LMS diesel shunter 7050 is an experimental 0-4-0

diesel-mechanical 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 ...

shunting locomotive A switcher, shunter, yard pilot, switch engine, yard goat, or shifter is a small railroad locomotive used for manoeuvring railroad cars inside a rail yard in a process known as ''switching'' (US) or ''shunting'' (UK). Switchers are not inten ...

, introduced by the

London Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally ...

(LMS) in 1934 and which remained in service with that railway for six years. It was later acquired for military use and is now preserved at the

National Railway Museum The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the Science Museum Group. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant ...

History

No. 7050 was an experimental locomotive built by the

Drewry Car Co. The Drewry Car Co was a railway locomotive and railcar manufacturer and sales organisation from 1906 to 1984. At the start and the end of its life it built its own products, for the rest of the time it sold vehicles manufactured by sub-contract ...

at the English Electric Preston works in 1934. It carried an original number of 7400 only within the works and was delivered as LMS number 7050. For six years it was used for dock shunting at

Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...

before being loaned to the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

in 1940. It was withdrawn from LMS stock in March 1943 and sold to the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * D ...

(WD) which numbered it 224. Subsequent renumberings by the WD, and later the Army, saw it carry numbers 70224 (in 1944), 846 (1952) and 240 (1968). At some point it was rebuilt with a Gardner engine and was used at the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

base at

Botley, Hampshire Botley is a historic village in Hampshire, England. The village was once described as “the most delightful village in the world” by 18th century journalist and radical politician William Cobbett. The village was developed as a natural cross ...

.Marsden (1981).

Preservation

No 7050 was preserved in 1979, and displayed at the

Museum of Army Transport The Museum of Army Transport was a museum of British Army vehicles in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The collection included a diverse collection of armoured vehicles and support vehicles, many of which were part of the National ...

Beverley Beverley is a market and minster town and a civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The town centre is located south-east of York's centre and north-west of City of Hull. The town is known fo ...

. Upon the closure of that Museum in 2003 it was transferred to the

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

Footnotes

References

* * * {{LMS Locomotives 7050 Diesel 7050 War Department locomotives B locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1934 Standard gauge locomotives of Great Britain