Testing steam locos in the 50's

Various testing work to investigate ways of improving the performance of steam locomotives was carried out for a number of years by the Big Four railway companies and later by the BR Regions. Here is a selection of pictures and diagrams of testing in the very early days of BR under the auspices of the British Transport Commission.

The performance assessment and test work involved monitoring steam engine performance on the rigs and out on the road using the Mobile Test Plant. Various routes were utilised including the Settle - Carlisle line and the Western Region main line.

There were two static locomotive test plants (at Rugby and Swindon) where locos could be put through their paces on a 'rolling road' rig.

The reports, known as 'Bulletins' were very comprehensive even detailing the type of coal and the colour of the burnt ash. They were available for the general public to purchase and were advertised in the popular enthusiast magazines of the day.

The following is a taste of the work undertaken on steam locos old and new as well as work on some of the early diesel locomotives. Some pages include a great deal of detail of the tests undertaken, others not so much.

There's an interesting page here about the use of the dynamometer cars in UK before the Second World War.

Bulletin No Date Loco type

Wheel arrangement Comments

1 May 1951 Western Region Hall Class 4-6-0

2 August 1951 Eastern & North Eastern Region B1 Class 4-6-0

3 October 1951 London Midland Region Class 4 2-6-0

4 January 1952 British Railways Standard Class 4 2-6-0

5 April 1952 British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 Britannia class

6 May 1953 British Railways Standard Class 5 4-6-0

7 August 1953 WD Freight Locomotives 2-8-0 and 2-10-0

8 March 1953 Eastern & North Eastern Region V2 class 2-6-2

9 November 1952 SR (Type 3) 1750 HP 1 Co-Co 1 10202

10 January 1954 SR Merchant Navy

4-6-2 Original

11 April 1959 EE Type 1 1000HP diesel Bo-Bo Class 20

12 March 1960 BTH Paxman Type 1 800HP diesel Bo-Bo Class 15

13 July 1959 BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0

14 1960? Brush Type 2 1250 HP diesel A1A-A1A Class 31

15 1954 BR Standard Class 8

4-6-2 71000 Duke of Gloucester

16 1958? Southern Region 2,000 HP Main line diesel Electric

1 Co-Co 1

10203

19 1958? English Electric 3,300 HP Diesel-electric DELTIC

co-co Prototype

20 1958 SR Merchant Navy class

4-6-2 Re-built

21 1959 BR/AEI?Sulzer Type 2

Bo-Bo

1949 LMS Black 5

4-6-0

1955 BR Standard 9F fitted with Crosti Boiler

2-10-0

More information about steam testing on BR in the 1940's and 50's can be found in the late Alan Rimmer's excellent book entitled 'Testing Times at Derby'. (Oakwood Press ISBN 0-85361-628-0).