British Rail Class 08
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The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotives built by British Railways (BR). As the standard BR general-purpose diesel shunter, the class became a familiar sight at major stations and freight yards. Since their introduction in 1952, however, the nature of rail traffic in Britain has changed considerably. Freight trains are now mostly fixed rakes of wagons, and passenger trains are mostly multiple units or have Driving Van Trailers, neither requiring the attention of a shunting locomotive. Consequently, a large proportion of the class has been withdrawn from mainline use and stored, scrapped, exported or sold to industrial or heritage railways.
As of 2020, around 100 locomotives remained working on industrial sidings and on the main British railway network. On heritage railways, they have become particularly common, appearing on many of the preserved standard-gauge lines in Britain, with over 80 preserved, including the first one built.[2]
History
The Class 08 design was based on the LMS 12033 series (later TOPS Class 11) design. There were also 26 of the near-identical but higher-geared Class 09, and 171 similar locomotives fitted with different engines and transmissions (some of which became Class 10), which together brought the total number of outwardly-similar machines to 1,193.
The pioneer locomotive, number 13000, was built in 1952 although it did not enter service until 1953.[3][4] Production continued until 1962 with 996 locomotives produced, making it the most numerous of any British shunting locomotive class,[5] and indeed, the most numerous of any British locomotive class overall.[a]
The locomotives were built at the BR's Crewe, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster and Horwich works.[6]
In 1985, three locomotives were reduced in height for use on the Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway in southwest Wales, and became Class 08/9. The remainder of the class were reclassified as sub-class 08/0. A further two were converted to 08/9s in 1987.[7]
The first locomotive to be withdrawn was D3193 in 1967. Four other 08s were withdrawn before TOPS reclassification in 1973. Withdrawals continued in subsequent decades until by the beginning of the 1990s most of the class had been withdrawn. As part of the privatisation of British Rail in the mid-1990s most of the survivors passed to EWS with some going to passenger operators for use as depot shunters. At the same time as the withdrawals, many were purchased by heritage railways.
 | This section needs to be updated. (November 2022) |
In mid-2008, EWS had over 40 class 08s in operation, with a greater number stored. Freightliner also had about five in operation, as did the locomotive company Wabtec. FirstGroup operated fewer than five; additionally, some work at industrial sidings – two for Foster Yeoman, one for Mendip Rail, one for Corus, one at ICI Wilton, two for English China Clays, amongst others. A few other businesses in the rail industry operated single examples.[2]
Exported locomotives
Sixteen English Electric 0-6-0DE 350 hp locomotives, based on the Class 11/Class 08 design but modified for 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauge, were built new and exported 1951–53 to Australia, entering service on the Victorian Railways as the F class.
Five Class 08s were exported to Liberia, numbers 3047, 3092, 3094, 3098 and 3100.[8] All five locos remain in Liberia and have been considerably robbed of parts in the intervening years.[9]
In 2007, 08 738 and 08 939 were equipped for multiple operation at Toton TMD and repainted in Euro Cargo Rail livery before being sent to France in April 2009.[10]
Operations
As the standard general-purpose diesel shunter on BR, almost any duty requiring shunting would involve a Class 08; thus the many locations where two portions of a train were merged, or where additional stock was added to a train, were hauled (briefly) by a Class 08, thus the class was a familiar sight at many major stations and terminals.
Technical description
The Class 08 design was based on the LMS 12033 series (later TOPS Class 11) design.
The engine is an English Electric (EE) 6 cylinder, 4-stroke, 6KT. Traction motors are two EE 506 motors with double reduction gear drive. The main generator is an EE 801.
