British Rail Class 07

2989 at Eastleigh Works in May 1973.

The British Railways Class 07 diesel locomotive is an off-centre cab 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunter class built by Ruston & Hornsby in 1962 for the Southern Region of British Railways. The 14 built were primarily used at Southampton Docks.

BR service

The class was notorious for having the axle boxes run hot when travelling at high speed. This was initially encountered during delivery of the first locomotive, and subsequent deliveries were made by road. A later trial move of one Class 07 to Selhurst depot for tyre profiling also resulted in overheating axlebox problems and all subsequent moves of any distance, particularly those to British Rail Engineering Limited workshops, were made by road. This is in contrast to other shunter classes that would commonly have had their side-rods removed and traction motors isolated and would then form part of a train heading in the appropriate direction. Class 08s were commonly moved in this fashion at up to 35 mph (56 km/h) – overnight wagon-load trains being utilised if possible.

For operation at Southampton Docks the Class were based in the former steam shed in the Old Docks near the River Itchen, work being carried out there by a fitter sent from Eastleigh.

The members of the class that had TOPS numbering applied were also equipped with high-level air brake pipes, allowing them to move Southern Region Electric Multiple Units, and three locomotives were used at Bournemouth EMU depot for a period. This was not their principal work, but they were often employed around their home depot on general shunting duties. They were relatively fast for shunters and it was envisaged that they would be used to trip local traffic to/from Southampton docks. Accordingly, they were equipped, from new, with mainline headcode marker lights (six for the SR). In practice they were seldom used for this because of the hot axlebox problem, which also affected the possibility of the class working away from either Southampton Docks or Eastleigh Works.

Withdrawal

Numbers 2988, 2992 and 2998 were withdrawn from service in 1973 before receiving their allocated TOPS numbers and were cut up at Eastleigh Works; 2988 in 1973, 2992 and 2998 in 1976. 2991, which was allocated the number 07007, was also withdrawn from capital stock in 1973 before bearing its TOPS number, but remained in use at Eastleigh Works. Of the locos to bear TOPS numbers, 07003 and 07009 were withdrawn in 1976, and sold to P Wood of Queenborough, Kent; 07009 was exported to Italy (where it was withdrawn and scrapped in 1977) and 07003 was sold to British Industrial Sand at Oakamoor, Staffordshire, being subsequently scrapped in 1985. 07010 was sold directly into preservation while the remaining locos were sold for industrial use during 1976 and 1977: 07001 to Staveley Limeworks, Buxton; 07002/6/12 to Powell Duffryn, Kidwelly (where 07002 and 07006 were scrapped in the 1980s); 07013 to Dow Chemical Company, King's Lynn.

Post-BR use and preservation

The locomotives were short-lived and all had been withdrawn by British Rail by the end of 1977. Several were bought for industrial use and have subsequently passed into preservation. Half of the Class are preserved and the first locomotive, no. 07001, is mainline registered and is owned by Harry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC). All surviving locomotives are listed below.

• 07001 - Formerly HNRC, now preserved by Heritage Shunters Trust at Peak Rail. Fully operational, currently repainted into a blue livery with 'wasp' ends but without numbering (as of 1 September 2013).
• 07005 - Preserved at the Great Central Railway
• 07007 - In use by Knights Rail Services at Eastleigh Works. Mainline registered in April 2008. Currently painted in Rail Blue livery.
• 07010 - Preserved on Avon Valley Railway in BR Blue livery. Currently awaiting repairs following electrical failure December 2014. Repainted into BR Blue September 2013.
• 07011 - Privately owned at St Leonards TMD. Rail Blue livery.
• 07012 - Formerly HNRC, now preserved at Barrow Hill.
• 07013 - Formerly HNRC, externally restored in Rail Blue livery Now at the East Lancashire Railway.

Trivia

• Salty the dockyard diesel from Thomas & Friends is the real D2991

Gallery