Class Locomotives

Mainly covering the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, this collection of images offers a fascinating survey of one of the iconic locomotives of twentieth-century Britain: the Class 40. A common sight in Scotland and the north of England in the latter part of the century, the Class 40 continues to capture the imagination of railway enthusiasts everywhere. Used to haul both heavy freight and passenger trains, this book captures a locomotive at the peak of its powers, with previously unpublished images showing Class 40s both at work and rest.The vast majority of the photographs in this book were taken by the late Keith Holt. He was brought up in West Yorkshire and, like many youngsters at that time, developed an interest in railways as he cycled around the West Riding to visit places of interest. He always took photographs, including many of the iconic Class 40 locomotives. This book serves as a fitting tribute to his longstanding interest in the railways, and reflects the varied work carried out by the Class 40.

The Class 56 heavy freight locos were first introduced in the late 1970s. The first batch was built in Romania, followed by a second batch built in the UK. Featured here are photos from 1980 to 2017 that include most locos of the class and cover all parts of England and Wales where they worked. Coal, steel, petroleum, stone, engineers and mixed freight workings are covered, as well as some passenger trains. Liveries included are BR blue, large logo blue, early Railfreight greys, Railfreight Sectors (coal, steel and stone), Transrail, Loadhaul, EWS, DCR and Colas, plus some odd one-off liveries. This book shows the progression of the class through the years as they have moved between different areas.

The Class 47 was built between 1962 and 67 as the Brush Type 4 by both Brush Traction and British Railways Crewe works, eventually numbering 512 examples. The Class soon was to be seen working all types of trains across the network; although it was not without its problems, the most major resulting in the derating of the engine to 2580 bhp. Today, a small number of 47s remain in mainline service although generally on relatively light duties compared to that which they once worked, and further examples have entered preservation. By the 1990s and the privatisation of British Rail, considerable numbers were being withdrawn as life expired and many of those remaining were becoming increasingly unreliable. In 1997 the newly formed operator Freightliner decided to begin to address the problem by rebuilding twelve locos with secondhand General Motors engines (the Sulzer power unit being one of the biggest weaknesses) and alternators. The body and running gear remained the same and the locomotives were classified as 57. These were very successful, and remain in service today with DRS and West Coast Railways. Ross Taylor explores the history of these two fascinating classes through his compilations of excellent photography and annotation.

English Electric Class 20 locomotives once operated over virtually the entire rail network of Scotland. They were introduced to the Highlands in the late 1950s and are probably best remembered for working local freight traffic or working in pairs pulling coal trains in the Central belt. This book covers Class 20s from the BR era up to recent freight operations, and many locations across the country are featured. With a wealth of previously unpublished images, this book will delight Scottish rail enthusiasts both young and old.

Since their introduction in the 1950s, the Class 08, the most common type of British Rail shunter, has been found in almost every area of the UK. These machines carried out the shuntings and movements around stations and yards, with most depots carrying an allocation. A number have survived into preservation, but at one time more than 200 could be found in Scotland. This book covers 08s from the BR era through privatisation and beyond, and features a range of different locations around Scotland. With a wealth of previously unpublished images, this book will delight Scottish rail enthusiasts both young and old.

In 1987 British Rail decided it needed a new class of AC electric locomotive for use on the West Coast Main Line. The idea was that this class would help eliminate the Class 85 locomotives and would be used on both freight and passenger workings. Fifty members of the class were built at Crewe Works, alongside the Class 91 locomotives that were built for the East Coast Main Line. The Class 90s were designed to be able to work with a Mk 3 DVT, which also eliminated the need to run round at terminal stations. The first twenty-five members were delivered in InterCity Swallow livery, the following eleven in InterCity Mainline livery, allowing them to be used on passenger and freight workings, with the final fourteen members delivered in Railfreight Speedlink livery being predominantly freight locomotives. Most of the class are still in use today, with fifteen still used on passenger workings out of Norwich and the remainder in use with DB Cargo or Freightliner. This book tells the story of the Class 90s.