B-BDH 'Blue John' at Earles Sidings, Hope. Derbyshire.
The light railway linking Hope Cement Works with the BR mainline through the Hope Valley at Earles Exchange Sidings has always been worked by the cement works shunters. As trains got heavier it made sense to invest in a more powerful locomotive so in 1990 Blue Circle Cement took delivery of this 72 tonne 750hp B-B diesel hydraulic (wks no. 773/1990) built by Hunslet-Barclay Ltd. It was bestowed the name 'Blue John' after the nearby caves at Castleton where the precious stone 'Blue John' is found. When BR started to register industrial locomotives that worked over BR metals this loco was allocated the number 01 570 but to my knowledge it has never been carried. The loco is seen here shunting empty PCA wagons in the Exchange Sidings at Earles.
B-BDH 'Blue John' at Earles Sidings, Hope. Derbyshire.
The light railway linking Hope Cement Works with the BR mainline through the Hope Valley at Earles Exchange Sidings has always been worked by the cement works shunters. As trains got heavier it made sense to invest in a more powerful locomotive so in 1990 Blue Circle Cement took delivery of this 72 tonne 750hp B-B diesel hydraulic (wks no. 773/1990) built by Hunslet-Barclay Ltd. It was bestowed the name 'Blue John' after the nearby caves at Castleton where the precious stone 'Blue John' is found. When BR started to register industrial locomotives that worked over BR metals this loco was allocated the number 01 570 but to my knowledge it has never been carried. The loco is seen here shunting empty PCA wagons in the Exchange Sidings at Earles.