British Rail Class 52


The British Rail Class 52 was a class of 74 Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964. All were given two-word names, the first word being "Western" and thus the type became known as Westerns.

Historical context

When switching to diesel traction as part of the Modernisation Plan of the 1950s, British Railways designed, and commissioned designs for, a large number of locomotive types. At this time BR's regions had a high degree of autonomy, which extended as far as classes of locomotives ordered and even the design criteria for those locomotives. Whilst almost all other diesel locomotives were diesel-electric, the Western Region employed a policy of using diesel-hydraulic traction, originally commissioning three classes of main line locomotives: a type 2 and two type 4s. With pressure to increase the speed of the transition from steam to diesel, volume orders for the class 22 and class 42 followed in 1957, a mere two years after the original orders and well before any idea of performance or reliability could be gained. At the same time it was realised that all the existing orders were for types 1, 2 and 4; thus orders were placed for 101 Type 3 diesel-hydraulics. However the increasing demands for more powerful locomotives prompted a further order, in 1961, for 74 diesel-hydraulics of ; so when the first locomotive was outshopped from Swindon Works in December 1961, less than a year after the order was placed, the Westerns were born.
The theoretical advantage of diesel-hydraulic was simple: it resulted in a lighter locomotive than equivalent diesel-electric transmission. This provided a better power/weight ratio and decreased track wear. Unfortunately, it had several key disadvantages:
Experience showed that the Bristol-Siddeley-Maybach engines were superior to those made by North British Locomotive Company-MAN and although the use of twin engines in the same locomotive was new, the design did not produce any insurmountable problems. In the end the diesel-hydraulic experiment foundered on low fleet numbers, poor maintenance conditions and design issues; not on its German heritage or development of a novel configuration. BR's Swindon Works maintained all the diesel-hydraulic locomotives, and their early demise resulted in a much reduced workload and hastened its eventual closure in 1986.

The Western

With the Hymeks and Warships already in service but proving underpowered for top-link services, BR Western Region needed a high-powered locomotive for these trains – the Western therefore needed two diesel engines to achieve the required power output. In keeping with their policy, a new locomotive with a hydraulic transmission was envisaged. Experience had shown that the Maybach engines in the Hymeks were superior to the earlier Maybach and MAN engines used in the Warships, particularly in power output. Also Maybach were able to offer their 12 MD engines rated at allied to a Voith transmission; a Mekydro transmission designed to handle such power could not be fitted into the British loading gauge.
Prototypes sited the engines behind the driving cabs but drivers found this too noisy; moving the engines centrally meant making the locomotive heavier, removing some of the design's advantage. In production use, the dual-engine arrangement turned out to have some advantages: in particular, the Westerns were able to continue operating with a single engine running in situations where more conventional single-engine designs would require rescue by another locomotive.
The most serious continual problem with the class was the design fault mismatch between the Maybach MD655 engines and the Voith L630rV three speed hydraulic transmissions. The top gear ratio in the transmission was too high for the torque characteristics of the engine: the result was that a single locomotive could struggle to reach its claimed top speed in the absence of down grades, more so when work-weary and due for overhaul. These factors, combined with the South Devon Banks deleterious effect on tired engines, all conspired against the Westerns continuing in top-line service. With fifty Class 50 locomotives becoming available, following completion of the West Coast Main Line electrification, and new High Speed Trains, the speed and comfort increases the Western Region sought could be achieved and the Westerns dispensed with. Towards the end of their careers the Westerns were all allocated to Laira.

Competition and comfort

Whilst the design was largely successful, the working life of the class was relatively short. Its non-standard design added to its maintenance costs while the national British Rail policy was moving away from diesel-hydraulics. When the Westerns were introduced in 1962, the Western Region had 226 diesel-hydraulics and 10 diesel-electrics ; by 1966 the numbers were 345 and 269 respectively. As a result, the early 1970s saw the decision taken to retire all the diesel-hydraulic types. Class 46 and Class 47 took over passenger and heavy freight while Class 25 covered the lighter duties. Following completion of the electrification of the West Coast Main Line throughout from London to Glasgow, the Class 50s were reallocated to the Western Region; the introduction of High Speed Trains three years later was the final nail in the coffin for the Class 52 Westerns.
In 1968–69 the Westerns received train air brake equipment in addition to their vacuum exhausters, thus significantly extending their working lives, unlike the similar but lower-powered, Warship class, although four of the class did not receive dual brakes, with these locomotives being among the first withdrawals. The vacuum brake equipment was retained and to fit the additional equipment, it was necessary to remove one of the fuel tanks. However, as with the Warships, it proved impossible to equip them with electric train heating. The Western Region faced particularly stiff competition for its prime inter-city services in the mid to late 1970s from the M4 motorway and it was generally felt within BR that a significant speed and comfort increase on the prime London Paddington-Bristol route were necessary. The lack of ETH meant the Westerns could not power the newly introduced air-conditioned BR Mark 2d/e/f coaches – a shortcoming that classes 47 and 50, equipped with ETH, did not share.

