British Rail Class 17

Clayton Type 1 British Railways Class 17
D8524 in August 1968.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Clayton Equipment Company & Beyer, Peacock & Co. Build date 1962–1965 Total produced 117
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Bo′Bo′  • Commonwealth Bo-Bo Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Wheel diameter 3 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1,003 mm)[1] Minimum curve 230 feet (3.5 chains; 70 m)[1] Wheelbase 36 ft 6 in (11,130 mm)[1] Length 50 ft 7+1⁄2 in (15,430 mm)[1] Width 8 ft 9+1⁄2 in (2,680 mm)[1] Height 12 ft 8 in (3,860 mm)[1] Loco weight 68 long tons (69 t; 76 short tons)[1] Fuel capacity 500 imp gal (2,300 L; 600 US gal)[1] Prime mover 2 × Paxman 6ZHXL except D8586–8587: 2 × Rolls-Royce 'D' type V8 Displacement Paxman: 2× 29.4 L (1,790 cu in) = 58.8 L (3,590 cu in) Generator D8500–D8587: GEC WT800, GEC WT auxiliary D8588–D8616: Crompton Parkinson main and auxiliary Traction motors GEC WT421, nose-suspended, with single-reduction gear (4 of) Cylinder size Paxman: 7 in (178 mm) diameter 7+3⁄4 in (197 mm) stroke Transmission Diesel electric MU working D8500–D8587 ◆ Red Diamond D8588–D8616 ★ Blue Star Train heating None; through steam pipe Train brakes Vacuum
Performance figures Maximum speed 60 mph (97 km/h) Power output Engines: 450 hp (336 kW) @ 1500 rpm × 2 Tractive effort Maximum: 40,000 lbf (178 kN)[1] Continuous: 18,000 lbf (80.1 kN) @ 13 mph (21 km/h)[1] Brakeforce 35 long tons-force (350 kN)
Career Operators British Rail Numbers D8500–D8616 Axle load class Route availability 4 Retired 1968–1971 Preserved D8568 Scrapped 1968-71, 1975 Current owner Diesel Traction Group One preserved, remainder scrapped.

The British Rail Class 17 (also known as the Clayton Type 1) was a class of 117 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives built 1962–1965 by Clayton Equipment Company and their sub-contractor Beyer, Peacock & Co., on behalf of British Railways (BR).

During the 1950s and 1960s BR procured a wide range of Type 1 diesel locomotives, many of them under the Pilot Scheme. However, several officials felt that the single-cabbed arrangement used by the majority of Type 1s presented drivers with visibility difficulties in the 'less convenient' direction. BR therefore approached several manufacturers to seek a new locomotive that had a centre cab and low bonnets to maximise visibility. Clayton were selected to produce their proposed locomotive as the Class 17. Its low engine covers required the use of a pair of Paxman 6ZHXL six-cylinder horizontal engines, which had been intended for powering railcars; it was a somewhat unorthodox arrangement for the era.

Production of the Class 17 was undertaken between 1962 and 1965, with the locomotives being assigned to the north of Britain and the Scottish Region. Early on it was determined that the locomotive was not suited to heavy freight trains, and they quickly acquired a reputation for unreliability largely due to the engines, which continued to deliver poor performance even after extensive modifications. The Class 17 proved to be one of the least successful of the Type 1s, such that by 1967, long lines of unserviceable locomotives could be found stored in less accessible sidings at various locations across the Central Belt of Scotland (e.g. Ardrossan and Millerhill).^[2] Withdrawals took place from July 1968 to December 1971, meaning some members of the class had a working life of less than 5 years. One was sold to an industrial user, which has now been preserved.