Engines from our Collection

Compiled by Gareth Jones

The Dick Kerr petrol electric locomotives were born of a time of need. With World War One raging and supply lines becoming increasingly difficult to maintain with fields turning to quagmires the answer was the lightly laid narrow gauge railways of the War Department Light Railways (WDLR). The main issue was by using steam trains close to the front lines it gave away the position of the supply lines to the opposite forces. This type of engine was one of the designs that provided a solution to this problem.

Ordered by the War Department in 1916 in two batches, one hundred were ordered from Dick Kerr Ltd and a further 100 from British Westinghouse. Built with 45hp engines and an 0-4-0 wheel arrangement, they had a secondary use too, as they could also be used as mobile generators to supply 500 volts for the mobile workshops or sawmills on the WDLR network.

Popular amongst their drivers they did have one flaw. To increase their haulage power they were fitted with very low gearing which made them quite slow and as such lacked the pace to get out of harm’s way when it came.

A noticeable design feature to protect the driver is that the cab is entered from the rear meaning the driver was more protected from the effects of shelling and the engines were often found to be working in pairs coupled back to back which further protected the drivers.

Very few of these engines survive with only two of the hundred built by Dick Kerr surviving, one at the Tacot De Lacs and the one in our collection.