British Rail Class 28

The BR, British Railways, Class 28 (Metropolitan-Vickers Type 2; or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known) is a type of five-axled (or Co'Bo') diesel locomotive which was built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan as a result of the End of the Steam Era in the UK (and subsequently in the United States during the same time period).
==History==
The locomotives had a unique Co'Bo' (UIC Notation) wheel arrangement (a 6-wheel bogie at one end, a 4-wheel bogie at the other) – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan. This affected their route availability, due to the different axle loading at each end of the loco, and made maintenance more complicated. The maximum tractive effort of 50,000 lbf (220 kN) was unusually high for a Type 2 locomotive but, as there were five (not four) driving axles, the risk of wheelslip was minimal.
The locomotive type was retired early due to ongoing issues with the Crossley power unit. Serious consideration was given to re-powering them with English Electric engines, as the electrical and other elements were well-regarded, but ultimately they were scrapped due to being non-standard. One (D5705) is preserved, on the East Lancashire Railway, just north of Manchester, UK.
==In Fiction==
*BoCo from The Railway Series/Thomas and Friends is based on this locomotive.
== Gallery ==
File:D5701basic.webp
File:D5702.webp
File:Millbrook Metropolitan-Vickers (later Class 28) geograph-2397690-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
File:1488262.jpg
File:WARD149-800X400.jpg.webp
File:D5715-800X400.jpg.webp
File:Barrow train - geograph.org.uk - 295466.jpg
File:P3044294773-4.jpg
Category:Diesel locomotives
Category:British Rail locomotives
Category:United Kingdom
Category:Co-Bo Locomotives
Category:Five-axled diesel locomotives
Category:1955 Modernisation Plan
Category:Non-Standard Locomotives
Category:Built in 1958
Category:Metrovicks locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Sole survivor
Category:British Rail diesel locomotives