AK 43 (Alan Keef Ltd.)
The Alan Keef Years
Several locos derived from Simplex
designs have been built in the years since the locomotive side of the business
of Simplex Mechanical Handling Ltd. was sold to Alan Keef Ltd. These designs are
still available today.
40S
The last locomotive to be built to
an order placed with Simplex Mechanical Handling was a 40SD for Butterley
Building Materials Ltd., for use at their Cherry Orchard and Star Lane
Brickworks near Southend in Essex. This loco was built by Alan Keef for SMH but
was given a number in the SMH series - 40SD530. It was identical in appearance
to the SMH-built locos. This locomotive was built entirely at the new works at
Lea Line near Ross-on-Wye.
In 1987, Alan Keef received an
order for another 40S loco (Alan Keef w/n 26) from Butterley but this time the
frame was extended rearward in order to fit a modern and roomy driver's cab.
Alan Keef's own style of bodywork was also fitted. Other innovations were a
hydraulically operated clutch and with the extra space in the cab, the old style
brake wheel was reinstated in place of the lever. Another of the type was built
for the same firm in 1988 (Alan Keef w/n 28) but this time the frame was
lengthened in both directions to make it appear more evenly balanced.
60S
60SD757 was built to an order from
Simplex Mechanical Handling and work commenced at Alan Keef's Cote site but was
completed after the move to Lea Line in 1986. This loco was destined for Ghana
Bauxite, was 3-ft 6-in gauge and weighed 6-Tons.
Three other locomotives have been
built to the basic 60S design although the appearance of the first two of these
was unlike any 60S before, having full length running boards, wide bodywork and
buffer beams that were wider than the frames. Both were 3-ft 6-in gauge locos
for Nigeria, w/n 29 of 1988 and w/n 36 of 1990. The third and latest 60S type to
be built was w/n 43, which was exported to Guyana for use by the Guyana Sugar
Corporation. All had Perkins engines.
AK 43 (Alan Keef Ltd.)
85S
This type was based on the old
9-Ton frame types which were latterly known as 85S. Only one of these locos has
been built by Alan Keef Ltd., this being w/n 37 of 1990, built for Chemicals
& Fertilisers of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. It was fitted with a Perkins 6-354
engine although an Alan Keef sales leaflet of the time quoted a Ford BSD444T of
90 B.H.P.
U-Series
Two of these were built (AK 24
& 25) in 1988 for Kyung Dong Coal Mine in Korea. Both had Deutz F6L912(W)
engines of 90 H.P. with hydrostatic transmission and weighed 10 Tons.
AK 25 outside the offices at Lea Line (Ken Scanes).
Rebuilds
As well as building new locos of Motor Rail and their own designs, Alan Keef Ltd. continue to overhaul and rebuild old Motor Rail locos for various customers and have dealt with many types over the years including two T-Series locos that were purchased from British Coal and overhauled and sold for use in the building of the Channel Tunnel. One of these locos, having been bought back by Alan Keef, was rebuilt in 2000 for use as a passenger loco on the Leighton Buzzard Railway. It was given works number 59R.