Derby Works - British Railways

British Railways

When the railways were nationalised in 1947, the works at Derby became part of BR Workshops.

From 1948 the works produced 106 Standard Class 4 2-6-4 tank engines, then from 1951 to 1957 turned to Standard Class 5 4-6-0s, 110 in all. The last steam locomotive to be built, bringing the total to 2941, was a BR standard class 5 with Caprotti valve gear, number 73154.

In 1948 the first British main-line diesel electric locomotive had been driven out of the paint shop by Ivatt himself, number 10,000 just in time to have LMS livery. Its sibling 10001 began its life in British Railways livery. In 1952 the experimental diesel-mechanical locomotive, the Fell diesel, went into service.

There matters rested until British Rail's Modernisation Plan and in 1958 production began on the first ten Type 2 main line locos, later known as the Class 24 or, in popular culture, the "Derby Sulzers".

In 1959 the first of the Type 4s, later classified Class 44, "Scafell Pike" emerged from the works. The Class 24 were followed by the Class 25, and the Class 44 by the Class 45 and Class 46.

The full complement having been achieved in 1962, new production was concentrated at Crewe, but Derby received one more order when Beyer Peacock Ltd asked to be released from its contract. When production ceased in 1966, over a thousand diesel locos had been built at Derby.

The only new build after that time was six electric non-driving motor coaches in 1978 to power the six Advanced Passenger Train formations.