norbitonflyer
Established Member
They did build diesel engines though. They were fitted to several DMU classes, the Lea Valley Class 125s, the Calder Valley class 110s, Metro Cammell 111s, the Cravens classes 112 and 113, and the Marylebone and St Pancras and Marylebone suburban sets (classes 115 and 127). Several of these classes had hydraulic transmissions. Two Clayton Class 17s were also fitted with RR engines.. Rolls had no interest in diesels, especially German ones
Actually, weight (or lack of it) was a problem, as hydraulics were in general less suitable for heavy freight than their diesel-electric counterparts - especially in the early days when brake force was essential to control unfitted freights. A "Warship" weighed 79 tons, a Class 40 weighed 132.What did for the type 4 hydraulics?
Sheer weight of numbers meant that the hydraulics would be bound to go first in any rationalisation.
However, the difference in weight between a Western and a 47 was only a few tons.
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