Diesel Hydraulic Memories

[Dead Man's Handle]

However regarding the Western and Warships how many cylinders combined did they have.Was it about 24?

I think 2 x 12 is around about 24, yeah

Ade

[champion]

One thing i do no is that the maybach could only be started at the right tempeture hence the use of having to pre-heat them in cooler weather.This thou on many occasions caused the batterys to go flat,so BR crews tended to stop this practise and keep the engines running as long as possible while on depots or standing idle.If the maybach was,nt started at the tempeture serious engine faults occured.

richard.

[champion]

If anyone has any info of westerns off the beaten track then i would like to hear from you.
For example anyone remember the most famous of all wene D1013 western ranger turned up in leeds on a normal sevice from swansea in january 1977.

cheers

richard.

[50035 Ark Royal]

If anyone has any info of westerns off the beaten track then i would like to hear from you.
For example anyone remember the most famous of all wene D1013 western ranger turned up in leeds on a normal sevice from swansea in january 1977.

cheers

richard.

Hi Richard before my time although it went past my parent's house

[champion]

Westerns quite often invaded midland and southern metals so anyone with any memorys.
Going back in time a lot i no.But heres another one.
Swindon-peterborough football specail came up on the BR line then now known as the nene valley railway hauled by.
D1008 western harrier 1963.Slightly even thou i was a nipper i found out about this by reading many books.Your memorys are valable.

richard.

[50035 Ark Royal]

Westerns quite often invaded midland and southern metals so anyone with any memorys.
Going back in time a lot i no.But heres another one.
Swindon-peterborough football specail came up on the BR line then now known as the nene valley railway hauled by.
D1008 western harrier 1963.Slightly even thou i was a nipper i found out about this by reading many books.Your memorys are valable.

richard.

From one of my books, I remeber Western Viceory worked to Derby from Weymnouth 75 or 76,book at my parent's house as my dad would only let me have my Class 50 and 50 related books

[50035 Ark Royal]

However regarding the Western and Warships how many cylinders combined did they have.Was it about 24?

I think 2 x 12 is around about 24, yeah

Ade

I don't know it was a guess and what is the difference between the Maybach's in a Warship and the one;s in a Western.
cheers
Ian

[50035 Ark Royal]

My only memories are all on preserved lines.Had Ranger and Courier on the SVR and Lady on the NYMR and last Western i had was Prince on the ELR.
Only had the 1 warship on SVR again D821 Greyhound
and one Hymek again on the SVR.
All were hellfire and made a wonderful noise, however i did notice Greyhound did not produce as much clagg as the Wessie's and the Hymek However some might say this is a good thing.
It is very sad all the NBL Class 43 Warships went to the grave along with the class 22's.
It is also Crinimal that D601 was not saved so it could say hello to 50035.Just think we could have had 2 Ark Royal's

[champion]

Ian
swindon built warships had 2x MD650V of 1,152bhp at 1,530rpm engines giving 2,200 h.p,the Class 43s had 2x NBL/MAN 12 cylinder L12V18/21B.S of 1,100bhp only 2 carried paxman engines.The westerns had 2xMD655 Engines in total giving 2,700h.p so quite more powerfull.Hope this explains.As explained before the warships were the cleanest of the hydraulics and glagg was rare as they were very prone due to there light weight with wheelslip if to much power was put down.

richard.

[fattybass]

