UTA AEC

Following the end of World War II, most railways throughout the world were looking to either update their fleet of steam locomotives with new and more economical designs or look towards alternatives, which for many meant a programme of dieselisation. The main considerations were the rising cost of coal against diesel oil and the weight of the trains causing wear and tear on the track. In looking to the dieselisation of their system the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) made early inroads with small, lightweight diesel units, based on those built for the Great Western Railway in England, using the same manufacturers to supply parts and undertaking construction in their own workshops.

History

AEC (Associated Equipment Company Limited) of Southall, London were a well known bus chassis, engine and body builders responsible for many types of London's famous red buses. They also provided engines for many diesel railcars built for, or by, the Great Western Railway and later British Railways. In the early 1950s, with dieselisation being undertaken on the GNR(I) and the UTA systems, their products were supplied to both companies.