POWER OF THE NAPIERS - THE CLASS 55 DELTICS

Power of the Napiers is a tribute to the legendary Class 55 'Deltics' that were introduced by English Electric in 1961. This programme explores the development of this legendary class, from the ground-breaking prototype in 1955, to the 22 production Type 5s that were built at the Vulcan Foundry at Newton-le-Willows on Merseyside. We investigate some of the myths and legends behind this iconic class, and we see Class 55s working the length and breadth of the country, working on the main lines and on preserved lines, from deepest Yorkshire to Dorset and Devon. We examine such events as 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier's momentous visit to the South Devon Railway in June 2005, as well as 55022 Royal Scot's Grey's visit to Swanage in 2009. and in this film you can savour the full experience of listening to 36 cylinders of Napier power working hard over some of the severest gradients in the country! #Class55Deltic #Napier #EnglishElectric

[@John-nw8uj]

I started my working life as a Technician Apprentice at the Vulcan works in 1964. First year in Technical Training school then out on shop floor. John.

[@a11csc]

not now 1 year there ya go lol

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

@@a11csc Most of these polluting locomotives have been cut for scrap now.

[@s1914]

I’m reading a book about Napier at the moment, it seems the brilliance of their engines is often overlooked, Deltic aside perhaps

[@12crepello]

Great video tribute to a great class. Only 18 cylinders sometimes though, never mind!!

[@andybyrne50]

How something that sounds like a bag of spanner’s,sounds so good and powerful Andy

[@flalingbashers2957]

Brilliant video unfortunately I started spotting when these beauty’s was no longer doing the ECML :

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

That’s wonderful

[@TheFilwud]

For me, this is a sad sight, watching these mighty locos trundling sedately around with only one engine running, how the mighty have fallen!

[@Megavector2022]

Me too, they are mainline powerhouses not for tootling around on preservation lines. I'm from York & they used to scare the hell out of me as a kid when I was stood next to one humming away with all that unleashed power in the early '70's at the station.

[@gedcrummey1604]

I was engineering crew on a Hunt class minesweeper for ten years and when these things stopped they sounded like a fitters toolbag being dropped down an engine room ladder!😂😂

[@stephenpowell5912]

Beautiful sound 🎼🎵🎥

[@mordokch]

Everything else just looks sad when parked next to a deltic.

[@scotydog5465]

looks like they were only using one engine you would know when both were giving it hell

[@steventhornton4716]

Did I see smoke from the wheels on 022 during the overload 🤔 could have been a very VERY expensive show off opportunity lol

[@jfrankland1991]

There is an additional exhaust outlet under the loco I believe

[@robertp.wainman4094]

A favourite exclamation of a well known ex Top Gear presenter: POWER!!!

[@kristinajendesen7111]

No surprise that our driver's got loss of hearing compensation on BR. My depot in Bournemouth it was the 33s and 47s. Imagine the hearing loss on Deltics 👂💀 😱

[@gb4408]

It might have awesome power but it has an awesome oil burning issue that might be indicative of needed rebuild. Besides those carridges wouldn't weigh that much considering the power output. Just saying

[@davidboreham]

Those engines always burned oil. I suspect it's due to their design.

[@warwicktregurtha4198]

Pretty much standard for a two stroke engine. That's why you don't see two stroke engines in motor bikes or cars nowadays.

[@markbeale7390]

​@@davidborehaminverted pistons filled with lub oil at low revs.

[@raymonddolphin3169]

Good video,but need to be a speed reader for the captions

[@robtyman4281]

...or you could just press pause?!

[@QHarefield]

I found it helpful to pause the vid each time they came up.

[@samanthaoffer3502]

Exjrayways Real

[@kieronbower8549]

so none of those shitty deltics were running on both engines. end the one at the beginning with the class 37 all we could hear was a class 40

[@trainguy7261]

They don't look very environmentally friendly.

[@classictraction]

Not really an issue when they were built in 1955 / 1961 !

[@astragreen]

Not another indoctrinated brainwashed fool!...

[@astragreen]

Where is the 'clean' power going to come from? Perhaps the wind will be useful to push trains around, how about no trains no cars no lorries no ships no aircraft back to the good old days of horse and cart, while the rest of the world continues with oil western woketopia will destroy itself!...

[@johnfrench1682]

yep all they were was a double version of the class 40 english electric diesel engine only the deltic had 2 giving it double the horse power of the 40's why you say 36 cyclinders as she had 2 engines working together BR got rid of them as they were to powerful not needed on passanger traffic which was all they done should of been at are depot hauling these fucking heavy liners ;-)

[@johnfrench1682]

but then we got the class 86 electric locos they were a dream to drive power was no problem pull anything.

[@johnfrench1682]

and the best was no noise just the coolers running and fucking stink of diesel fumes loved the 86's a dream to work with compared to those bloody stinking diesels

[@ystadskane6031]

The engines used in the 2 classes of loco were different. The class 40s had English Electric 16SVT engines, whereas the 55s had Napier deltic (2stroke) engines.