08202

Pride of our shunter fleet, 08202 can often be found shunting coaches, locomotives and wagons around Bitton Station and operating the occasional works train.

Built in BR’s Derby Works, she entered service as No. 13272 on the 6th October 1956, allocated to Hither Green Depot in London.

Introduced a few years earlier, the Class 08 was based on an LMS design which later became the Class 11, numbering 120. There were 996 Class 08s built, 26 almost identical but faster Class 09s and 171 similar locos with different engines and transmissions, some of which became the Class 10s. All in all, 1193 similar locomotives were built – testimony to the success of the design.

Based around the 350hp English Electric 6KT engine and simple English Electric transmission, this 50 ton shunter still numbers around 100 in mainline depots and yards and many examples have been preserved on heritage railways.

Renumbered D3272 in 1961 and then 08202 in 1974, the loco spent the majority of its mainline working life allocated to Eastleigh with a few years at Hither Green and Feltham, and a stint at Norwood Junction before being withdrawn from service in May 1989 while working at Cardiff T&RSMD (Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot). After retirement from her original life, 08202 was purchased for use by Potter Group where she attained her bright yellow livery. A brief stint followed at the Chasewater Railway under the ownership of Ed Murray & Sons Ltd. where she was moved for repair work.

In June 2015, one of our members purchased 08202 with his father and moved her to a new home here at Bitton where the “Yellow Peril” soon started earning her keep. Modifications to the air system were quickly enacted in favour of the original compressor setup and, along with some minor jobs and repairs, 08202 was put to work.

At the time of writing (March 2016), 08202 gone through a repaint into a much more traditional BR Blue and has had the large retro-fitted compressor removed and new bonnet doors fabricated in its place.

An excellent sure-footed workhorse, 08202 is already proving a valuable addition to our ex-BR diesel fleet.