Scottish Railway Preservation Society Collections pages

4w diesel mechanical locomotive,
South of Scotland Electricity Board No 7

SRPS Core Collection, Acquired 1972. Operational.
Built 1949, Ruston & Hornsby, Lincoln. Works No.275883. 88DS type.

When Britain had industries, many factories had private railway networks, or at least private sidings. Steam locomotives were never economical for use on small industrial systems, and so once diesel shunting locomotives became available in the 1930s, a thriving market developed.

Ruston & Hornsby built diesel locomotives from 1931 to 1967. This 88BHP type was in production from 1938 to 1967, 271 being built for industrial use, mostly for the home market.

This locomotive was supplied new to the South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB) at Portbello Power Station, Edinburgh, in September 1949. It moved to Yoker Power Station, Glasgow, in 1966, and to Denny (Bonnybridge) Power Station in 1967. It worked there until donated by SSEB to SRPS in 1972. It then moved by rail under its own power the short 3 mile trip to the SRPS Falkirk Depot. It moved to Bo'ness by road when the Falkirk Depot closed.

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