Class 33

The British Rail **Class 33** also known as the **BRCW Type 3** or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962.

A total of 98 Class 33s were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) and were known as "Cromptons" after the Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment installed in them.Like their lower-powered BRCW sisters (BR Classes 26 and 27), their bodywork and cab ends were of all steel construction. They were very similar in appearance to class 26/27 locos, but carried Southern Region two-digit headcode blinds between the cab windows.

The original (1957) number sequence was D6500–D6597.

This class of locomotive have held many class coads: *33/0* (D15/1, 15/6 and KA), *33/1* (KB), *33/2* (D15/2, 15/6A, KA-4C)

## Accidents and incidents

* On 23 March 1960, locomotive D6520 was hauling a freight that was derailed between Burghclere and Highclere, Hampshire.
* On 5 March 1964, locomotive D6502 was hauling a freight train when it ran through signals at Itchingfield Junction, West Sussex and was in a rear-end collision with a freight train. Two people were killed. Damage was so extensive that the locomotive was cut up on site.
* On 30 September 1966, locomotive D6535 was hauling a freight train that overran signals and was derailed by trap points at Wallers Ash, Hampshire.
* In 1968, locomotive D6576 was involved in a collision at Reading, Berkshire. Following recovery to Eastleigh Works and examination, it was considered uneconomical to repair and was cut up for spares.
* On 4 January 1969, locomotive No. D6558 was hauling a parcels train that was run into by a passenger train at Marden, Kent.
* On 28 July 1971, locomotive No. 6561 was hauling a parcels train that was derailed at Guildford, Surrey.
* In September 1975, locomotive No. 33 041 was involved in an accident in London and was consequently written off.
* On 11 October 1977, locomotives No. 33 036 and 33 043 were hauling a freight train that was derailed at Mottingham, London. Due to damage sustained, 33 036 was withdrawn from service and scrapped.
* On 25 February 1979, locomotive No. 33 115 was hauling a passenger train which was involved in a collision with an engineers' crane near Hilsea. One person was killed in the accident. 33 115 was out of traffic until 1980.
* On 24 March 1987, a freight train overran a signal at Frome North Junction, Somerset. Locomotive No. 33 032 was hauling a passenger train that was in a head-on collision with the freight train (hauled by 47 202). Fifteen people were injured, some seriously.

## References

1. ↑ "Class 33 – Overview". *Southern E-Group (SEMG)*. Retrieved 16 February 2007.
2. ↑ Class 33 – Technical Details, Southern E-Group (SEMG), http://www.semgonline.com/diesel/class33\_dat.html
3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 Traction Recognition, Colin J. Marsden, Ian Allan Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7110-3277-4
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bishop, Bill (1984). *Off the Rails*. Southampton: Kingfisher. pp. 65–68, 83–87. ISBN 0-946184-06-2
5. ↑ Earnshaw, Alan (1991). *Trains in Trouble: Vol. 7*. Penryn: Atlantic Books. p. 44. ISBN 0-906899-50-8.
6. ↑ Trevena, Arthur (1981). *Trains in Trouble: Vol. 2*. Redruth: Atlantic Books. p. 33. ISBN 0-906899-03-6.
7. ↑ Hoole, Ken (1983). *Trains in Trouble: Vol. 4*. Redruth: Atlantic Books. pp. 44–45. ISBN 0 906899 07 9.
8. ↑ Butlin, Ashley. *Diesels and Electrics for scrap*. Penryn: Atlantic Books. p. 30. ISBN 0-906899-27-3.
9. ↑ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT\_Hilsea1979.pdf
10. ↑ Vaughan, Adrian (2003) [2000]. *Tracks to Disaster*. Hersham: Ian Allan. pp. 10–11. ISBN 0-7110-2985-7.
11. ↑ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/DoT\_Frome1987.pdf