T&W Metro HL class locos no.6 and no.7 in New Bridge Street Engineers Depot. Newcastle.
Standing in the sidings at New Bridge Street Engineers Depot, Newcastle are two of the diesel locomotives used on engineers trains during the construction of the Tyne & Wear Metro. The locomotive numbered HL 6 (HE 4264/1952) was one of the first to arrive initially being used on the Metro test track at Middle Engine Lane near Chirton. It had been obtained secondhand in 1974 from Track Supplies Ltd, Wolverton but they had bought it from the MOD (Royal Navy). It had worked for the Navy as Yard No.6954 at Portsmouth Dockyard.
Locomotive no. HL (7) (HE 4212/1950) had arrived secondhand from nearby NEI-Parsons Ltd, Heaton Works, Newcastle in 1982 to be used on the Metro extension works trains to South Shields. Of four locomotives based at New Bridge Street depot the two above plus another Hunslet (HE 4522/1953) were cut up on site in February 1989 leaving only a North British built loco to survive into preservation (NB 27656/1957) thus went to the Rutland Railway Museum. Ironically it had never worked on the T&W and had arrived from NEI-Parsons along with HL7 only to be deemed unfit to work and was stored from the outset.
T&W Metro HL class locos no.6 and no.7 in New Bridge Street Engineers Depot. Newcastle.
Standing in the sidings at New Bridge Street Engineers Depot, Newcastle are two of the diesel locomotives used on engineers trains during the construction of the Tyne & Wear Metro. The locomotive numbered HL 6 (HE 4264/1952) was one of the first to arrive initially being used on the Metro test track at Middle Engine Lane near Chirton. It had been obtained secondhand in 1974 from Track Supplies Ltd, Wolverton but they had bought it from the MOD (Royal Navy). It had worked for the Navy as Yard No.6954 at Portsmouth Dockyard.
Locomotive no. HL (7) (HE 4212/1950) had arrived secondhand from nearby NEI-Parsons Ltd, Heaton Works, Newcastle in 1982 to be used on the Metro extension works trains to South Shields. Of four locomotives based at New Bridge Street depot the two above plus another Hunslet (HE 4522/1953) were cut up on site in February 1989 leaving only a North British built loco to survive into preservation (NB 27656/1957) thus went to the Rutland Railway Museum. Ironically it had never worked on the T&W and had arrived from NEI-Parsons along with HL7 only to be deemed unfit to work and was stored from the outset.