A Brief History of Class 15 Locomotives:
During the implementation of Modernisation Plan of British Railways in 1955, a contract was placed to British-Thompson-Houston (BTH) for 10 Pilot Scheme Type A (latterly Type 1) locomotives for light local freight and Empty Coaching Stock duties in East Anglia. Paxman supplied the 16YHXL Diesel engine and Westinghouse supplied the brake equipment, while BTH themselves built the electrical equipment for the locomotives. The actual construction work was contracted to the Yorkshire Engine Company in Attercliffe, Sheffield.

The 10 Pilot Scheme Locomotives were delivered to the British Transport Commission (BTC) in 1957, commencing in October with the hand-over of the first locomotive, D8200, at London Euston station by the Yorkshire Engine Company. The balance of the order up to D8209 was delivered before the end of 1958. Following this an order for a further 34 locomotives was placed with BTH and sub-contracted to the Clayton Equipment Company in Tutbury. These locomotives were delivered between 1959 and 1961, and were allocated the numbers D8210-D8243.

When built the fleet was envisaged to operate in the on the Eastern Region in the Anglia area. However pressure was placed on the BTC by a number of Local Authorities in the London area who were keen to implement the Clean Air Act, and saw the removal of steam engines as a way of improving the quality of the air this saw the them re-allocated to East London to replace steam locomotives on Empty Coaching Stock and freight duties.

The locomotives were delivered painted all over British Railways "Brunswick Green", with the area surrounding the forward and rear viewing windows in a lighter green. Small Yellow warning panels were added "ad hoc" from 1963 onwards, with full yellow ends eventually being applied to all except to D8230 and D8232.

Under the TOPS numbering system the fleet was classified as Class 15, although none of the locomotives ever carried a 15XXX number.

With the decline of London freight duties in the late 1960s the fleet of 44 locomotives found themselves redundant and withdrawals took place from 1969 to 1971, with the last members of the class been withdrawn from traffic on 27th March 1971.

However four of the Class, D8203/33/37 and D8243, escaped scrapping and were taken into the Departmental Division for carriage heating duties. These were moved to BREL Doncaster for removal of non-essential equipment and were also renumbered ADB968000-3.

These duties lasted for around 10 years at a wide range of locations from Swansea to Dundee. However when relocated to East Anglia for the transistion to Electrically heated stock it was discovered that the long period without works attention had taken its toll. Colchester depot undertook some work on the locomotives, but the intended work was covered by newer locomotives.

D8233 and the other two locomotives were regarded as surplus to requirements, D8233 was transferred to Healy Mills depot for storage alongside other redundant locomotives, from here it was purchased for preservation In 1984.

The table below gives an overview of the key dates for all the Class 15 locomotives:

Number(s) To Traffic Withdrawn Disposal Details Cut Up By Days In Traffic
D8200 10/11/1957 27/03/1971 03/1972 Crewe Works BREL 4884
D8201 17/02/1958 27/03/1971 02/1972 Crewe Works BREL 4785
D8202 03/02/1958 30/09/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 3891
D8203, ADB968003 24/02/1958 20/03/1969 10/1981 Colchester V Berry 4041
D8204 17/04/1958 27/03/1971 04/1972 Crewe Works BREL 4726
D8205 28/04/1958 30/09/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 3807
D8206 19/05/1958 30/09/1968 02/1970 Barry D Woodham 3786
D8207 16/06/1958 27/03/1971 04/1972 Crewe Works BREL 4666
D8208 07/07/1958 30/09/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 3737
D8209 07/10/1958 27/03/1971 03/1972 Crewe Works BREL 4553
D8210 05/11/1959 27/03/1971 03/1972 Crewe Works BREL 4159
D8211 12/11/1959 27/03/1971 12/1971 Crewe Works BREL 4152
D8212 27/11/1959 30/09/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 3229
D8213 09/12/1959 22/12/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 3300
D8214 09/12/1959 31/12/1970 12/1971 Crewe Works BREL 4039
D8215 31/12/1959 31/12/1970 11/1971 Crewe Works BREL 4017
D8216 31/12/1959 27/03/1971 01/1972 Crewe Works BREL 4103
D8217 19/01/1960 31/03/1968 01/1969 Kettering G Cohen 2993
D8218 01/02/1960 27/03/1971 11/1971 Crewe Works BREL 4071
D8219 29/02/1960 30/09/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 3135
D8220 10/03/1960 27/03/1971 11/1971 Crewe Works BREL 4033
D8221 21/03/1960 27/03/1971 12/1971 Crewe Works BREL 4022
D8222 30/03/1960 27/03/1971 12/1971 Crewe Works BREL 4013
D8223 08/04/1960 22/12/1968 06/1969 Kettering G Cohen 3179
D8224 29/04/1960 27/03/1971 12/1971 Crewe Works BREL 3983
D8225 11/05/1960 27/03/1971 12/1971 Crewe Works BREL 3971
D8226 03/05/1960 27/03/1971 12/1971 Crewe Works BREL 3979
D8227 27/05/1960 30/09/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 3047
D8228 14/06/1960 27/03/1971 12/1971 Crewe Works BREL 3937
D8229 29/06/1960 27/03/1971 01/1972 Crewe Works BREL 3922
D8230 07/07/1960 27/03/1971 11/1971 Crewe Works BREL 3914
D8231 18/07/1960 27/03/1971 01/1972 Crewe Works BREL 3903
D8232 23/08/1960 27/03/1971 11/1971 Crewe Works BREL 3867
D8233, ADB968001 31/08/1960 16/02/1969 Saved! - 3090
D8234 21/09/1960 27/03/1971 01/1971 Crewe Works BREL 3838
D8235 30/09/1960 06/10/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 2927
D8236 07/10/1960 06/10/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 2920
D8237, ADB968002 17/11/1960 20/03/1969 04/1985 Sheffield Marple & Gillot 3044
D8238 21/12/1960 30/09/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 2839
D8239 23/01/1961 27/03/1971 01/1972 Crewe Works BREL 3714
D8240 23/01/1961 06/10/1968 04/1969 Kettering G Cohen 2812
D8241 01/02/1961 14/04/1968 08/1968 Great Bridge J Cashmore 2628
D8242 10/02/1961 27/03/1971 11/1971 Crewe Works BREL 3696
D8243, ADB968000 24/02/1961 16/02/1969 02/1991 Leicester V Berry 2913