97705

Your comments

• Ben Williams

  1 January 2005, 19:37:02

  Regarding the fleet of these battery locos Simon tells us:

  "There were 10 of these, numbered 97701-10, giving five pairs. Most were blue although 97707/8 got NSE and 97701/2 got a yellow stripe on blue. See pics under the loco section on DPTnet.

  Converted from LMR Class 501s, very similar to the 2-EPBs. They were used for tunnel maintenance, largely in London but also on Merseyside. Mainly based at Hornsey, Cricklewood and Birkenhead. Battery power allowed the juice to be turned off so they could access the OHL or third rail. Also saved having a loco sitting in the tunnel on a conventional OHLM train, belching out exhaust.

  All ten were assigned 97xxxx numbers but not sure if all were applied."

• Malcolm Clements

  7 July 2006, 14:54:33

  I recall seeing these under conversion at Doncaster works. 97701/2 were initially allocated LDB975178/9 & 97707-10 LDB975407-10. I also recall seeing some so numbered from a passing ECML train at, I think, Hornsea