Ruston and Hornsby 165hp Diesel Shunter D2960

Ruston and Hornsby 165hp Diesel Shunter D2960
D2960 20190723.jpg
D2960
Built By Ruston & Hornsby
Configuration 0-4-0
Power type Diesel Mechanical
Status Operational
Loco Number D2960 (fictitious)
Other Numbers Works no 281269, 11510 (fictitious)
History
Built 1950
Designed By Ruston & Hornsby
Type DM165
1983 Arrived on SVR
Technical
Length 22ft 1in
Weight 28t

Diesel Locomotives

D2960 is a Ruston and Hornsby 165 h.p. 0-4-0DM diesel shunting locomotive which is used as Kidderminster Carriage Works shunter.

Contents

D2960 in service

The locomotive was built by Ruston and Hornsby ("R&H") of Lincoln as works number 281269 of 1950. Its first ownership and use from 1950 on has not been traced.

The British Sugar Corporation (BSC) factory at Foley Park between Kidderminster and Bewdley had a large sidings which post-WW2 were home to three Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST locomotives. In 1961 a diesel shunter arrived, R&H 0-4-0DE works no. 408866/1959. Use of steam at Foley Park ended in January 1969, coinciding with the arrival of 281269 as a spare shunter. While at Foley Park, 281669 carried the name "Silver Spoon" and was painted in BSC blue livery with red lining. [1][2]

When passenger services between Kidderminster and Bewdley ended in 1971, SVR(H) was able to acquire the line from Alveley Colliery via Bewdley as far as Foley Park. However sugar beet traffic continued between Foley Park and Kidderminster for a number of years, with the sidings still being worked by the two R&H shunters.

Although the refinery operated until the early 2000s, all rail traffic from it had ended by late 1982[1] (this enabled BR to close the final section of the line, in turn allowing the SVR to acquire it in late 1983 and to open to Kidderminster in 1984).

D2960 in preservation

In the early 1980s the SVR had already acquired a number of other R&H 165 h.p. shunters, some operational and some for spares. When the sidings officially closed around September 1983, "Silver Spoon" was offered to SVR(H) and bought for the nominal sum of £25 (a number of wagons were also donated to the SVR at the time). Shortly after the SVR acquired the final section of track, Andy Heeley drove "Silver Spoon" on to SVR metals and thence to Kidderminster, the last rail movement out of the BSC yard except for the crane.[2]

"Silver Spoon" was initially used as the station shunter at Kidderminster, carrying the BSC blue lined livery until after 1990.[3] It was repaired in the Kidderminster carriage works in January 1991,[2] and by 1998 had become the Carriage Works' shunter, with newer and more powerful Class 08 shunters taking over the duties of Station shunter.[4] It had also been given the fictitious BR number 11510, painted in BR black livery with the early BR "cycling lion" emblem and an 85D (Kidderminster) shed plate, although still bearing BSC's "Silver Spoon" name plates. It also carries a 'Registered by the BTC 1962 number 2955' plate.[2]

By 2012 "Silver Spoon" had adopted the fictitious number D2960 in BR green livery with the late crest.[5] It underwent an overhaul in winter 2016-17 during which the compressor was rebuilt and modified to improve its performance, pipework was replaced as were the water heaters. A second part of the overhaul involved the installation of new gearbox seals and refurbished injectors and fuel pump.[6]

D2960 continues to be used as Kidderminster Carriage Works shunter, where it is often paired with GWR Shunters Truck 41736.

See also

References