Feature

Fifty year-old coupling gets a hi-tech makeover

When the transmission coupling on its BR Class 14 locomotive, D9539, required servicing, Ribble Steam Railway went back to the original manufacturer, Renold Hi-Tec Couplings.

02/11/2013 10:23:03

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It says something about the quality of the original product that, according to the locomotive’s maintenance record, it was the first time the coupling needed servicing since the locomotive was built in 1965.

Weighing in at 50 tons, locomotive D9539 was designed by British Rail and built at Swindon works as a trip shunter for yard shunting and frequent higher-speed operations between yards. It was preserved in 1981 by the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway and was returned to working order in 1989.

From then on it was in regular operation including the inaugural service to Cheltenham Racecourse. The locomotive was purchased by Ribble Steam Railway in the summer of 2005 and arrived at its new home on 26th July.

The DCB UJ rubber-in-compression coupling transmits 650hp at 1,500rpm between a Paxman 6YJX Ventura diesel engine and the Voith hydraulic transmission, via a universal joint shaft. It is designed to tune torsional vibration within the system so that there are no torsional resonances within the operating speed range.

According to Alan Dean, Renold Hi-Tec Couplings' business development director, 'We are very pleased to have been involved in this project with Ribble Steam Railway, and there is no reason why the newly serviced coupling shouldn't go another 50 years before needing attention again.'

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.