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English Electric Battery mining locos

Discussion in 'Diesel & Electric Traction' started by Phill S, Jul 25, 2021.

  1. Phill S

    Phill S New Member

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    Having a longstanding interest in narrow gauge battery locomotives (I volunteered at the SGLR as a teenager), I have been looking round the Preserved Railway Stock List to see what else is about.
    I found these massive looking double cab EE flameproof locos, apparently mainly made for the NCB. There are a few about, such as this one:

    http://www.ukprsl.uk/final-results.asp?action=display&Id=6377

    Does anyone have any more information on them? I have found a little from the Tanfield Railways listing for the above locomotive:

    "No.25, English Electric (By Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns) RSH Works No.8201, EE No. 2848
    This loco is a 2ft gauge, double ended (cab at each end) 4wBE flameproof loco. This type EM2B2 loco is 64hp and weighs 13 tons.

    Built by RSH Newcastle as a sub contractor for Engish Electric, works number 8201 (EE 2848) was ex-works on 11/3/1960 to the NCB′s huge Hawthorn scheme. She was one of 28 such locos built for the scheme. This project linked several collieries (Elemore, Eppleton, Murton and later South Hetton) underground to the new Hawthorn Coking Plant/Combined Mine, which opened in 1960.


    Our loco was new to Murton Colliery, with plant number 2220/465. She was moved to Eppleton Colliery in 4/1985 and to Ashington Workshops in 2/1986. In 8/1993 she moved to Marley Hill for preservation."
    (From: https://www.tanfield-railway.co.uk/history/our-locomotives/)

    Apparently, they can be regauged between 2' and 2'6"

    There don't seem to be any in working order, are any being restored? Given how much Steam Railway are flapping over lack of coal and environmentalists getting mad about steam engines, maybe a massive battery loco would be quite useful to some lines.

     
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  2. Nomad

    Nomad Well-Known Member

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    Hi. More likely my fault not understanding but are you looking for info on this particular loco or EE battery locos in general ? Cheers.

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Phill S

    Phill S New Member

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    The loco's in general, that one is just an example. Although it quite probably took my Grandad to work at Ashington.
     
  4. Nomad

    Nomad Well-Known Member

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  5. Nomad

    Nomad Well-Known Member

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  6. Nomad

    Nomad Well-Known Member

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  7. Nomad

    Nomad Well-Known Member

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    And this one with sizes on it.

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    Not English Electric, but this catalogue entry has always been a puzzle.....

    RSJ.JPG

    This appeared in a Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies catalogue produced in the early to mid 1920's and the wording seems to indicate that they had already produced some, but no purchasers have ever come to light....

    It only seems to have been a short lived venture, as a catalogue from a few years later had no mention of them!
     
  9. Nomad

    Nomad Well-Known Member

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    Quite right Mr Marsbar not EE but here nonetheless is a drawing

    [​IMG]

    of this, a smaller example possibly the 2.5 tons. Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2021
  10. Phill S

    Phill S New Member

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    Didn't know Ransomes dipped their toes in the market as well.
    I'm still after more info on the specific types of EE mine locos originally linked. Things like did they run air braking, regen braking, could you multi them up? Top speed? There's another at the Bowes railway, they have this to say:

    "This narrow gauage (2’0″) locomotive was built by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorne and delivered to Eppleton Colliery at Christmas, 1958. Later, the loco was moved to Murton Colliery before transfer to Seaham Training Centre in 1985.

    The English Electric Standard 13 ton flameproof battery loco has an outstanding record of reliable service with British Coal. Initially developed as a single cab loco designated EM1, the two prototypes were so successful that both were still in service in the 1980s, over thirty years after they were introduced. With new regulations requiring locos over 10 tons to have a cab at each end, the EM1 was superseded by the EM2. This design remained in production for over twenty years."
    (From: http://bowesrailway.uk/explore/our-collection/)
     
  11. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    I think they tried most things around that time to try and expand the business. The locos would have been marketed about the time the electric lorry production side was starting to tail off after initial success from 1915-1923 (as well as the end of the steam side of the business) and the trolleybus and electric work truck sales were really starting to take off. The battery locos dont rate a mention in any of the books on RS&J and it is thought there may only have been one produced that ran as a demonstrator within their works somewhere. The rapid growth in the industrial truck side of the business presumably killed the loco idea.
    Across the river, Ransomes and Rapier did dabble in non-steam locos, building their own standard gauge battery electric shunter for use at their works in 1922, followed by a diesel that replaced it fairly rapidly, not to mention various ng diesels, one of which is preserved at Amberley.
     

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