| SEK Class Λβ (WD Austerity 2-10-0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Former Λβ951 preserved as 90775 on the North Norfolk Railway. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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SEK (Sidirodromoi Ellinikou Kratous, Hellenic State Railways) Class Λβ (or Class Lb; Lambda-beta) is a class of 16 2-10-0 steam locomotives, ex-WD Austerity 2-10-0s purchased after the Second World War. All of them were previously stabled in Egypt and were transported to Greece, as part of the UNRRA mission in Greece (arrived at Thessaloniki port on 16 January 1946). They were given the class letters "Λβ" and numbers 951–966.
They were mainly allocated to the Salonika division, but hauled both freight and passenger trains (including Athens to Istanbul Expresses) all across Greece, until they were slowly replaced by diesel locomotives until the mid-1970s, being one of the last classes of steam locomotives of SEK to be withdrawn from regular service.
Preservation
A total of six Greek Austerity 2-10-0s survived the 1984-1985 steam locomotive scrappings,[1] two of which were repatriated to Great Britain. Two continued to work tourist specials out of Drama until the mid-00s whilst the remaining two were left in open storage thereby leaving just four survivors in Greece and the two repatriated examples.
| Numbers | Name | Location | Image | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WD | SEK | BR | |||
| (7)3652 | Λβ951 | 90775* | The Royal Norfolk Regiment* (formerly known as Sturdee) | Operational, North Norfolk Railway, Norfolk, England[2] | 
|
| (7)3653 | Λβ952 | — | — | Scrapped 1984–85 at Thessaloniki. | |
| (7)3654 | Λβ953 | — | — | Scrapped 1984–85 at Thessaloniki. | |
| (7)3655 | Λβ954 | — | — | Scrapped 1984–85 at Tithorea | |
| (7)3656 | Λβ955 | — | — | Dumped, Thessaloniki old depot, Greece.[3] | |
| (7)3657 | Λβ956 | — | — | Scrapped 1984–85 at Tithorea. | |
| (7)3658 | Λβ957 | — | — | Scrapped 1984–85 at Tithorea. | 
|
| (7)3659 | Λβ958 | — | — | Stored derelict at Tithorea, Greece.[4] | |
| (7)3660 | Λβ959 | — | — | Scrapped 1984–85 at Thessaloniki. | |
| (7)3672 | Λβ960 | — | Dame Vera Lynn* | Awaiting overhaul at Grosmont North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Yorkshire, England[5] | 
|
| (7)3674 | Λβ961 | — | — | Scrapped 1984-85 at Rentis Depot, Athens. | |
| (7)3677 | Λβ962 | — | — | Stored Drama. Was operational on the Drama to Xanthi line hauling tourist specials until mid 2000s.[6] | |
| (7)3678 | Λβ963 | — | — | Scrapped 1984–85 at Thessaloniki. | |
| (7)3682 | Λβ964 | — | — | Stored in Thessaloniki depot. Was operational on the Drama to Xanthi line hauling tourist specials until mid 2000s.[7] | |
| (7)3683 | Λβ965 | — | — | Scrapped 1984–85 at Tithorea. | |
| (7)3684 | Λβ966 | — | — | Scrapped 1984-85 at Thessaloniki. | |
* Name or number applied after preservation
References
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This page was last edited on 25 February 2024, at 10:03