British Rail Class 33
British Railways Class 33 D6575 and train at Washford on the West Somerset Railway
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Diesel-electric |
| Builder | Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company |
| Serial number | DEL92–DEL189 (not in order) |
| Build date | 1960–1962 |
| Total produced | 98 |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Configuration | Bo-Bo |
| AAR wheel arr. | B-B |
| UIC class | Bo'Bo' |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Wheel diameter | 3 ft 7 in (1.092 m) |
| Minimum curve | 4 chains (264.00 ft; 80.47 m) |
| Wheelbase | 39 ft 0 in (11.89 m) |
| Length | 50 ft 9 in (15.47 m) |
| Width |
D6500–D6585: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) D6586–D6597: 8 ft 1 1⁄2 in (2.5 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m) |
| Loco weight | 73 long tons (74.2 t; 81.8 short tons) to 77 long tons (78.2 t; 86.2 short tons) |
| Fuel capacity | 800 imp gal (3,600 l; 960 US gal) |
| Prime mover | Sulzer 8LDA28 |
| Generator | DC generator |
| Traction motors | DC traction motors |
| Transmission | Diesel electric |
| MU working |
★ Blue Star, 33/1 SR MU System |
| Train heating | Electric Train Heat |
| Train brakes | Dual (Air & Vacuum) |
| Performance figures | |
|---|---|
| Maximum speed | 85 mph (137 km/h) |
| Power output |
Engine: 1,550 bhp (1,156 kW) At rail: 1,215 hp (906 kW) |
| Tractive effort |
Maximum: 45,000 lbf (200 kN) Continuous: 26,000 lbf (116 kN) |
| Loco brakeforce | 35 long tons-force (349 kN) |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Operators | Formerly British Railways Now West Coast Railway Company |
| Class | D15/1, D15/2; 15/6, 15/6A; Class 33 |
| Numbers | D6500–D6597; later 33001–33065, 33101–33119, 33201–33212 |
| Nicknames | Cromptons |
| Axle load class | Route availability 6 |
The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962.
A total of 98 Class 33s were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) and were known as "Cromptons" after the Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment installed in them. Like their lower-powered BRCW sisters (BR Classes 26 and 27), their bodywork and cab ends were of all steel construction. They were very similar in appearance to class 26/27 locos, but carried Southern Region two-digit headcode blinds between the cab windows.
The original (1957) number sequence was D6500–D6597.
The locomotives began service on the South-Eastern Division of the Southern Region but rapidly spread across the whole Region and many were used much further afield – an example being the weekly Cliffe (Kent) to Uddingston (South Lanarkshire) cement train which they worked as far as York (and occasionally throughout) in pairs.
Only the then new electric train heating was fitted, rather than the ubiquitous steam heating which passenger carriages largely used. Early delivery problems and a shortage of steam locomotives resulted in many Class 24 locomotives being borrowed from the Midland Region and pairs, of 33 + 24, became common on winter passenger services. This resulted in unpopular, complex run-round manoeuvres at termini as Class 24 needed to be coupled inside to provide steam heat. Emergency provisioning of through-piping for steam heat on some examples of class 33 alleviated this somewhat. The Southern Region was unaccustomed to the operational overhead and maintenance associated with the use of class 24 and they rapidly became unpopular. With the advent of modern stock and warmer seasons, they were returned to the Midland Region.
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