Spa Valley Railway

Spa Valley Railway, West Station, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5QY
Telephone: 01892 537715
Email spavalleyrailway@email.com

BR Class 20 No. 20118 "Saltburn-By-The-Sea"

Built - English Electric Robert Steven Hawthorn Factory, Darlington
Introduced to Traffic - February 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 - D8118

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.

20118 appeared from English Electric's Darlington Works in February 1962 as D8118 and was shedded at Glasgow's Polmadie (66A) shed until 1969, briefly being relocated at Eastfield Depot in 1963. It then moved South to Nottingham Division, before moving back to Polmadie in 1971 and Eastfield a year later. Moving South to Sheffield Tinsley in March 1985, 20118 was given the unofficial name of "River Don" after the "Three to the Sea" railtour in 1987. Moving again to Thornaby, 20118 received its official name of "Saltburn-By-The-Sea" at a ceremony at Saltburn station on 13th August 1987. Further moves saw it return to Eastfield and then onto Toton, before spending some periods of time out of service

20118 saw use on further railtours before receiving its final A Exam on 26th September 1995 and then being placed out of service on the same day. The locomotive was declared stored unserviceable, on 4 December 1995 with broken windows.

Preservation came in 1999 when 20118 was sold to the South Devon Diesel Traction Group and arrived at Buckfastleigh on the South Devon Railway on the 10th December 1999. Having been out of service for a lengthy time, the engine required more extensive work than the group's other Class 20. Finally on 26th May 2000, 20118 was started for the first time in preservation. Since then many hours have been spent restoring the loco into the Railfreight livery, including its "Saltburn-By-The-Sea" nameplates. In 2006 20118 made its first move away from the South Devon Railway to star in our Diesel Gala, becoming the first of the class to ever run on our line.

Livery - Railfreight Large Logo Grey With Red Solebar

Current Status - In Service - Visiting The Railway From August to October 2006.

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Information taken from the South Devon Diesel Traction website.