Design variations
There were variations on the basic design, which were given the following TOPS design codes:
| TOPS design code | Electrical system | Max speed | Weight | Brakes | Route availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08-0AV | 90 V | 20 mph (32 km/h) | 49.8 long tons (50.6 t; 55.8 short tons) | vacuum | 5 | |
| 08-0BX | 110 V | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | |||
| 08-0CA | 90 V | 49.6 long tons (50.4 t; 55.6 short tons) | air | |||
| 08-0DV | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 49.8 long tons (50.6 t; 55.8 short tons) | vacuum | |||
| 08-0BX | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | ||||
| 08-0FA | 49.6 long tons (50.4 t; 55.6 short tons) | air | ||||
| 08-0KX | 110 V | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | |||
| 08-0LX | Scharfenberg coupler adapter fitted | |||||
| 08-0MA | 49.8 long tons (50.6 t; 55.8 short tons) | air | ||||
| 08-0NA | 90 V | fitted with Buckeye couplings | ||||
| 08-0PA | 51.0 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons) | 6 | ||||
| 08-0QA | ||||||
| 08-0RA | 110 V | |||||
| 08-0SA | 49.0 long tons (49.8 t; 54.9 short tons) |
Class 08/9
Class 08/9 locomotives were modified from the standard class by being given headlights and cut-down bodywork in which the overall height was reduced to 11’ 10" (3.61 m), for use on the Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway up to Cwmmawr. In 2007, three were used on infrastructure trains on the Manchester Metrolink.[7]
| TOPS design code | Electrical system | Max speed | Weight | Brakes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08-9AV | 90 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 49.8 long tons (50.6 t; 55.8 short tons) | vacuum brakes | 08 991 converted from 08 203 08 992 converted from 08 259 |
| 08-9CX | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual brakes | 08 993 converted from 08 592 | ||
| 08-9DA | 49.6 long tons (50.4 t; 55.6 short tons) | air brakes | 08 994 converted from 08 462 08 995 converted from 08 687 |
BR Class 13
Six Class 08 units were adapted for a specialist role at Tinsley Marshalling Yard, where there was a requirement for more powerful shunters. These locomotives were permanently coupled together in pairs as a 'master and slave' (the slave unit with its cab removed) and reclassified as Class 13. All were withdrawn by 1985.[11][12]
Fleet
| Numbers | Owners | Location | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08220 | English Electric Preservation | Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre, Ruddington | |
| 08308, 08523, 08573, 08613, 08885, 08936 | RMS Locotec | Weardale Railway, Wolsingham, County Durham |
|
| 08375 | Port of Boston, Lincolnshire | ||
| 08423, 08788, 08847, 08874 | PD Ports, Grangetown, Middlesbrough |
| |
| 08588, 08700 | Ilford Depot, London |
| |
| 08622, 08809 | Ketton Cement Works, Rutland |
| |
| 08648 | Inverness Depot, Highlands | ||
| 08754 | Wolverton Works, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire |
| |
| 08756, 08871 | Derby RTC, Derbyshire |
| |
| 08762 | Attero Recycling, Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire |
| |
| 08331 | Class 20189 | Midland Railway, Butterley | |
| 08389, 08877, 08924 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | Tremorfa Steelworks, Cardiff |
|
| 08417, 08428, 08742, 08765, 08782, 08786, 08798, 08799, 08824, 08943 | Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Chesterfield, Derbyshire |
| |
| 08500, 08578, 08602, 08802, 08818, 08892, 08904 | Worksop Depot, Nottinghamshire |
| |
| 08502, 08676, 08685, 08804 | East Kent Light Railway, Shepherdswell | ||
| 08527, 08630, 08711, 08918, 08994 | Nemesis Rail, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire |
| |
| 08623, 08682, 08714, 08879, 08905 | Hope Cement Works, Derbyshire |
| |
| 08653, 08701, 08706 | Battlefield Line Railway, Leicestershire | ||
| 08834 | Allerton Depot, Liverpool | ||
| 08865 | Central Rivers Depot, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire |
| |
| 08868 | Arriva Train Care, Crewe, Cheshire | ||
| 08872 | European Metal Recycling, Attercliffe, South Yorkshire | ||
| 08401, 08571 | Ed Murray & Sons | Hunslet Engine Company, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire | |
| 08445 | Daventry International Railfreight Terminal, Northamptonshire | ||
