Sentinel Gyroscopic Loco

One of the more unusual locomotives to grace the colliery railways of North Tyneside, was the experimental Sentinel Gyroscopic locomotive. The locomotive was a joint project, finished in 1956, with the electro-gyroscopic power plant being made by Oerlikon in Switzerland and the drive, chassis and body by Sentinel. It had charging points inside its shed at Seaton Deleval, at various stages alongside the track and at New Hartley pit where it was employed as a shunter. It wasn't as powerful as the 19th century steam shunters it replaced and was laid aside by 1965 when it was converted by the NCB into a conventional diesel locomotive and dispatched to Lofthouse colliery Yorkshire.

Photos courtesy of Billy Embleton