13002 Diesel Shunter

13002 was one of the first batch, of what was to become the British Railway's Class 08 Diesel Shunter, built at Derby in 1952. A development of the London Midland & Scottish Railway's 1939 collaboration with English Electric. 13002 was out-shopped from Derby in the standard British Railway's black steam livery of the time, and by February 1954 was allocated to Bristol Bath Road depot, along with 13000, 13001 and 13003. Renumbered to D3002 in 1959, and then 3002 in 1968, after the end of steam on B.R., when there was no need for the "D" Diesel prefix to be retained. 13000 is preserved at the Barrow Hill Round House, and is currently being re-built.

In 1972, 3002 was sold off by British Rail to Foster Yeoman (Dulcote) Ltd. at Merehead Stone Terminal, Cranmore near Frome in Somerset. Further development of the terminal, originally opened in 1970, necessitated Foster Yeoman to provide its own motive power to shunt the extensive and still developing rail network in the terminal area. 3002 was joined in May 1973 by 3003, and 08 032 also arrived in 1975 from Derby, and was the only one of the trio to have carried a British Rail T.O.P.S. number, having been re-numbered from 3044.

By 1982 further developments had taken place at Merehead and 3002 and 3003 were replaced by a large and much more powerful American "Switcher" locomotive. 3003 was placed on "Display" in a local children's playground at Wanstrow, but was cut up in December 1991; and 3002 was sold to the Plym Valley Railway. On 9 July 1982 the locomotive was delivered by rail, via Westbury, to Plymouth and was taken through the old Marsh Mills Station and up into the adjacent Marsh Mills Clay Driers for storage. Due to various problems it was a few years before the locomotive was transferred by road onto the P.V.R. site. Until the early 1990's the locomotive retained its Yeoman blue livery, Dulcote name and No. 11, before being re-painted back into her original black livery and re-numbered back to 13002.

For many years 13002 was the only operational locomotive on the railway, and virtually built the railway. She was used on many stock movements, both arrivals and departures to and from site, and of course engineering trains to actually construct the line. She proved invaluable in the construction of the complex at Marsh Mills North Junction, and in testing the track afterwards.

The steel cross beam under the cab of 13002 is actually stamped 1944, so somebody must have been either storing some war-time metal for several years in the back of Derby works; or the frames were actually started well before British Railway's existed and the order placed for the 08's, perhaps for some more shunters for the L.M.S. Railway were started but never finished. 13002 must also be one of the few diesels locomotives in existence with G.W.R. type lamp brackets. These being in line with the track, as opposed to the rest of the brackets on the railway which are turned 90^o to the rail.

13002 at the top of K2	13002 and the D.M.U. in the platform	13002 and the D.M.U. south of the platform
Going north with the D.M.U.	13002 crossing the repaired Shearwood Plantation Bridge.	Albert hauling the D.M.U. and 13002 up K2. Dec. 2007.