Deltics, Doncaster, and the NIR Hunslets.

[102 fan]

The Deltics were maintained at Doncaster. The NIR 'Hunslet' Class 101 was built in Doncaster between March and June of 1970. I don't know the layout of Doncaster works, but would they have been close?

Or even, what Deltics were there at those dates?

I know it's a bit of a longshot, but here's hoping!

 

[Magdalia]

Around that time it is quite hard to find reports of Doncaster Works visits. Railway Observer June 1970 has a report for 5 April 1970. It is the only 1970 report in Railway Observer, and, unusually for that source, it does not identify which part of the works for each locomotive. The report does mention that the works had "almost completed the manufacture" of the Northern Ireland locomotives.

Deltics recorded on works that day were 9000/06/08, but new build is likely to have been in a different part of the works to classified and unclassified repairs, because it was a different process. That's my recollection from works visits when Doncaster were building class 56s.

As usual for Deltic data, including Doncaster Works visits, there is also the excellent Napier Chronicles website.

 

[Prime586]

There is a 1970s map of Doncaster Works on the Grace's Guide website. The NIR 101s would have been fabricated and assembled in the buildings marked 2 and 3 in the centre of the map. Building 2 was the 'Erecting Shop' where locomotives were assembled (there's pictures of Edwardian GNR and Gresley steam locos up to Class 56 diesels being assembled in there), is Grade 2 listed and still in use (now home to the Lucchini-Unipart Rail joint venture).

The diesel locomotive repair shop (the Crimpsall works) was building 6 on the left side of the map (demolished in 2008, now a housing estate). There are lots of pictures online of locos being rebuilt in there, which can be distinguished from pictures of the Erecting Shop as it had 3 pairs of windows in the upper end walls and a pair either side of the door rather than single windows. The presentation event for the handover of the first NIR 101 (pictures of which are on the Accurascale website) took place outside the eastern end of the Crimpsall works (with the locomotive no doubt fresh out of the nearby paint shop).