D2162 / 03162

Above: Express Freight?! D2162 pauses at Berwyn with two 'Toad' brake vans during the April 1998 diesel gala. (Brian Jones)

Delivered new from BR Swindon works to York on 21st September 1960, D2162 spent its earlier working life in Yorkshire. Members of the class were to be found all around the country in many small yards and docks, with the short wheelbase meaning that it could negotiate tight curves which would preclude the use of larger locomotives.

Later on it moved to East Anglia for a number of years, before moving to the North-West. Here it was used for shunting the various industrial sidings around Birkenhead docks, along with Merseyrail's Birkenhead North depot. When the main line depot at Birkenhead Mollington Street closed, 03162 was repainted into green, and lettered "Birkenhead South 1879-1985". It carried on there for a few years, featuring in the Merseyrail 150 celebrations in 1987, before being withdrawn in 1989 and stored at Chester.

Presently D2162 is owned by Wirral Borough Council, but has been on loan to Llangollen Railway since 1989. Ultimately it will probably go to their transport museum in Birkenhead.

General Info

Built

???

Lot no.

???

Engine

Gardner 8L3 of 204hp at 1200rpm

Transmission

Mechanical - Wilson CA5 five-speed epicyclic gearbox driving final drive

Tractive Effort

15300lbf max

Wheels

0-6-0

Weight

31t

Max Speed

28mph

Train Brakes

Air and vacuum

Train Heat

None

Depot Allocations

York

50A

01/09/1960

Normanton

55E

0109/1960

Percy Main

52E

01/10/1960

Gateshead

52A

01/10/1960

Leeds

55A

01/02/1967

Bradford (Hammerton Street)

55F

01/11/1972

Received TOPS number 03162

01/02/1974

Colchester

CR

01/01/1977

Lincoln

LN

21/11/1982

Gateshead

GD

20/02/1983

Birkenhead Mollington Street

BC

12/06/1983

Chester

CH

01/11/1985

Birkenhead North

BD

16/03/1986

Withdrawn

23/05/1989

Transerred 11th Sept 2007 by  John Rutter - email webmaster