LMS Locomotive Profiles No 12

LMS Locomotive Profiles No 12

The Diesel Shunter

In 1932 the LMS had built the first standard gauge diesel shunter specifically for use by a mainline British railway company. It then went on to try out a range of them, the trials proving so successful that production of steam shunting locomotives ceased and by the outbreak of war in 1939 what was intended to be a large-scale production of diesel-electrics had begun.

The programme was undertaken jointly with English Electric and at first featured jackshaft drive locomotives, but that type was superseded by the twin-motor layout which English Electric had pioneered in 1934. The first standard twin-motor locomotives were actually built for the War Department in 1944 but LMS examples began to appear in April 1945 and after nationalisation the design was perpetuated by BR, production continuing until 1952.

With little alteration, it then formed the basis of what became the largest and possibly best known of all BR diesel classes- the D3/2, later 3/1 and then TOPS Class 08 or 'Gronks' to enthusiasts-of which no fewer than 996 were made. Two of the LMS-built locomotives, Nos. 7120 and 7125, which became BR 12033 and 12037, were the last of the Company's stock in BR service when they were officially withdrawn in January 1969.

The last of the post-nationalisation examples was withdrawn by BR in November 1972.