British Rail Class 27

British Rail's Class 27 comprised 69 diesel locomotives built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) during 1961 and 1962. They were a development of the earlier Class 26; both were originally classified as the BRCW Type 2. The Class 27s were numbered D5347-D5415.
== Working life ==
Original allocations were D5347–D5369 to Glasgow Eastfield, D5370–D5378 to Thornaby and D5379–D5415 to London Cricklewood for Tilbury Boat trains and Cross-London freight services. In the period September to December 1963, some of the Cricklewood allocation were transferred to Leicester and in December 1965 the Thornaby allocation was also nominally transferred to Leicester to join them. Traffic changes combined with reallocation of Class 25s led to the gradual transfer of the Leicester and Cricklewood locomotives to Scotland during 1969 thus concentrating the whole class within Scotland and being part of the replacement fleet that allowed the withdrawal of the poorly performing Clayton Class 17 locomotives from traffic. For many years they were extensively used on the West Highland Line. By September 1986, the final vacuum brake only locos had been withdrawn, regular duties on passenger services had ceased and only 21 locos remained, allocated entirely to Eastfield depot. A mass withdrawal in July 1987 due to the presence of blue asbestos left 27008 as the last in service. Its final working was on 13 August and the loco was officially withdrawn on 19 August 1987. The Class 27s were actually outlived by the older Class 26s, whose less powerful engines were more reliable.
== Sub-Classes ==
* 27/0: Locomotives as built with steam heating (excluding 27024–27031)
* 27/1: Locomotives converted in 1971–1973 for push pull operation, renumbered back to 27/0 after conversion starting in 1982.
* 27/2: Locomotives converted in 1973–1976 with Electric Train Heat, renumbered back to 27/0 after conversion starting in 1982.
== Edinburgh-Glasgow push-pull operation ==
By the late 1960s, the Swindon-built Inter City DMUs operating the Edinburgh Waverley - Glasgow Queen Street express service were becoming unreliable. In 1970 the decision was made to replace them with locomotive-hauled carriages. So between 1971 and 1973, twenty-four Class 27s were fitted-up with dual (vacuum and air) brakes and reclassified Class 27/1, while 36 Mark 2 carriages (7 brake second opens, 22 open seconds, and 7 corridor firsts) swapped their vacuum-operated shoe brakes for air-operated disc brakes and were though-wired with "Blue Star" control cables to enable "top and tail" push-pull working. It was later decided that as the Mark 2 stock was dual (steam or electric) heated, to convert half the 27/1 fleet to electric train heat, by replacing the train heating boiler with a Deutz 8-cylinder, air-cooled diesel engine and alternator. The conversions were then classified as Class 27/2, and were used on one end of the train, with a 27/1 on the other.
The very intensive 90 mph (140 km/h) "push-pull" service was demanding on the locomotives and reliability started to suffer. The 27/2s, especially, appeared prone to fire damage, especially from their electric train heating alternators. The push-pull sets were replaced in 1980 by single Class 47/7s at one end of a rake of Mark 2 carriages and a DBSO. The Class 27/1s and 27/2s were then renumbered to 27/0 and could often be found on Edinburgh-Dundee semi-fast passenger services, until their replacement, briefly by Class 101 and subsequently by Class 150 Sprinter DMUs in 1987, whilst the remainder were largely used on freight.
== Accidents and incidents ==
* On 30 June 1962, locomotive D5386 was in a minor collision with a diesel multiple unit at Cricklewood carriage sidings, London due to confusion over a hand signal.
* On 25 August 1965, locomotive D5383 was heading a freight train that collided with the rear on another freight train at East Langton. It was taken to Derby Works for evaluation, but was withdrawn in January the following year.
* Locomotive 27 044 was severely damaged by fire before 5 September 1980. It was consequently withdrawn and scrapped.
