London Underground diesel locomotives

DEL120

In 1942, two Brush built 1915 Stock (also known as 'Ealing Stock') driving motors were converted into an electro-diesel locomotive. The work involved scrapping the passenger saloons and joining the two driving ends together to form a double ended locomotive. At one point a total of ten locomotives were planned but DEL120 was not a success and saw very little use, being scrapped in 1958.

DL81-DL83

Three Rolls-Royce engined-diesel locomotives were built in 1967-68, and acquired by London Underground in 1971. They were numbered in the range DL81-DL83.

All three locomotives were standard 0-6-0DH Sentinel diesel shunters obtained from Thomas Hill (Rotherham) Ltd (the Rolls Royce/Sentinel dealer). They were painted dark green and operated at Neasden and Lillie Bridge depots where they replaced the last of the Ex GWR Pannier Tanks.

These locomotives were permanently coupled to barrier wagons (made from old bogies) so that they were long enough to properly operate the signalling system, but were not allowed to run on the main lines and did not have 'Trip Cock' brake valves.

Both the free end (front) of the locomotive and the barrier wagon were fitted with 'Ward' type couplers as well as normal buffers and couplings to allow them the couple to almost any Departmental rolling stock (at the time).

Two locomotive have been preserved; no. DL82 on the Mid-Norfolk Railway and no. DL83 on the Nene Valley Railway. The third locomotive, no. DL81, was sold for further use with an industrial user.

chöma

In connection with the construction of the Jubilee line extension project, 14 diesel-hydraulic locomotives were purchased from Schöma of Germany to assist in equipping the tunnels prior to electrification. They are built to tube tunnel loading gauge, are equipped with exhaust scrubbers to prevent soot and other particles from being expelled into the tunnels. The locomotives are now owned by TransPlant and have since been used on other engineering projects. When not in use they can be found inside Lillie Bridge depot or West Ruislip depot.

=Leased locomotives=

Class 66

"For the main article on Class 66 see British Rail Class 66"In order to speed up the track replacement works on the London Underground network Metronet hired five brand new class 66 locomotives from FirstGBRf. The locomotives will pull 400 metre long engineering trains from Network Rail tracks onto the above-ground London Underground tracks of the Metropolitan Line, District Line and Piccadilly Line.