| 08472, 08596 | Craigentinny Depot, Edinburgh | ||
| 08615, 08823 | Shotton Works, Deesside |
| |
| 08643 | Merehead Rail Terminal, Somerset | ||
| 08669, 08724, 08853 | Doncaster Works, South Yorkshire |
| |
| 08405 | Railway Support Services | Neville Hill Depot, Leeds | |
| 08411, 08460, 08536, 08568, 08593, 08632, 08652, 08663, 08709, 08730, 08752, 08921, 08927 | Rye Farm, Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands |
| |
| 08441, 08484 | Crown Point Depot, Norwich |
| |
| 08480, 08511 | Felixstowe Terminal, Suffolk | ||
| 08507 | Cholsey & Wallingford Railway, Oxfordshire | ||
| 08516 | Arriva Train Care, Bristol Barton Hill | ||
| 08580 | Garston Car Terminal, Liverpool | ||
| 08670 | Bescot Yard, West Midlands | ||
| 08683 | Eastleigh East Yard, Hampshire | ||
| 08703 | Willesden Euroterminal Stone Terminal, Greater London | * Carries the name Jermaine | |
| 08738 | Chasewater Railway, Staffordshire | ||
| 08846 | Tyseley Depot, Birmingham |
| |
| 08899 | Whitemoor Yard, March, Cambridgeshire |
| |
| 08939 | Springs Branch Depot, Wigan, Greater Manchester | ||
| 08410, 08598, 08600, 08774, 08912 | AV Dawson | Ayrton Rail Terminal, Middlesbrough |
|
| 08418, 08485, 08678 | West Coast Railways | Carnforth Depot, Lancashire |
|
| 08442, 08735, 08810 | Arriva UK Trains | Arriva Train Care, Eastleigh, Hampshire |
|
| 08447 | Russell Logistics | Assentra Rail, Hamilton, Glasgow | |
| 08451 | Alstom | Arlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh, Hampshire | |
| 08454, 08721 | Widnes Technology Centre, Cheshire | ||
| 08611, 08696 | Wembley Depot, Greater London | ||
| 08617 | Oxley Depot, Wolverhampton |
| |
| 08764, 08887, 08954 | Polmadie Depot, Glasgow | ||
| 08790 | Longsight Depot, Greater Manchester |
| |
| 08483, 08780 | Locomotive Services Limited | Crewe Diesel Depot, Cheshire |
|
| 08631 | Weardale Railway, Wolsingham, County Durham | ||
| 08737 | Southall Depot, Greater London |
| |
| 08499 | Transport for Wales | Canton Depot, Cardiff |
|
| 08525, 08690, 08908, 08950 | East Midlands Railway | Neville Hill Depot, Leeds |
|
| 08530 | Freightliner | Hunslet Engine Company, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire | |
| 08531 | Felixstowe Terminal, Suffolk | ||
| 08575, 08785 | Nemesis Rail, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire | ||
| 08585 | Southampton Maritime, Hampshire |
| |
| 08624 | Trafford Park Terminal, Greater Manchester |
| |
| 08691, 08891 | Ipswich Yard, Suffolk |
| |
| 08567 | Arlington Fleet Services | Arlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh, Hampshire | |
| 08605, 08704 | Riviera Trains | Knottingley Depot, West Yorkshire |
|
| 08616 | West Midlands Trains | Tyseley Depot, Birmingham |
|
| 08805 | Soho Depot, Birmingham |
| |
| 08629 | Europhoenix | Eastleigh East Yard, Hampshire | |
| 08641, 08644, 08836 | Great Western Railway | Laira Depot, Plymouth |
|
| 08645 | Long Rock Depot, Penzance, Cornwall |
| |
| 08822 | St Philips Marsh Depot, Bristol |
| |
| 08649 | Meteor Power | Wolverton Works, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire |
|
| 08650, 08933 | Mendip Rail | Whatley Quarry, Somerset | |
| 08787, 08947 | Hunslet Engine Company, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire |
| |
| 08743, 08903 | SembCorp Utilities | Wilton, Middlesbrough |
|
| 08783, 08913 | European Metal Recycling | Kingsbury Recycling Plant, Warwickshire | |
| 08850 | North Yorkshire Moors Railway | ||
| 08925 | GB Railfreight | HNRC, Worksop Depot, Nottinghamshire | |
| 08934 | Whitemoor Yard, March, Cambridgeshire |
| |
| 08937 | Bardon Aggregates | Meldon Quarry, Devon |
|
| 08948 | Eurostar | Temple Mills Depot, Greater London | |
| 08956 | LORAM | Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Chesterfield, Derbyshire | |
| 08757, 08922 | Unknown | Rye Farm, Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands |
|
| 08784 | Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre, Ruddington | ||
| 08795 | Landore Depot, Swansea | ||
| 08825 | Bescot Yard, West Midlands | ||
| 08870 | Great Yarmouth, Norfolk | ||
Preservation
Continuing in its designed-for role as a shunter, the Class 08 has been found useful by numerous heritage railways in the UK. With over 70 examples preserved,[2] they are the second most numerous class of preserved locomotive in the UK.
