Kent and East Sussex Railway Locomotive Class 14 Nos. 48 & 49 BR Class 14 Diesel Hydraulic 650bhp 0-6-0 (BR D9504 )

Fifty six of these Swindon-built centre cab type 1 locomotives were introduced in 1964 to work on shunting duties, local freight and transfer trip workings. They were introduced during the Beeching era - the very time when the work for which they were intended was rapidly disappearing.  Thus they saw only two or three years' BR service and earned the nickname "Teddy bears".  On withdrawal by BR they found a  ready purchased market in industry and continued to enjoy a much longer lease of life in such use.  Three examples have seen use on the K&ESR, although only one remains on temporary loan. Class 14 locomotives have proved capable of handling heavy works trains and running the passenger service in emergencies.For a while there were two running together on the K&ESR. No. 48 ex BR number D9504 is now the current sole resident. There were two No. 49's but they have both now left; the first was D9525 which arrived from the NCB in 1987 but was sold on during 2000 and replaced by former D9529. No. 49 was in BR blue livery with a spurious TOPS Number.The owners hired both 48 and 49 out for contracting work in 2001 and they did not return for some years. In 2008/9 No 49 left the railway for a period of hire to the Nene Valley Railway. No. 48, having returned in 2010, has recently receved a heavy engine overahaul by Bartech Marine Engineering and is in service.

TECHNICAL DATA

• Weight: 50 tons

• Engine:  Paxman ‘Ventura' 6YJXL, 6 cylinder with Napier Turbo-charger, 650hp at 1,500rpm

• Transmission: Voith L217U hydraulic transmission consisting of two torque converters in series with fluid coupling; Hunslet triple reduction and reverse gear box

• Tractive Effort: 39, 910 lb max

• Max Speed: 40 mph

• Wheel arrangement:  0-6-0 diameter: 4ft 0ins