== Fleet list ==
Table of locomotives
Original
D-series
No.	First
TOPS No.	Second
TOPS No.	Third
TOPS No.	BRCW
serial No.	Date built	Date withdrawn	Notes
D5347	27001	— 	— 	DEL190	Jun 1961 	Jul 1987 	Preserved
D5348	27002	— 	— 	DEL191	Jul 1961 	Jan 1986 	
D5349	27003	— 	— 	DEL192	Jul 1961 	Jan 1987 	
D5350	27004	— 	— 	DEL193	Aug 1961 	May 1986 	
D5351	27005	— 	— 	DEL194	Aug 1961 	Jul 1987 	Preserved
D5352	27006	— 	— 	DEL195	Sep 1961 	Jan 1976 	
D5353	27007	— 	— 	DEL196	Sep 1961 	Jan 1985 	Preserved
D5354	27008	— 	— 	DEL197	Sep 1961 	Aug 1987 	
D5355	27009	— 	— 	DEL198	Sep 1961 	Jul 1980 	Withdrawn due to fire damage
D5356	27010	— 	— 	DEL199	Oct 1961 	Apr 1986 	
D5357	27011	— 	— 	DEL200	Oct 1961 	Mar 1981 	
D5358	27012	— 	— 	DEL201	Oct 1961 	May 1986 	
D5359	27013	— 	— 	DEL202	Nov 1961 	Jul 1976 	
D5360	27014	— 	— 	DEL203	Nov 1961 	Sep 1986 	
D5361	27015	— 	— 	DEL204	Nov 1961 	Jan 1977 	Withdrawn due to accident damage
D5362	27016	— 	— 	DEL205	Nov 1961 	Apr 1984 	
D5363	27017	— 	— 	DEL206	Dec 1961 	May 1986 	
D5364	27018	— 	— 	DEL207	Dec 1961 	May 1986 	
D5365	27019	— 	— 	DEL208	Dec 1961 	May 1984 	
D5366	27020	— 	— 	DEL209	Jan 1962 	Apr 1986 	
D5367	27021	— 	— 	DEL210	Jan 1962 	Jun 1985 	
D5368	27022	— 	— 	DEL211	Jan 1962 	Jan 1985 	
D5369	27023	— 	— 	DEL212	Jan 1962 	May 1986 	
D5370	27024	ADB968028	— 	DEL213	Jan 1962 	Jul 1987 	Preserved
D5371	27025	— 	— 	DEL214	Jan 1962 	Jun 1987 	
D5372	27026	— 	— 	DEL215	Jan 1962 	Jul 1987 	
D5373	27027	— 	— 	DEL216	Jan 1962 	Jun 1983 	
D5374	27101	27045 	— 	DEL217	Feb 1962 	May 1986 	
D5375	27028	— 	— 	DEL218	Feb 1962 	Aug 1984 	
D5376	27029	— 	— 	DEL219	Feb 1962 	Jan 1986 	
D5377	27030	— 	— 	DEL220	Feb 1962 	Apr 1986 	
D5378	27031	— 	— 	DEL221	Mar 1962 	May 1978 	Withdrawn due to fire damage
D5379	27032	— 	— 	DEL222	Mar 1962 	May 1985 	
D5380	27102	27046 	— 	DEL223	Apr 1962 	Jul 1987 	
D5381	27033	— 	— 	DEL224	Apr 1962 	Feb 1986 	
D5382	27034	— 	— 	DEL225	Apr 1962 	Jul 1984 	
D5383	— 	— 	— 	DEL226	Apr 1962 	Jan 1966 	Withdrawn due to accident damage at East Langton, 20 August 1965
D5384	27035	— 	— 	DEL227	May 1962 	Sep 1976 	
D5385	27036	— 	— 	DEL228	May 1962 	Apr 1986 	
D5386	27103	27212 	27066	DEL229	May 1962 	Jul 1987 	Preserved
D5387	27104	27048 	— 	DEL230	May 1962 	May 1986 	
D5388	27105	27049 	— 	DEL231	May 1962 	Apr 1987 	
D5389	27037	— 	— 	DEL232	May 1962 	Mar 1986 	
D5390	27038	— 	— 	DEL233	Jun 1962 	Feb 1987 	
D5391	27119	27201 	— 	DEL234	Jun 1962 	Jan 1979 	
D5392	27120	27202 	— 	DEL235	Jun 1962 	Aug 1980 	Withdrawn due to fire damage
D5393	27121	27203 	27057	DEL236	Jun 1962 	May 1985 	
D5394	27106	27050 	— 	DEL237	Jun 1962 	Jul 1987 	Preserved
