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Description
Before nationalisation, the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) ordered 2 prototype diesel electric locomotives designed for mixed traffic and numbered 10000 and 10001. They featured the English Electric 16SVT engine, rated at 1600hp, and proved very successful and interesting at a business level. Under nationalisation, the locomotives were redesignated as D16/1, and later British Railways built a set of three diesel electric machines for the Southern Region, designed by Oliver Bullied, chief mechanical engineer of the previous Southern Railway. They were designated as D16/2, and featured the same 16SVT engine, but this time rated at 2000hp. Again the locomotives proved very successful at a business level, and in the late 50s when the decision to convert to diesel and electric power was taken, the culmination of both these prototype designs was the Class 40.

Equipped with the 16SVT engine from the D16/2 class, the class produced 2000hp with 1550hp at rail level. 200 locomotives were originally produced, and from the outset they were placed into top link duties on the London Midland region, replacing the likes of Royal Scot Class and Princess Royal Class locomotives, even Princess Coronation Class locomotives pre-electrification. However they were quickly found to be rather underpowered for the duties they were originally deployed on, and by the time the last of the class were outshopped they were already being replaced on the more top link duties they were known to perform on.

With the introduction of the more powerful Class 47 and the fleet of electric machines (Class 81 - 86), the 40's were relegated to more localised duties, including semi fast passenger trains and freight services. The class settled into these duties easily and were found to be better suited to them rather than top link services. However also with the introduction of the Class 47 en-masse and the better axle load weight and power to weight ratio of those machines lead to an early-ish decline in the use of the 40's. The first examples were withdrawn as early as 1976, mostly due to excessive wear and tear associated with their use on wagonload freight and the associated tight turns into shunting and marshalling yards, with some examples having large cracks in the frames when withdrawn. Also the class were not fitted with air braking equipment, which meant that when modern freight trains and passenger carriages were introduced the 40s were unable to work with them. It was after the introduction of air braked rolling stock that withdrawals inevitably picked up apace with the non air brake fitted locos bearing the brunt of the assault. Numbers dwindled slowly until by 1984 only 13 examples were left running, and on 27th January 1985, number 40012 hauled a service from Birmingham New Street to York, the last regular passenger service worked by a Class 40.

However the story was not over for the Class 40s. In 1983, after strong interest and dedication from two enthusiasts, number 40122 left the scrap line at Carlisle Kingmoor and was reinstated by BR in original Brunswick Green livery after an extensive overhaul. It remained to work enthusiast specials and charter services after the end of the regular Class 40 hauled services, eventually withdrawn once again in 1988 and presented to the National Railway Museum. Along with 40122, six other locomotives were also preserved, including the two owned by the Class 40 Preservation Society, numbers 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" and this one, D335, which has recently been overhauled and returned to traffic. Here she is seen (minus the earlier "Ned" fail) working a service on the East Lancashire Railway from Ramsbottom to Bury Bolton Street.

EDIT: trailer vehicle behind the loco fixed, courtesy of *irwingcommand

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Description
Before nationalisation, the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) ordered 2 prototype diesel electric locomotives designed for mixed traffic and numbered 10000 and 10001. They featured the English Electric 16SVT engine, rated at 1600hp, and proved very successful and interesting at a business level. Under nationalisation, the locomotives were redesignated as D16/1, and later British Railways built a set of three diesel electric machines for the Southern Region, designed by Oliver Bullied, chief mechanical engineer of the previous Southern Railway. They were designated as D16/2, and featured the same 16SVT engine, but this time rated at 2000hp. Again the locomotives proved very successful at a business level, and in the late 50s when the decision to convert to diesel and electric power was taken, the culmination of both these prototype designs was the Class 40.

Equipped with the 16SVT engine from the D16/2 class, the class produced 2000hp with 1550hp at rail level. 200 locomotives were originally produced, and from the outset they were placed into top link duties on the London Midland region, replacing the likes of Royal Scot Class and Princess Royal Class locomotives, even Princess Coronation Class locomotives pre-electrification. However they were quickly found to be rather underpowered for the duties they were originally deployed on, and by the time the last of the class were outshopped they were already being replaced on the more top link duties they were known to perform on.

With the introduction of the more powerful Class 47 and the fleet of electric machines (Class 81 - 86), the 40's were relegated to more localised duties, including semi fast passenger trains and freight services. The class settled into these duties easily and were found to be better suited to them rather than top link services. However also with the introduction of the Class 47 en-masse and the better axle load weight and power to weight ratio of those machines lead to an early-ish decline in the use of the 40's. The first examples were withdrawn as early as 1976, mostly due to excessive wear and tear associated with their use on wagonload freight and the associated tight turns into shunting and marshalling yards, with some examples having large cracks in the frames when withdrawn. Also the class were not fitted with air braking equipment, which meant that when modern freight trains and passenger carriages were introduced the 40s were unable to work with them. It was after the introduction of air braked rolling stock that withdrawals inevitably picked up apace with the non air brake fitted locos bearing the brunt of the assault. Numbers dwindled slowly until by 1984 only 13 examples were left running, and on 27th January 1985, number 40012 hauled a service from Birmingham New Street to York, the last regular passenger service worked by a Class 40.

However the story was not over for the Class 40s. In 1983, after strong interest and dedication from two enthusiasts, number 40122 left the scrap line at Carlisle Kingmoor and was reinstated by BR in original Brunswick Green livery after an extensive overhaul. It remained to work enthusiast specials and charter services after the end of the regular Class 40 hauled services, eventually withdrawn once again in 1988 and presented to the National Railway Museum. Along with 40122, six other locomotives were also preserved, including the two owned by the Class 40 Preservation Society, numbers 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" and this one, D335, which has recently been overhauled and returned to traffic. Here she is seen (minus the earlier "Ned" fail) working a service on the East Lancashire Railway from Ramsbottom to Bury Bolton Street.

EDIT: trailer vehicle behind the loco fixed, courtesy of *irwingcommand

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