LMS Route: Trent Valley Line

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

Nuneaton Station: lnwrns3797

British Railways 0-4-0 Diesel Shunter D2912 is seen standing on the up goods hump at Nuneaton in February 1960. Built by the North British Locomotive Company in December 1959, D2912 was too light for such duties and was only allocated to Nuneaton for less than three weeks having arrived at Nuneaton shed w/c 30 January 1960 before being transferred to Rugby shed w/c 20th February 1960. D2912 had a very short working life being withdrawn February 1967 to be scrapped by the Slag Reduction Company of Ickles. Continued below.....

Peter Lee writes on Nuneaton Steam Club's Facebook Page, 'British Railways ordered a selection of diesel shunters under their modernisation scheme in batches to test them out for relatively specialised shunting work. These were built in quite large numbers, split into different BHP configurations: 225 BHP, 330 BHP (four coupled) and 440 BHP and 520 BHP (six coupled). None of them lasted, and most were scrapped after a fairly short life. This is one of them on very unsuccessful shunting duties at Nuneaton. Seen above: first of all standing on the hump and secondly; taking a train of wagons out along the shunt line from the up yard ready to set back and send them across the hump in rakes for sorting. D2912 is seen running along this line which was flanked with the Wheat Street/Oaston Road tunnel giving access to the town under the railway, and out of sight in this view Nuneaton No 1 Signal Cabin whose main entrance spanned this track behind the photographer. D2912 was on loan from Rugby being first allocated to Edge Hill before transfer to Rugby where it ended its life pretty well unwanted. It was eight years old. Built by the North British (WO27996/1959) it came to Rugby who loaned it to Nuneaton to see how they got on with it in addition to their 08 diesel shunters. Local enginemen told me that although they were the most powerful four wheel shunter on BR with a tractive effort of 24,100lbs, they had serious failings. Not least the fact they no way matched the Class 08s for strength shunting the hump. In addition any movement to and from the shed involved being hauled there by a bigger locomotive as they did not operate the track circuits. I am not sure how the eight allocated to Devons Road, Bow on piloting duties in Broad Street station, or the four at Rugby got on, but I expect they failed miserably as BR soon consigned all fourteen units to the scrap merchants, Slag Reductions of Ickles in February 1967. None were preserved but one was produced as a model by Tri-ang with a scale top speed of 125mph!'

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