ETH Fitted Class 31 Performance

[randyrippley]

It was a BR decision to re-engine with the EE power unit and the conversion work was done at Doncaster.

I think the EE engines were used simply used for commonality of parts with the large number already in service in the class 37 fleet. Also the design was available off-the-shelf: when the decision to make the change was made, EE were nearing the end of the class 37 and 20 production runs and probably had relatively low-cost production capacity available.
Barrow by then would have stopped building the small number of 8-cylinder Sulzers, and switched to the 6-cylinders for the later class 25.

 

[Clarence Yard]

Thanks Clarance Yard. I assume Brush had to pay for the new engines? If so that must have been a big hit for the company.

It was a BR decision to replace rather than modify and it was done at BR cost.

 

[randyrippley]

the 30/31 bogie would appear to be a powered version of the three-axle Commonwealth design in the bottom photo