Oldest Locomotive still running on the mainline

[CLASS58GOOD]

What is the oldest unpreserved locomotive still running on the mainline?

 

[matchmaker]

Probably an 08.

 

[ac6000cw]

...and probably followed in 2nd place by either a class 20 or a 37, depending on exactly when the remaining individual locos were built - as both of those were built over reasonable (and overlapping) periods from the late 1950's to mid 1960s.

 

[WarrenTManager]

Regularly on the main line, I'd take a punt at 37601, the former (D6705/37005/37501). January 1961. Some of the Choppers and 08s may be older, the 20s don't get used as much lately and ruling out an 08 as it said mainline.

 

[Snow1964]

And for electric locos former E6005, E6006 from 1962 are still working as 73/9s in Scotland, unless recently gone

 

[Trackman]

I don't have a modern motive power book, if I had to bet - a class 20.

 

[Richard Scott]

What is the oldest unpreserved locomotive still running on the mainline?

20007 at a guess?

 

[birchesgreen]

And for electric locos former E6005, E6006 from 1962 are still working as 73/9s in Scotland, unless recently gone

I saw E6006/73 967 at Inverness last week happily idling away.

 

[Krokodil]

I saw E6006/73 967 at Inverness last week happily idling away.

There's mot much original left though, the bodyshells were pretty much gutted.

 

[12LDA28C]

20007 at a guess?

Indeed, 1957 vintage.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Indeed, 1957 vintage.

Class 08 had reached D3472 (later 08387) by the end of 1957 (although because there were several builders there were some locos with lower numbers not built until 1958 (D3408-D3418, D3423-D3438). Of those my (2019!) combined volume shows D3290 (08220), D3378 (08308), 08331 (D3401) and D3460 (08375) still in use, but none of them are cleared for use on NR - the oldest that has such clearance is 08410 (D3525) built in 1958.

So if 20007 is cleared for main line use, it seems to be the only diesel loco built in 1957 that is

 

[Killingworth]

20007 at a guess?

Still looking good too. Picture taken last Friday at Dove Holes Quarry.

 

[DelW]

Still looking good too. Picture taken last Friday at Dove Holes Quarry.

View attachment 141837

Very smart indeed. I can just about remember them in green livery, but even in their heyday I don't think they often looked as clean and well kept as that. Someone is clearly looking after both those old ladies very well.

 

[Cowley]

Indeed, 1957 vintage.

Quite incredible really. A bit reminiscent of something like an LSWR T9 still working in the 1960s.

 

[zwk500]

Indeed, 1957 vintage.

Out of interest is it largely original inside?

 

[Cowley]

Out of interest is it largely original inside?

I don’t know if it’s ever had a power unit swap (quite possibly I suppose), but the standard class 20s must be one of the most unmodified locos left I’d assume? They weren’t refurbished in the same way that a lot of other locos were in the 1980s and the early disc headcode batch are almost timeless.

 

[12LDA28C]

Out of interest is it largely original inside?

Probably 'original' insofar as any locomotive of a similar age would be, ie it's probably had a few power unit changes, bogie / traction motor swaps, new turbos and so on in its lifetime. I'm sure the frames and bodywork are still original (unless it's had collision repairs at some point).

 

[Richard Scott]

Out of interest is it largely original inside?

Probably apart from being dual braked at some point in 1970s/80s so there would have been some internal modifications. As far as engine, generators etc. are concerned, whilst they won't be the ones it was built with, they'll still be original specification. 20 mechanicals are pretty bullet proof so no need to change them. Quite a few had an electronic AVR fitted so it may have one if those in lieu of original (probably carbon pile).

 

[Magdalia]

I don't know much about class 20 overhaul history but a bit of research shows that 20007 had classified repairs at Glasgow in February 1979 and November 1984. It was at the latter of these that 20007 received dual auto air brake and slow speed control.

I would expect locomotives to be completely stripped for a classified repair then reassembled with different components, including power units and main generators, these having been overhauled separately after being removed from different locomotives. The serial number for the power unit that's in the loco now will give a clue as to how old it is. As an aside I'd like to know the range of power unit numbers that went into the second build locos D8128-99 and D8300-27 when they were new.

Quite a few had an electronic AVR fitted so it may have one if those in lieu of original (probably carbon pile).

My understanding of electricity is very limited, but I thought that the main difference between the last class 20s built, compared with the first, was electronic load regulators, not electronic automatic voltage regulators? I wouldn't have expected major changes to the electrics at "ordinary" classified repairs, though they did happen at major mid-life refurbishments.

BR were not making major investments like that in 1979 so I think that the key is to know what Glasgow were doing on class 20 overhauls in 1984, apart from fitting dual auto air brake and slow speed control.