Performance

The highest recorded speed with a Western that O. S. Nock was aware of was when D1068 hauled nine coaches down 1 in 1320 at Southall. The train averaged exactly for between Slough and Ealing whilst hauling a service from Reading to Paddington. An unverified eyewitness account by a BR secondman stated that had been achieved when his driver drove a Western between Reading and Westbury. He experienced the locomotive shaking from side to side as 110 mph was indicated on the speedometer.
However, when it came to drawbar horsepower the Westerns in some respects were less capable than the equivalent diesel electric locomotives. Nock states "whilst the Westerns took their rightful place as fast and powerful locomotives it became evident that they were showing the same deficiency in actual power put forth at the drawbar as the Warships had done. The highest output that came to my notice was a sustained hauling 560 tons descending 1 in 1320, which equates to 1500 edhp ". This is 56% of power at the flywheel, whereas for a diesel-electric one would normally expect a figure of 75 to 80%. A similar result was obtained when Clough & Beckett compared the performance of type 4 diesel locomotives hauling trains up the ascent to Whiteball summit. They deliberately chose data to show each class in their best light and included a Western run which produced 1775 edhp but they still concluded that "without doubt the Westerns get the wooden spoon; certainly not what one would expect from units of 2700 bhp". The best performer was the Class 50, a diesel-electric locomotive: on one run this achieved 2115 edhp.
Despite this apparent limitation, the BR Western Region load-limit book gave the same 550 ton loading figure for both the Class 52 and Class 47 diesels over the South Devon banks between Newton Abbot and Plymouth. The reason for this is that, while the diesel-electric classes could produce high maximum tractive effort for limited periods, diesel hydraulics could produce significantly higher continuous tractive effort.

