British Railways
Class 04 D2334
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Drewry Car Co Ltd
British Rail Class 04
1961
0-6-0
Gardner 8L3
Diesel-Mechanical
Stored
Private
British Railways Class 04 Diesel-Mechanical Shunter
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The British Railways Class 04 was a class of diesel-mechanical shunting locomotives built between 1952 and 1961. The first 42 locomotives were constructed by the Vulcan Foundry from 1952 to 1956, while the remaining 100 were produced by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns between 1956 and 1961, giving a total of 142 built.
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Designed for light duties where larger locomotives were unnecessary, the Class 04s were primarily employed on shunting work in depots and as station pilots. However, as British Railways expanded its fleet of multiple units with driving cabs at both ends, the need for dedicated shunting locomotives declined. This led to the gradual withdrawal of the Class 04s, with many sold into industrial use.
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Of the 142 locomotives built, 122 were scrapped. Today, 20 examples have survived in preservation, serving as a reminder of their role in the early dieselisation of Britain’s railways.
D2334
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Locomotive D2334 was released from the Drewry Car Company on 25 July 1961 and was first allocated to Heaton (52B). Over its BR career it was transferred between several depots, including Percy Main, Gateshead, and Darlington, before being withdrawn in July 1968.
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Following withdrawal, D2334 was sold to the National Coal Board, initially working at Manvers Main Colliery in South Yorkshire. During its industrial career it also served at Wath, Thurcroft, and Maltby collieries before being retired from industry and entering preservation in 1985.
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In January 2017, the locomotive arrived at the Mid-Norfolk Railway, where it continues to be preserved as part of the line’s historic collection.