Rebuilding the lost Scottish Diesel from a Barnfind Engine
The Scottish Baby Warship Project
Brief Summary
Above picture D6109, the only Class 21 to receive BR Blue, with thanks to David Duncan.
NBL North British Locomotive Company
A famous Glaswegian Company, which made more than 27000 steam locomotives
Unfortunately, many companies went bust in the 1960s, as fewer diesels were needed, and GM conquered the world, ALCO, Baldwin, BRCW went despite relative success. NBL poised itself with German High Speed diesels and Voith Hydraulic transmissions. Not as reliable as some, in part due to steam engineering practices at NBL, and part due to design issues.
NBL went bust in 1962. A lack of spare and BR having 800 surplus locomotives, they were first line for withdrawal for Standardisation. In time such problems were sorted and today many similar, modern designs run all over the world successfully.
Construction & the D61XXsor NBL/GEC Type 2s latterly Class 21s
A D61XX is constructed in this Official photo
The NBL works photo shows the cabs were originally cast aluminium. Many were collision damaged and fortunately BR drew up a fabricated replacement design. The Class 21/29 drawings are incomplete, but thankfully can be adapted from their Hydraulic cousins.
In service the first 10 were pilot locomotives of the Modernisation plan of 1955, and seemed eminently suitable for a 20 year life. Following NBL works train trials to Kilmarnock, and Gretna, the Pilot series D6100-6109 ran via Newcastle and York to Doncaster, where D6100 infamously seized it's engine on trials to Spalding and New Holland Pier. Eventually, following a return trip for modifications, they and D6110-37 ran out of Kings Cross, and Liverpool Street, on commuter services to Peterborough and East Anglia. D6100-6109 returned again for fitting of modified cooler groups, loosing some of the sleek, Germanic louvres in return for not overheating. A last minute design change from NBLs bogies like on the Class 22, to Commonwealth bogies, as promoted by GEC, supplier of the electrical equipment, meant they were too heavy for intended cross London freights. With failures, they were returned to Scotland to be modified and based near the manufacturers. No at Eastfield, they were trialled to Inverness, and one tested at St Margarets, but they mostly settled to Lowlands trip working, expresses to Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen, and long associated with the West Highland, and Callander & Oban lines. 20 were re-engined with Paxman Venturas, as no spare were available now for MANs, but this was curtailed due to surplus locomotives, and Grangemouth oil trains stopped being a regular turn s all were withdrawn at the end of 1971. D6122 was sent for rerailing exercises at Hither Green, and consigned to Barry, where it lingured until 1980, before Class extinction occurred.
Meanwhile, the later Blue Star batch, with the B series engine, like preserved 402, went along with far less fuss based for life at Kittybrewster and on the GNoSR system, including Royal Train duties to Deesside.
The Power Unit
The MAN Engine
The NBL/MAN L12V 18/21S were known as the MAN engine, and MAN's foray into railway power. They produced a prototype before WW2, and it was left until 1946 when the similar 17.5/21 (Bore&Stroke in cm) powered multiple units in Turkey, South America, Sri Lanka, and DB V80 & V200 B-B locomotives, which formed the loose basis for the British machines. The final versions were only ever used in the UK, Blue Pullmans with German built engines, but the rest NBL built 154 locomotives with Napier turbos for a shrill whistle under power. A lost sound, but 20 were converted to standby generators in the oil crisis. These were selected units which had been fully rebuilt by Swindon, with modified valve seats, and strengthened oil pipes, so service problems should not be a preservation issue.
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Service History
Brief Summary of Other Types
Above picture of D6144, off region at Bridge House Junction, on the ECML SOuth of Durham,Junction for Consett along the Lanchester Valley, with thanks to Roy Lambeth
D600 became the first Diesel to run into Edinburgh in November 1957, the short lived small class of NBL Type 4s was based on the heavy engineering of the LMS 10000 with 2 hydraulic drives and 2 power units. For a year, the first 2 starred in 100mph+ Bristolian services, and acheived 120,000 miles in a year. This success led to initial designs for a hydraulic Blue Pullman with disc headcodes, never built but proving a clear success in the electric form, and providing inspiration for the HST, but the design first came from NBL! The 5* 600s were in the end consigned to Cormwall, Swindon obviously preferring its lightweight design and getting NBL to build D833-865 (originally to have been D605-638) as well as the Baby Warships all common in the Western Region, and scheduled for early withdrawal by end 1971.
The Scottish Diesel-Electric design had its share of problems too, initially running in East Anglia, and then reallocated to Scotland.
The Pilot Scheme
D6100-6109
With their neat side louvres they were the most stylish, and least handsome of all. Tested initially to Gretna, then down the ECML and Doncaster tested them to Spalding and New Holland. Being Red Circle MU, one even double headed with a 31/0. Failures were common, D6100 seized it's engine on its trial run to Spalding, and returned to Glasgow 3 times!
Production Batch
D6110-6137
D6110-19 went to Hornsey for Kings Cross GNR Commuter services, D6120-9 to Stratford for GER services, sometimes out based at Ripple Lane, and the remainder to Ipswich for the Fisons freights and Suffolk Branchlines. They were sent North for modification in August 1960 and spent the rest of their days at Eastfield, operating mostly Oban & West Highland, and Aberdeen expresses, and fitted freights, often double headed.
The Blue Stars
D6138-6157
The later type were more reliable, and fairly successful. D6138 was trialled out of St Margarets, though no photos come to light on the Waverley (the early series were known in Carlisle, on the G&SWR and WCML Parcels trains) and as above, D6144 perhaps trialled on the Consett line... They settled at Kittybrewster, and looked after at Inverurie, whose Works Manager claimed 100% reliability of a whole 24 hours once!
Class 29 Rebuilds
Paxman Ventura
D6123 went to Colchester in 1963. It had a unique 1400hp Ventura fitted, and was a success. 20 similar Paxman 12YJXL were ordered, and fitted to 19, and D6109 instead had a 'B' engine fitted for comparison. Some of these, including D6109, were in blue, the rest 2 tone green, all save 6123 with 4digit headcode panels. Derby had a look at disc only D6123, and were so impressed the Valenta became the choice for the HST. It went home powering the Night Condor.
Rerailing exersizes on the Southern
D6121 or D6122 goes to Barry
Lastly, a loco with both numbers went to Hither Green for re-railing exersizes. Eventually it was sold to Barry Scrapyard, WR stripped spares from the MAN engine, but, despite languishing until July 1980 and been offered for sale for £2500, it was scrapped, the last Mainline NBL Diesel, all scrapped. But an engine lived on, standing by the WCML for 42 years...
The future
Operation Blue Star
The goal of the project is a fully operable locomotive remade from the NBL Type 2 engine.
We have fully sourced sufficient parts to make this, a new body needs fabricating.
Please get in touch if you want to help!