The Ninety Eight Locos in this class were built by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company as a general purpose diesel electric type for the Southern Region the Class 33’s proved to be one of the most reliable work horses ever to be available to the railways of Britain, capable of most jobs except for the fastest expresses and the heaviest freight work. That led them to range far and wide from their original area and there are few lines that they have not visited in almost five decades of use. Westbury has seen them on cross country passenger, permanent way and oil trains amongst other traffics down the years.
D6566 is a member of a class of 98 “Type 3” locomotives, later known as “Class 33”, that were designed and built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company (BRCW) in Smethwick, West Midlands in the period 1960 to 1962. Our locomotive entered service on the Southern Region (SR) of BR in August 1961. The locomotive class is of diesel-electric design concept and was the first design to incorporate dual braking (air and vacuum) and Electric Train Heating (ETH) as standard equipment.
D6566 worked mixed traffic on the SR for 34 years until withdrawal in 1995, and after a two-year period in store, was condemned as surplus to requirements in 1997. Acquired almost immediately by one of the D&EPG founder members, the locomotive arrived at Williton in May 1997 and worked her first train on the WSR in October of that year, marking the first use of a (subclass) Class 33/0 in preservation.
D6566 was stopped for overhaul in 2013 after 16 solid years of service on the WSR. The overhaul included engine work and major bodywork repairs and the locomotive returned to service in 2018, resplendent in original two-tone green livery but with the small yellow warning panel at each end. This popular and reliable locomotive continues to serve the WSR as its primary duty locomotive, equally at home on service trains, engineering trains or (stage 1) Diesel Driver Experience Courses.
Current Status: Operational
Technical Specification
- Engine: Sulzer 8LDA28 8-cylinder in-line turbocharged diesel
- Transmission: 4 x Crompton Parkinson traction motors
- Weight: 73 Tons
- Length: 51 ft
- Output: 1,550 hp at 850 rpm
- BR Power Rating: Type 3
- Speed: 85 mph
- Fuel Capacity: 800 gallons
- Wheels: Bo-Bo
History
- Manufacturer: Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co (BRCW)
- BR Class: 33
- Introduced 1960
- Number Built 98
- Role: Mixed Traffic
- Both Class 33 locomotives are privately owned but are under the care and maintenance of the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group
ADDRESS
West Somerset Railway,The Railway Station,
Minehead Somerset,
TA24 5BG
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