The 'Condor' Express Freight Service.
Picture: An old British Railways Postcard.
From their introduction to British Railways in 1958, the Metropolitan-Vickers Co-Bo, 1,200hp Type-B locomotives, proved to be problematic from the outset, with the first example of the 20 strong class, D5700 breaking down several times on it's first test run.
In March 1959, the Co-Bo's were allocated to the overnight London to Glasgow 'Condor' Express Freight service, but their continued unreliability eventually lead to a marked down turn in demand for the service; so much so, that on 4th January 1960, 17 out of the 20 were stopped for repairs at Cricklewood Depot. Their duties being replaced by Stanier Class 5 steam engines! Confidence eventually returned to the Condor Express Freight service and by 1962, it was again carrying full loads, but by hauled by much more reliable class-4 diesels, the Co-Bo's having been returned to Metropolitan Vickers for overhaul and modification. On their return to traffic, they were allocated to Barrow, ending their days on local passenger and freight duties. The Co-Bo's were finally withdrawn from service in 1968, after just ten years in traffic, and ironically on the same year that steam traction ended on British Railways (not as Yorkshire Television’s TV drama 'Heartbeat' would have us believe that steam was still alive and well in 1969!)
Of the twenty members of the class (D5700-5719), only one, D5701 was outshopped into BR blue. After withdrawal, sister locomotive D5705 was retained by the Railway Technical Centre (RTC) at Derby, and was subsequently saved for preservation.
Phew, all I can say after that, is thank goodness for Google! ;-)
The 'Condor' Express Freight Service.
Picture: An old British Railways Postcard.
From their introduction to British Railways in 1958, the Metropolitan-Vickers Co-Bo, 1,200hp Type-B locomotives, proved to be problematic from the outset, with the first example of the 20 strong class, D5700 breaking down several times on it's first test run.
In March 1959, the Co-Bo's were allocated to the overnight London to Glasgow 'Condor' Express Freight service, but their continued unreliability eventually lead to a marked down turn in demand for the service; so much so, that on 4th January 1960, 17 out of the 20 were stopped for repairs at Cricklewood Depot. Their duties being replaced by Stanier Class 5 steam engines! Confidence eventually returned to the Condor Express Freight service and by 1962, it was again carrying full loads, but by hauled by much more reliable class-4 diesels, the Co-Bo's having been returned to Metropolitan Vickers for overhaul and modification. On their return to traffic, they were allocated to Barrow, ending their days on local passenger and freight duties. The Co-Bo's were finally withdrawn from service in 1968, after just ten years in traffic, and ironically on the same year that steam traction ended on British Railways (not as Yorkshire Television’s TV drama 'Heartbeat' would have us believe that steam was still alive and well in 1969!)
Of the twenty members of the class (D5700-5719), only one, D5701 was outshopped into BR blue. After withdrawal, sister locomotive D5705 was retained by the Railway Technical Centre (RTC) at Derby, and was subsequently saved for preservation.
Phew, all I can say after that, is thank goodness for Google! ;-)