The Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain.
The function of a banker is to provide extra power on steep inclines by being added to the rear of other trains.
Bankers were also used to protect against wagons or coaches breaking away, in which case they might run in front of a train going downhill.
They largely went out of use with the introduction of advanced braking systems and diesel and electric locomotives, although banking on the Lickey Incline continues into 2010 with a pool of specialised Class 66 diesel-electric locomotives being used for the task.
The Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain. The function of a banker is to provide extra power on steep inclines by being added to the rear of other trains. Bankers were also used to protect against wagons or coaches breaking away, in which case they might run in front of a train going downhill. They largely went out of use with the introduction of advanced braking systems and diesel and electric locomotives, although banking on the Lickey Incline continues into 2010 with a pool of specialised Class 66 diesel-electric locomotives being used for the task.
MR 0-10-0 Lickey Banker