THE first of 15 Class 18 locomotives, which are being built by Clayton Equipment Ltd, has been undergoing trials at the Chasewater Railway in Staffordshire.
Beacon Rail placed an order with the Burton-upon-Trentbased manufacturer in May 2020 for the 90 tonne Bo-Bo hybrid locomotives (Clayton’s CBD90 design) which have both a diesel engine and battery packs.
The batteries, which can be charged using either groundbased facilities or the Euro Stage V emissions-compliant JCB Power Systems 55 kilowatt (74 hp) diesel unit (supplied via Power Torque Engineering, whose team are also giving technical support to the project) can also be topped-up through the locomotive’s regenerative braking system offering emissions-free operation. The diesel engine can be used where needed for range and performance.
Clayton has already supplied the CBD90 to Tata Steel UK at Port Talbot, where a total of seven will ultimately be operational.