Corby Quarries 22 (DL83) 0-6-0DH RR 10271/1967

This locomotive was delivered new, Works No. 10271, to Stewarts and Lloyds Minerals Ltd., Corby Quarries (Northamptonshire) on 12th October 1967. It became Stewarts and Lloyds' 22 although, interestingly, as the loco - and two similar ones, 21 (RR 10270) and 23 RR10272) - was only on hire, S & L were not allowed to paint the number on the loco's body. Instead they had to resort to the running number painted on plates which were hung from the handrails!

The three Rolls Royce Sentinel diesels were on a loan basis whilst the Rolls Royce company were developing and building a proposed fleet of 'Steelman' locomotives to replace the steam locos in the quarries, which were a 650 hp, 6 wheel cardan shaft driven development of the existing Rolls Royce Sentinel design. Although the development had reached the stage where the prototype 'Steelman'(RR 10265) had been delivered (incidentally, on the same day as loco 22), and three standard 0-6-0DH Rolls Royce Sentinels had been loaned as 'stop gap' motive power, the whole project was stopped in its tracks by the sudden availability of nearly new redundant Swindon built Type 1 (Class 14) 0-6-0 diesel hydraulic locomotives which had been declared surplus by BR (eg. The ISTG's D9520 and D9516/23 also preserved at NVR).

Trials with the ex BR 650 hp locos (D9529 at Buckminster Quarries in August 1968 and D9539 at Corby in October 1968) had proved satisfactory and S & L were able to purchase 23 machines at a 'knock-down' price - the cost of them being, apparently, around the cost of one 'Steelman'! Three more 'Steelman' locos which were in an advanced state of construction were eventually delivered to Corby (RR 10273/4/5) and the loan arrangement for the three standard Rolls Royce Sentinels, understandably, changed to a hire arrangement! As the ex BR and 'Steelman' locos 'came on stream', the trio of less powerful standard 325hp locos were used less and eventually became surplus to requirements.

In June 1971, 22 was sold to London Transport and after some refurbishment at Corby by the manufacturer's engineers, the loco, as was the normal practice at that time, travelled over the BR Midland mainline to London under its own power. For use on London Transport, the loco was modified with low-level couplings and the fitting of a 'tender' by removing the rear buffers. It was allocated to Lillie Bridge Depot for ballast train working and carried London Transport No. DL83. It remained in service with London Transport until a failure in May 1989, which resulted in its withdrawal from service.

In March 1994 the locomotive was offered for sale and purchased by a NVR member, arriving at Wansford on14th July 1994. The loco has since been restored to full working order, including the fitting of both air and vacuum braking systems. Its diesel engine, the RR 8-cylinder, supercharged, C8SFL, is the same basic unit as fitted in the ISTG's Rolls Royce Barabel and in Birch Coppice No. 11 which is also preserved at NVR. At the time of its preservation, the loco was restored in its London Transport livery as DL83, due to obligations made at purchase, although it is intended to resume its Corby Quarries identity as 22 in the future.

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