The Deltics & Baby Deltics

A Tale of Success and Failure

Andrew Fowler

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Transport
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781473870116
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Rail Transportation
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Andrew Fowler is a well known writer of railway history, with a regular feature in Railway Herald Magazine. The Deltic class 55 Locomotives were some of the most successful, first generation diesels introduced to British Railways, being constructed from 1960-1962 and numbering twenty two, in the production class. The prototype machine was constructed in 1956 and was tested extensively on express trains on the London Midland and Eastern Regions of B R, until 1960. The interest and enthusiasm, for the class is reflected in the fact, that six examples of the class are preserved, including the 1956 prototype. The Baby Deltics, were a derivative Locomotive design, using one rather then two engines, for use on outer suburban and short main line semi fast services. Only ten Baby Deltics were constructed between 1961-1962, for use on services out of London Kings Cross. The Baby Deltics were all withdrawn within a decade, as they were not very successful in main line service.

Production series ‘Deltic’ locomotive details

D9000/55022 Royal Scots Grey – Status: Preserved

Passing Holloway South Up signalbox on 8 August 1962, by which time it had received small yellow warning panels on its nose ends, No. D9000 Royal Scots Grey heads for King’s Cross with an Anglo-Scottish express. (Brian Morrison)

With the trademark ‘Deltic’ oil stains cascading from the exhaust ports, No. D9000 Royal Scots Grey drifts into King’s Cross ‘light engine’ on 6 June 1966. Note the ‘Baby Deltic’ in the background. (Nigel Petre)

Now in blue livery and bearing its TOPS number, 55022, Royal Scots Grey backs into the old platform 9 at Hull Paragon on the evening of 25 May 1979. (Syd Young)

Although officially the first member of the class, No. D9000 was the second locomotive to be released from Vulcan Foundry, being outshopped on 28 February 1961. The delivery of the whole class was significantly later than expected, as they had originally been due to enter service in mid-1960, but No. D9000 took longer to complete than most due to BR’s wish to fit a flashing xenon headlight low down in the centre of each nose end, just above the bufferbeam, to this locomotive as an experiment.

Following outshopping it ran ‘light engine’ from Vulcan Foundry to Doncaster Works for acceptance trials, and was officially taken into BR stock the same day. Its delivery did not go smoothly as it collided with its pilot engine while outside the works, but thankfully only minor damage was sustained. It remained at Doncaster until 9 March, during which period it worked a trial to Grantham and back. Upon release from the works, it ran to Finsbury Park, returning the following day with its flashing headlight on test. Further test runs from Doncaster to Peterborough and back were undertaken on 13 March, and two days later a high speed run was made to New Southgate and back with a 14-coach load in tow.

Officially allocated to Haymarket shed from new, the facility was still undergoing rebuilding to accept the class, and on 22 March it ran to Leith shed, which was home to the locomotive for its first week in service. Crew training then began the same day and six days later, it finally headed to Haymarket. Training continued until the start of the new timetable period on 12 June 1961, when the locomotive worked the 10:00 Edinburgh-King’s Cross ‘Flying Scotsman’ passenger service.

Unfortunately, problems were encountered with one of the power units after just a week, and it ran from Haymarket to Carstairs and then along the West Coast Main Line to Vulcan Foundry on 21 June for an engine swap. It was dispatched north again on 5 July and headed back to Haymarket to resume duty on Edinburgh-King’s Cross expresses, included the ‘Talisman’ and ‘Flying Scotsman’ high profile named trains. It was back in the works once more on 9 August, this time at Doncaster, due to fractured exhaust collector tanks on both engines. These were replaced within a day and the locomotive returned to traffic on 11 August. It continued duty for the remainder of the year, racking up thousands of miles on high profile express trains.

It continued in traffic until 10 February 1962, when it once more suffered a power unit failure while at the head of the ‘Flying Scotsman’. It was taken off the train at Darlington and entered the works there, where both power units were changed; upon release from Darlington on 7 March it was dispatched immediately to Doncaster, where the bogies were changed due to the appearance of cracks, and the train heating boiler was overhauled. Three days later, it was back in traffic on its Anglo-Scottish turns, and also worked the ‘Yorkshire Pullman’ prestige trains from Harrogate to King’s Cross on 13 and 19 April. It suffered a further engine failure at Peterborough on 25 April and was sent to Doncaster two days later; it says much about how BR and English Electric were both getting to grips with servicing the class that it was only in the works for a single day by this point, with other jobs including a bogie swap also undertaken during the same period!

