The British Rail Class 55, nicknamed Deltic after its twin Napier Deltic engines, is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry for British Railways, with 22 units produced. A Co-Co diesel-electric weighing 99 long tons, it produced 3,300 horsepower, making it the most powerful single-unit diesel locomotive in the world when introduced, with an official top speed of 100 miles per hour though capable of exceeding 125 in service. Built for high-speed express passenger service on the East Coast Main Line between Edinburgh and London King's Cross, the Deltics introduced the first regular 100 mile-per-hour diesel passenger service in Britain and, once fully deployed in 1962, cut the London-Edinburgh journey time from seven hours to six. They operated for about 20 years before being displaced by InterCity 125 trains from 1978, and six of the 22 survive in preservation.
Facts
SignificanceThe most powerful single-unit diesel locomotives in the world at their 1961 introduction, built for high-speed express passenger service on the East Coast Main Line between Edinburgh and London. 1 Manufacturer or BuilderEnglish Electric, built at the Vulcan Foundry for British Railways 1 FAQs
Why were the Deltic locomotives withdrawn after only about 20 years?
A small, non-standard fleet with high running costs and no alternative use.
The Deltics were a small, non-standard fleet with high running costs, and no viable alternative use could be found for them. All of the class was withdrawn from service between January 1980 and December 1981, and six locomotives were saved for preservation.
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Manufactured By
Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: British Rail Class 55
WikipediaOpening paragraph: builder and construction years
built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric for British Railways
Opening paragraph: power ranking claim
At the time of their introduction into service in 1961, the Class 55s were the most powerful single-unit diesel locomotives in the world
In Group: British Rail Diesel Locomotives, Lead sentence
The British Rail Class 55, also known as a Deltic, or English Electric Type 5, is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric for British Railways.
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