Class 50

English Electric

In 1983, the 1982-formed Business Sector ‘’InterCity’’ was keen to eliminate the main weakness of the class – the generator. This was subject to frequent ‘’flashovers’’, and an alternator option was instead favoured, which dispensed with this risk entirely. Although this was the same design of generator as that used in DP2, the prototype locomotive never ran diagrams as intensive as those which the Class 50 fleet were deployed on. The BRB deemed the replacement work as too expensive, especially in light of the cost-streamlining culture of the Business Sectors. At most, the existing generators merely had armatures rewound, and were re-lacquered, regrettably leading to some early withdrawals of members (No. 50006 was scrapped as early as March 1988). The type was already unpopular with InterCity, the locomotives’ excessive weight causing increased track wear on 100 MPH workings. Trouble was also brewing on the SR: it transpired that the type was not suited to the frequent stop-start patterns employed on Waterloo to Exeter diagrams. Consequently, large quantities of electrical current from the generator, regularly required by the traction motors to start heavy trains from standstill, caused component and wire burnouts. This was less of a problem on the WR, where locomotives were on faster long-distance services, involving fewer station calls and a greater amount of time spent running at high-speed. These problems were compounded by frame-cracking, caused by poor track work between Waterloo and Woking. If availability was not bad enough, worse was still to come, such being caused by the shift of class overhaul duty from Doncaster to Crewe in 1987. This presented the issue of a new workforce having to learn about the class. Indeed, in this year, No. 50011 ‘’Centurion’’ was withdrawn from service as a result of a generator ‘’flashover’’. It was subsequently dispatched to Crewe, where it became a static test bed for overhauled engines. Its name was transferred to No. 50040, which up until that time was called ‘’Leviathan’’. The Royal Navy had gone to the expense of arranging a twinning ceremony with No. 50011, complete with crests, being none-the-wiser that the locomotive was to suffer an electrical fault and be withdrawn. Since No. 50040 carried the name of a vessel which eventually never entered service (it was under construction during World War II, but was cancelled mid-way when the conflict finished), it was the prime candidate to assume the ‘’Centurion’’ name.

Crewe overhauled separate components of the locomotives, such as the powerplant, bogies, and generators, and subsequently had them dispatched to Laira depot for fitting. Problems were experienced when attempting to re-attach delivered parts to locomotives, increasing maintenance costs and worsening the availability rate. At a time when costs were being minimized to the extreme, it was the end of the line for the Class 50s under InterCity auspices, and by 1989 the Business Sector had removed all Class 50-hauled diagrams. Whilst many of these now obsolete locomotives were withdrawn, others managed to escape with a new lease of life as motive power for the Civil Mechanical & Electrical Engineers’ department. Network SouthEast continued to perpetuate with the type, on both Waterloo to Exeter diagrams and Oxford services out of Paddington. Availability was also poor on the SR, and a number of ex-ScotRail Class 47s had been drafted in to cover for absent Class 50s. It was not all plain sailing, for the Class 47s came with their own problems. On the Waterloo to Exeter runs the Brush Type 4s were prone to wearing down brake blocks in seemingly record time.

An interesting project which has yet to be mentioned is that which attempted to convert one of the Class 50 members into a freight locomotive. In July 1987, No. 50049 ‘’Defiance’’ emerged with a new livery and number: Railfreight General two-tone grey, complete with identity 50149. The Railfreight General Business Sector was the smallest of the freight divisions, consisting of merely four locomotives:

• Class 47: Nos. 47145 & 47588

• Class 50: No. 50149 (originally No. 50049, now with re-geared bogies and designated as a 50/1)

• Class 86: No. 86502 (an 86/5 conversion - formerly No. 86222, now re-geared)

The sector was eventually absorbed into the much larger Railfreight Distribution in 1989. With reference to No. 50149, this had been fitted with re-geared Class 37/3 bogies, and its pulling power was tested on a steep gradient just outside Westbury. This experiment aimed to discover whether other Class 50s could be re-geared and used on Westbury and Meldon Quarry stone diagrams, especially now that the Class 59s had been arriving in force from across the Atlantic. Based at St Blazey Depot for the duration of 1988, it was discovered that No. 50149 was unable to pull a large load without the re-installation of the sanding equipment removed during the 1979 – 1983 refurbishment programme. The expense of doing this deemed the course of action a non-starter, and by February 1989, ‘’Defiance’’ had been returned to its standard configuration, complete with original number, finding itself in the Network SouthEast pool for Waterloo to Exeter services. On the subject of locomotives assuming new identities, No. 50007 ‘’Hercules’’ had since emerged with a new name and livery in 1984. On 25th February of that year, the locomotive was christened ‘’Sir Edward Elgar’’ at Paddington station, by the Conductor of the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death. Similar to its 1968 livery scheme, full cab yellow warning panels re-emerged, but the all-over paint scheme was now Brunswick Green, rather than BR Blue.

The Class 50s’ reign on the SR came to an end in May 1992, when sufficient Class 47s had been secured to act as interim motive power before the deploying of Class 159 DMUs into revenue-earning service. On 24th of that month, ‘’celebrity’’ No. 50007 ‘’Hercules’’ and No. D400 double-headed farewell tours on their Waterloo to Exeter stomping ground.
 

Preserved Locomotives

Now on the Southern Region, No. 50042 ''Triumph'' is seen thundering through Surbiton at 14:28

on 7th February 1988 with a Waterloo to Exeter service: next stop Woking. The coaching stock

is BR Mk 2a, which arrived in force on the route with the Class 50s. David Glasspool Colletion

50046 ''Ajax'' is seen heading away from Fleet station, Hampshire in 1987 with a Waterloo

-bound service. In tow are nine Mk 2a vehicles, all in the latest Network SouthEast scheme.

By the Summer of 1992, nine coach trains on Waterloo to Exeter services had been reduced

to eight vehicles. David Glasspool Colletion

Another 1987 view at Fleet this time reveals No. 50031 ''Hood'', one of today's preserved

locomotives, heading Exeter-bound. Although wearing the Large Logo scheme, the Network

SouthEast logo is still prevalent on the former head code box. David Glasspool Colletion

<< Previous  Next >>

Return to the Kent Rail Homepage or alternatively, check for Updates.

Website & Copyright information - Links - Contact the Webmaster

All content is copyright © David Glasspool