No. D9000 was fitted with its Royal Scots Grey nameplates at St Rollox Works in Glasgow on 14 June 1962, being officially named at a ceremony at Edinburgh Waverley station four days later to coincide with the introduction of the new full ‘Deltic’-hauled service timetable. Its reliability was by now much improved, with a light repair being undertaken at Doncaster on 26-28 September for modifications and overhaul following a traction motor flashover, and a general repair being carried out from 19 December including a scheduled power unit swap and a bogie change to allow repairs to cracks on the fabricated pair that had been installed ten months earlier.

Its operational reliability gradually improved, with engine failures getting less common; the next one suffered occurred on 11 May 1963 at Grantham and the power unit swap only took a day to effect. From then on, regular maintenance and an occasional unplanned power unit change allowed the locomotive to continue in reliable service.

By the time the first maintenance contact with English Electric ended for the locomotive on 21 March 1966, Royal Scots Grey had covered 827,000 miles in five years. It received full yellow nose ends during a general repair at Doncaster on 15 January 1967, while still in green livery, and was repainted into BR corporate blue in November 1967 while back at Doncaster for the fitment of dual braking. In December that year, it was sent to Finsbury Park to cover air-braked diagrams from the Capital, returning to Haymarket on 16 June 1968, continuing on its Anglo-Scottish duties. Some unusual turns came up for the locomotive over the following years, with it noted as working from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and back in May 1969, and a parcels working from Crewe to Derby and back in November 1971.

The ‘D’ prefix was dropped from the locomotive’s number during an intermediate repair in April 1970, and it was renumbered No. 55022 on 10 April 1974 following the introduction of BR’s TOPS system. As the pioneer of the class, Royal Scots Grey was often selected for special workings, and on 8 June 1977, it was placed in charge of the inaugural working of the 15:00 Edinburgh-King’s Cross ‘Silver Jubilee’, which was introduced to celebrate the 25 anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne. It also worked the 50th anniversary working of the ‘Flying Scotsman’ non-stop service on 1 May 1978, taking the train from King’s Cross to Edinburgh.

Later in 1978, there was a marked change in the locomotive’s duties, and it began to appear on semi-fast services from London to Cleethorpes, and also worked services from York to Aberystwyth as far as Stockport. On 7 May 1979, it worked from Edinburgh to Dundee, but its stay in Scotland was now drawing to a close and it was transferred to York Depot on 13 May. With withdrawals of its classmates already having been started, it was sent to Doncaster Works for what would be its final intermediate repair on 16 July, emerging six days later.

A rather run-down No. 55022 Royal Scots Grey has a change of crew at Doncaster whilst heading the 12:05 King’s Cross-Hull on 8 June 1979. Note the crude nose-end repairs and missing sand box cover. The following month the locomotive was admitted to Doncaster Works for its final intermediate overhaul. (Syd Young)

Although dirtier than in the previous view, the effects of the intermediate overhaul are apparent, despite the fact that No. 55022 retained its ‘domino’ headcode blanks until withdrawal. Despite the incredible filth covering the locomotive, it has an energetic enthusiast for company as it runs back into Paragon station on 28 December 1979. (Syd Young)

No. 55022 Royal Scots Grey hums away in platform 15 at York circa 1980 – note the battered nose end; the ‘Deltics’ seemed to get more than their fair share of damage from debris and unfortunate birds! (Nigel Petre)

No. 55022 Royal Scots Grey is surrounded by the masses as it awaits departure from Edinburgh to King’s Cross for the last time in BR service. The headboards and wreath have been attached, and very soon the ear-splitting roar of a pair of Napiers will signify the end of an era, as the train Leaves the Scottish capital for the final run home. 2 January 1982. (Syd Young)

With enthusiast interest class growing as it became obvious that the class was in decline, the locomotive began to be in demand for railtour duties and worked the circular ‘Deltic Pioneer’ excursion from Manchester Victoria to Carlisle via Shap and return via Newcastle and York on 7 October 1979 before returning to York-Liverpool diagrams. Despite its move to York, its days of working in Scotland were not quite over and it appeared at Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Perth on a handful of occasions in 1979 and 1980. It was also put in charge of the 12:20 King’s Cross-York service on 28 February 1981, adorned with a headboard to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the class.

The final days of the ‘Deltics’ saw enthusiasts of all ages keen to collect souvenirs of the surviving locomotiv...