British Diesel & Electric Locomotives Abroad

A Second Life Overseas

Anthony P. Sayer

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Transport
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781526744708
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Rail Transportation
• Index: Technology & Engineering

A detailed, illustrated history of UK locomotives exported across Europe, with over 200 previously unpublished photos. Many British main-line diesel and electric locomotives have found further useful employment across Europe after completion of their careers in the United Kingdom. This volume incorporates text and photos into a detailed history of these locomotives and their surprisingly extensive geographical use—including in France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Kosovo, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia in recent decades. A significant amount of exclusive factual information and over 200 previously unpublished photographs combine to provide a comprehensive insight into the British locomotives now finding a second life overseas, including coverage of Class 37, 56, and 58 locomotives on high-speed line construction work in France; Class 37 mishaps in Spain; Class 86s on their day of arrival in Bulgaria; and various types of a.c. electric locomotives in their new habitats across Eastern Europe.

1. France: CFD Class 20s

BR sold four Class 20 locomotives to CFD (Compagnie Chemin de Fer Departementaux, subsequently CFD Industrie) who moved them to France (via Poole and Cherbourg) in June/July 1992, following overhaul, modifications and repainting at BREL Crewe Works. On arrival in France, all locomotives had their tyres re-profiled to meet local requirements and also received new light clusters. These locomotives were based at Autun and operated freight trains on the Cravant Bazarnes-Avallon-Saulieu-Autun-Étang-Montchanin route in Central France.

The locomotives were numbered 2001-2004 and painted in a distinctive orange livery. SNCF type-approval details were applied to the locomotive bodysides.

The Class 20s returned to the UK during August/September 2005 via Southampton after a number of years of declining use following the purchase of CFD by SNCF subsidiary VFLI.

Summary:-

20063 (2002) and 20035 (2001), Avallon, 13 August 1996. Double-headed Class 20s working a freight service from Saulieu to Cravant Bazarnes consisting predominantly of timber logs; the train spent an hour shunting the yard at Avallon before proceeding to Cravant Bazarnes. Note that the original reporting discs have been removed, replaced by new light clusters.

20139 (2003), Autun, 13 August 1996. Stabled outside the part-roundhouse at Autun. 20139 and 20228 had their headcode boxes completely removed during their preparatory overhaul at Crewe Works, these being superceded by new light clusters.

20139 (2003) and 20228 (2004), Auxerre St.Gervais, 8 August 1998. ‘Along Different Lines’ (ADL) ‘The CFD Chopper Tour’.

20063 (2002) and 20035 (2001), Autun, 16 October 1999. ADL ‘Choppers and Tractors’ tour.

2. Kosovo: Class 20s

DRS (Direct Rail Services) Class 20 locomotives 20901-3 were sent from the UK to Kosovo in September 1999 as part of the ‘Kosovo Train for Life’ initiative, with the Class 20s actually hauling the train in parts of the transit through Europe. The ‘Train for Life’ initiative provided humanitarian aid for the local people following the Kosovo War.

The Class 20s were hauled through the Channel Tunnel to Calais Fréthun on 17 September 1999 and attached to their train a day later. The route through Europe spanning 18-27 September 1999 was: Calais-Lille-Aachen (to pick up more aid wagons)-Berlin-Dresden-Decin-Prague-Kuty-Sturovo-Budapest-Bekescsaba-Craiova-Giurgiu-Ruse-Sofia-Dupnica-Strimon-Thessaloniki-Skopje-Kosovo Polje.

Once in Kosovo, the Class 20s were deployed shunting further aid trains in support of the UN/KFOR (United Nations/ Kosovo Protection Force) humanitarian effort, together with moving essential reconstruction materials, up to January 2000. They were subsequently stored at Skopje prior to returning to the UK via Thessoloniki port to Marchwood Military Port near Southampton.

Summary:-

3. France: LGV Méditerranée Class 37s

It was the acceleration of high-speed line (HSL) construction in mainland Europe which really sparked the movement of British locomotives abroad in any volume, earning useful revenue from otherwise redundant assets. During the period June to September 1999, EWS (English Welsh & Scottish Railway) moved forty Class 37 locomotives to France, via the Channel Tunnel, to assist with the construction of the LGV (Ligne à Grande Vitesse) Méditerranée from St.Marcel-lès-Valence (near Valence) to Marseilles. They were all based at Eurre (adjacent to the Livron-sur-Drôme - Crest line) and operated northwards on the construction ‘trace’ to the St.Marcel-lès-Valence TGV station, and, southwards to the Lapalud loops with the objective of meeting up with the construction teams working northwards from the Cheval-Blanc LGV Base (near Cavaillon) during April 2000. However, the northbound Cheval-Blanc team ran late and as a result the contract for the EWS Class 37s operating from Eurre was extended from 28 April to 1 September 2000; as a consequence the Eurre team continued with construction work for another twelve miles south of Lapalud beyond Mondragon.

To assist with the extended contract, two locomotives with major defects (37073 and 37298) were replaced by 37888 and ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• 1. France: CFD Class 20s
• 2. Kosovo: Class 20s
• 3. France: LGV Méditerranée Class 37s
• 4. Spain: AVE Class 37s
• 5. Italy: Class 37s
• 6. France: LGV Est Class 56s and 58s
• 7. Netherlands: ACTS Class 58s
• 8. France: LGV Rhin-Rhône Class 58s
• 9. Spain: AVE Class 58s
• 10. Bulgaria: BZK Class 87s
• 11. Bulgaria: Bulmarket Class 86s and 87s
• 12. Bulgaria: DB Class 92s
• 13. Hungary: Floyd Class 56s and 86s
• 14. Hungary: CRS Class 47
• 15. Romania: DB Class 92s
• 16. Croatia: Transagent Rail Class 92s