 

[Richard Scott]

My understanding of electricity is very limited, but I thought that the main difference between the last class 20s built, compared with the first, was electronic load regulators, not electronic automatic voltage regulators? I wouldn't have expected major changes to the electrics at "ordinary" classified repairs, though they did happen at major mid-life refurbishments.

BR were not making major investments like that in 1979 so I think that the key is to know what Glasgow were doing on class 20 overhauls in 1984, apart from fitting dual auto air brake and slow speed control.

There are a few preserved ones which have been fitted with electronic AVRs so wouldn't be surprised if some mainline ones have been fitted by their new owner(s).

 

[37114]

37601 is the oldest 37 on the mainline but is heavily modified from when it was built. 37099 is the oldest original spec 37/0 still in use (and is still fitted with a steam heat boiler) as 37057 has been out of use for a while and 37025 is technically preserved but also hasn't been on the mainline for a while.

 

[DelW]

Quite incredible really. A bit reminiscent of something like an LSWR T9 still working in the 1960s.

Though of course in the early 1960s there were still Terriers, Adams radial tanks and Beattie well tanks in BR branch line service, all of which were well over state pension age by then.

 

[ac6000cw]

Though of course in the early 1960s there were still Terriers, Adams radial tanks and Beattie well tanks in BR branch line service, all of which were well over state pension age by then.

Yes - the Terrier tank 'Martello' at Bressingham was originally built in 1875, rebuilt in 1912 and wasn't withdrawn by BR until 1963 - 88 years of service!

It's one of the oldest preserved locos in the UK. I had a brief drive of it a few years ago - great fun (and it's dual vacuum and air braked too).

Indeed, 1957 vintage.

Which means it's a mainline-registered diesel older than the majority of preserved BR 9F steam locos too...

(As an aside, I think Metra in Chicago still operates a 1945 vintage EMD SW1 switcher. Until 2021 it operated another SW1 of 1939 vintage - at the time that was the oldest non-preserved operating diesel in the US, at age 82!).

 

[Richard Scott]

Yes - the Terrier tank 'Martello' at Bressingham was originally built in 1875, rebuilt in 1912 and wasn't withdrawn by BR until 1963 - 88 years of service!

It's one of the oldest preserved locos in the UK. I had a brief drive of it a few years ago - great fun (and it's dual vacuum and air braked too).


Which means it's a mainline-registered diesel older than the majority of preserved BR 9F steam locos too...

(As an aside, I think Metra in Chicago still operates a 1945 vintage EMD SW1 switcher. Until 2021 it operated another SW1 of 1939 vintage - at the time that was the oldest non-preserved operating diesel in the US, at age 82!).

If going abroad there are lots of vintage electric locos working in Europe, sure a couple of class 194s working in Germany that may have been built in 1940s? Some early 1950s locos still at work in Netherlands and also some very heritage electrics working in Sweden? How old are the Nohabs that are still at work? Few running in Hungary, Denmark and Sweden?
Also some steam locos still at work in Bosnia that are of 1940s vintage (admittedly they don't venture far).

 

[matchmaker]

Quite incredible really. A bit reminiscent of something like an LSWR T9 still working in the 1960s.

There were still 14 T9s working in 1960. Last withdrawn in 1963.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If going abroad there are lots of vintage electric locos working in Europe, sure a couple of class 194s working in Germany that may have been built in 1940s? Some early 1950s locos still at work in Netherlands and also some very heritage electrics working in Sweden? How old are the Nohabs that are still at work? Few running in Hungary, Denmark and Sweden?
Also some steam locos still at work in Bosnia that are of 1940s vintage (admittedly they don't venture far).

Might be cheating a little as they're units rather than locomotives, but the SNCF Z-100 & Z-200 (snowplough) vehicles from the "petit train jaune" line date back to around 1908.

 

[Krokodil]

Also some steam locos still at work in Bosnia that are of 1940s vintage (admittedly they don't venture far).

When I went out last year there were five Kriegsloks (two of which were in steam) and a number of Yugoslav-pirated USA tanks, one of which was in steam - there was also another 0-6-0T of a larger design at Banovici which looked like it had seen recent use. As you say, they only leave their yards to go to/from the workshops at Bukinje. We did manage to arrange to get one out to Lukavac, but were unable to arrange a trip to Srebrenica as that would have left the mines short with so few locos in steam.

 

[Deepgreen]

Quite incredible really. A bit reminiscent of something like an LSWR T9 still working in the 1960s.

Or the Drummond M7 0-4-4Ts which dated from 1899 and still hauled 12 coach ECSs into Waterloo until the mid-1960s.

Regularly on the main line, I'd take a punt at 37601, the former (D6705/37005/37501). January 1961. Some of the Choppers and 08s may be older, the 20s don't get used as much lately and ruling out an 08 as it said mainline.

I suspect it meant the national network, as opposed to a preserved line.