) @750 rpm
At rail: 933 hp (696 kW)
Tractive effort Maximum: 42,000  lbf (187  kN)
Continuous: 25,000 lbf (111 kN)
Brakeforce34 long tons-force (340 kN)
Career
Operators British Railways
NumbersD5347–D5415; later 27001–27066
Axle load class Route availability 6 (RA 5 from 1969)
First run1961
Retired1966, 1975-1987
Disposition8 preserved, remainder scrapped

British Rail's Class 27 comprised 69 diesel locomotives built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) during 1961 and 1962. They were a development of the earlier Class 26; both were originally classified as the BRCW Type 2. The Class 27s were numbered D5347-D5415. [1]

Contents

Working life

27005 at Glasgow Queen Street. 27005 - Glasgow Queen Street (11672723505).jpg
27005 at Glasgow Queen Street.
Distribution of locomotives,
March 1974 [2]
Scotland location map.svg
Red pog.svg
ED
Red pog.svg
HA
CodeNameQuantity
ED Eastfield 57
HA Haymarket 11
Withdrawn (1966)1
Total built:69

Original allocations were D5347–D5369 to Glasgow Eastfield, D5370–D5378 to Thornaby and D5379–D5415 to London Cricklewood for Tilbury Boat trains and Cross-London freight services. In the period September to December 1963, some of the Cricklewood allocation were transferred to Leicester and in December 1965 the Thornaby allocation was also nominally transferred to Leicester to join them. Traffic changes combined with reallocation of Class 25s led to the gradual transfer of the Leicester and Cricklewood locomotives to Scotland during 1969 thus concentrating the whole class within Scotland and being part of the replacement fleet that allowed the withdrawal of the poorly performing Clayton Class 17 locomotives from traffic. For many years they were extensively used on the West Highland Line.

By September 1986, the final vacuum brake only locomotives had been withdrawn, regular duties on passenger services had ceased and only twenty-one of the class remained, allocated entirely to Eastfield depot. A mass withdrawal in July 1987 due to the presence of blue asbestos left 27008 as the last in service. Its final working was on 13 August and the loco was officially withdrawn on 19 August 1987. The Class 27s were actually outlived by the older Class 26s, whose less powerful engines were more reliable.

Sub-classes

Edinburgh-Glasgow push-pull operation

By the late 1960s, the Swindon-built Inter City DMUs operating the Edinburgh Waverley - Glasgow Queen Street express service were becoming unreliable. In 1970 the decision was made to replace them with locomotive-hauled carriages. So between 1971 and 1973, twenty-four Class 27s were fitted-up with dual (vacuum and air) brakes and reclassified Class 27/1, while 36 Mark 2 carriages (7 brake second opens, 22 open seconds, and 7 corridor firsts) swapped their vacuum-operated shoe brakes for air-operated disc brakes and were though-wired with "Blue Star" control cables to enable "top and tail" push-pull working. It was later decided that as the Mark 2 stock was dual (steam or electric) heated, to convert half the 27/1 fleet to electric train heat, by replacing the train heating boiler with a Deutz 8-cylinder, air-cooled diesel engine and alternator. The conversions were then classified as Class 27/2, and were used on one end of the train, with a 27/1 on the other.

The very intensive 90 mph (140 km/h) "push-pull" service was demanding on the locomotives and reliability started to suffer. The 27/2s, especially, appeared prone to fire damage, especially from their electric train heating alternators. The push-pull sets were replaced in 1980 by single Class 47/7s at one end of a rake of Mark 2 carriages and a DBSO. The Class 27/1s and 27/2s were then renumbered to 27/0 and could often be found on Edinburgh-Dundee semi-fast passenger services, until their replacement, briefly by Class 101 and subsequently by Class 150 Sprinter DMUs in 1987, whilst the remainder were largely used on freight.

