The Sulzer Type 2 family of diesel locomotives
consisted of classes 24 to 27 inclusive. The 24s and 25s were of
British Railways design whilst the 26s and 27s were designed and
built by the Birmingham Railway carriage and Wagon Company of
Smethwick. This was all part of the 1955 modernisation plan,
which involved the replacement of steam locomotives on British
Railways. The diesel power unit in the type 2 locomotives was the
Sulzer 6LDA28 (for 24s and 26s) of 1160 horsepower and the
uprated 6LDA28-B of 1250hp for classes 25 and 27.
The electrical equipment for the 24s was
manufactured by British Thomson Houston (BTH) who were later
absorbed by Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) who had
supplied the electrical equipment for the class 25s. Crompton
Parkinson supplied the equipment for class 26 and the General
Electric Company (GEC), or at least I think that is what GEC
stood for!, supplied the equipment for class 27.
It can be reasonably argued that of all the
suppliers Crompton Parkinson were the best and also the most
expensive. Indeed their equipment was supplied for BRCWs type 3
design, the class 33, which owes its conception to the class 26.
On this and the next couple of pages we take a
look at classes 26 and 27 at work in Scotland, where they were
based for the majority of their lives. Most of their work
involved passenger turns all over the Scottish Region together
with the odd foray south of the border, notably to Carlisle.
Firstly (below) a Scotrail advertisement speaking
for itself at Edinburgh Waverley station on 22nd February 1986
Several class 27s spent a lot of time working
Edinburgh - Dundee services, operating hourly from both Edinburgh
and Dundee and nicknamed "The Circuit". A considerable
amount of mileage was obtainable providing all went to plan! The
last trip from Dundee is depicted below with 27018 waiting to
leave with the 2130 to Edinburgh, again on 22nd February 1986.
For a short time local evening services out of
Edinburgh went over to locomotive haulage such as the 1805 to
Cardenden, seen below on 24th September 1986 with 27052 in
charge.
A few members of Class 27 were withdrawn during
the 70s, including 27015, seen here at Glasgow Queen Street on
27th September 1976, the locomotive was withdrawn just over two
months later.
Photo courtesy of David Hills.