A customer of mine is a retired Old Oak Common driver, and has shared some tales of his time there. starting as a steam man, progressed to diesels, where certain events were never to be known by the public. Diesels were hated with such venom in the early days, that some were sabotaged in an almost luddite sense. Their beloved Kings, Castles and Halls giving way to the new order, they were deliberately mistreated, so as they could be failed and replaced by steam locos. in one alleged incident, a steam driver "A giant of a man", was being trained up on a Warship by the OC Traction inspector, when he proceeded to break off the power handle with his bare hand!!
However, The Hymeks were reliable and powerful locos for their size, and were extremely popular with drivers. Westerns were obviously common at the Common, and a driving technique for them was soon developed. It was realised that Westerns could be driven from a standing start on full power, thus giving incredible accelleration. And they loved them. Swindon built (D800-D832/D866-70) were also popular, even though they were Newton Abbot or Laira based, would have been in their hands from the start. BUT!!. The NBL built Warships (D833-D865), which were OC machines were not. Again a driving technique was developed for these locos, except for more dubious reasons!!! Upon departure from Paddington, full power would be applied, the windows opened to clear the cab of fumes.(The NBLS, were notorious for exhaust manifold fractures, filling the engine room and cab with clag!!) The story was if the loco hadnt failed or caught fire by Southall, there was every chance of reaching their destination!! There was no love lost with the Old Oak men when the NBLs were laid up in masses at Phllips Marsh and swindon in 1971. But the Westerns. Well, thats another story!!!

[champion]

Thanks for that info and well put,but dont seem to be many wanted members that remember the hydraulics.Mind you it was 50yrs ago now that they entered the world.More stories thou most welcome.
My 1st visit to the common was march 75 and hydraulics seen that day were.
Class 35s 7017/7018/7029/7022/7011/7093/7028/7016 and 7026
Class 52s 1063/1069/1051/1026/1033/1049 and 1037.

richard.

[fattybass]

Who would have thought the first three Hymeks you saw there are now preserved! Including "my" Hymek 7029 on the SVR. Shame none of those westerns were. I always remember seeing 1068 Western Reliance, at New Street with a dirty yellow end and faded paint, thinking what the bloody hell is this thing? It was 1974, i would have been 6 years old, and used to a diet of electrics 47s and the odd 25 and 40 (in the Coseley area between Wolves and brum). So this was really exciting. Then my dad bought me two books for Christmas that year, and i still have them! The Westerns and The Warships. That started a love affair with them to this day. I remember dad coming home with an edition of Railway Magazine which had the title, 1976, Last Year of The Westerns. I dont really think i understood its meaning, but i never had another meeting with a Western until 1979, when my uncle and aunt moved to Highley, and on a trip to Bridgnorth, saw my favourite loco ever, Courier, in the siding. I still have the photos of me standing by her for the first time. Never realised i would see her at least once a week 30 odd years into the future! I think her and Western Ranger had come up from the South Devon Railway a few months previous so i was thrilled. I have a photo of Ranger in the paint shop down to the metal! Me in the cab! That was the year Ranger went into Desert Sand i think, but you dont see her run as yet. Wait till those Maybachs power a blue Western!. Though from my shop front, i can see the SVR station at Kiddy, and get to see all the movements! And Courier has had a good couple of runs out this week. A dear friend I have had the pleasure of knowing for over 30 years'

[champion]

Your very honured to be working close to seeing the SVR from your shop front.I have been a member of the W.L.A since they brought courier in 1976 and was a member of the D.T.G for a few years.I first see D1062 on the turntable at swindon on a visit to the scrap yard in 76 D1013 i see a few times in service.For the record the visit to swindon works i saw the following westerns.24/5/76
D1001haulage/1048/1015 stone/1071/1054 /1033 and 1005 in service.
818/1062/1030/1046/1047/1016/1057/1064/1025/1012/1040/1027being cut/1069/1055/1026/1067/1006/1050cabs left/1031/1003/1035/1011 and 1034.
1065/ 1054 gave me haulage back to paddington.
821 was also seen at reading gas works with 7029.

richard.

[Mortimer Hill]

One point so far omitted:

I understand that it was nearly impossible to have put an electric train heating supply into the hydraulics. This meant that they could not power the HVAC on the latest air conditioned coaches, sometihing that the displaced class 50s could do.

[champion]

Having been classed as non standard the westerns were considered at one point to have ETH fitted but there was not the space or money to spent on a condemed class and the rest is history.They often did thou replace a 50 or 47 on ETH fitted mark 2ds as a result of failure.I myself see D1005 at reading on such a working in 76 and rare for a western to haul on there own they use to keep the failed loco on as to run the air conditioning.

richard.