The Yorkshire Engine Company Janus is a line of
0-6-0 wheel arrangement
In rail transport, a wheel arrangement or wheel configuration is a system of classifying the way in which wheels are distributed under a locomotive. Several notations exist to describe the wheel assemblies of a locomotive by type, position, and c ...
,
diesel-electric locomotives that weighed and had a maximum speed of . The two
Rolls-Royce C6SFL
The Rolls-Royce ''C range'' was a series of in-line 4, 6 and 8 cylinder diesel engines used in small diesel locomotive, railway locomotives, Heavy equipment (construction), construction vehicles, marine and similar applications. They were manufac ...
diesel engines gave a total power output of . Each engine had its cooling system at the outer end, and its generator at the inner end. There were two traction motors, each being powered by one generator, thus simplifying the electrical system.
Service
A total of 102 Janus locomotives were built: mostly for the British steel industry, but other customers included
Imperial Chemical Industries (12 locomotives), the
Port of London Authority (10), and the
National Coal Board
The National Coal Board (NCB) was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the United Kingdom's collieries on "ve ...
(7). Three locomotives were exported: one to Jamaica, and two to the Indian Fertilizer Corporation. The Indian locomotives were , and were the only
narrow gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
units built. In addition, three modified Janus locomotives – gauge on Bo-Bo trucks – were exported to
British Guyana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first European to encounter Guiana was ...
.
Later locomotives had their Rolls-Royce engine uprated by 10 per cent to each. After Rolls-Royce entered the industrial locomotive manufacturing business, YEC started to offer their locomotives with
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...
diesel engines; seven Janus locomotives were built with pairs of Cummins diesels – all for
Appleby Froddingham Steel works.
The name Janus is from the two-faced god
Janus: the locomotive was
symmetrical
Symmetry (from grc, συμμετρία "agreement in dimensions, due proportion, arrangement") in everyday language refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, "symmetry" has a more precise definiti ...
with two 'faces'. The similarity in power and speed would indicate that this type of locomotive could have been use in a similar role to the
British Rail Class 08 shunter. In recent years the Class 08 shunters owned by
DB Cargo UK
DB Cargo UK (formerly DB Schenker Rail UK and English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS)), is a British rail freight company headquartered in Doncaster, England.
The company was established in early 1995 as ''North & South Railways'', successful ...
have replaced Janus locomotives on some industrial railways.
Loans to British Railways
One locomotive was demonstrated to
British Railways; it was the second of this type built (works number 2595 of 1956), both the first two locomotives being demonstrated to potential customers before going to the Appleby-Frodingham Steel works in
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A ...
. It is thought to have been in use there until being scrapped in 1982.
Other locomotives loaned
In July 1961, an
0-6-0 diesel-hydraulic
A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...
locomotive was demonstrated on British Railways. It weighed and was powered by a single
Rolls-Royce C8SFL
The Rolls-Royce ''C range'' was a series of in-line 4, 6 and 8 cylinder diesel engines used in small railway locomotives, construction vehicles, marine and similar applications. They were manufactured by the Rolls-Royce Oil Engine Division heade ...
engine giving . The design was similar to a lengthened
British Rail Class 02
The British Rail Class 02 are a class of twenty 0-4-0 diesel-hydraulic Switcher, shunting locomotives built by the Yorkshire Engine Company in 1960 (first ten, D2850-D2859) and 1961 (D2860-D2869) for service in areas of restricted loading gauge ...
. The locomotive was tested near
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...
for four days, and following the demonstration was delivered to
Llanwern steelworks
Llanwern steelworks is located in Llanwern, east of the City of Newport, South Wales.
History
Built for Richard Thomas & Baldwins Ltd, the works was originally referred to locally as "The RTB", before being called Spencer Works and later Ll ...
,
Newport.
One 600 hp
0-8-0 diesel hydraulic, a
Taurus
Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to:
* Taurus (astrology), the astrological sign
* Taurus (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac
* Taurus (mythology), one of two Greek mythological characters named Taurus
* '' Bos tauru ...
