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 Consequently, a large proportion of the class has been withdrawn from mainline use and stored, scrapped, exported or sold to industrial or heritage railways.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. wnxx.net

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.BR Standard 0-6-0 Diesel–Electric Shunting Locomotive Railway Gazette 19 June 1953 pages 704/705New Standard Shunter Diesel Railway Traction July 1953 pages 149-151 Production continued until 1962 with 996 locomotives produced, making it the most numerous of any British shunting locomotive class,British Rail in the 1980s and 1990s: Diesel Locomotives and DMUs, page 13, Kenny Barclay, Amberley Publishing Limited, 2017 and indeed, the most numerous of any British locomotive class overall.

The locomotives were built at the BR's Crewe, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster and Horwich works.

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.British Railways Class 08 Diesel Electric 0-6-0 Shunter No. D3759 / 08 993 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

The first locomotive to be withdrawn was D3193 in 1967. 31 other 08s were withdrawn before TOPS renumbering in 1973, with a further 12 having a TOPS number allotted but withdrawn before it could applied. 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.

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.

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.A brief look at the diesel locomotives built by Derby Locomotive Works from 1932–1967 derbysulzers.com All five locos remain in Liberia and have been considerably robbed of parts in the intervening years. June 2010 Update

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.Class 08s in France Today's Railways Europe issue 162 June 2009 page 8

Operations

As the standard general-purpose diesel shunter on the British rail network, almost any duty requiring shunting would involve a Class 08. The class was a familiar sight at many major stations, yards and industrial sidings where they would assemble trains and assist in many other duties such as hauling work trains.

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.

In 1955, locomotives D3117 to D3122 entered traffic fitted with Crossley 6-cyl ESNT6 engines and two Crompton Parkinson traction motors. The same year, D3137 to D3151 entered service with Blackstone 6-cyl ER6T engines and GEC traction motors, as did D3439 to D3543, D3473 to D3502, DD3612 to D3651 and D4049 to D4094. Another batch, D3152 to D3166 had Blackstone engines but BTH traction motors.

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 Vacuum5 08-0BX 110 V Dual 08-0CA 90 V Air 08-0DV Vacuum 08-0BX Dual 08-0FA Air 08-0KX 110 V Dual 08-0LX Scharfenberg coupler Adapter fitted 08-0MA Air 08-0NA 90 V Fitted with Buckeye couplings 08-0PA 6 08-0QA 08-0RA 110 V 08-0SA

Class 08/9

Class 08/9 locomotives were modified from the standard class by having headlights and lowered bodywork, with the overall height reduced to , for use on the Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway up to . In 2007, three were used on infrastructure trains on the Manchester Metrolink.

TOPS design code Electrical system Max speed Weight Brakes Notes08-9AV 90 V Vacuum08 991 converted from 08 20308 992 converted from 08 25908-9CX Dual08 993 converted from 08 59208-9DA Air08 994 converted from 08 46208 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.

Class 08e The Class 08e is a conversion of the Class 08 to battery power by company Positive Traction. The first in regular service was sold to Heidelberg Materials for their Whatley quarry.

