British Rail Class 08

Specifications
Specifications
Configuration:;
• Whyte	0-6-0DE
• UIC	C
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 8+5⁄8 in (3.877 m); 11 ft 9+5⁄8 in (3.597 m) (08/9)
Loco weight	49 long tons (49.8 t; 54.9 short tons) to ; 51 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons)
Fuel capacity	668 imp gal (3,040 L; 802 US gal)
Prime mover	English Electric 6KT
RPM range	300–680 rpm (D3503–D4192)
Engine type	Four-stroke inline-six diesel
Aspiration	Naturally aspirated
Displacement	5,655 cu in (92.67 L)
Generator	DC
Traction motors	DC English Electric 506, 2 off
Cylinders	6
Cylinder size	10 in (254 mm) × 12 in (305 mm) (bore × stroke)
Transmission	Diesel–electric transmission, double reduction gearing
MU working	Not originally fitted, some retrofitted with type ★ Blue Star
Train heating	None
Train brakes	Vacuum, later Air & Vacuum or Air only

Type and origin
Type and origin
Power type	Diesel–electric
Builder	British Railways:; Crewe Works; Darlington Works; Derby Works; Doncaster Works; Horwich Works
Build date	1952–1962
Total produced	996

British Rail Class 08
British Rail Class 08
	08 801 at Penzance station in 1990
Power type
Type and origin
Power type	Diesel–electric
Builder	British Railways:; Crewe Works; Darlington Works; Derby Works; Doncaster Works; Horwich Works
Build date	1952–1962
Total produced	996
Configuration:;
Specifications
Configuration:;
• Whyte	0-6-0DE
• UIC	C
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 8+5⁄8 in (3.877 m); 11 ft 9+5⁄8 in (3.597 m) (08/9)
Loco weight	49 long tons (49.8 t; 54.9 short tons) to ; 51 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons)
Fuel capacity	668 imp gal (3,040 L; 802 US gal)
Prime mover	English Electric 6KT
RPM range	300–680 rpm (D3503–D4192)
Engine type	Four-stroke inline-six diesel
Aspiration	Naturally aspirated
Displacement	5,655 cu in (92.67 L)
Generator	DC
Traction motors	DC English Electric 506, 2 off
Cylinders	6
Cylinder size	10 in (254 mm) × 12 in (305 mm) (bore × stroke)
Transmission	Diesel–electric transmission, double reduction gearing
MU working	Not originally fitted, some retrofitted with type ★ Blue Star
Train heating	None
Train brakes	Vacuum, later Air & Vacuum or Air only
Maximum speed
Performance figures
Maximum speed	15 mph (24 km/h) or 20 mph (32 km/h)
Power output	Engine: 350 or 400 hp (261 or 298 kW)
Tractive effort	Maximum: 35,000 lbf (160 kN)
Brakeforce	19 long tons-force (190 kN)
Operators
Career
Operators	British Railways; InterCity; Network SouthEast; Rail Express Systems; Freightliner; Eurostar; DB Cargo UK; GNER; National Express East Coast; East Coast; Virgin Trains East Coast; LNER; Midland Mainline; East Midlands Trains; East Midlands Railway; Arriva Rail North; Northern Trains; Harry Needle Railroad Company; Foster Yeoman; Mendip Rail
Numbers	13000–13116, 13127–13136, 13167–13365; ; later: D3000–D3116, D3127–D3136, D3167-D3365 (renumbered from above), D3366–D3438, D3454–D3472, D3503–D3611, D3652–D3664, D3672–D3718, D3722–D4048, D4095–D4098, D4115–D4192; ; later 08 001–08 958
Axle load class	Route availability 5 or 6 (see text)
Withdrawn	1967–present
Disposition	82 preserved, 10 converted to Class 09s, 6 converted to Class 13s, 5 exported to Liberia, 100 in service, remainder scrapped

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.