, was demonstrated and tested on British Railways during 1961 and 1962. It was a ‘trip’ locomotive intended to carry out shunting work and hauling local (short distance) goods trains. This was the duty for which the
British Rail Class 14 locomotives were built in 1963.
Preservation
In 2008, 23 were still in industrial service, and seven had been preserved. In November 2016 the seven Cummins engined locomotives at Scunthorpe British Steel works, formerly Appleby Froddingham Steel works, were replaced by German-made
NSB Di 8
The NSB Di 8 is a class of diesel-electric locomotives built by Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK), while it was part of Siemens Schienenfahrzeugtechnik, for the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). The locomotives are equipped with a Caterpillar 3516 DI-TA pr ...
locomotives, originally built for use on main-line freight operations in Norway.
YE 2868 0-6-0DE ''Ludstone'' has been undergoing restoration since 2015 at the
Foxfield Railway
The Foxfield Railway is a preserved standard gauge line located south east of Stoke-on-Trent. The line was built in 1893 to serve the colliery at Dilhorne on the Cheadle Coalfield. It joined the North Staffordshire Railway line near Blythe Bri ...
in collaboration with the Industrial Diesel & Railway Preservation Group.
YE 2791 DE5, built in 1962, is cosmetically restored and on display at
Rocks by Rail, The Living Ironstone Museum, Cottesmore.
YE 2670, built in September 1959, which worked at Stanton Iron Works, Ilkeston, is preserved at
Stainmore Railway Company
Stainmore Railway Company is a volunteer-run, non-profit preservation company formed in 2000 with the aim of restoring Kirkby Stephen East railway station in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, England. In 1997 a company called Stainmore Properties Ltd ...
.
YE 2748 (NCB Number 6), built in 1959 and allocated to Littleton Colliery is in use at
Churnet Valley Railway
The Churnet Valley Railway is a preserved standard gauge heritage railway in the Staffordshire Moorlands of Staffordshire, England. It operates on part of the former Churnet Valley Line.which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway. ...
where it is employed on shunting duties. It has been named ''Roger H Bennett'', after Roger Bennett, a volunteer on the Churnet Valley Railway.
YE 2877 (BSC Scunthorpe Works No: 1) is in operation at the
Appleby Frodingham Railway
The Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society is based at Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. The society owns locomotives and rolling stock but not the railway it runs on. The name comes from the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company, now know ...
.
Models
In 2016 Oxford Diecast, in conjunction with Golden Valley Hobbies produced a
OO gauge
OO gauge or OO scale (also, 00 gauge and 00 scale) is the most popular standard-gauge model railway standard in the United Kingdom, outside of which it is virtually unknown. OO gauge is one of several 4 mm-scale standards (4 mm to 1 foot, ...
model, with a choice of
BP, National Coal Board, Imperial Chemical Industries, Port of London Authority, and Allied Steel and Wire livery. While the prototype choice was welcomed by many, the resultant models were heavily discounted by many stockists due to compromises with the model regarding the buffer beam height and extremely delicate hand rails
A finescale etched kit is also available from Judith Edge and can be built to 00, EM and P4 gauges.
References
*
*
*
Railway_Society.html" ;"title="Industrial" target="_blank" class="mw-redirect" title="Railway Society">Railway Society
">Industrial" target="_blank" class="mw-redirect" title="Railway Society">Railway Society
- Various records and publications
* Yorkshire Engine Co. - Various records and publications
External links
Operating manual
{{British Rail Locomotives
Janus
C locomotives
Janus
Industrial diesel locomotives of Great Britain
Standard gauge locomotives of Great Britain
Standard gauge locomotives of Jamaica
Metre gauge diesel locomotives
3 ft 6 in gauge locomotives
Diesel-electric locomotives of Great Britain
Diesel-electric locomotives of Jamaica
Railway locomotives introduced in 1956