Pre TOPS preservation.

How many engines got rescued before tops came along?

 

TOPS was purchased by British Rail in 1968 with renumbering of locomtives starting, I think in early 1973, so in answer to the question, probably only a very few shunting locomotives. Of course some loco's, such as the various hydraulics preserved, never recieved their allocated TOPS numbers, and so when purchased for preservation still retained the original "D" numbers.

Of interest, all three diesels at present on Paignton line when purchased by the DVR where displaying original D series numbers. Class 03 D2192 arrived (at Buckfastleigh first) still in British Railways green. Class 08 D3014, by way of the fact it was an early withdrawal from British Rail and sold to the NCB, arrived in NCB green livery with 3014 carried on each cab side. The Class 25, although renumbered as 25 185, arrived with both its TOPS number and original D7535 numbers displayed, these being applied during the period it was used at Toton depot as a crew training locomotive.

 

Just as a point of interest , I worked at TOPS Southampton & Eastleigh at the beginning of the programme , as loco s we not at that time fully monitored , but we needed loco numbers to operate the system , we used the locos minus the D -- hence I remember using the Westerns with just plain numbers ie 1015 and not with their TOPS prefix .

 

I wondered why after the end of steam diesels had the D painted out, but oddly electrics kept the E prefix. Now I know. Having lost interest in railways in 1970, it took me by surprise a few years later to see a Peak with the number of a Black 5 and a Brush with a Jinty's number.

The steam locos at NCB Mountain Ash operated until 1980. I asked if they ever received a TOPS number in the 015XX range to operate in exchange sidings. That range wasn't introduced in time for that I was told.

 

Because in pre-tops days some diesels & electrics had the same number, ie the AC electrics had numbers in the 3000 series as did the 350HP 0-6-0 diesel shunters (08's). Obviously you couldn't have the same number on two locos so the E prefix separated them.

 

What I was getting at was the diesels could have kept their D prefix. Then again should the then BR operated V of R locos been numbered S7 - S9?