# British Rail Class 08

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 Consequently, a large proportion of the class has been withdrawn from mainline use and stored, scrapped, exported or sold to industrial or heritage railways.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

## 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. Production continued until 1962 with 996 locomotives produced, making it the most numerous of any British shunting locomotive class, 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.
The first locomotive to be withdrawn was D3193 in 1967. Four other 08s were withdrawn before TOPS reclassification in 1973. Withdrawals continued in subsequent decades until by the beginning of the 1990s most of the class had been withdrawn.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.
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. All five locos remain in Liberia and have been considerably robbed of parts in the intervening years.
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.

## 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.
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 | 20 mph (32 km/h) | 49.8 long tons (50.6 t; 55.8 short tons) | vacuum | 5 | |
| 08-0BX | 110 V | 20 mph (32 km/h) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | 5 | |
| 08-0CA | 90 V | 20 mph (32 km/h) | 49.6 long tons (50.4 t; 55.6 short tons) | air | 5 | |
| 08-0DV | 90 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 49.8 long tons (50.6 t; 55.8 short tons) | vacuum | 5 | |
| 08-0BX | 90 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | 5 | |
| 08-0FA | 90 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 49.6 long tons (50.4 t; 55.6 short tons) | air | 5 | |
| 08-0KX | 110 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | 5 | |
| 08-0LX | 110 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | 5 | Scharfenberg coupler adapter fitted |
| 08-0MA | 110 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 49.8 long tons (50.6 t; 55.8 short tons) | air | 5 | |
| 08-0NA | 90 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 49.8 long tons (50.6 t; 55.8 short tons) | air | 5 | fitted with Buckeye couplings |
| 08-0PA | 90 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 51.0 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons) | air | 6 | fitted with Buckeye couplings |
| 08-0QA | 90 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 51.0 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons) | air | 6 | fitted with Buckeye couplings |
| 08-0RA | 110 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 51.0 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons) | air | 6 | fitted with Buckeye couplings |
| 08-0SA | 110 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 49.0 long tons (49.8 t; 54.9 short tons) | air | 6 | |

### 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.
| 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 | 90 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual brakes | 08 993 converted from 08 592 |
| 08-9DA | 90 V | 15 mph (24 km/h) | 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.

