[Closed] Favorite diesel or electric loco of the last 40 years(enthusiast nerd content )

Deltic / Class 55..best name and best looking diesel.

Deltic was an EE design with a front bonnet, like the 37 and DP1, and a few others for export. Basicly to protect the driver in an impact.

I've always liked Class 37s, as I grew up listening to them idle late at night.

I think either a 37 or 47, because that's what I used to see the most as a kid.

I rather like the retro look of this one (SNCF cc 7100), still a few around in the 90's and a four or five in the noughties but all retired from French rail network now:
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Despite its rather non-aero look, it set a world record of 155mph in the 50's. 😯

This exact one was one of my 'local' locos when I lived in the Pyrenees; love the seemingly pointless inverted slope windscreen.
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I always liked Class 56's due to their rarity value on our local lines.

Like the 08 shunter but nearer 60 than 40!

Class 47 is the daddy of them all

Don't know a lot about loco's except I like them. Probly the Deltic for me (Plus I like Chris Rea & he had an album called 'Deltics')
Mind you I love the sound of a HST 125 as it accelerates out of Durham. (do they use Paxman diesels in them?)
I love the sound of any big diesel loco actually!

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40's, original & best.

And again, lying in bed as a kid listening to them whistle through the night.

Soft spot for Peak's, Westerns, Hymeks and Warships, but there's just something about the 40's.

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Got a close up of one of these...
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/8016514977_9d97d18ea0_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/8016514977_9d97d18ea0_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/8016514977/ ]img019[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr

& again...

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8298/8016516351_858090da02_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8298/8016516351_858090da02_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/8016516351/ ]img020[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr

Even went in the cab, Guy I stayed with was a conductor (Looked after the load) for CP Rail in Medicine Hat. ****in trains were sometimes 1.5 miles long!!

Firstly I feel I have to duty to do this

booooooooooooooooooo

I am the son of a steam enthusiast (fanatic) holidays based by railways, the great central staff being my extended family etc, I loved it.

but this

lodious - Member

Deltic / Class 55..best name and best looking diesel.

made me smile. Dad had a real beaut model on his set at home, was perfect and by all accounts quite valuable.
He sold it to get me out of the shit and died before I could get another one.

So thanks for the memories with your nerdy post 😉

need to clean this post up a bit.

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esselgruntfuttock helped build the last few engines (Valenta V12) for the hst125 when i was a apprentice at Paxman in Colchester also used to overhaul the marine version of the deltics(used on minesweepers)a beast of an engine seen one chuck a rod and piston thro the crankcase and still keep running on our test beds with very little drop in output power 😯

Essexgruntfuttock I agree it has to be the Deltic, I think I saw something on tv a while ago bemoaning their lack of reliability.I also think they said the engines, as opposed to the locomotives, were called Deltic, built by Napier and were originally built for use in minesweepers. I could of course be wrong 😯

The HST engines I believe are V12 Paxman-Valenta

[i]esselgruntfuttock helped build the last few engines (Valenta V12) for the hst125 when i was a apprentice at Paxman in Colchester also used to overhaul the marine version of the deltics(used on minesweepers)a beast of an engine seen one chuck a rod and piston thro the crankcase and still keep running on our test beds with very little drop in output power[/i]
Thats crackers that is!

Still like me steam as well though, remember seeing Mallard, Silver Link & The Flying Scotsman blasting through Durham station when I was a little kid. Happy days.

As a slight aside, I live close to the site of The Great train Robbery, the bridge plate (why the hell do they have those) with its number keeps getting nicked lol

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/7266588092_75125857f2.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/7266588092_75125857f2.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/21237769@N07/7266588092/ ]Diesel Day[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/21237769@N07/ ]ian lepp[/url], on Flickr

A pic of some diesels for you lot

That could almost be the Island of Sodor after a hostile take over by Diesels... wheres the Fat Controller?

Last 40 years? Its all faceless stuff and HST's.

Love Deltic's, we use to go and see (also hear, as it 'whistled') the Hull Pullman as kids, 0719 weekdays - remembering the time is seriously nerdy 🙂

And according to this, that's pre-1978.

http://www.napier-chronicles.co.uk/hull_executive.htm

They became more unreliable as their maintenance was 'reduced' - I believe the engines were 'leased'; guess someone else will know more?

always liked the intercity 125

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I give you the Crocodile, Swiss eccentricity:
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I also like Cromptons. Great burbling noise when they pull away. My Dad drove them and would give me cab rides. Had to hide going through stations and going past signal boxes. 🙂

The HST engines I believe are V12 Paxman-Valenta

They were, but all the remaining HST's have been re-engined with the MTU V16.

