The Southern Region (BR) Class 73 and 74 Locomotives

The Southern Region of British Railways had long sought to design a locomotive capable of working on electrified lines and non-electrified station yards and sidings. In 1959 British Railways approved a design, designated Class HA, later British Railways Class 73, which combined the electrical equipment of the latest EMU design with the standard English Electric diesel engine in one bodyshell. An initial order was placed for six locomotives but allocated to Eastleigh Carriage and Wagon Works because the design used stock components normally found on the multiple unit fleet. The locomotives were released to traffic during February 1962 followed by a further 43 improved Class 73 locomotives which were built by English Electric. The locomotives proved a useful design but when British Railways was privatised in 1994 the new operator considered them surplus and sold them. Some were converted for special purposes forming into sub-classes so in December 2022 30 of the 49 fleet still remained active in service.