Anyone shed some light on this image

[Furrball]

Having recently moved to Glasgow have been spending some time exploring the considerable history of the city.

Whilst doing so I came across this image

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/index.php?a=subject&s=item&key=sYToxOntpOjA7czo4OiJSYWlsd2F5cyI7fQ==&pg=35

I assume it is a locally built locomotive but can anyone shed any further light on it?

 

[randyrippley]

surely thats two 0-6-0 shunters nose-to-nose?

 

[randyrippley]

the cabs on the two locos look like the North British D2700 series - class D2/1, but the wheelbase appears to be 0-6-0 not 0-4-0, and the photo looks earlier than the 1950s.
Did NBL make any experimental shunters in the 1930s?

 

[eastdyke]

Having recently moved to Glasgow have been spending some time exploring the considerable history of the city.

Whilst doing so I came across this image

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/index.php?a=subject&s=item&key=sYToxOntpOjA7czo4OiJSYWlsd2F5cyI7fQ==&pg=35

I assume it is a locally built locomotive but can anyone shed any further light on it?

Is that not 2 x 0-6-0 types nose to nose? I don't recognise them though!

 

[Cowley]

Is that not 2 x 0-6-0 types nose to nose? I don't recognise them though!

Definitely looks like two 0-6-0 shunters coupled nose to nose. I don't recognise them but they're built to within UK loading gauge by the looks of things. Interesting photo though.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In 1934, the LMS decided to trial about eight types of certain diesel 0-6-0 shunting locomotives and I wonder if the ones in the picture were those manufactured by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds.

Would the date of 1934 fit in with the station image in the picture?

 

[Ash Bridge]

Having studied the image,the diamond shaped plate on the front left side corner of the locomotive appears to point to a North British built product.

Edit: I believe these were built by NBL for Mauritius Railways. They were Diesel Hydraulic 0-6-0s and the picture probably dating from 1953 shows the pair at the latter part of their testing period working a passenger service into Glasgow Central.

 

[Glenmutchkin]

In 1934, the LMS decided to trial about eight types of certain diesel 0-6-0 shunting locomotives and I wonder if the ones in the picture were those manufactured by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds.

Would the date of 1934 fit in with the station image in the picture?

It looks to me as if those coaches are in 'blood & custard' livery. If I'm right this dates the picture to sometime after 1947..

 

[gg1]

The large headlight between the twin windscreens is interesting as these generally weren't fitted to locos built for the UK market until relatively recently (ie after the end of steam). Maybe a pair of locos built for export which were briefly loaned to the LMS/early BR by the builder with the aim of securing a possible home order?

 

[Cowley]

Having studied the image,the diamond shaped plate on the front left side corner of the locomotive appears to point to a North British built product.

Edit: I believe these were built by NBL for Mauritius Railways. They were Diesel Hydraulic 0-6-0s and the picture probably dating from 1953 shows the pair at the latter part of their testing period working a passenger service into Glasgow Central.

I'd agree. The stock is definitely in blood and custard too.

 

[eastdyke]

Having studied the image,the diamond shaped plate on the front left side corner of the locomotive appears to point to a North British built product.

Edit: I believe these were built by NBL for Mauritius Railways. They were Diesel Hydraulic 0-6-0s and the picture probably dating from 1953 shows the pair at the latter part of their testing period working a passenger service into Glasgow Central.

The Project 22 Society mentions these 2 locomotives and that they may have been instrumental in BR plans to include Diesel Hydraulic designs as part of the implementation of the 1955 Modernisation Plan. If that was indeed the case then these locomotives had an importance rather greater than appears at first sight.

http://project22society.co.uk/history/

.... The overall plan was to electrify all of the British Railways mainline routes, with diesels being a ‘stop gap’ until total electrification was complete. Before this, Mr R. C. Bond – British Railway’s Chief Mechanical Engineer – had observed the trials of a pair of North British Locomotive Company (NBL) diesel hydraulic locomotives for Mauritius that took place in Scotland. He was so impressed that when the Modernisation Plan came along, he suggested that looking into diesel hydraulics would be a good idea. NBL had already drawn up a Type C 2,000 hp loco and a 1,000 hp Type B and they offered five of the larger and six of the smaller units. The “Buy British” policy was difficult for the WR, as all the experience was coming from Germany, so licensees for British production of German ideas had to be arranged, as buying German was definitely not allowed, and NBL had such licenses. ....

 

[Furrball]

I had guessed that they could be NBL built. A quck search using the mention of Mauritius revealed this post http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/49374-what-locomotive-is-this/ with the same image

 

[Zoidberg]

Here is the image to help those challenged by accessing links ...

 

[gg1]

There's a little more info on what I'm almost certain are these 2 locos, and an image of the nose end at the link below, about 2 thirds of the way down the page:

http://www.paxmanhistory.org.uk/worldrly.htm

 

[Strathclyder]

After the Mauritius rail network closed for good in 1964 (they were around 10 years old by then), these little locos astoundingly managed to make their way into the possession of a dealer in New Jersey (S. Kearney, to be precise). Trail goes cold on what happened to them after that. They certainly led a charmed & varied life, that's for darn sure...