SR departmental locomotives facts for kids

Departmental locomotives are special trains that don't carry passengers or goods for money. Instead, they work behind the scenes to help the railway run smoothly. Think of them as the railway's own tools! They might move other trains, help with repairs, or test new equipment.

What Are Departmental Locomotives?

Departmental locomotives are trains used by the railway company itself. They don't earn money by carrying people or cargo. Their job is to support the main train services. This can include many different tasks.

Jobs of Departmental Trains

These special trains do many important jobs. For example, they might:

• Move broken-down trains.
• Help build new railway lines.
• Carry tools and materials for repairs.
• Test tracks or new signals.
• Shunt (move around) other trains in depots.

These trains are super important for keeping the railway safe and working well. Without them, the regular passenger and freight trains couldn't run!

How Departmental Trains Were Numbered

The Southern Railway was a big train company in the UK. They had their own way of numbering these special "departmental" trains.

Southern Railway's Numbering System

The Southern Railway gave its departmental trains numbers that ended with an 'S'. For example, a train might be numbered '1S'. This 'S' helped everyone know it was a departmental train, not one that carried passengers or goods. This system was used for both locomotives (the engines) and carriages (the wagons they pulled).

British Rail's Numbering Change

Later, the railways in the UK became part of one big company called British Rail. British Rail kept the idea of special numbers for departmental trains. However, they changed the system a little bit. Instead of an 'S' at the end, they put 'DS' at the start of the number. So, '1S' might become 'DS1'. This 'DS' stood for "Departmental Stock." This made it even clearer that these trains were for the railway's own use.

Types of Departmental Locomotives

Departmental locomotives came in many shapes and sizes. Just like regular trains, they could be powered in different ways.

Steam Departmental Locomotives

In the early days, many departmental trains were steam-powered. These were often older steam engines that had finished their passenger or freight duties. They were given a new life working for the railway's own needs.

Diesel Departmental Locomotives

As technology changed, diesel locomotives became more common. Many diesel engines were also used for departmental work. They were powerful and could be used for heavy tasks like moving large sections of track.

Electric Departmental Locomotives

On electrified lines, electric locomotives were also used for departmental tasks. These trains get their power from overhead lines or a third rail. They are very efficient for moving equipment in areas where electric trains usually run.