Hi there everyone. Today, allas, it was diesel haulage again for the Battlefield Line. The wait for springs for GWR 3803 is ongoing and therefore, today, it was up to 33 053 to pull the trains. I had been drafted in again to second-man, as diesel crew is becoming hard to find on the railway simply because we almost always use steam! I arrived at Shackerstone in pretty dense fog at around 10:45am and immediately boarded the diesel. The loco cruised gently around the run round loop via the signalbox before backing down onto the rake. The first train left slightly late and under caution due to the fog. The rest of the day saw some lovely autumn sunshine in abundance, with views from 33 053 being very pleasant on this breezy afternoon. Below, a comparison shot of the driving controls on the 33 against last weeks shot of the huge Class 47...
Much smaller in stature than the Class 47, the 33 is also therefore more economical. It does sound rather sweet as well: dare I utter those words! The BR Class 33 eventually numbered 98 examples, built between 1960 & 1962. Weighing in at around 75 tons, the affectionately known 'Cromptons' were popular locomotives, and still are today. With a 1500hp engine (around 1000hp less than a 47), the 33's were useful little machines and found themselves on the Southern region of BR. Today, 33 053 is based on the Mid Hants Railway but is currently at Shackerstone for renovation work. One of the cabs looks a lot smarter than the other, both internally and externally, showing the recent works. The locomotive is captured here with the blue star denoting possible multiple working...
"33 053 Stands at Shenton with the 3pm from Shackerstone"
It isn't bad crewing the diesels but it certainly isn't as interesting as my beloved steam: not by a long chalk! Mind you, I guess several hundred diesel fans would disagree with me! Cheers guys, all the best, Sam...
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