I think either a 37 or 47, because that's what I used to see the most as a kid.

Deltics or 50s for me, without a doubt. Such ace childhood memories. On the rare weekends I'm not biking I have been known to help restore a 50.

Class 50 was an EE model for the west coast speed up , used in tandem, before electrification had finished.

Last 40 years? Its all faceless stuff and HST's.

So does pretty much everything on the main line these days, air brakes on rolling stock are slightly different to air brakes on other stuff... 😉

But back on topic. As a driver wouldn't mind having a spin in a 92 - ticks most boxes:
Noisy
Big
Heavy
Right number of wheels
British made
Fast enough
Just shy of 7,000hp should do it (continuous)

Even go for a jolly through the tunnel if you wanted.

So does pretty much everything on the main line these days, air brakes on rolling stock are slightly different to air brakes on other stuff...

East Lancs railway goes past my garden, and they were running the Class 55 deltics all weekend.

There were lots of anoraks with cameras out all weekend trying to get snaps or vids of the beasts at work. They sound incredible. Almost as good as the Warship class diesel hydraulics that sometimes run.

For steamies, in October they are running the Tornado. That's always worth a look, too.

Gary_C - Member

The HST engines I believe are V12 Paxman-Valenta

They were, but all the remaining HST's have been re-engined with the MTU V16.

Anyway, my two faves
26's lovely spluttery little 6cyl sulzer engines. Lots of fun with them in my youth.
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Then the good old 47's. Boring according to many, but much maligned. Largest class of loco in the UK by quite a margin. Just had their 50th year and still a few running on the mainline. Loved them on the Glasgow - Edinburgh push pulls and happy summer memories heading down to the South Coast behind them.
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Oh and kettles just don't do it for me. Sorry.

Had a look at that E955, impressive. Probably a bit pointy for us in this country though, the RSSB would have a heart attack and condemn it for the risk of making cows in nearby fields miscarry.

Me on my train 🙂 [well seemed liked mine]

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Cant find an original pic anywhere 🙁 They were always ****ng up near where I live... wish I had a camera back then.

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Diesel weekend coming up soon on the SVR.
http://www.svr.co.uk/SpecialEvents.aspx?referer=planningyourvisit
I'll get to see a Western go right past my house several times. 😀

Tickets booked already, Graham. And bike will be with me for the Sunday.

The yellow engine above is a Yorkshire engine one, we used to run one when i was an apprentice at our steelworks, and i actually made the pattern for the brake block.

40s, just because the dirtier and more shagged out they get, the better they looked. The train equivalent of that big hammer you inherited off your grandad.

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Just an idea, but would anyone be interested in some sort of forum ride for the SVR diesel weekend ?
I know a few spots where there's bridleways and [i]other trails[/i] 😉 close to the railway.

This was on the pedestrian level crossing at Eymore Wood on my commute.

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I always liked the 56. Screaming their turbos off with 30 odd loaded mgr wagons in tow.

Sorry, but this is the best looking loco of all time:

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Largest class of loco in the UK by quite a margin.

Actually, there's almost twice as many of another class of BR diesel electric. 😉

The Class 47 is second though.

Diesel Weekend in a couple of weeks on the [url= http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/diesel-weekends/ ]East Lancs Railway[/url]

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TuckerUK presume you mean gronks (Class 08s)? They dont really count though do they?

TuckerUK presume you mean gronks (Class 08s)? They dont really count though do they?

😆

Well they ARE diesel locomotives!

When was the last time you had on on the mainline doing more than 25mph??

Quite like the sound of a class 60

A 91 in IC colours I like:
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Guessing not last 40 years, but obscure stuff like a 13 I like also:
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Love the sound of a 20

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No love for the APT? Only mention it as I still have the Hornby set somewhere at my parents

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Onre of the last APT P is parked up at Crewe next to Tesco,s, at the Railway Age. A museum and workshop owned by Sir Pete Waterman.

Have to agree with james.

The 91 in its swallow livery looked good.

I worked on their commissioning out of Brel Crewe works in the late 80s. I worked for the propulsion and control supplier - GEC Traction - at the time.

Love the sound of a 20

Yes it was good hearing them last autumn on the rhtt. Depend on who has the contract this year as to wether they'll be out and about again this year.

