London Underground Sleet Locomotives - ESL118A / ESL118B

ESL118A / ESL118B

For the surface lines, two T Stock cars were converted into sleet locomotives in 1961. They were permanently coupled together, and never ran independently. The de-icing equipment was fitted to the inner motor bogies, rather than being carried by separate bogies as on the tube-sized sleet locomotives. The cars were renumbered ESL118A and ESL118B, previously being 2758 and 2749 respectively. The locomotives were part of a leaf clearing experiment between 1978 and 1979, when they were marshalled into a train containing a brake van, a flat car, and Metropolitan electric locomotive Sarah Siddons. The flat car had two 2,000-imperial-gallon (9,100 l) water tanks and a Merlin bus engine mounted on it, which was used to spray water at high pressure onto the running rails. L149, a ballast motor car, replaced the sleet locomotives in 1979. In 1980, the flat truck was coupled between ESL118A and ESL118B to form a leaf cleaning train, and the high-pressure sprays were augmented by a mixture of sand and chromium or stainless steel granules, which was applied to the rails in a gel to improve adhesion. The metal granules ensured that the track signalling circuits continued to operate. After being withdrawn, both cars were preserved and are currently located at the Spa Valley Railway.