D5395	27107	27051 	— 	DEL238	Jun 1962 	Jul 1987 	
D5396	27108	27052 	— 	DEL239	Jun 1962 	Jul 1987 	
D5397	27109	27053 	— 	DEL240	Aug 1962 	May 1987 	
D5398	27039	— 	— 	DEL241	Jul 1962 	Oct 1975 	
D5399	27110	27054 	— 	DEL242	Jul 1962 	Jul 1987 	
D5400	27111	27055 	— 	DEL243	Jul 1962 	Jul 1987 	
D5401	27112	27056 	— 	DEL244	Jul 1962 	Feb 1987 	Preserved
D5402	27040	— 	— 	DEL245	Jul 1962 	Jan 1986 	
D5403	27122	27204 	27058	DEL246	Jul 1962 	May 1986 	
D5404	27133	27207 	27061	DEL247	Jul 1962 	May 1986 	
D5405	27041	— 	— 	DEL248	Jul 1962 	May 1986 	
D5406	27042	— 	— 	DEL249	Jul 1962 	May 1987 	
D5407	27114	27208 	27062	DEL250	Aug 1962 	Feb 1986 	
D5408	27115	27209 	27063	DEL251	Aug 1962 	Jul 1987 	
D5409	27116	27210 	27064	DEL252	Aug 1962 	May 1986 	27116 allocated, but never carried
D5410	27123	27205 	27059	DEL253	Aug 1962 	Jul 1987 	Preserved
D5411	27117	27211 	27065	DEL254	Sep 1962 	May 1986 	
D5412	27124	27206 	27060	DEL255	Sep 1962 	Mar 1986 	
D5413	27118	27203 	27047	DEL256	Sep 1962 	Apr 1986 	
D5414	27043	— 	— 	DEL257	Sep 1962 	Apr 1980 	Withdrawn due to fire damage
D5415	27044	— 	— 	DEL258	Oct 1962 	Jul 1980 	Withdrawn due to fire damage
== Preserved locomotives ==
Eight examples of the class have been preserved at various heritage railways in Great Britain. Two members of this class were rescued from Vic Berry's Scrapyard in the 1980s. D5410/27059 was rescued from Vic Berry's Scrapyard in September 1987  and D5401/27056 was also rescued from the scrapyard in October 1987.
Numbers
(current in bold)	Numbers
(current in bold)	Numbers
(current in bold)	Numbers
(current in bold)	Livery 	Location 	Condition
D5347	27001	 	 	BR Blue 	Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway 	Under Repairs
D5351	27005	 	 	BR Blue 	Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway 	Stored
D5353	27007	 	 	BR Green 	Watercress Line 	Stored
D5370	27024	ADB968028	 	BR Green (Yellow Warning Panels) 	Caledonian Railway (Brechin)	Serviceable
D5386	27103	27212 	27066	BR Blue 	Barrow Hill Roundhouse 	Stored, Running
D5394	27106	27050 	 	BR Green (no Yellow Warning Panels)	Strathspey Railway 	Serviceable
D5401	27112	27056 	 	BR Blue 	Great Central Railway 	Under Repairs
D5410	27123	27205 	27059	BR Green 	UK Rail Leasing, Leicester 	Under Restoration
== Gallery ==
File:27001 in Bo'ness Yard.jpg
File:Bo'ness. - geograph.org.uk - 71183.jpg
File:27001 at Bo'ness Railway Museum.jpg
File:D5401 Great Central Railway (4).jpg
File:D5401 - Leicester North (9054138911).jpg
Category:British Rail locomotives
Category:Diesel locomotives
Category:British Rail diesel locomotives