Colin Marsden
Testing with the DM&EE in the 1970's
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Before joining the Testing & Performance Section of the Department of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering (DM&EE) at the RTC, Derby I spent 12 months at the LMR CM&EE - the Chief Mechanical and Electrical Engineers' department at Nelson Street, Derby. I subsequently worked between 1971 and 1974 for the DM&EE during which time I was involved with testing in a number of different areas. I worked initially on the 'Stress & Vibration' section which ran Test Car 4, the old WR dynamometer car converted in 1961 from a Hawksworth corridor coach and now preserved at Carnforth. When it first arrived at Derby to join the DM&EE's fleet of vehicles it was still in chocolate and cream livery, although it had been repainted into red and blue by the time I first saw it. |
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Test Car 4 in the EDU workshop
in 1982 Colin Marsden |
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Here is a list of the major tests with which I remember that I was involved with in the first year - there were probably a lot more which I've forgotten. |
Click on the link for more information and pictures
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I later moved to the 'Freight' Section where I was involved with acceptance testing on freight vehicles. Pre-Nationalisation and BR conventional leaf spring suspension four wheeled wagons were commonplace in those days and the freight vehicles we tested were amongst the first of their type with modern suspensions. Both Gloucester C&W Floating axle and BSC pedestal suspensions were fitted to various new-build 4-wheeled vehicles. Bogie vehicles at the time were fitted with either Gloucester 3-piece bogies or later Y25C bogies. See the freight testing pages for more details. |
A flavour of the contemporary scene on the WCML during the early 1970's
Click on the pictures for a bigger image - All photos are the author's unless otherwise credited.
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Brand new ex-works 87001 pictured round the back of the ETD at Crewe in 1973. |
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1T20 headed by AL6 No:E3124 passing Tamworth on 3rd
September 1972. Steve Redfern |
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Two AL5's (later class 85) are shown at the north end of Stafford station sometime in April 1973. |
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AL6 locomotive E3156 pictured at
Amington, between Polesworth and Tamworth, with 1A41 on 1st March 1973 Steve Redfern |
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AL5 E3076 hauling a car train passes the test train somewhere on WCML in the early 1970's |
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E3187 with 8A19 unfitted freight
pictured at Alvecote, south of Tamworth on 13th March 1973 Steve Redfern |
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More pictures and pages will be added as time permits |