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British Rail Class 08 facts for kids

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British Rail Class 08
08168 at Shackerstone Station on the Battlefield Line Railway
Power type Diesel-electric
Builder British Railways: Derby Works, Crewe Works, Darlington Works, Doncaster Works and Horwich Works.
Build date 1953–1962
Configuration 0-6-0
UIC classification C
Wheel diameter 3 ft 6 in (1.067 m)
Wheelbase 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m)
Length 29 ft 3 in (8.92 m)
Width 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
Height 12 ft 8+12 in (3.87 m)
Locomotive weight 49.6 long tons (50.4 t) to
51 long tons (51.8 t)
Fuel capacity 668 imp gal (3,040 L; 802 US gal)
Prime mover English Electric 6KT
Traction motors English Electric 506, 2 off
Transmission DC generator, DC traction motors, double reduction drive
Multiple working Not originally fitted, some retrofitted with type Blue Star
Top speed 15 mph (24 km/h) or 20 mph (32 km/h)
Power output Engine: 350 hp (261 kW)
Tractive effort Maximum: 35,000 lbf (160 kN)
Train heating None
Locomotive brakeforce 19 long tons-force (190 kN)
Train brakes Vacuum, later Air & Vacuum or Air only
Career British Railways
Number 13000–13116, 13127–13136, 13167–13365; later: D3000–D3116, D3127–D3136, D3167–D3438, D3454–D3472, D3503–D3611, D3652–D3664, D3672–D3718, D3722–D4048, D4095–D4098, D4115–D4192; later 08001–08958
Nicknames Gronk
Axle load class Route availability 5 or 6 (see text)

The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel locomotive designed for shunting. It was the standard BR diesel-electric shunter. It was based on the LMS 12033 series (later TOPS Class 11). Production started in 1953 and when it finished in 1962, the class had become the most numerous of all British classes, numbering 996 in total. 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 1193.

Since their introduction, rail freight has primarily moved to fixed-rate bulk freight traffic and intermodal freight operations which reduce or remove the need for shunting, therefore only a few class 08 locomotives remain in service today.


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