| London Underground Battery-electric Locomotives |
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London Underground Battery-electric locomotives, most commonly known as '''battery locomotives''' are used for hauling engineers' trains, and can draw power from the Electrified Rails like a normal tube train, or run on batteries when the power is switched off. All locomotives were built to a similar design, but with a number of variations included over the years of development. The locomotives have a cab at each end and are built to the standard 'Tube' loading gauge so that they can work over all lines on the London Underground network. The are equipped with standard buffers and coupling (the buffers are either hinged or retractable), 'Ward' type couplings and 'Buckeye' couplings. They have train air brake equipment. The body sides take the form of louvres to allow ventilation around the batteries (most locomotives had four solid body panels on one side only). All body panels are hinged to allow the batteries to be removed. The original livery was Maroon, but this was changed to Yellow in the early 1980s . The traditional use of these locomotives was to haul trains as electric locomotives until they reached the area where work was to be undertaken, then (as the electrified rails would be isolated) switch to battery operation. One locomotive would be at each end of the train, this allowed the train to be reversed easily (the connections between different underground lines often require reverses on route). Early locomotives were not allowed to operated on their own as they only had a single air compressor. Twin compressors were fitted after 1964. |
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