Clayton Type 1 (later Class 17) 900hp Bo-Bo No.D8524 in green livery with small yellow warning panels at Carnforth MPD, 08/68. It is almost unbelievable that BR hadn't learned it's lesson from ordering into production some of the unreliable Pilot Scheme designs without waiting for experience with them that they should have stopped production of the most reliable early diesels, the conservatively designed English Electric Type 1 (Class 20), for a more advanced centre cab Type 1, the Class 17's, straight off the drawing board - with disastrous consequences. Probably the most unreliable diesel design BR ever had (and that's saying something!). Alhough built between 1962 and 1965, all had been withdrawn by 1971 (though one was sold into industrial use and somehow lasted until 1982 when it was bought for preservation). Some had as short a life as 4-5 years! And even then, many spent much of their short lives in storage, such was the Class 17's unpopularity. It is telling that in 1964 BR re-adopted the Class 20 as their standard Type 1 and it re-entered production. Scanned photograph taken with a Kowa SET camera.
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