## Fleet

A full list of Class 08s operating on the National Rail network :
| 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 | 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" |
| 08375 | RMS Locotec | Port of Boston, Lincolnshire | |
| 08423, 08788, 08847, 08874 | RMS Locotec | PD Ports, Grangetown, Middlesbrough | 08423 carries the name LOCO 2 and the number "14" 08847 carries the name LOCO 1 |
| 08588, 08700 | RMS Locotec | Ilford Depot, London | 08588 carries the symbol "H047" |
| 08622, 08809 | RMS Locotec | Ketton Cement Works, Rutland | 08622 carries the symbol "H028" and the number "19" 08809 carries the number "24" |
| 08648 | RMS Locotec | Inverness Depot, Highlands | |
| 08754 | RMS Locotec | Wolverton Works, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire | Carries the symbol "H054" |
| 08756, 08871 | RMS Locotec | Derby RTC, Derbyshire | 08871 carries the symbol "H074" |
| 08762 | RMS Locotec | Attero Recycling, Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire | Carries the symbol "H067" |
| 08331 | Class 20189 | Midland Railway, Butterley | |
| 08389, 08877, 08924 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | Tremorfa Steelworks, Cardiff | 08924 carries the name CELSA 2 |
| 08417, 08428, 08742, 08765, 08782, 08786, 08798, 08799, 08824, 08943 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Chesterfield, Derbyshire | 08824 carries the name IEMD 01 |
| 08500, 08578, 08602, 08802, 08818, 08892, 08904 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | Worksop Depot, Nottinghamshire | 08602 carries the number "004" 08818 carries the name Molly and the number "4" |
| 08502, 08676, 08685, 08804 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | East Kent Light Railway, Shepherdswell | |
| 08527, 08630, 08711, 08918, 08994 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | Nemesis Rail, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire | 08630 carries the name CELSA 3 |
| 08623, 08682, 08714, 08879, 08905 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | Hope Cement Works, Derbyshire | 08682 carries the name Lionheart |
| 08653, 08701, 08706 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | Battlefield Line Railway, Leicestershire | |
| 08834 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | Allerton Depot, Liverpool | |
| 08865 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | Central Rivers Depot, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire | Carries the name GILLY |
| 08868 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | Arriva Train Care, Crewe, Cheshire | |
| 08872 | Harry Needle Railroad Company | European Metal Recycling, Attercliffe, South Yorkshire | |
| 08401, 08571 | Ed Murray & Sons | Hunslet Engine Company, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire | |
| 08445 | Ed Murray & Sons | Daventry International Railfreight Terminal, Northamptonshire | |
| 08472, 08596 | Ed Murray & Sons | Craigentinny Depot, Edinburgh | |
| 08615, 08823 | Ed Murray & Sons | Shotton Works, Deesside | 08615 carries the name UNCLE DAI 08823 carries the name KEVLA |
| 08643 | Ed Murray & Sons | Merehead Rail Terminal, Somerset | |
| 08669, 08724, 08853 | Ed Murray & Sons | Doncaster Works, South Yorkshire | 08669 Carries the name Bob Machin |
| 08405 | Railway Support Services | Neville Hill Depot, Leeds | |
| 08411, 08460, 08536, 08568, 08593, 08632, 08652, 08663, 08709, 08730, 08752, 08921, 08927 | Railway Support Services | Rye 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, 08484 | Railway Support Services | Crown Point Depot, Norwich | 08484 carries the name CAPTAIN NATHANIEL DARELL |
| 08480, 08511 | Railway Support Services | Felixstowe Terminal, Suffolk | |
| 08507 | Railway Support Services | Cholsey & Wallingford Railway, Oxfordshire | |
| 08516 | Railway Support Services | Arriva Train Care, Bristol Barton Hill | |
| 08580 | Railway Support Services | Garston Car Terminal, Liverpool | |
| 08670 | Railway Support Services | Bescot Yard, West Midlands | |
| 08683 | Railway Support Services | Eastleigh East Yard, Hampshire | |
| 08703 | Railway Support Services | Willesden Euroterminal Stone Terminal, Greater London | * Carries the name Jermaine |
| 08738 | Railway Support Services | Chasewater Railway, Staffordshire | |
| 08846 | Railway Support Services | Tyseley Depot, Birmingham | Carries the number "003" |
| 08899 | Railway Support Services | Whitemoor Yard, March, Cambridgeshire | Carries the name Midland Counties Railway/175 1839-2014 |
