WESTERN FACTS NOT FICTION

**D1034 Western Dragoon with the 10.00 Penzance-Paddington on April 11, 1975. Picture: A. Curtis**

WESTERN MYTHS DEBUNKED

THE lives of the Western Class 52 diesel-hydraulic locomotives have been the subject of much scrutiny over the years but research conducted from primary sources such as interviews with the men who made the decision about various matters, including liveries, design, naming and much more, has clarified most, if not all, of the myths associated with them.

I, together with other members of the Western Locomotive Research Society, have devoted more than a quarter of a century to the subject and have produced the following lists to help enthusiasts understand the facts and it is published here to prevent the continued use of incorrect information that has somehow found its way onto the worldwide web.

Additional notes: 1) Sir Misha Black and John Beresford-Evans, now credited as co-designers/consultants. 8) Black wanted the redesigned ‘Lion, Crown and Wheel’ emblem on D1000 to be bronze in colour.

Maroon livery on the Westerns was decreed by new WR GM Stanley Raymond…not by a livery competition!

**Additional notes: 34) D1011 Western Thunderer was the first Western Class 52 to be outshopped from new at Swindon with yellow warning panels. D1010 was released with yellow buffer beams.**

**Additional notes: 70) Name incorrectly spelt, should read Fred Pugh.**

**Additional notes: 100) See Western Chronicles book D1000 for image.**

JOHN BERESFORD-EVANS

The debunking of Western myths continued in December 2012, when Adrian Curtis was the first author to have any published work detailing the role of John Beresford-Evans in the design of the Westerns. He along with co-designer/consultant with Sir Misha Black of the Design Research Unit then based in Duke, Street, London, produced arguably the best looking diesel locomotives ever built. While Sir Misha, as head of the DRU, provided the vision and the drive for the design, it was left to graphic artist ‘JB’ as he liked to be known, to produce all the relevant drawings and styling. These ideas and drawings were then taken on by Swindon Locomotive Works and their draughtsmen. In recent DRU archives, perused by the author, the credit for the design of the fleet is given squarely to both men. But this article published in the national Railway Magazine railway press, was the first occasion that major role of ‘JB’ had been mentioned and proven.

MODIFIED BATTERY BOX DOOR CATCHES

Following D1007 Western Talisman’s crash at Ealing on December 19, 1973 when a battery box dropped down onto the track and caused the locomotive a number of coaches to derail, killing 10 passenger and injuring more than 50, BR decided to change the pear drop battery box door clips they had sported since being built with a modified type to prevent a similar incident from happening again. Below is a lit of those engines which survived long. enough to get them. The new locking system was made a priority by BR in early 1974 and the catches picked out in bright yellow paint.

HEADBOARD CLIPS

Various members of the Western Class 52 fleet that lost headboards clips during their lives, D1025-9, were, of course, built without them at Swindon. Here is your at-a-glance guide to those engines which were built without them or lost them in traffic. Picture shows the damage to D1071 following the St. Annes collision and the reason the clips were removed at ‘B’ end. She emerged in blue livery with full yellow ends after repairs in 1967 but still vacuum-braked. Picture: D1071 BR Locomotive file.