Spa Valley Railway

Spa Valley Railway, West Station, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5QY
Telephone: 01892 537715
Email: enquiriesatspavalleyrailway.co.uk
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BR Class 20 No. 20110

Built - English Electric Robert Steven Hawthorn Factory, Darlington
Introduced to Traffic - January 1962
Engine Specification - 8 Cylinder English Electric Type 8SVT MK 2
Wheel Arrangement - BO-BO
Tractive Effort - 19,000 lbs at 14.8 mile/h
Weight - 72 tons
Length - 46' 9 3/8"
Maximum Speed - 75 mph
Pre-TOPS Number - D8110

These English Electric Type 1 locomotives were introduced by British Railways in in 1957. The initial batch numbered D8000 - D8128, but another 99 were built between 1965 and 1967 (D8129 - 8199 and D8300 - D8329) when a trial in the Class 17 Clayton diesels failed. The later batch included indicator blinds rather than the discs and modified electrical systems. These engines were designed for small pick-up goods trains during the day, but also long night freights when coupled in multiple with another class member. They also hauled summer passenger trains around the Highlands, but saw less passenger services in the Winter due to the lack of train heating being installed.

20110 appeared from English Electric's Darlington Works in January 1962 as D8110 and was shedded at Glasgow's Eastfield Depot in 1963. It was fitted with a recessed automatic token catcher in the cab side and larger side windows for work on the West Highland line. It spent most of its life moving aroun the Glasgow and Edinburgh diesel depots until 1986, when a move to Tinsley Depot, Sheffield, took 20110 south of the border. From there it moved to Immingham, Toton and Bescot where the engine ended its BR days working ballast trains.

Purchased by South Devon Diesel Traction in 1991, 20110 moved to the South Devon Railway via Glasgow. Since preservation the engine has seen use on many works and passenger trains. In 1993 it visited the Bodmin and Wenford Railway, followed by the West Somerset Railway in 1994. The engine also saw use on engineers trains on the London Underground Metropolitan Line, working out of Ruislip Depot. Visits to other railways followed, including the Paignton and Dartmouth in 1998. In 2009, 20110 spent the Summer at the Spa Valley, where it was the star of the Summer Diesel Gala.

Livery - BR Blue

Current Status - Visited The Railway From July to October 2009.

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Information taken from the South Devon Diesel Traction website.