One of the most distinctive locomotives of the early modernisation era was the ‘Western’ diesel-hydraulic, a design which had a very short life on the main line and which was rendered obsolete almost as soon as it was built, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES reveals.
Above: D1032 Western Marksman thunders through Sonning Cutting with the 10.20am Swansea-Paddington express on May 16 1964. Brian Stephenson.
With their distinctive looks, unique liveries and cast number and nameplates the 74 ‘Westerns’ are regarded by many as the pinnacle of diesel development and as a result the class has gained a dedicated following, bolstered by the survival of several members in working order on our heritage railways.
The locomotives were certainly stunning to look at, but their appearance was not matched by their reliability or performance, and a change in policy was to mean that they lasted only around 10 years, with the final one being withdrawn almost 40 years ago.
It is often said that the Western Region’s adoption of hydraulic transmission was due to a desire to be different to the rest of British Railways but in fact it was actually due to regional management looking at the problem in front of them and adopting what they thought would be the best so…
