Masterclass: Class 04
They never received TOPS numbers, but the ‘04’ shunters were busy, widespread workhorses, writes Chris Gadsby.
A detailed look at this numerous and versatile locomotive.
British Rail spotted the huge potential in Southern Pacific Railroad’s Total Operating Processing System, which kept locomotive and rolling stock maintenance records and operational data on a computer, rather than bits of paper. The problem was that TOPS needed BR’S rather haphazard numbering and classification system to be replaced by a consecutive sequence of numbers and classes.
The organisational benefits of TOPS were lost on the average trainspotter. All he – or she – will have seen is former ‘D’ and ‘E’ prefixed numbers replaced by new five-digit numbers. The first two numbers created a new language. No longer would you speak of ‘English Electric Type 3s’ and ‘Brush Type 4s’. Thanks to TOPS, it was now ‘Class 37’ and ‘Class 47’.
All locomotives still on BR’S books as the 1960s turned into the 1970s received a new classification. But not every class gained new numbers.
Some classes were withdrawn before they received TOPS numbers because they were unreliable. Other fleets were non-standard. For the unlucky few, it was because the work for which they were built disappeared.
That’s what happened to the Class 04 0-6-0DM.
If you look at the number of four and six-coupled shunters that BR ordered, its top brass must surely have had no inkling that its freight business would go the way it did. But the Hawksworth, Stanier and Worsdell steam designs that BR initially built were swiftly replaced by diesel mechanical and dieselelectric shunting locomotives as Railway Executives’ new chief mechanical engineer Robert Riddles pushed through his policy to replace steam power with diesel for shunting. Riddles’ policy fell neatly in line with Clement Atlee’s government’s desire to reduce water and air pollution.
This policy was not without its problems. There were still areas of the railway where the diesel shunters already in service were unable to operate. BR needed a smaller locomotive.
The Drewry Car Company was one of the pioneers in the development of diesel locomotives in Britain. It had its origins in the Edwardian era but, by the 1930s, it was designing locomotives and employing subcontractors to actually build them. Drewry had built an 0-4-0DM for the LMS in 1934 and used this experience to build something bigger in 1947. This new, six-coupled locomotive was longer and heavier with an increased fuel capacity. Crucially, the extra 2ft enabled the larger Gardner 8L3 engine to be fitted, which provided an extra 4,000lb of tractive effort.
The 204hp demonstrator was loaned to the LNER, which used it at Gorton and Ipswich. However, it was only the forthcoming nationalisation that prevented more from being ordered.
BR ordered myriad four and six-coupled diesel shunters from a number of different manufacturers in the early 1950s. It ordered four 204hp 0-6-0DMS, clearly based on the 1947 demonstrator, from Drewry. Built by
BR’S top brass must surely have had no inkling that its freight business would go the way it did
Vulcan Foundry, 11100-11103 were delivered in late spring 1952.
11101/102’s arrival led to an historic first: the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway became the first BR branch to be fully dieselised. Even so, for a time during 1953, ‘J70’ No. 68222 had to be steamed as both diesels had failed.
The two diesel shunters were fitted with side skirts and cowcatchers similar to those fitted to the ‘J70s’ but the diesels carried no warning bell, just their regular air horn. 11100 and 11103 also had cowcatchers and skirts for working Ipswich docks (as did 11110/11112 for Yarmouth Docks).
Of the various sub-300hp diesel shunters that it had on its books, BR only ordered three designs in any quantity.
But the 35 Andrew Barclay 204hp 0-4-0DMS (Class 06) and 69 Hunslet 204hp 0-6-0DMS (Class 05) fell short of the 140 204hp 0-6-0DMS that BR would order from Drewry.
Vulcan Foundry and Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn’s Newcastle factory delivered 11104-11219 to the Eastern and North Eastern Regions between March 1953 and January 1957. RSH’S Darlington works built the remainder.
The next ten went to the Southern Region. The final member of the batch, 11229, was the last to carry the 11XXX number series. All new locomotives would carry the post-1957 number sequence, with a ‘D’ prefix.
D2260 was the first to carry this new-style number. The previous machines became D2200-D2259.
New Drewry 204hp shunters continued to be delivered to Eastern, North Eastern and Southern Region sheds. Heaton shed received D2339, the last new Drewry 204hp shunter, in October 1961.
The ‘04s’ could be found on all manner of shunting duties. They were equally at home hauling long rakes of empty coaches, as they were bumbling along to Upwell with a couple of wagons in tow. Train brakes were fitted to
various class members, in particular those allocated to the Southern Region. It’s worth checking your chosen prototype to see if it had train brakes.
Southern locomotives could be found shunting cross-london freights at Norwood Junction, running along the quayside at Dover and down in the west country at Plymouth Friary. These locomotives differed from their Eastern and North Eastern classmates. They had larger wheels (to clear the third rail) and extra marker lights and lamp irons.
Some class members found themselves working far away from their old haunts as
they began to move on to the London Midland Region. Take D2224, for example, which was delivered new to Stratford, but was withdrawn from Buxton. ‘04s’ found themselves in the Midlands (Rugby and Northampton), as well as the North West and Merseyside.
BR made some poor choices in its haste to dieselise, but the Drewry 204hp shunter was not one of them. They would have survived to receive their TOPS numbers in 1973 had BR not decided to build its own 204hp shunter.
The BR Class 03 was very similar to the ‘04’. It had the same engine and gearbox and shared a similar look.
It was the fuel capacity that was arguably the biggest difference – that and the fact that Doncaster and Swindon Works managed to produce a combined total of 230, compared to the 142-strong ‘04’ fleet.
BR found it had a major surplus of shunting engines in the late 1960s, as suitable work began to dry up. It selected the ‘03’ as its standard 204hp shunter and the cull of other classes started in 1966/67.
Selhurst Depot withdrew D2254 in June 1967 and a further 12 had been condemned by the end of the year. Withdrawals accelerated and the last had gone by the end of 1971. Although some TOPS re-numbering started in 1970/1971, the wholesale re-numbering programme didn’t start in earnest until 1973.
Sadly, D2217 missed out on gaining its new number. It had been reinstated in January 1972, but its reprieve was shortlived – it was condemned again in May 1972 and finally scrapped in October 1973.
BR’S loss was industry’s gain. The National Coal Board bought ‘04s’ in large numbers, as did Duport Steel in South Wales. The Ford Motor Company also bought some, as did paper maker Bowaters. At least one was acquired by the private Derwent Valley Light Railway and some were even exported to Italy.
Like the Class 14, the ‘04’ may have missed out on gaining TOPS numbers. But the 19 survivors continue to serve today’s preserved railways just as well as they served BR.