The Twilight of the Sulzer Type 2s

Two of the most successful Pilot Scheme diesel locomotive classes that were ordered as part of British Railways’ Modernisation Plan shared the same six-cylinder 1,160hp Sulzer engine. One was built at the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co in Smethwick, while the other came from BR’s own Derby works. They became Classes 26 and 24 respectively. Proving far more reliable than any of their Type 2 rivals, not only did both classes multiply, but they led to orders for uprated versions of each, with 1,250hp at their disposal. The four classes, 24, 25, 26 and 27 totalled almost six hundred examples, and could be seen almost everywhere on the BR network. By 1983, the Class 24s were long-gone apart from one in departmental service, but the 25s and 27s still had four years left. The Scottish Region’s Class 26s however had another decade in service, in some cases taking their operational careers to 35 years. The photographs in the book run from 1983 until 1988 and cover the north of England, Scotland and Wales.