Names and numbers

While the first Western was under construction, proposals for livery and names were prepared by the BR design panel. The D1000 series locomotives were to be named after famous West of England place names; the illustration from the portfolio shows D1000 bearing the name Cheddar Gorge. This trend was not followed in production, however, and the Westerns were named with general heraldic and regimental terms prefixed with the word "Western" as per the following table.
Of the 74 locomotives built, 7 have survived to preservation.
ImageNumberNameBuiltLiveriesWithdrawnDispositionNotes
D1000Western EnterpriseBR Swindon 20.12.61Desert Sand
Maroon
Rail Blue
02/1974Scrapped 31.07.74 BREL Swindon
D1001Western PathfinderBR Swindon 12.02.62Maroon
Rail Blue
10/1976Scrapped 08.77 BREL SwindonOriginally outshopped without yellow warning panels; the buffer beams being painted yellow instead
D1002Western ExplorerBR Swindon 19.03.62Brunswick Green
Maroon
Rail Blue
10/1976Scrapped 08.77 BREL Swindon
D1003Western PioneerBR Swindon 14.04.62Brunswick Green
Maroon
Rail Blue
01/1975Scrapped 08.77 BREL Swindon
D1004Western CrusaderBR Swindon 12.05.62Brunswick Green
Maroon
Rail Blue
08/1973Scrapped 19.09.74 BREL Swindon
D1005Western VenturerBR Swindon 18.06.62Brunswick Green
Maroon
Rail Blue
11/1976Scrapped 17.06.77 BREL Swindon
D1006Western StalwartBR Swindon 06.07.62Maroon
Rail Blue
04/1975Scrapped 24.03.77 BREL Swindon
D1007Western TalismanBR Swindon 01.08.62Maroon
Rail Blue
01/1974Scrapped 24.02.75 BREL Swindon
D1008Western HarrierBR Swindon 04.09.62Maroon
Rail Blue
10/1974Scrapped 10.10.75 BREL Swindon
D1009Western InvaderBR Swindon 24.09.62Maroon
Rail Blue
11/1976Scrapped 11.78 BREL Swindon
D1010Western CampaignerBR Swindon 15.10.62Maroon
Rail Blue
28/02/77Preserved by the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group Standby loco for the Western Tribute Railtour.
D1011Western ThundererBR Swindon 27.10.62Maroon
Rail Blue
10/1975Scrapped 12.78 BREL Swindon
D1012Western FirebrandBR Swindon 17.11.62Maroon
Rail Blue
11/1975Scrapped 04.79 BREL Swindon
D1013Western RangerBR Swindon 13.12.62Maroon
Rail Blue
28/02/77Preserved by the Western Locomotive Association Hauled the Western Tribute Railtour on 26/02/77 ; the last Western-hauled train on BR.
D1014Western LeviathanBR Swindon 24.12.62Maroon
Rail Blue
08/1974Scrapped 13.02.75 BREL Swindon
D1015Western ChampionBR Swindon 21.01.63Golden Ochre
Maroon
Rail Blue
04/01/77Preserved by the Diesel Traction Group
D1016Western GladiatorBR Swindon 16.02.63Maroon
Rail Blue
12/1975Scrapped 08.77 BREL Swindon
D1017Western WarriorBR Swindon 15.03.63Maroon
Rail Blue
08/1973Scrapped 12.03.75 BREL Swindon
D1018Western BuccaneerBR Swindon 02.04.63Maroon
Rail Blue
06/1973Scrapped 20.03.74 BREL Swindon
D1019Western ChallengerBR Swindon 02.05.63Maroon
Rail Blue
05/1973Scrapped 03.10.74 BREL Swindon
D1020Western HeroBR Swindon 21.05.63Maroon
Rail Blue
06/1973Scrapped 17.04.74 BREL Swindon
D1021Western CavalierBR Swindon 17.06.63Maroon
Rail Blue
08/1976Scrapped 02.79 BREL Swindon
D1022Western SentinelBR Swindon 16.07.63Maroon
Rail Blue
01/1977Scrapped 12.78 BREL Swindon
D1023Western FusilierBR Swindon 23.09.63Maroon
Rail Blue
28/02/1977Preserved as part of the national collection by the NRMHauled the Western Tribute Railtour on 26/02/77 ; the last Western-hauled train on BR.
D1024Western HuntsmanBR Swindon 01.10.63Maroon
Rail Blue
11/1973Scrapped 14.08.74 BREL Swindon
D1025Western GuardsmanBR Swindon 01.11.63Maroon
Rail Blue
10/1975Scrapped 01.79 BREL Swindon
D1026Western CenturionBR Swindon 24.12.63Maroon
Rail Blue
10/1975Scrapped 06.08.76 BREL Swindon
D1027Western LancerBR Swindon 28.01.64Maroon
Rail Blue
11/1975Scrapped 10.06.76 BREL Swindon
D1028Western HussarBR Swindon 25.02.64Maroon
Rail Blue
10/1976Scrapped 06.79 BREL Swindon
D1029Western LegionaireBR Swindon 20.04.64Maroon
Rail Blue
11/1974Scrapped 29.05.75 BREL SwindonRenamed Western Legionnaire in 1969, the nameplate being cut to allow the additional letter to be inserted.
D1030Western MusketeerBR Crewe 05.12.63Maroon
Chromatic Blue
Rail Blue
04/1976Scrapped 22.09.76 BREL Swindon
D1031Western RiflemanBR Crewe 20.12.63Maroon
Rail Blue
02/1975Scrapped 06.10.76 BREL Swindon
D1032Western MarksmanBR Crewe 31.12.63Maroon
Rail Blue
05/1973Scrapped 05.12.74 BREL Swindon
D1033Western TrooperBR Crewe 17.01.64Maroon
Rail Blue
09/1976Scrapped 04.79 BREL Swindon
D1034Western DragoonBR Crewe 15.04.64Maroon
Rail Blue
10/1975Scrapped 20.05.77 BREL Swindon
D1035Western YeomanBR Crewe 17.07.62Maroon
Rail Blue
01/1975Scrapped 30.09.76 BREL Swindon
D1036Western EmperorBR Crewe 29.08.62Brunswick Green
Rail Blue
11/1976Scrapped 24.02.77 BREL Swindon
D1037Western EmpressBR Crewe 31.08.62Brunswick Green
Maroon
Rail Blue
05/1976Scrapped 16.02.77 BREL Swindon
D1038Western SovereignBR Crewe 07.09.62Brunswick Green
Maroon
Rail Blue
10/1973Scrapped 20.11.74 BREL Swindon
D1039Western KingBR Crewe 07.09.62Maroon
Rail Blue
07/1973Scrapped 05.09.74 BREL SwindonOne of the few Westerns to have full yellow ends applied to Maroon livery
D1040Western QueenBR Crewe 20.09.62Maroon
Rail Blue
02/1976Scrapped 11.08.76 BREL Swindon
D1041Western PrinceBR Crewe 10.10.62Maroon
Rail Blue
02/1977Preserved by the Bury Diesel Group
D1042Western PrincessBR Crewe 19.10.62Maroon
Rail Blue
07/1973Scrapped 18.05.74 BREL Swindon
D1043Western DukeBR Crewe 26.10.62Maroon
Rail Blue
04/1976Scrapped 10.02.77 BREL Swindon
D1044Western DuchessBR Crewe 12.11.62Maroon
Rail Blue
02/1975Scrapped 10.09.75 BREL Swindon
D1045Western ViscountBR Crewe 16.11.62Maroon
Rail Blue
12/1974Scrapped 21.08.75 BREL Swindon
D1046Western MarquisBR Crewe 24.12.62Maroon
Rail Blue
12/1975Scrapped 10.11.76 BREL Swindon
D1047Western LordBR Crewe 04.02.63Maroon
Rail Blue
02/1976Scrapped 09.09.76 BREL Swindon
D1048Western LadyBR Crewe 15.12.62Maroon
Rail Blue
02/1977Preserved
D1049Western MonarchBR Crewe 14.12.62Maroon
Rail Blue
04/1976Scrapped 03.02.77 BREL Swindon
D1050Western RulerBR Crewe 01.01.63Maroon
Rail Blue
04/1975Scrapped 08.04.76 BREL Swindon
D1051Western AmbassadorBR Crewe---
D1052Western ViceroyBR Crewe---
D1053Western PatriarchBR Crewe---
D1054Western GovernorBR Crewe---
D1055Western AdvocateBR Crewe---
D1056Western SultanBR Crewe---
D1057Western ChieftainBR Crewe---
D1058Western NoblemanBR Crewe---
D1059Western EmpireBR Crewe---
D1060Western DominionBR Crewe---
D1061Western EnvoyBR Crewe---
D1062Western CourierBR Crewe---
D1063Western MonitorBR Crewe---
D1064Western RegentBR Crewe---
D1065Western ConsortBR Crewe---
D1066Western PrefectBR Crewe---
D1067Western DruidBR Crewe---
D1068Western RelianceBR Crewe---
D1069Western VanguardBR Crewe---
D1070Western GauntletBR Crewe---
D1071Western RenownBR Crewe---
D1072Western GloryBR Crewe---
D1073Western BulwarkBR Crewe---