| 08939 | Railway Support Services | Springs Branch Depot, Wigan, Greater Manchester | |
| 08410, 08598, 08600, 08774, 08912 | AV Dawson | Ayrton Rail Terminal, Middlesbrough | 08774 carries the name ARTHUR VERNON DAWSON |
| 08418, 08485, 08678 | West Coast Railways | Carnforth Depot, Lancashire | 08678 carries the number "555" |
| 08442, 08735, 08810 | Arriva UK Trains | Arriva 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 1999 |
| 08447 | Russell Logistics | Assentra Rail, Hamilton, Glasgow | |
| 08451 | Alstom | Arlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh, Hampshire | |
| 08454, 08721 | Alstom | Widnes Technology Centre, Cheshire | |
| 08611, 08696 | Alstom | Wembley Depot, Greater London | |
| 08617 | Alstom | Oxley Depot, Wolverhampton | Carries the name Steve Purser |
| 08764, 08887, 08954 | Alstom | Polmadie Depot, Glasgow | |
| 08790 | Alstom | Longsight Depot, Greater Manchester | Carries the name LONGSIGHT TMD |
| 08483, 08780 | Locomotive Services Limited | Crewe Diesel Depot, Cheshire | 08483 carries the name Bungle 08780 carries the name Zippy and the number "D3948" |
| 08631 | Locomotive Services Limited | Weardale Railway, Wolsingham, County Durham | |
| 08737 | Locomotive Services Limited | Southall Depot, Greater London | Carries the number "D3905" |
| 08499 | Transport for Wales | Canton Depot, Cardiff | Carries the name REDLIGHT |
| 08525, 08690, 08908, 08950 | East Midlands Railway | Neville Hill Depot, Leeds | 08525 carries the name DUNCAN BEDFORD 08690 carries the name DAVID THIRKILL 08950 carries the name DAVID LIGHTFOOT |
| 08530 | Freightliner | Hunslet Engine Company, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire | |
| 08531 | Freightliner | Felixstowe Terminal, Suffolk | |
| 08575, 08785 | Freightliner | Nemesis Rail, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire | |
| 08585 | Freightliner | Southampton Maritime, Hampshire | Carries the name Vicky |
| 08624 | Freightliner | Trafford Park Terminal, Greater Manchester | Carries the name Rambo PAUL RAMSEY |
| 08691, 08891 | Freightliner | Ipswich Yard, Suffolk | 08691 carries the name Terri |
| 08567 | Arlington Fleet Services | Arlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh, Hampshire | |
| 08605, 08704 | Riviera Trains | Knottingley Depot, West Yorkshire | 08605 carries the name WIGAN 2 |
| 08616 | West Midlands Trains | Tyseley Depot, Birmingham | Carries the names TYSELEY 100/Bam Bam and the number "3783" |
| 08805 | West Midlands Trains | Soho Depot, Birmingham | Carries the name Hunslet |
| 08629 | Europhoenix | Eastleigh East Yard, Hampshire | |
| 08641, 08644, 08836 | Great Western Railway | Laira Depot, Plymouth | 08641 carries the name Pride of Laira 08644 carries the name Laira Diesel Depot/50 years 1962-2012 |
| 08645 | Great Western Railway | Long Rock Depot, Penzance, Cornwall | Carries the name St. Piran |
| 08822 | Great Western Railway | St Philips Marsh Depot, Bristol | Carries the name Dave Mills |
| 08649 | Meteor Power | Wolverton Works, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire | Carries the name Bradwell |
| 08650, 08933 | Mendip Rail | Whatley Quarry, Somerset | |
| 08787, 08947 | Mendip Rail | Hunslet Engine Company, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire | 08787 carries the number "08296" |
| 08743, 08903 | SembCorp Utilities | Wilton, Middlesbrough | 08743 carries the name Bryan Turner 08903 carries the name John W Antill |
| 08783, 08913 | European Metal Recycling | Kingsbury Recycling Plant, Warwickshire | |
| 08850 | North Yorkshire Moors Railway | North Yorkshire Moors Railway | |
| 08925 | GB Railfreight | HNRC, Worksop Depot, Nottinghamshire | |
| 08934 | GB Railfreight | Whitemoor Yard, March, Cambridgeshire | Carries the number "D4164" |
| 08937 | Bardon Aggregates | Meldon Quarry, Devon | Carries the number "D4167" |
| 08948 | Eurostar | Temple Mills Depot, Greater London | |
| 08956 | LORAM | Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Chesterfield, Derbyshire | |
| 08757, 08922 | Unknown | Rye Farm, Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands | 08757 carries the name EAGLE C.U.R.C. |
| 08784 | Unknown | Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre, Ruddington | |
| 08795 | Unknown | Landore Depot, Swansea | |
| 08825 | Unknown | Bescot Yard, West Midlands | |
| 08870 | Unknown | 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, they are the second most numerous class of preserved locomotive in the UK.

## Models

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.