The British Rail Class 23 were a class of ten Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives built by the English Electric Company (EE) in 1959. The power unit used was a Napier Deltic T9-29 9-cylinder engine of driving an EE generator, which powered the four traction motors. They were numbered from D5900 to D5909. The T9-29 diesel engine was a single, half-sized version of those used in the more powerful British Rail Class 55 'Deltic' locomotives, and the overall design and external appearance of the Class 23 was also similar to the Class 55, but much shorter, leading to their nickname of Baby Deltics. Introduction and service history On initial completion, the first locomotives were found to weigh over the specification weight of . A programme of lightening was begun: some of this involved cutting circular lightening holes into the bogie frames, and replacing steel buffer beams or roof panels with aluminium. Much of the over-weight was due to ancillary components, particularly the train-heating steam generators, being supplied over weight. To avoid waste, these components were replaced by lighter versions from other makers, but the heavier originals were then used in the Class 20 and Class 40 locomotives. The lightened locomotives eventually met British Rail's approval, but only after a painstaking weighing that involved specifying the amount of sand in the sandboxes and other precise details. After acceptance trials at Doncaster, they entered service between April and June 1959. They were based at Hornsey, although at weekends were usually located at Hitchin engine shed. It had been British Rail's original intention to work the locos across London on the Widened Lines but the locomotives were found to be too heavy. The first of the class was held at Vulcan Foundry whilst EE tried to reduce the weight but this could not be completed to a satisfactory standard. Operation The locomotives were put to work on King's Cross outer suburban duties such as the Cambridge Buffet Express as well as services from Kings Cross to Moorgate sub-surface platforms via the 'widened lines' (more recently, part of Thameslink). The locomotives were later banned from Moorgate because of excessive exhaust smoke in the tunnels. Other services entrusted to the class were race specials run from King's Cross to race meetings at Newmarket. Technical, design and reliability problems Initial problems with the locomotives were minor and varied, although a problem with cracking in the cylinder liner around