Fleet +A full list of Class 08s operating on the National Rail networkNumbersOwnersLocationComments08220English Electric PreservationNottingham Transport Heritage Centre, Ruddington08308, 08523, 08573, 08613, 08885, 08936RMS LocotecWeardale Railway, Wolsingham, County Durham 08308 carries the number "23". In 2023 it became a battery powered prototype for Positive Traction of Chesterfield. 08613 carries the symbol "H064" 08885 carries the symbol "H042" and the number "18"08375Port of Boston, Lincolnshire08423, 08788, 08847, 08874PD Ports, Grangetown, Middlesbrough 08423 carries the name LOCO 2 and the number "14" 08847 carries the name LOCO 108588, 08700Ilford Depot, London 08588 carries the symbol "H047"08622, 08809Ketton Cement Works, Rutland 08622 carries the symbol "H028" and the number "19" 08809 carries the number "24"08648Inverness Depot, Highlands08754Wolverton Works, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Carries the symbol "H054"08756, 08871Derby RTC, Derbyshire 08871 carries the symbol "H074"08762Attero Recycling, Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire Carries the symbol "H067"08331Class 20Midland Railway, Butterley08389, 08877, 08924Harry Needle Railroad CompanyTremorfa Steelworks, Cardiff 08924 carries the name CELSA 208417, 08428, 08742, 08765, 08782, 08786, 08798, 08799, 08824, 08943Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Chesterfield, Derbyshire 08824 carries the name IEMD 0108500, 08578, 08602, 08802, 08818, 08892, 08904Worksop Depot, Nottinghamshire 08602 carries the number "004" 08818 carries the name Molly and the number "4"08502, 08676, 08685, 08804East Kent Railway, Shepherdswell08527, 08630, 08711, 08918, 08994Nemesis Rail, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire 08630 carries the name CELSA 308623, 08682, 08714, 08879, 08905Hope Cement Works, Derbyshire 08682 carries the name Lionheart08653, 08701, 08706Battlefield Line Railway, Leicestershire08834Allerton Depot, Liverpool08865Central Rivers Depot, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire Carries the name GILLY08868Arriva Train Care, Crewe, Cheshire08872European Metal Recycling, Attercliffe, South Yorkshire08401, 08571Ed Murray & SonsHunslet Engine Company, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire08445Daventry International Railfreight Terminal, Northamptonshire08472, 08596Craigentinny Depot, Edinburgh08615, 08823Shotton Works, Deesside 08615 carries the name UNCLE DAI 08823 carries the name KEVLA08643Merehead Rail Terminal, Somerset08669, 08724, 08853Doncaster Works, South Yorkshire08405Railway Support ServicesNeville Hill Depot, Leeds08411, 08460, 08536, 08568, 08593, 08632, 08652, 08663, 08709, 08730, 08752, 08921, 08927Rye Farm, Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands 08460 carries the name SPIRIT OF THE OAK 08568 carries the name St. Rollox 08927 carries the number "D4157"08441, 08484Crown Point Depot, Norwich 08484 carries the name CAPTAIN NATHANIEL DARELL08480, 08511Felixstowe Terminal, Suffolk08507Cholsey & Wallingford Railway, Oxfordshire08516Arriva Train Care, Bristol Barton Hill08580Garston Car Terminal, Liverpool08670Bescot Yard, West Midlands08683Eastleigh East Yard, Hampshire08703Willesden Euroterminal Stone Terminal, Greater London Carries the name Jermaine08738Chasewater Railway, Staffordshire08846Tyseley Depot, Birmingham Carries the number "003"08899Whitemoor Yard, March, Cambridgeshire Carries the name Midland Counties Railway/175 1839-201408939Springs Branch Depot, Wigan, Greater Manchester08410, 08598, 08600, 08774, 08912AV DawsonAyrton Rail Terminal, Middlesbrough 08774 carries the name ARTHUR VERNON DAWSON08418, 08485, 08678West Coast RailwaysCarnforth Depot, Lancashire 08678 carries the number "555"08442, 08735, 08810Arriva UK TrainsArriva Train Care, Eastleigh, Hampshire 08442 carries the number "0042" 08735 carries the name Geoff Hobbs 42 08810 carries the name RICHARD J. WENHAM/EASTLEIGH DEPOT/DECEMBER 1989 - JULY 199908447Russell LogisticsAssentra Rail, Hamilton, Glasgow08451AlstomArlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh, Hampshire08454, 08721Widnes Technology Centre, Cheshire 08721 Carries the name Ken Davies08611, 08696Wembley Depot, Greater London08617Oxley Depot, Wolverhampton Carries the name Steve Purser08764, 08887, 08954Polmadie Depot, Glasgow08790Longsight Depot, Greater Manchester Carries the name LONGSIGHT TMD08483, 08780Locomotive Services LimitedCrewe Diesel Depot, Cheshire 08483 carries the name Bungle 08780 carries the name Zippy and the number "D3948"08631Weardale Railway, Wolsingham, County Durham08737Southall Depot, Greater London Carries the number "D3905"08499Transport for WalesCanton Depot, Cardiff Carries the name REDLIGHT08525, 08690, 08908, 08950Northern TrainsNeville Hill Depot, Leeds 08525 carries the name DUNCAN BEDFORD 08690 carries the name DAVID THIRKILL