D1230 - Kimberly
English Electric - Stephenson Class
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- Loco Brakes: Mechanical, Air
- Train Brakes: Unfitted
The rugged EE design was a worthy competitor to Sentinel in the 1960s. Built at Darlington and latterley Newton-le-Willows, the design owes much reputedly to W G Bagnall, although the cast desk assembly is undoubtedly RSH.
The story goes that a Sentinel 0-6-0DH, stopped at Stafford in sight of Bagnall's work, was promptly beseiged by the latter's drawing office staff - the Sentinel driver locking himself in the cab to deny access! Most Stephensons used Dorman engines (Dorman being part of EE and Bagnall's first choice being also in Stafford) but a considerable batch once roamed Corby Steelworks with a tight-fitting Paxman 8RPHLX under the casings, and "Kimberley" was one of a number of both 0-4-0s and 0-6-0s built with 12 or 14 litre Cummins.
Built for service on opencast coal contracts, "Kimberley" worked mostly at the Onllwyn Disposal Point for Derek Crouch (Later Crouch Mining), but those working days ended when it was dumped, together with 4 others, at a disused colliery near Durham, from whence it was bought for use by YEC.
Restored to running order, it was despatched to Wembley, London on hire to shunt trains of 'Evian' and 'Volvic' bottled water for the importers. During this time, a split coolant hose was not spotted by its crew, and thus it became the world's first air-cooled Cummins! Such is the ruggedness of this make of engine, and (to be fair) the relatively light duty, the power unit apparently took no harm. When the contract for distribution was taken over by a firm in Coventry, it was allocated to Barrow Hill as shunter for short-lived RMS-subsidiary Mainline Rail.
The story goes that a Sentinel 0-6-0DH, stopped at Stafford in sight of Bagnall's work, was promptly beseiged by the latter's drawing office staff - the Sentinel driver locking himself in the cab to deny access! Most Stephensons used Dorman engines (Dorman being part of EE and Bagnall's first choice being also in Stafford) but a considerable batch once roamed Corby Steelworks with a tight-fitting Paxman 8RPHLX under the casings, and "Kimberley" was one of a number of both 0-4-0s and 0-6-0s built with 12 or 14 litre Cummins.
Built for service on opencast coal contracts, "Kimberley" worked mostly at the Onllwyn Disposal Point for Derek Crouch (Later Crouch Mining), but those working days ended when it was dumped, together with 4 others, at a disused colliery near Durham, from whence it was bought for use by YEC.
Restored to running order, it was despatched to Wembley, London on hire to shunt trains of 'Evian' and 'Volvic' bottled water for the importers. During this time, a split coolant hose was not spotted by its crew, and thus it became the world's first air-cooled Cummins! Such is the ruggedness of this make of engine, and (to be fair) the relatively light duty, the power unit apparently took no harm. When the contract for distribution was taken over by a firm in Coventry, it was allocated to Barrow Hill as shunter for short-lived RMS-subsidiary Mainline Rail.