D9534

Diesel Dilemmas - top page

Class 14 Exports - top page

This locomotive saw industrial service at APCM, Hope, Derbyshire, along with D9505, from September 1968 until May 1975.  However, on page 227 of the July 1973 RO it records that D9534 was out of use and had had parts removed to keep D9505 working.

On 5th May 1975 both departed Hope by rail for Harwich where they have been reported as arriving on 10th July. This though is contrary to a report from the Ipswich Transport Society that D9505 and D9534 were towed through Ipswich by 37044 on 10th May as 9X35 on their way to Harwich. This does though suggest that they may have spent a short time elsewhere, possibly Whitemoor Yard where they were photographed. Perhaps they also spent time at Harwich after arrival which explains the 10th July date. Any sightings during this period would be welcomed.  D9534 was transported by sea from Harwich to Belgium and moved to SA Sobemai, Maldegem, near Bruges.  What subsequently became of it remains a mystery.

An extract from a report submitted to the IRS about a visit to SA Sobemai on 1st May 1976 is shown below.

This does suggest that at the time D9534 was being overhauled for export to Italy.  It is though possible to interpret the information differently, particularly in light of the earlier report that parts had been removed whilst at Hope.  However, in light of photographic evidence suggesting its wheelsets were subsequently used for D9505, possibly it was actually having further parts removed at the time of the visit rather than being overhauled.   It is presumed the information about "being overhauled, SOLD to Italy" then appeared in an IRS Bulletin or elsewhere but as yet the place of publication has not been identified.  It being shown as such in 'Locomotive Directory (D. C. Strickland)' published in 1983.

By 1987 the IRS in '3BRD' were recording it as "sold to an industrial user near Milan, Italy".  Interestingly, as a result of enquiries made in 2018,  we were told by SA Sobemai, that D9534 went to a terminal to shunt Ambrogio Transporti S.P.A. wagons, although its not clear that was who it was sold to.  Reggio Emilia was mentioned in the conversation but no reference to Ambrogio having an involvement there has so far emerged.  Ambrogio do have a site at Gallarate, Lombardy which is roughly 25 miles north west of Milan, but this appears not to have opened until 1984.  They also have a site at Candiolo, on the outskirts of Turin. Subsequent enquiries were made with Ambrogio Transporti S.P.A. who stated they had never owned the locomotive.  However, Ambrogio Transporti S.P.A., although an Italian firm, do have a terminal at Mechelen, just north of Brussels.  Perhaps something has been lost in interpretation and the locomotive involved was actually D9505 and it initially moved to Mechelen, before passing on to Moerbeke-Waas sugar factory a few years later.

Italian Board of Trade documents documents seen by those researching this topic indicate that during 1976 & 1977 no locomotives were imported from any Benelux companies. However, these documents indicate that during 1976 a 50 ton locomotive was imported from and also exported back to Switzerland.   Could it be this was D9505 or D9534 with a Swiss company acting as intermediary? That being the case, the locomotives stay in Italy was short lived and perhaps it subsequently saw use in Switzerland or was exported elsewhere from there or returned to Italy later.

By 2000 the IRS in '5BRD' were recording it as "working at a steelworks in the Brescia area by May 1997". This suggests that if it was originally at Gallarate or Candiolo it had been sold on and left there by 1997. Intriguingly the IRS in '6BRD' add "extant June 2003" and in '7BRD' "scrapped October 2005". These references suggest someone knew were it was located between 1997 and 2005 and was keeping tabs on it. If that was you or you know who that was please could you make contact.  It should be noted though that the locomotive is not listed in Deutsche Lokomotiven in Italien by Frank Glaubitz and Micheal Ulbricht published in 2003 and the authors, despite having extensive knowledge of industrial railway sites in Italy have no knowledge of the locomotive what so ever. Similarly, no British enthusiast that has made contact and has visited Italy searching for Ex BR Diesel Shunting Locomotives Exported to Italy has ever reported seeing or knowing anything about the whereabouts of this locomotive.

However, an alternative and more credible explanation as to why no substantiated information about D9534 has emerged is that it was scrapped in Belgium in 1976.    Lack of any subsequent substantiated sighting after 27th June 1976 does suggest this.  Perhaps it was the intention for one of D9505 or D9534 to got to Italy but that fell through, the overhauled locomotive then being sold on for use in Belgium.

Sightings for D9534

Loco Location Date Seen by
D9534 (+D9505) March (precise location not noted) 05/05/1975 Derek Woodridge
D9534 (+D9505) Passed through Ipswich hauled by 37044 as 9X35 10/05/1975 Ipswich Transport Society
D9534 SA Sobermai, Maldegem, near Bruges, Belgium 01/05/1976 IRS visit report
D9534 SA Sobermai, Maldegem, near Bruges, Belgium 27/06/1976 IRS visit

 

This page is maintained by Peter Hall.