BR Class 20 D8188
| BRBritish Rail or British Railways Class 20 D8188 | |
|---|---|
 D8188 near Eardington | |
| Built By | English Electric Vulcan Foundry Works, Newton-le-Willows |
| Configuration | Bo-Bo |
| Power type | Diesel Electric |
| Status | Operational |
| Loco Number | D8188 |
| Other Numbers | 20188 |
| History | |
| Built | 1967 |
| Designed By | English Electric |
| Type | Class 20 |
| 2007 | Arrived on SVRSevern Valley Railway |
| 2016 | Refurbished at Washwood Heath |
| 2017 | Left the SVRSevern Valley Railway |
| Technical | |
| Length | 46ft 9¼" |
| Weight | 73t |
D8188 is a BRBritish Rail or British Railways Class 20 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1The British Railways classification for diesel locomotives of up to 1000 bhp. 228 of these locomotives were built between 1957 and 1968. Weighing 73 tonnes and delivering 1,000 horsepower, they were designed to work light mixed freight traffic at up to 75 mph. Members of the class are nicknamed “Choppers” because of the distinctive engine beat under load which resembles the sound of a helicopter.
D8188 in service
D8188 was built by the English Electric Company’s Vulcan Foundry as Works No 3669 of 1966. It was allocated to Nottingham Division, entering service in January 1967 and remaining there until withdrawal from service in January 1990. The locomotive was renumbered to 20188 on 1 January 1973 under TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock..[1]
D8188 in preservation
Some of the early history of the locomotive in preservation can be seen in photographs on the Preserved Diesels website. 20188 was fitted with mock armour for an appearance as a Russian locomotive in the 1995 Bond film GoldenEye, filmed on the Nene Valley Railway (Link). In August 1995 the locomotive was owned by Waterman Railways and photographed at Crewe (Link).
The locomotive's present owner, the Somerset & Dorset Locomotive Company, was incorporated in 2000. Photographs after this date show the locomotive at the Mid Hants Railway (2001-2002) and the Swanage Railway (2003-2007).
The locomotive was lent to the SVRSevern Valley Railway to assist with rebuilding following the storm damage, arriving 29 July 2007.[2] The locomotive saw frequent use in the following months.[3] In winter 2008/09 an agreement was reached for the locomotive to become a permanent member of the SVRSevern Valley Railway fleet.[4] Following a period of maintenance at Washwood Heath in 2015, D8188 returned the SVRSevern Valley Railway in February 2016.[5]
In 2017 the locomotive toured several heritage railways. In June 2017 the locomotive was described as "operational, although no longer used by the SVRSevern Valley Railway" and in September 2017 the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway announced it had joined their fleet.[6] Following a period at the Spa Valley Railway, D8188 moved to the Mid-Hants Railway in August 2021 to join sister locomotive D8059[7].
Gallery
D8188 at Highley, April 2011
See also
Former Residents
SVR-based diesel locomotives visiting other events
Classes of locomotives used on the Severn Valley Branch in commercial service
References
- ↑ BRDatabase website
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 166
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 161
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 164
- ↑ SVR "Meet The Loco" web page
- ↑ SVR "Meet The Loco" web page
- ↑ National Preservation Forum
Links
20188 on Preserved Diesels website
BR Class 20 on Wikipedia
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