D1029 was originally named Western, but renamed Western Legionnaire in 1969, the nameplate being cut to allow the additional letter to be inserted.
Although designated Class 52 under the TOPS scheme and all were still in service when TOPS was introduced in 1973, no Western ever carried its "52 0xx" TOPS number. As withdrawal was already planned when the scheme was introduced and because of the cast number plates, it was not considered cost effective to renumber the locomotives. Some class members did run with the "D" of their number painted over – TOPS classification removed the need for locomotives to indicate their energy type in the running number.
When the display of destination headcodes/reporting numbers on the front of trains was dropped in 1976, the instruction was given for them all to be set to "0000". On many Westerns, the headcode was set to display the locomotive's number in contravention of this directive and most surviving members of the class ran like this until they were scrapped. If used for routeing, such reporting numbers would be interpreted as a passenger express terminating on the Southern Region.
YearQuantity in
service at
start of year
Quantity
withdrawn
Locomotive numbersNotes
197374111004/17–20/24/32/38–39/42/60
197463111000/02/07–08/14/29/45/61–62/66/73
197552181003/06/11–12/16/25–27/31/34–35/44/46/50/52/59/64/69
197634261001/05/09/15/21/28/30/36–37/40/43/47/49/51/53–57/63/65/67–68/70–72
1977881010/13/22–23/33/41/48/58

