Tuesday 21 January 2020

The 123-year-old Snowdon Mountain Railway to introduce hybrid locomotives

The 123-year-old Snowdon Mountain Railway has begun a programme of replacing its existing diesel locomotives with cleaner hybrid models.

Clayton Equipment Limited has been chosen as the preferred supplier to carry out the upgrade - two new locomotives will be commissioned and enter service in spring next year.

Driven by electric motors and powered by a traction battery and diesel generator, the new trains are expected to deliver significant fuel and carbon emission savings, as well as carry an extra 12 passengers.

An innovative feature will be the ability to capture energy released during braking on the descent and using this to charge the battery for the next ascent.

Mike Robertshaw, Senior Engineering Manager at Snowdon Mountain Railway said: “The existing diesel Locomotives have been the backbone of Snowdon Mountain Railway since their introduction in 1985. Investing in these two new hybrid locomotives is a great opportunity for the railway to move the fleet forward into the next generation.

"The proposal offered by Clayton allows us to push Snowdon Mountain Railway into a new era of fuel efficiency, emission reductions and take a radical step forward for the business.”