British Rail Class 29 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids British Railways Class 29 |
|
| Power type | Diesel-electric |
|---|---|
| Builder | North British Locomotive Company |
| Build date | 1958–1960 Rebuilt: 1963, 1965–1967 |
| Total production | 20 |
| Configuration | Bo-Bo |
| UIC classification | Bo'Bo' |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Wheel diameter | 3 ft 7 in (1.092 m) |
| Minimum curve | 3.5 chains (70 m) |
| Wheelbase | 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m) |
| Length | 51 ft 6 in (15.70 m) |
| Width | 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m) |
| Locomotive weight | 73 long tons (74 t) |
| Fuel capacity | 460 imp gal (2,100 L; 550 US gal) |
| Prime mover | Paxman Ventura |
| Transmission | DC generator, DC traction motors |
| Multiple working | ● Red Circle |
| Top speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Power output | Engine: 1,350 hp (1,010 kW) |
| Tractive effort | Maximum: 45,000 lbf (200 kN) |
| Train heating | Steam generator |
| Locomotive brakeforce | 50 long tons-force (498 kN) |
| Train brakes | Vacuum |
| Career | British Railways |
| Number | D6100–03/06–08/12–14/16/19, D6121/23/24/29/30/33/34/37 |
| Axle load class | Route availability 6 (RA 5 from 1969) |
| Retired | 1969–1971 |
The British Rail Class 29 was a type of diesel locomotive used in the United Kingdom. There were 20 of these trains. They were special because they were rebuilt from an older type of train, the Class 21.
The original Class 21 trains had engines that often broke down. This made them unreliable. So, British Railways decided to give them new, better engines.
Rebuilding the Locomotives
The rebuilding project started in 1963. One train, D6123, was sent to a company called Paxman's in Colchester. Here, it received a brand new Paxman Ventura V12 engine. This engine was more powerful and reliable.
After this first test, 19 more Class 21 trains were rebuilt. This happened between 1964 and 1965 at a place called Polmadie Works. During the rebuilding, other changes were made too. For example, they added new displays on the front of the trains. These displays showed a four-character code. This code told railway staff what type of train it was and where it was going.
Once rebuilt, these trains were called Class 29s. They started working again from the Eastfield depot in Glasgow.
Why They Didn't Last Long
Even though the Class 29s had more power and were much more reliable than the old Class 21s, they didn't stay in service for very long.
There were a couple of reasons for this:
- Small Number: There were only 20 Class 29s. This was a very small number compared to other types of trains. It made them less efficient to maintain.
- Special Engines: The new Paxman Ventura engines were different from most other diesel engines used by British Rail. This meant that spare parts and special skills were needed to fix them.
The first Class 29 train, D6108, was taken out of service in May 1969. It was then scrapped, meaning it was taken apart for its materials. The other 19 Class 29s were removed from service between April and December 1971. They were also scrapped.
Sadly, no Class 21 or Class 29 locomotives exist today. They were all taken apart.
