A visit to BR Swindon Works on 5th August 1970 found pilot scheme BR ‘Warship’ Class 42 diesel-hydraulics Nos. D801 ‘Vanguard’, in maroon livery and D802 ‘Formidable’, in blue livery being cannibalised for spares. Rated at 2,000 horsepower (instead of the standard 2,200 hp for the remainder of the class), the first three ‘Warships’ D800 – D802 were early candidates for withdrawal. Indeed, it is remarkable that D802 should have even received the standard BR blue livery, which it couldn’t have carried for long. These were the first two of the class to be despatched at Swindon Works, during the October of that year following retrieval of any useful spare parts. ‘Warship’ Class progenitor D800 had been dealt with at Cashmore’s, Newport during the previous year. These two pilot scheme locomotives, D801 and D802, had a working life of no more than 10 years, having been withdrawn in August and October 1968 respectively. What a waste of the taxpayer’s money!
© Gordon Edgar – All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission
Posted by Kingmoor Klickr on 2011-10-06 11:30:18
Tagged: , D801 , Vanguard , D802 , Formidable , Warship class , BR Swindon Works , diesel hydraulic , Swindon , pilot scheme , Gordon Edgar , 497 , Class 42
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