The wonderfully barmy Metrovick Co-Bo
Posted:
Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:15 pmby johnmckenzie
http://nicwhe8.freehostia.com/d5705/start.htmlWorth a read.
There are a few points worth knowing that this site doesn't mention.
1. They were hugely prone to fire. Often seen with a fireball trailing from the exhaust. The first withdrawals were when one of them set fire to its shed, destroying itself and another 5 members of the class!
2. Hugely rough-riding locos. The strange wraparound windows fitted when new tended to shake out of their frames when moving, leaving the cab rather exposed!
Re: The wonderfully barmy Metrovick Co-Bo
Posted:
Sat Aug 10, 2013 1:06 pmby thebigroyboyski
The link worked fine for me too.
Any idea what the reason for the CO BO truck layout was John?
Re: The wonderfully barmy Metrovick Co-Bo
Posted:
Sat Aug 10, 2013 2:03 pmby johnmckenzie
Yes- strangely it was thought that the Co-Bo wheel arrangement would help route availability. The loco was going to be too heavy for a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement but it was considered underweight for a Co-Co wheel arrangement as a) it would slip under load too much and b) in the UK a considerable number of slow freight trains weren't fitted with brakes(!) so in order to stop a train you had to have a reasonable brake force in the loco (and a brake van at the rear).
In order to try to keep the axle loads similar at each end most of the heavy internal equipment (diesel unit, generator) was mounted at the Co end. Sadly even this didn't stop the Bo end having an overly-heavy axle load, meaning the route availability was worse than expected.
The cab windows tended to shake loose in use, meaning the crew often ended up frozen or soaked.
Reliability was non-existent.
The Crossley HSTV8 2-stroke diesel unit was prone to fractures of the crankshaft and pipework, reputedly one managed to shake its power unit clean off its mountings... Also exhaust fireballs were another major problem. Alleged by railway staff to be the most deafeningly loud machines.
The multiple-working equipment fitted was non-standard.
The steam heat equipment seldom worked.
In its wisdom, BR decided that a fleet of 20 Co-Bos was more than enough and the writing was well and truly on the wall in 1967 when a fireball from one of them set Barrow shed on fire, destroying the loco and another five of the type in the process.
Incredibly one survives, although not in working order. I'm pleased about that, it's so refreshingly different from everything else and such a flop you just have to love it!
Re: The wonderfully barmy Metrovick Co-Bo
Posted:
Sun Aug 11, 2013 2:41 amby thebigroyboyski
Yeah it's good when a rare odd ball loco survives. I didn't realise one had until your post.
There was so many good but failed designs from that era.
