Class J45
The LNER class J45 was a class of four 350 hp diesel-electric shunting locomotives ordered in 1941 by Sir Nigel Gresley and built during 1944–1945.
The LNER class J45 diesel-electric locomotives were ordered on 19 February 1941 at an Emergency Board Meeting. The class J45 locomotives, later reclassified as DES1, were part of the LNER’s initiative to acquire diesel-electric shunters during World War II. This decision was made shortly before the death of Sir Nigel Gresley and aimed to improve operational flexibility, including the ability to serve as mobile generators in case of power failures due to wartime bombing.
The LNER class J45 was developed during World War II, with four locomotives constructed at the LNER’s Doncaster Works between 1944 and 1945. They were initially classified as J45 but reclassified as DES1 (Diesel Electric Shunting 1) in September 1945. A fifth locomotive, using Brush diesel-electric components, was ordered as DES2, while further orders followed after the 1948 nationalisation of British railways.
The design of the class J45 closely resembled contemporary LMS diesel shunters but incorporated LNER-standard parts where possible. Importantly, these locomotives could act as mobile generators during power failures, a capability useful during wartime bombing threats.
Originally allocated to Whitemoor Yard near March, Cambridgeshire, the class J45s primarily served in heavy shunting roles. They were also deployed at Doncaster, Stratford, and other yards for various shunting and works duties. Radio equipment was later added for remote shunting operations.
Under British Railways, they received Nos. 15000–15003 and went through successive class changes: DEJ1, then D3/9, and later 3/10. They remained in service until the late 1960s, with all withdrawn by 1967 and subsequently scrapped by 1968. No original class J45/DES1 locomotives survived into preservation.