I am first and foremost a steam fan, and none of the early diesels do it for me since they "killed" steam.

Newer stuff though, I love the 225 and 125 in GNER or the black and white Intercity livery, and the APT and Class 89.

I find the diesel and electric freighters from the mid 80's to mid 90's coolest.

Class 58

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Class 59 (or 66)

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Class 60

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Class 92

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If I'm honest, the LNER A4s and A3s and LMS Coronations are by far the nicest trains in existence.

*denerds*

Have a think about early Western region diesels...

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Great thread! DaveyBoy, i had the hornby version of 1A68 above! i didn't realise i liked trains quite this much...

Wow...great getting old. You think bugger it I'm proud of what I like.

Deltics- they were a rare treat in Newton le Willow
50's - tried to get as many ticked off whilst on holiday in Cornwall ...awww happy family memories
But for grunt and rolled up just get on with it .... Class 40's or 37's

What was Stalybridge famous for loco wise ?

Was it the class 27 locomotives that used ti run from Glasgow on the West Highland line?

45, s 46, s and 47, and deltics all on transpenine expreses to york and newcastle.

Not quite PSA worthy: World's Top 5 Super Trains in Quest right now 😉

Gweilo

Yep that's the ones 26/27 were they the same ?

Brack

The google machine tells me they were built by the same company and were mixed traffic loco's. Class 27 and 33 were apparently higher powered.

I think the 47 should be held in high esteem because it still looks modern, not bad for a 1962 loco.

And seeing as someone mentioned steam era, got to be an A4 (fastest), a 9F (last built/most modern design, record for heaviest freight train) and a Duchess Class (most powerful). Although the Britannia Class is pretty good looking I think.

Yes I Hornby trains when I was a kid, and yes the Mallard is the nuts as far as trains go - but, and this is a biggie folks, this is a mountain bike forum for hard ass bikers. It is not a nerdy trainspotter site, AND chaps with notebooks and binoculars need to bugger off to steam monthly or whatever you get off on. There! Someone said it!

A video from my childhood.

m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=ZY446h4pZdc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZY446h4pZdc&gl=GB

Can't...resist.....replying.....any...longer!!

Gweilo - yes - 26/27s - both exclusive to Scotland, nice little burbly Sulzers built by Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co, whio also buolt the slightly higher powered 33 for the Southern (also another nice burbly Sulzer engine).

Binners - aaaah, my two favourites in one pic!

I never "got" the hydraulics, one of the very things I can now say that I am too young for.

Ace thread. Keep it going! Aside from Graham, who else is going to the SVR gala in just over a week? Will look out for you.

...hard ass bikers...nerdy trainspotter...

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"...chaps with notebooks and binoculars need to bugger off to steam monthly or whatever you get off on"

OK - so long as we can have the same rule for the dreary "I can drive more dangerously than you" car threads!!

Posting links from mobile don't work too well. One of my favorite looking trains and a favourite piece of video. I remember watching it in 1984 and to a 7 year old boy it was a great piece of footage, trains and crashes!

26s & 27s were powered by Sulzer 6LDA (6cyl) and were 1160 & 1250 horsepower. Were scottish locos for the majority of their lives.
33 are powered by Sulzer 8LDA (8cyl) and were 1550 hp. Were Southern region throughout their whole lives.

Ok - I'll succumb. Used to love these things as a kid - steam and diesel. BUT firmly put it all behind me on going to college... 😳

... Bit of a shame really, as home to college by train included Class 50 hauled services from Exeter to Salisbury and Class 33 Salisbury to Southampton / Fareham / Portsmouth. 50 from Exeter St Davids to Exeter Central was always loud.

Did once see a 55 (Gordon Highlander) re-start from St Davids and pull a full railtour up the curve to Central. No understatement to say that the air shook

So is the forum ride mentioned earlier in this thread going to happen? I'm up for it an will be the slowest and most unfit.... so you'll all have somebody ti abuse 😆

Just picked up a copy of RAIL MAGAZINE, CLASS 47 now celebrating 50 years and still working.

I was planning to slip off to Wales for the Sunday. Anyone else joining the SVR Forum Ride?

project - Member

Just picked up a copy of RAIL MAGAZINE, CLASS 47 now celebrating 50 years and still working.

ahhhh ... Deltics coming in and out of Kings Cross ... happy days 🙂

Big Yin they didnt have the Railway mmagazine on the shelf.

Type 55 Deltic.

It just looks fantastically utilitarian and still looks good covered in grime - a real stalwart.