British Rail Class 50
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
(BR) Class 50 is a diesel locomotive
built from 1967-68 by English Electric
at their Vulcan Foundry Works
in Newton-le-Willows
. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line
between Crewe, Carlisle and Scotland. They were originally hired from English Electric Leasing, not being purchased outright by BR until around 1973. Before gaining their 50xxx TOPS
numbers these locomotives were known as English Electric
Type 4s. The class were nicknamed "Hoovers"after The Hoover Company
, the name "Hoover" being a genericized trademark
used to apply to all makes of Vacuum cleaners in the UK (sometimes shortened to "Vacs") by rail enthusiasts
because of the distinctive sound made by the inertial air-filters originally fitted. These proved unreliable, and were removed during mid-life refurbishment, but the "Hoover" nickname stuck.
-bodied DP2
locomotive.
Fifty locomotives were built, initially numbered D400-D449. All were delivered in the BR Blue livery with yellow cab fronts. From 1973 onwards, the locomotives were renumbered into the range 50001-50050, to conform with the TOPS
system. With the exception of the first-built locomotive, which was renumbered to 50050, the rest of the fleet retained the last two digits of their number.
(WCML) north of , to , , Carlisle
and . Services south of Crewe would generally be worked by an electric locomotive
, with the Class 50s taking over for the journeys that continued north. Trains were often double-headed
to deal with the steep gradients, such as Shap Summit and Beattock Summit
. Due to the original build having a high fail rate double heading also increased the reliability of this service, a joke with train crews at the time was the class 50 pairing would only have a 50:50 chance of completing the journey with no failures.
By 1974 the northern WCML was electrified, and the Class 50 fleet was displaced by new Class 87
electrics. The fleet was transferred to the Western Region
, working mainline passenger services from London Paddington along the Great Western Main Line
to destinations such as , , Bristol Temple Meads, and . It was not unusual for locomotives to work services on other routes, such as the Birmingham New Street to Bristol Temple Meads corridor. The introduction of the Class 50s on these routes enabled the last remaining, non-standard, diesel hydraulic "Westerns"
to be withdrawn.
In the late-1970s following the earlier withdrawal of the "Warships"
, BR decided to continue this naming policy, and as a result the Class 50 fleet were all named after Royal Navy
warship
s. The first locomotive naming occurred in January 1978, when 50035 was named Ark Royal in honour of the aircraft carrier
HMS Ark Royal
. The rest of the fleet was named during the course of 1978, concluding in October with 50029, which was named Renown after the Resolution-class
nuclear submarine
HMS Renown
.
From 1977, British Rail introduced the Class 253
High Speed Train
s onto the Great Western Main Line
which began the displacement of the Class 50 fleet onto other routes, such as services to Birmingham New Street from London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads. The class also found work on the West of England Main Line
from London Waterloo
to , Exeter
and . However, due in part to the over-complexity of the design, the class was plagued with reliability problems. As a result, the decision was taken in the late 1970s to refurbish the entire fleet.
Externally, the locomotives all received high-intensity headlights, which changed the appearance of the front end. Starting with 50006, the first six locomotives were outshopped in the standard BR Blue livery. However, in 1980, 50023 Howe became the first to be outshopped in a revised livery with wrap around yellow cabs, large bodyside numerals and BR logo, in a livery that became known as BR Blue Large Logo. The final loco to be refurbished was 50014 which was released to traffic in the latter half of 1983.
Following refurbishment, the fleet was concentrated at two depots; Laira
in Plymouth
, and Old Oak Common
in west London
. The class were again used for Western Region services on the GWML out of Paddington, and on the West of England Main Line
from Waterloo
to Salisbury and Exeter
.
In 1984, 50007 Hercules was repainted into lined Brunswick green livery and renamed Sir Edward Elgar, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway
(GWR). Four Class 47
locomotives were similarly treated, and a Class 117
diesel multiple unit
(DMU) was repainted in chocolate and cream livery. As a result, 50007 quickly became a favourite with rail enthusiasts
. Another locomotive repainted in a special livery was 50019 Ramillies, which was repainted in a variation of BR Blue by staff at Plymouth Laira depot.
In 1986 the West of England Main Line came under the control of the Network SouthEast
(NSE) sector, which saw the introduction of their bright blue, red and white livery. The first locomotive in this livery was again 50023 Howe. The NSE livery had two versions; the original had upswept red and white stripes and the ends, with a white cab surround; the revised livery introduced in 1988 had the red and white stripes continue to the body ends, with a blue cab surround. In the revised livery the blue became a darker shade.
Towards the end of the 1980s, the fleet could be found mostly on the West of England route, as well as fast services from Paddington to Oxford
. Some locomotives were also transferred to the civil engineers department to work maintenance and engineering trains. Around this time, the first locomotives were withdrawn, starting with 50011 Centurion in early 1987. This locomotive's nameplates were later transferred to 50040, which was previously named Leviathan. A further two locomotives, 50006 Neptune and 50014 Warspite were withdrawn in 1987, followed by a further five locomotives (50010/13/22/38/47) in 1988.
In 1987, consideration was given to using the class on freight trains. To this end, 50049 "Defiance"
was renumbered to 50149, equipped with modified Class 37, lower-geared bogies and outshopped in the new trainload grey livery with Railfreight decals. It was based at Plymouth Laira
depot, and tested on local china clay
trains in Cornwall
as well as heavy stone trains to London from Devon quarries. The project was, however, not an outstanding success, and by 1989, the locomotive had returned to its original identity. Ironically, the electronic anti-wheelslip
equipment (with which, the entire class had originally been built) which would have been key to the success of this experiment had been removed during the refurbishment process.