Models
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2012) |
Several manufacturers have produced models of Class 08 shunters. In OO scale, Wrenn, Tri-ang, Hornby Railways and Bachmann Branchline all produced models. Lima also produced a model in several different liveries, but it was of the near-identical Class 09.
Since 2000, both Bachmann Branchline and Hornby have released much more detailed models, in a variety of liveries and with a variety of appropriate detail variations.
In British N Gauge, Graham Farish produced a relatively crude all-metal version, made in England, lacking outside frames and with a too-wide bonnet that was discontinued in 2007. A more detailed version with outside frames and a scale-width diecast bonnet was unveiled 2008 under the brand Graham Farish by Bachmann following the sale of the company.[16]
Notes and references
- ^ "Preface, General Data". Diesel Engine Instruction and Maintenance Manual. Strand, London: English Electric. p. Instruction 701/9/1/1, Instruction 703/10/2/1–703/10/2/2.
- ^ a b c Fleet status (subsection Class 01-14) wnxx.net Archived 20 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ BR Standard 0-6-0 Diesel-Electric Shunting Locomotive Railway Gazette 19 June 1953 pages 704/705
- ^ New Standard Shunter Diesel Railway Traction July 1953 pages 149-151
- ^ British Rail in the 1980s and 1990s: Diesel Locomotives and DMUs, page 13, Kenny Barclay, Amberley Publishing Limited, 2017
- ^ Marsden, Colin J. (1981). The Diesel Shunter – A Pictorial Record. Oxford: Oxford Publishing. ISBN 978-0-86093-108-9.
- ^ a b British Railways Class 08 Diesel Electric 0-6-0 Shunter No. D3759 / 08 993 Archived 28 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
- ^ A brief look at the diesel locomotives built by Derby Locomotive Works from 1932–1967 derbysulzers.com
- ^ [1] June 2010 Update
- ^ Class 08s in France Today's Railways Europe issue 162 June 2009 page 8
- ^ Marsden 1981, pp. 109–109.
- ^ Marsden, Colin J. (2018). "Locomotive Directory". Modern Locomotives Illustrated. No. 230. p. 43.
- ^ Pritchard, Robert (2022). Locomotives: The complete guide to all Locomotives which operate on the national railway and Eurotunnel networks (36th ed.). Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. ISBN 9781909431829.
- ^ "British pioneers spark new battery-powered life into centurion shunter". RailTech.com. 20 October 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ "Overhaul for West Midlands '08'". Rail Express. No. 331. December 2023. p. 21.
- ^ "Farish Class 08 diesel shunter emerges at Redhill". bachmann.co.uk. 17 May 2008. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011.
- ^ Railway Centre York: A Pictorial and Historic Survey, David Mather, Pen and Sword Transport, 2022
Further reading
- Lund, E (1980). To the last drop. Chesterfield: Longden technical Publications. ISBN 0-9507063-0-2.
- Vehicle Diagram Book No. 120 for Shunting Diesel Locomotives (PDF). Derby: British Railways Board. April 1974. 08-a, 08-b, 08-c, 08-d, 08-e, 08-f, 08-0k, 08-9d – via Barrowmore MRG.
- Williams, Alan; Percival, David (1977). British Railways Locomotives and Multiple Units including Preserved Locomotives 1977. Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-0751-2. OL 15153791M. Wikidata Q105978228.
- "D3002 saved". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. September 1982. p. 58. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
- Cooper, Basil (March 1983). "What's in an 08?". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. pp. 12–13. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
External links
