The British Railways Class 17 'Claytons' were originally conceived to be the standard Type 1 diesel-electric locomotive, superseding other locomotive types delivered as part of the 'Pilot Scheme' fleet. The 'Claytons' benefitted from having much better driver visibility than other locomotive types, courtesy of their centre-mounted cabs, meaning they were popular with operating crews. However, their largely untested Paxman engines proved to be highly problematic, resulting in deliveries being stopped after 117 locomotives. Dwindling traffic levels led to the class being withdrawn by the early 1970s.
This book takes a look at how the locomotives came into existence, their design and their use with British Railways during their short operating lives.
Covers topics including:
- The Route to Standardisation
- Technical Aspects
- Design and Styling
- Delivery and Acceptance Testing
- Locomotive Allocations
- Overhauls and Repairs
- Locomotive Histories
- Performance and Service Problems
- Operations
- Liveries
- Storage and Withdrawal
- Disposals and Industrial Use
- Preservation
This book is well-illustrated throughout with colour and black & white photographs as well as tables of data. Hardback. 376 pages.