| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
| BR Class 55 "Deltic" | ||
|---|---|---|
| TOPS numbers | 55 001–55 022 | |
| Early numbers | D9000–D9021 | |
| Builder | English Electric (Vulcan Foundry) | |
| Introduced | 1961-1962 | |
| Wheel Arrangement | Co-Co | |
| Weight | 104.7 t | tonnes |
| Height | ft in | m |
| Width | ft in | 2.68 m |
| Length | 69 ft 6 in | 21.18 m |
| Wheel Dia. | ft in | 1092 mm |
| Wheel Base | ft | m |
| Minimum radius | 4 chains (264 ft) | 80.46 m |
| Maximum speed | 100 mph | 161 km/h |
| Engine | 2 × Napier D18.25 "Deltic" | |
| Engine output | 2 x 1,650 hp | 2 x 1230 kW |
| Max. Tractive Effort | 50,000 lbf | 222 kN |
| Power at Rail | 2640 hp | 1969 kW |
| Brake type | Vacuum, later vacuum & air | |
| Brake force | 51 tons force | kN |
| Route availability | 5 | |
| Fuel Tank | imperial gallons | 3,755 litres |
| Heating type | Steam, later Dual, later Electric, index 66 only | |
| Multiple working | Not equipped | |
Following trials with a prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, an order was placed with English Electric for a production fleet of twenty-two units. They were intended to replace more than twice that number of Gresley Pacifics. A first was that the locomotives were purchased under service contract , EE agreeing to maintain them, especially their engines and generators, for a fixed price contract. More Deltic engines were produced than needed for the locomotives, for the plan and practice was to swap out engines regularly for overhaul while keeping the valuable locomotives in service.
The locomotives were all delivered in 1961/ 2 and assigned to three different locomotive depots, Finsbury Park in London, Gateshead over the Tyne from Newcastle, and Haymarket in Edinburgh. They came from the manufacturer painted in two-tone green, the dark BR green on top, but a narrow strip along the bottom a lighter, grass green. Again, this concealed the bulk of the locomotive body. Although delivered without it, they soon sported the bright yellow warning panel on the nose that all British diesel and electric locomotives were painted with, for visibility. Very soon, all were named ; the Gateshead and Haymarket locomotives were named after regiments of the British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces of the United Kingdom. It numbers 99,400 fully trained and professional regulars (as of April 2004). In contrast to the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, the British Army does not include royal in its title, bec, while the Finsbury Park locomotives followed the grand LNER tradition of naming locomotives after winning racehorses. The Finsbury Park depot also chose to paint the window surrounds of its Deltics white, making them distinctive.
By 1966Events January January 1 In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bedel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. January 2 Strike of public transportation workers in New York City ends January 13 January 3 First Acid Test at the Fil they began to be painted in corporate Rail BlueRail Blue was one of British Rail's corporate colors. It was a dark, greyish blue tone which hid the effects of dirt well. It was introduced in the late 1960s and began to be phased out in the 1980s. Rail Blue is a difficult color to photograph correctly, with yellow ends, this generally corresponding with a works repair and the fitting of air brakeOn railways an air brake is a brake operated by compressed air. A safer air brake was patented by George Westinghouse on March 5, 1872. Westinghouse's invention revolutionized the railroad industry, making stopping reliable and thus permitting trains to t equipment, the locomotives originally only having vacuum train brakingThe vacuum brake is a braking system used on trains. It was invented in 1877 in the USA, where it enjoyed only a brief period of popularity, primarily on narrow gauge railroads. The system took a greater hold in the United Kingdom, being used there as the. In the early 1970s they were fitted with Electric Train Heating (ETH) equipment to power the new generation of air-conditioned passenger coaches, while a couple of years later, with the introduction of BR's TOPSThis article is about the railroad stock management system TOPS . For the DEC PDP-10 operating systems, see TOPS-10 and TOPS-20 The Total Operations Processing System better known by its initials TOPS is a computer system for managing the locomotives and computer system, they were renumbered in Class 55, as 55 001 to 55 022.