Liveries

Early liveries

When the initial batch of Westerns was being built in 1961–2, British Rail was considering a new unified corporate colour scheme but had not yet made a final decision on what it would be. As a result, some of the early locomotives were painted in experimental liveries: D1000 was rolled out of Swindon Works in November 1961 painted in a light brown livery which became known as Desert Sand. Initially the numbers, borne on the left hand cab when viewed from the side, were painted in white but soon individual numbers and letters, looking like they were cast but apparently made of wood, were fitted. This was in turn replaced by the final design of cast nameplate and numberplate; metal with a black background. This livery was later altered by the addition of a small yellow warning panel at each end and a black roof. The second locomotive, D1001 was delivered in an all-over maroon livery with yellow buffer beams and further locomotives D1002-D1004 in all-over green with small yellow warning panels. Remaining deliveries carried the all-over maroon livery, initially without yellow warning panels, but the latter were applied from new after D1010 of the Swindon-built, and D1043 of the Crewe-built locomotives. Exceptions were the first four locomotives built at Crewe, D1035–D1038, which were delivered in green livery with red backgrounds to the nameplates, and D1015, which was outshopped from Swindon in an experimental "golden ochre" livery with small yellow warning panels at each end. On one end of this locomotive, the yellow panel was embellished by the addition of a yellow band which extended sideways from each of the top corners round onto the cabside for a short distance, resembling a T shape. The locomotive is not believed to have run in this condition, but was released to traffic in the golden ochre livery with standard small yellow panels.

Corporate scheme

After the adoption of Rail Blue with full yellow ends in 1966, for some unexplained reason a small batch of locomotives received this variant married to small yellow warning panels; D1030 carried red buffer beams for a short while. All other repaints were with full yellow ends which extended from the body line above the buffer beam up to the base of the window frames, along the sill of the cab-side windows onto the vertical end reveal. The valance above the cab windows on the front was also painted yellow, leaving the window frames in their base aluminium. The drive to repaint the locomotives in Rail Blue was outstripped by the safety directive dictating full yellow ends for all powered vehicles and some locomotives ran for a time with their original maroon bodies and full yellow ends.
The last locomotive to be repainted into Rail Blue was D1046, outshopped from Swindon in May 1971. Some early photographs of the blue livery give it a more metallic shade which is even more evident on the locomotives with small yellow panels. This however is possibly a photographic anomaly with colour film or due to printing techniques.
It is commonly accepted amongst Western enthusiasts in recent years that none of the class or any other British Rail locomotive of the period were ever painted with a metallic paint. However, several publications refer to initial painting in blue as being "chromatic blue" and published images do show a metallic sheen and lighter shade of blue than the standard Rail Blue.

Incidents

Seven locomotives have survived into preservation at heritage railways. Two have run on the mainline in preservation with D1015 been passed to operate on the mainline since 2002. D1062 made a brief appearance in 1980 during the Rocket 150 parade at Rainhill.
NumberNameBuilderLiveryHome BaseStatusNotes
D1010Western CampaignerSwindon WorksBR maroonWest Somerset RailwayOperational
D1013Western RangerSwindon WorksBR blueSevern Valley RailwayUnder Overhaul
D1015Western ChampionSwindon WorksBR blue, half yellow frontSevern Valley RailwayUndergoing RepairsMainline Certified, undergoing repairs to engines
D1023Western FusilierSwindon WorksBR blueNational Railway MuseumStatic DisplayCurrently on static display awaiting repairs to be authorised
D1041Western PrinceCrewe WorksBR blueEast Lancashire RailwayUndergoing OverhaulHaving bodywork repairs undertaken plus a full rewire
D1048Western LadyCrewe WorksBR blueMidland RailwayUnder Restoration
D1062Western CourierCrewe WorksBR blueSevern Valley RailwayOperationalRe-painted at Kidderminster April 2017

Model railways

In 1979 Hornby Railways launched its first version of the BR Class 52 Western in OO gauge.