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Diesel Engines

The railway is home to four diesel engines. Number 1 Maurice the Major was specially built for the opening of the railway, but the other three have all been overhauled in our workshops.

Number 1 is a Bo-Bo diesel hydraulic and was designed and built by P.Bowers and E.Langly in 1995 specially for the opening of the railway in 1996. This locomotive hauled all the trains until the arrival of Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1997. She has been the main diesel locomotive since operations began and has run many thousands of miles. It is also the prototype diesel hydraulic system in use on all of our other diesel engines.

D1000 is a Co-Co diesel hydraulic and was built by David Curwen as scale model of the British Rail Class 52 "Western" locomotives in 1964 for the Margate Pier Railway. Since arriving here she has been re engined with hydraulic driving and braking to all 12 wheels. She has been painted in desert sand livery with cast BR lion and wheel.

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D1002 is a Co-Co diesel hydraulic and was designed by David Curwen but built by Severn Lamb for the Worthing Miniature Railway in 1967. Since arriving at RVR in a derilict state she has received a new engine, 12 wheel hydraulic drive and braking, new paintwork and much added extra detail to bring it in line with the high standard of the David Curwen built Westerns. She is painted green with small yellow ends.

D1011 is a Co-Co Petrol Mechanical and was built by David Curwen for the Audley End Railway in 1964, where she was driven by Stirling Moss the racing driver to open their railway. After many years at Audley End, she arrived in 2005 and provided much needed relief for Maurice which until that time was the main diesel loco. The original side valve engine from a Ford Anglia has recently been replaced with a diesel hydraulic system so that she is the same internally as our other diesel locomotives and she has received a full repaint. She is painted maroon with small yellow ends.

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