D 9555 was the very last locomotive built for British Railways at Swindon works in 1965. Following a very short B.R. career of less than 4 years it moved to Tyneside where it spent most of its National Coal Board career around Ashington colliery.
Following an accident which damaged its brake gear it came close to being cut up, having been robbed for spares. It was however rescued in 1987 and restored to working order by its new owner at the Cottesmore site of the Rutland Railway Museum.
The Class 14 as they became know under the TOPS system was the last design produced at Swindon for British Railways. They were something of an odd-ball design, having rigid plate frames and an outside coupled 0-6-0 wheel arrangement. They were built to replace the standard pannier tank steam locomotive. You can almost imagine someone asking for a diesel replacement for the pannier tank, and that's just what they got!
The class were useful and well engineered machines that filled their role well. Unfortunately, as they were rolling out of the works, the traffic for which they were intended was disappearing. They were soon snapped up for industrial use, giving many years more service.
D9555 hauls its first southbound passenger
working on Sunday 10th May 1998.
| Builder | British Railways Swindon |
|---|---|
| Built | October 1965 |
| Class | 14 |
| BR Nº | D9555 |
| Type | Diesel hydraulic |
| Wheel Arrangement | 0-6-0 |
| Driving Wheel Diameter | 4 feet' |
| Engine | Paxman Ventura 6YJXL |
| Engine output | 650hp |
| Transmission | Voith/North British turbo transmission |
| Final drive | Hunslet |
| Weight | 50 Tons |
| Tractive effort | 30,910 lbs. |
| Number built | 56 |
| Made Redundant | 26th April 1969 and 1987 |
| Current Home | Rutland Railway Museum |
| Loaned to NLR | 1998 |
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Last Amended: 14-Feb-2006
Copyright © Northampton & Lamport Railway 1996-2006