BRITISH RAIL CLASS 22

The British Rail 'Class 22' or "Baby Warship" was a class of diesel-hydraulic locomotives designed for the Western Region and built by North British Locomotive Company. They were very similar in appearance to the Class 21 diesel-electrics.

Contents

Description

Technical details

Sources

External links

Description

The Class 22s were allocated to Bristol Bath Road,Laira Plymouth,Newton Abbott and Old Oak Common.
Reliability was poor and they were all withdrawn between 1967 and 1972. This was partly because of prejudices against hydraulic transmission high up in BR's engineering wings which deemed all the Western Region's diesel-hydraulic locomotives non-standard. Ex-Eastern Region Class 31 diesel-electrics were drafted in as replacements.
The Class is now extinct, but an attempt was made to preserve D6319. A purchase price was agreed with BR but before the locomotive could be moved to safety it was cut up by staff at Swindon Works. BR offered the purchaser the opportunity to purchase a Warship class locomotive at the same price and D821 ''Greyhound'' thus became the first preserved ex-BR mainline diesel locomotive.

Technical details

★ Introduced: 1959

★ Weight:

★
★ D6300-D6305, 68 tons

★
★ D6306-D6357, 65 tons

★ Engine:

★
★ D6300-D6305, NBL/MAN 1,000 bhp

★
★ D6306-D6357, NBL/MAN 1,100 bhp

★ Transmission: Hydraulic, Voith/NBL L.T.306r

★ Maximum tractive effort: 40,000 lb

★ Driving wheel diameter: 3ft 7in

★ Coupling code:

★
★ D6300-D6305, Orange square

★
★ D6306-D6357, White diamond

★ Train heating: Steam generator

Sources

Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, summer 1966 edition

External links

★ The Western Region Archive
{{commonscat|