# The British Deltic: What If Canada had Worked?



## trainguru (Jun 28, 2011)

Commonly Referenced, in the History of British Deltic Locomotives, is the Aborted Effort to sent DP1 (the Prototype), to Canada, for Trials (in hopes of Export Orders). It was aborted, and ended up going to London's Science Museum, and later The NRM at York. The question stands though, "What if DP1, HAD made it to the Canada?" 

We can even propose the questions, "What if DP1, Had made it to the United States of America?" "What if DP1, went to the Continent?" What if DP1, went to Australia?" "South America?" Heck, "What if Deltic, went around the World?"


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## 1905dave (Sep 18, 2016)

Probably the same route as the Krauss Maffei locomotive.

They did not have compatible air brakes so an air compressor, control stand and brake gear would have had to have been added. The underframe would have had to have been modified to accommodate a N American coupler arrangement.

If would have been competing with the EMD E-9 for a very small market, since it was geared as a passenger engine. Its freight competition would have been hood units, so it would not have been popular for the major N American market freight.

The closest equivalent unit was a double ended Baldwin baby face unit, DR-6-4-20 and there were only 6 of those built, one order and never repeated.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Interesting question. I've always thought the proto Deltic was very American looking. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't deliberately styled like that for that very reason. The only departure from N.American practise was the 'double ended' configuration meaning you didnt need to turn it on termination of a passenger service. Maybe that was the reason it was never offered, US railroads at that time were suffering a severe downturn in Passenger numbers due to cheap air travel and freight service had no need for this feature.


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