BR Class 08 13201

BR Class 08 13201
13201 at Kidderminster (June 2023)
Built By	BR Derby Works
Configuration	0-6-0
Power type	Diesel Electrical
Status	Operational
Loco Number	13201
Other Numbers	D3201, 08133, 1
History
Built	1955
Designed By	BR
Type	Class 08
1980	Withdrawn by BR, to industry
1995	First preserved
Around 2000	Stored at Barrow Hill
2003	Preserved, arrived on SVR
Technical
Length	29ft 3in
Weight	49t
Diesel Locomotives

13201 is a BR Class 08 0-6-0 350hp diesel electric shunting locomotive. As the standard BR general-purpose diesel shunter, the Class 08 or 'gronk' became the most numerous of any British locomotive class with 996 built between 1952 and 1962.

Contents

13201 in main line service

The locomotive was built at Derby Works and entered BR service in December 1955 as number 13201, being initially allocated to Polmadie (Glasgow). In 1960 it was renumbered D3201 by BR. During the 1960s D3201 saw moves to other Scottish sheds at Hamilton (West), Corkerhill and Ayr, before a move south, allocated finally to Lincoln in October 1968. It was reportedly more or less permanently outbased at Spalding, with most exams undertaken by fitters sent there by van and visits back to Lincoln only made for major exams.

In October 1973 D3201 received its final number from BR, becoming No 08133 under the TOPS numbering scheme. The locomotive was withdrawn from service on 21 September 1980.

D3201 in service after withdrawal by BR

After withdrawal, it was recorded being moved through Bescot on 14 November 1980 and photographed at Swindon works in 1981.

It moved on 6 October 1981 and saw industrial service with Sheerness Iron & Steel Co, where it was fitted with thicker and deeper buffer beams and carried a lighter blue livery with company logo, red solebar and cab roof, with yellow coupling rods. It retained its BR number but was also crudely numbered with its fleet number 1. At some point, it suffered an 'all wheels' derailment. It was replaced by hired in traction in 1992, though it remained at Sheerness.

After its first spell in preservation (see below) 08133 moved to Harry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC) and was photographed at at Barrow Hill roundhouse on 7 October 2001.

D3201 in preservation

08133 first moved into preservation at the South Yorkshire Railway Preservation Society in August 1995, initially purchased by Trevor Dean. It was photographed at Meadowhall on 27 April 1996.

SVR News in Summer 2002 included a brief note that 08133 had been acquired for spares. The Class 08 Society (the '08 Group') had been trying for some time to obtain spares for their other Class 08 locomotive D3022, with little success. An initiative by Alan Davies and Trevor Davies led to the acquisition of 08133 from HNRC. The SVR Board agreed with the Group that either use as a source of spares or as a potential working locomotive was acceptable. The Group opted for restoration, the worst aspects of the loco being worn tyres and poor wiring. Some spare parts were in stock from when D3022 was acquired 20 years earlier, while other missing parts were sourced. At the time, the locomotive carried a blue livery.

By 2006 the locomotive was still waiting for new wheelsets to be fitted but much other work had been carried out, including vacuum gear components and associated pipework, filters and new wiring, repaired radiators and new return water circuit pipework. A section of new floor platework had been welded into position and a new wooden floor constructed, while the cab had new doorframes and doors.

In summer 2009 the locomotive, now re-numbered D3201, was still awaiting installation on reconditioned wheelsets using axle boxes that were being reconditioned at Bridgnorth. Electrical work was also continuing including replacement wiring and overhaul of components. It was finally re-wheeled in late spring 2010 and first moved under its own power in late 2011, appearing at the October 2011 Diesel Gala at Kidderminster in BR green livery although still classed as 'under restoration' with a long snagging list still requiring attention. It finally entered service in late 2012, and appeared in the October 2013 Diesel Gala , double heading a short passenger service from Kidderminster to Bewdley with BR Class 11 12099. The same combination was repeated in the October 2014 gala. By 2015 D3201 was officially designated the "Kidderminster Traffic Shunter".

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  D3201 at Kidderminster (2015)

The Diesel Depot was brought into use in January 2016. On 6 April of that year, still before the Depot's official opening, the overhead crane was 'tested' to lift the exhaust manifold off D3201.. In 2018 the locomotive underwent more extensive planned maintenance, including a main engine top overhaul, exhauster motors overhaul, resistor panel overhaul and general refurbishment of electrics.

D3201 was renumbered back to 13201 in 2019. The locomotive is normally based at Kidderminster, although it spent winter 2020-21 at Bridgnorth covering for the usual resident Bridgnorth MPD shunter D3586 while the latter was withdrawn from service and prepared at Kidderminster for travel to St Philips Marsh in Bristol for tyre turning.. 13201 is currently in BR green livery.

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  13201 shunting at Kidderminster in April 2021

In 2022 Dapol produced an O gauge model in green livery as D3201.

SVR News for summer 2023 confirmed that 13201 was serviceable although awaiting a 12-monthly examination when a new set of v-belts was due to be fitted.

See also

• Diesel Locomotives
• Models of the Severn Valley Railway

Links

• BR Class 08 on Wikipedia