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08870 - British Rail Class 08

On 14th. May 2021 the Eastern Rail Services class 08 shunter 08870 arrived at the sidings of Gt. Yarmouth station following a major overhaul and repaint into Intercity livery, only a few shunters ever received this livery. The locomotive is serviceable and will be used to shunt vehicles at ERS' site. The driving cab will get a full refurbishment whilst on site.

 

The British Rail class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive 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, 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 Consequently, a large proportion of the class has been withdrawn from mainline use and stored, scrapped, exported or sold to industrial or heritage railways.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 network.

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 eighty examples preserved, including the first one built, they are the second most numerous class of preserved locomotive in the UK.

 

British Rail class 08

 

Power type: Diesel-electric

Builder: British Railways at -

Crewe Works

Darlington Works

Derby Works

Doncaster Works

Horwich Works

Build date: 1952–1962

Total produced: 996

Configuration:

Whyte: 0-6-0

Wheel diameter: 4 ft. 6 in. (1.372 m)

Wheelbase: 11 ft. 6 in. (3.505 m)

Length: 29 ft. 3 in. (8.92 m)

Width: 8 ft. 6 in. (2.591 m)

Height: 12 ft. 9 in. (3.877 m)

Loco weight: 49.8 to 51.8 tons

Fuel capacity: 668 gal. (3,040 litres)

Engine: English Electric 6KT

Engine output: 350 hp (261 kW)

Traction motors: 2 x DC English Electric 506

Generator: DC

Maximum speed: 20 mph (32 km/h)

 

Disposition -

In service: 100

Preserved: 82

Converted to Class 09: 10

Converted to Class 13: 6

Exported to Liberia: 5

Remainder scrapped

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Uploaded on October 3, 2021
Taken on September 29, 2021