The coldest Diesel Engines consistently were Class 37's. When the air filters were blocked they drew the air from the cabs. Many a Driver would bring a plastic rubbish sack to work and put his legs in them. Class 47's were also of note for appalling draughts from under the desk.

I bet there are steam drivers and firemen up and down the land spinning in their graves at the "appauling" conditions these diesel locos provide!

I suppose the old fire did keep you warm though. :D

A long gone Stratford driver once commented to a question from someone who thought he must wish for a return of Steam engines. He replied stating you would not ask a Car driver if he wished for a return of the horse & carriage! The truth is most drivers were glad to see the back of Steam. For the few memorable days at work the majority were mundane, dirty, cold and wet. To me the aspect I regret which has disappeared is the camaraderie and togetherness which was associated with large depots and working for British Railways. Until privatisation a driver passed out could be expected to work anyway in the country, In short a driver was a driver! As for draughts they have to be experienced to understand them. When a noted SF LDC rep complained about cab draughts the assistant depot manager said his office was draughty and he suffered it. The LDC rep said he would do more if his chair was whizzing around the office at 70mph. Happy New Year to all!!

The coldest one I've bin on was a class 31 used on the Leeds Electrification Trains in the winter of 1993/4.
The windows and doors fitted where they touched, and the windows slid down in you did not sprag them with some card board. If you were in the back cab, you got gassed, and the hand brake skinned your fingers when applying this brake.
Peaks were nice warm locos even going at a fast speed, with simple seats which were very sleepable.
Class 56's heater was either on or off, it worked well in summer and blew out cold air in the winter.
DMU cabs were ice boxes.
The best cab I've been in was the one we came back from Immingham on one Friday night for a 4 hour shift. Always good to get back home ASP.
One thing with BR was they issued you with a thick black overcoat, which could fend of a howitzer shell, wear that on any loco with the wollen scarfe yer mam knitted for your Christmas Box, and a German Army Coldweather hat it was as warm as toast.

I've recently spent time inside a class 47's cabs and engine and electrical compartments in some of the coldest days we have seen this winter and I can testify to the absolutely dire conditions inside a dead loco, especially when the engine isnt operating and your tools are really cold to touch. I now know first hand why some of these locos were so hard to keep running and why obsolete stock is just scrapped and re-cycled. You cant keep things like that going for ever its sad to say - there arent enough hours in the day or pounds in the pocket unfortunately.

A class 47 loco has paid for itself over and over again and is one of the best mainline locos still going but they are one of the coldest locos still going ;) ;).

ccmmick.

Did you solve the electrical problems on the Mangaps 47 ?

No - not yet but we have narrowed it down to one of two places. We now need to power it up and do the voltage tests to make sure the correct loads are coming through. Never been inside one with the motor running!!
The Stratford group came over recently and were well impressed with the condition of the loco generally so it was obviously well looked after by its previous owner (surprisingly).

One could always wear pantyhose, just don't get caught :D

Without doubt the coldest loco's to work on (especially on Passenger /Parcels trains) were the class 47's ,the heating system on these loco's was pathetic
the designer should have been shot !
Class 31 and 37 loco's were bad but usually not working trains above 60/75 mph.
The best heated loco's without doubt were the class 45/46 Sulzers !