Ruston 518494 1967 diesel information help

Whitwell has just has this ruston delivered from swanage.
troble is we dont Know much about it. Built for Tarmac in 1967.

What class is it? any other info, diesel power info? and all that.

Seen here in 1992 "last time it ran with a piture of it. It apparenty ran 2 years ago.
http://www.preservedshunters.co.uk/psh_zoom.php?img=0795090006410

Here is it now.


Thanks, im sure one of you must know something.

 

RH 518494 is a 88DS locomotive. 254 was built, the first in 3/1942 and the last 518494 (yours) in 11/1967.
When built it was fitted with a RH 88hp 4VPH engine, with drive to axles by roller chains. The locomotive will weigh about 20 tons.

It should be noted that when the locomotive was built, Ruston & Honsby, allocated the locomotive works number 518494. The
4VPH engine (where 4=no. of cylinders) will also have its own works number. Paper work (operating manuals, repair manuals, spare parts lists) would also have been produced for both the locomotive (less engine) and the engine.

Also remember that the term "Diesel" was unpopular at Rustons in Lincoln, as the Hornsby-Akroyd engine had predated Dr. Diesel's. Early catalogues and manuals refer to "Heavy Oil", "Fuel Oil" or "Crude Oil" engines, and when diesel was later used, it was always spelt with a small "d".

 

Thank you very much William
As I said we didn't know much about it.
Nothing came with it, little if not info placs and no paper work.
Thanks again.

 

I have just looked up the history of your locomotive.

RH 518494 was ex-works from Ruston & Hornsby Ltd at Lincoln on 29/11/1967, and supplied new to Tarmac at their Hayes stone terminal, half a mile east on Hayes & Harlington Station, on the GWR main line. It joined a 4wDM Hibberd 'Planet' locomotive (FH 3765), which had been supplied in 1956. The layout at Hayes was revised in June 1967 to handle increased traffic, and the Ruston was purchased as it was found that the Hibberd was not powerfull enough for the increased workload.
At some time during it time at Hayes in was given the (plant) number 655/29/38.

The Hibberd was sold to two members of the Quainton Railway Society, and moved to Quainton Road on 21/4/1974, where is known as "Tarmac". In the late 1980's the delivery of stone in block trains comenced and the need to shunt wagons ceased. Your Ruston went to the Swanage Railway on 29/6/1990.

There is again a locomotive based at Tarmac's Hayes depot, AB 359 of 1941, which was originally built for the War Department, has there since the 2001.

 

Thank you again.
Nice to know.
How did you find this?

 

How did I know? I thought you might ask.

The sources I used are:

"Ruston & Hornsby Locomotives, by Eric S.Tonks, published by the Industrial Railway Society. A small, (92 page softback) but usefull book, which gives an overview of Ruston locomotive output, details of the types built, an explaination of their (works) numbering system, and usefull tables, which allow you to deduce a locomotives class from its works number. It also includes a photo of RH 518494 shunting at Hayes.

"Industrial Railways & Locomotives of Herfordshire & Middlesex" by Robin Waywell. This gives a brief history of all locations in these two counties that have had industrial locomotives and details of all the locomotives that have been at them.

"A Century on Rails", a Quainton Railway Centre Stockbook.

I strongly suggest that anyone who wants to know anthing about the histrory of any industrial (ie non-main line) locomotives consults the publications of the IRS.

 

Ok, will have to see if We can get them, Nice to see another picture of it running.

 

I have one of these, No 382824. You need to get hold of either an instruction book or someone who knows the starting procedure for the engine and also the set up of the gearbox. The engine must be barred up to the starting position and various taps in the right place before trying to start otherwise it won't. Also the gearbox needs to be air pressurised before starting to move, otherwise the gearchange/clutch engagement will be very harsh and may do damage. Pity I'm so far away or I'd come and show you how to do it.

 

YEah, we do need to know all this, We were looking about the engine bay and it doesn't seem to a a compressor on it.
It hasn't moved since 2000 odd and it still has 80 psi left in the tank.

Thanks, all this is been passed on.

 

Can we use all this information to go on the website?
Thanks

 

Hi There Dman

We at Epping Ongar Railway have just finished restoring/repairing one of our 88ds's (we have two others which will not run again),
a little bit of advice about the gearbox, do NOT fill up with gearbox oil as it is way to thick, use engine oil instead.
ignore the air pressure gauge for now it is probably faulty, the air tank sits inside the engine bay next to the fuel tank above the little petrol engine
which is used to build up the air pressure to around 300psi prior to starting the diesel engine.

We have a full set of documents for these units and am sure that we can get you a copy of them, perhaps you could make arrangements to pop down to us at Ongar and have a look at our unit to see how they work. I'm sure that can be sorted but you will need to speak with our General Manager first as we are not open to the public atm due to the on-going works along our Railway. Contact us through our website: www.eorailway.co.uk

Barry

 

Thanks alot. We are getting the documents sent.

We know two things are missing. The doors and the machine behind the raised out panel.

We aren't going to start it till we know everything is ready.

 

Ok

Behind that panel section should be a small petrol engine, which is connected to its own small compressor,
which is used to pre-charge the air tank up to 300psi, without either of these items the Ruston will not start.

The Rustons main diesel engine is connected to its own compressor so when running it can keep the main air tank charged up.

Doors should not be a problem to replace as they are pretty basic.

Barry

 

Well, we are hoping you can you an external source then keep it up with the own compressor. If that doesn't work we have some other rustons about near norwich and the one at Pleasure wood hills.

 

Yes Lewis

That conversion can be and has been done, we have an example of one at our railway on our old DLR Ruston, which is out of service atm with a scored and pitted cylinder bore.

You just need to bypass the old system with some airline compressor fittings and 'charge' the tank up with an external and portable compressor that is capable of producing enough psi, remember you need around 300psi to spin up the main engine (portable just in case you lose your air whilst up the line).

Make sure you get the injectors cleaned and checked over aswell because if they dirty or faulty it wont fire.

Barry