Accidents and incidents

Fleet list

Table of locomotives [6]
Original
D-series
No.
First
TOPS No.
Second
TOPS No.
Third
TOPS No.
BRCW
serial No.
Date builtDate withdrawnNotes
D534727001DEL190Jun 1961Jul 1987Preserved
D534827002DEL191Jul 1961Jan 1986
D534927003DEL192Jul 1961Jan 1987
D535027004DEL193Aug 1961May 1986
D535127005DEL194Aug 1961Jul 1987Preserved
D535227006DEL195Sep 1961Jan 1976
D535327007DEL196Sep 1961Jan 1985Preserved
D535427008DEL197Sep 1961Aug 1987
D535527009DEL198Sep 1961Jul 1980Withdrawn due to fire damage [7]
D535627010DEL199Oct 1961Apr 1986
D535727011DEL200Oct 1961Mar 1981
D535827012DEL201Oct 1961May 1986
D535927013DEL202Nov 1961Jul 1976
D536027014DEL203Nov 1961Sep 1986
D536127015DEL204Nov 1961Jan 1977Withdrawn due to accident damage [7]
D536227016DEL205Nov 1961Apr 1984
D536327017DEL206Dec 1961May 1986
D536427018DEL207Dec 1961May 1986
D536527019DEL208Dec 1961May 1984
D536627020DEL209Jan 1962Apr 1986
D536727021DEL210Jan 1962Jun 1985
D536827022DEL211Jan 1962Jan 1985
D536927023DEL212Jan 1962May 1986
D537027024ADB968028DEL213Jan 1962Jul 1987Preserved
D537127025DEL214Jan 1962Jun 1987
D537227026DEL215Jan 1962Jul 1987
D537327027DEL216Jan 1962Jun 1983
D53742710127045DEL217Feb 1962May 1986
D537527028DEL218Feb 1962Aug 1984
D537627029DEL219Feb 1962Jan 1986
D537727030DEL220Feb 1962Apr 1986
D537827031DEL221Mar 1962May 1978Withdrawn due to fire damage [7]
D537927032DEL222Mar 1962May 1985
D53802710227046DEL223Apr 1962Jul 1987
D538127033DEL224Apr 1962Feb 1986
D538227034DEL225Apr 1962Jul 1984
D5383DEL226Apr 1962Jan 1966Withdrawn due to accident damage [7] at East Langton, 20 August 1965
D538427035DEL227May 1962Sep 1976
D538527036DEL228May 1962Apr 1986
D53862710327212 [lower-roman 1] 27066DEL229May 1962Jul 1987Preserved
D53872710427048DEL230May 1962May 1986
D53882710527049DEL231May 1962Apr 1987
D538927037DEL232May 1962Mar 1986
D539027038DEL233Jun 1962Feb 1987
D53912711927201DEL234Jun 1962Jan 1979
D53922712027202DEL235Jun 1962Aug 1980Withdrawn due to fire damage [7]
D5393271212720327057DEL236Jun 1962May 1985
D53942710627050DEL237Jun 1962Jul 1987Preserved
D53952710727051DEL238Jun 1962Jul 1987
D53962710827052DEL239Jun 1962Jul 1987
D53972710927053DEL240Aug 1962May 1987
D539827039DEL241Jul 1962Oct 1975
D53992711027054DEL242Jul 1962Jul 1987
D54002711127055DEL243Jul 1962Jul 1987
D54012711227056DEL244Jul 1962Feb 1987Preserved
D540227040DEL245Jul 1962Jan 1986
D5403271222720427058DEL246Jul 1962May 1986
D5404271332720727061DEL247Jul 1962May 1986
D540527041DEL248Jul 1962May 1986
D540627042DEL249Jul 1962May 1987
D5407271142720827062DEL250Aug 1962Feb 1986
D5408271152720927063DEL251Aug 1962Jul 1987
D5409271162721027064DEL252Aug 1962May 198627116 allocated, but never carried
D5410271232720527059DEL253Aug 1962Jul 1987Preserved
D5411271172721127065DEL254Sep 1962May 1986
D5412271242720627060DEL255Sep 1962Mar 1986
D54132711827103 [lower-roman 1] 27047DEL256Sep 1962Apr 1986
D541427043DEL257Sep 1962Apr 1980Withdrawn due to fire damage [7]
D541527044DEL258Oct 1962Jul 1980Withdrawn due to fire damage [7]

Preserved locomotives

Eight examples of the class have been preserved at various heritage railways in Great Britain. [9] Two members of this class were rescued from Vic Berry's Scrapyard in the 1980s. D5410/27059 was rescued from Vic Berry's Scrapyard in September 1987 [10] and D5401/27056 was also rescued from there in October 1987. [11]

Numbers
(current in bold)
LiveryLocationImageCondition
D534727001BR Blue Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway 27001 at Bo'ness.jpg Fully operational
D535127005BR Blue Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway Bo'ness. - geograph.org.uk - 71183.jpg Stored, awaiting restoration
D535327007BR Green Caledonian Railway (Brechin) Diesel locomotive at New Alresford - geograph.org.uk - 1655816.jpg Stored, awaiting restoration
D537027024ADB968028BR Green (Yellow Warning Panels) Caledonian Railway (Brechin) D5370 at Haverthwaite railway station (6558).jpg Serviceable
D5386271032721227066BR Blue Barrow Hill Roundhouse ... after the age of steam came ... (2411156966).jpg Stored, Running
D53942710627050BR Green (no Yellow Warning Panels) Strathspey Railway Class 27 locomotive, at Aviemore engine shed - geograph.org.uk - 4187249.jpg Serviceable
D54012711227056BR Blue Great Central Railway D5401 (6777427603).jpg Under Repairs
D5410271232720527059BR Green UK Rail Leasing, Leicester The Severn Valley Railway 21.jpg Under Restoration

Model railways

During the 1980s, Minitrix produced Class 27 models in British N gauge. In 2013, Dapol introduced DCC-ready models of 27032 in BR blue and D5356 in BR green, also in British N gauge. [12]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Webb gives DEL256 as being numbered D5413, 27 118, 27 212 [8]

Footnotes

  1. "27 Bo-Bo". BRDatabase.
  2. British Railways Locoshed Book 1974 edition. Shepperton: Ian Allan. 1974. pp. 21–22. ISBN   0-7110-0558-3.
  3. Earnshaw, Alan (1991). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 7. Penryn: Atlantic Books. p. 41. ISBN   0-906899-50-8.
  4. "BRCW Type 2: 1958–1976". DerbySulzers.com. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  5. Butlin, Ashley (1988). Diesels and Electrics for scrap. Penryn: Atlantic Books. p. 9. ISBN   0-906899-27-3.
  6. "BR Class 27 Fleet". BRdatabase.info. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strickland 1983, p. 85.
  8. Webb (1978), p. 53.
  9. "Preserved Diesels - Class 27". Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  10. Devereux, Nigel (12 May 2017). "A FIERY END". Rail Express. Rail Express. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  11. "Class 27 D5401". Great Central Railway. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  12. Burkin, Nigel (April 2013). "N gauge Class 27s". British Railway Modelling. Vol. 21, no. 1. Bourne: Warners Group Publications. pp. 98–100. ISSN   0968-0764. OCLC   1135061879.

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References

Further reading