At the start of the 1990s, the reliability of the fleet became a problem again. By this time, the class was solely used on the West of England route, having been replaced on the Oxford route by Class 47/7
locomotives. Arguably, the Class 50s were not suitable for the stop-start service pattern of Waterloo-Exeter services, nor to the extended single-line sections of this route, where a single locomotive failure could cause chaos. Therefore the decision was taken to retire the fleet, temporarily replacing them with Class 47 locomotives, which were in turn replaced by new DMUs. From 1992, the Oxford route was worked by Class 165
and Class 166
units, whilst Class 159
units were introduced onto the West of England route in 1993.
By 1992, just eight locomotives remained in service, these being 50007/008/015/029/030/033/046/050. Several of these locomotives were specially repainted to commemorate the run-down of the fleet. The first-built locomotive, 50050 Fearless was renumbered D400 and painted in its original BR Blue livery. Two other locomotives, 50008 Thunderer and 50015 Valiant were also repainted, the former in a variation of BR Blue (the same as 50019 had previously carried), and the latter in "Dutch" civil-engineers grey/yellow livery. Of the final eight locomotives, three were retained until 1994 for use on special railtours, these being 50007 Sir Edward Elgar, 50033 Glorious and 50050 Fearless. 50007 was returned to working order using parts from 50046, which surrendered its recently overhauled power unit and bogies. By this time, 50050 had been repainted into Large Logo livery and 50007 also received a repaint into GWR green as the 1985 paint was wearing very thin. The final railtours operated in March 1994, during one of which 50033 was delivered for preservation at the National Railway Museum
. The final railtour operated with 50007 and 50050 from London Waterloo to Penzance
and returning to London Paddington. Both locomotives were later preserved.
authorised to run at 140 km/h. The CP1800s were all withdrawn in 2001 and all except 1809 still survive, their future still unclear as of today with only 1805 remaining functional at the service of the national railway museum at Entroncamento.
At the present, locomotive 1805 is at Contumil CP works near Porto, being repainted in the distinctive blue color scheme of the 1970s. It is fully functional, and while still an integral part of the National Railway Museum, is set to return to service pulling tourist trains in the Douro River Line sometime soon.
, with eighteen locomotives saved for preservation and several subsequently registered for use on the mainline.
An ambitious project involving preserved Class 50s was "Operation Collingwood", an engineering charity established in the early 1990s. The aim had been to train young engineering apprentices by getting them to rebuild railway locomotives and Class 50s were chosen both for the fact that they were a British design throughout and that all were named (so the apprentices would derive some pride from rededication ceremonies at the completion of their work). To this end, Operation Collingwood purchased and stored 50001, 50023, 50029, 50030, 50040 and 50045. All except 50029 and 50030 were heavily stripped examples sold to scrapyards for final cutting up. The intention was to restore them by using industrial sponsorship money to build an engineering centre and overhaul the components, making brand new ones where necessary to overcome lack of availability of some parts unique to the original design. These ambitions failed when sponsorship did not reach the required level and the project lost various key people. The charity was wound up in 2002; 50001/023/040 and 045 were sold back to scrapyards and their state as little more than bodyshells deterred most further preservation attempts. 50045 was scrapped to provide spares for preserved 50026, and 50001 met a similar fate. A private individual made an attempt to restore 50023 using some parts from 50001 but this was abandoned and the shell was cut up a few years after the initial purchase. 50040 could have been suitable for cosmetic restoration, but after many years untouched and in a derelict state at the Coventry Railway Centre, it finally had all remaining parts stripped for spares and was transported to Sims Metals of Halesowen and scrapping. The cutting of the derelict hulk was completed by Wednesday 2 July 2008. 50029 and 50030 were in far better mechanical condition, and were sold to a preservation group for full restoration.
50043 Eagle was purchased in almost working order (the main generator had failed, a very common Class 50 problem) but it was never intended for restoration. Instead the power unit was gutted to provide parts for preserved Class 40
no. 40118 as the two share a very similar design of diesel engine. Eagle was then subjected to a further bout of stripping when electrical and other parts were sold to various Class 50 preservationists. Although cosmetically very smart, the loco was by this stage unrestorable and although an ambitious private individual did try, this effort soon came to naught and it was scrapped to provide parts for 50026 Indomitable.
50031 became the first to operate on the mainline, hauling the Past Time Railtours Pilgrim Hoover train from Birmingham International to Plymouth on 1 November 1997. Since then several other members of the class have also been passed for use on Network Rail
(was Railtrack
) lines (including 50044, 50049 and 50050). However with changes in the UK's Rail Access regulations (requiring fitment of additional equipment: TPWS/OTMR) some of these locos are no longer of a standard to continue mainline operation.
One locomotive, 50017, was hired to Venice Simplon Orient Express (VSOE) to work the Northern Belle service from Bath to Manchester Victoria. As part of the contract it was painted in LMS
-style maroon livery. It is now undergoing restoration having suffered a serious mechanical failure.
In 2005, 50031 and 50049 were on long term hire to Arriva Trains Wales
(ATW), for use on special services in connection with events at the Millennium Stadium, and over the summer period saw regular use on the Monday to Saturday "Fishguard
Flyer" from Cardiff to Fishguard and return, in connection with the ferry sailing to Ireland. One of the two locomotives was used for the service each day, along with 4 Mark 2
coaches, the short formation and high power leading to very good performance. This arrangement lasted for one year. At the end of this period 50031 failed whilst working an ECS (Empty Coaching Stock) train, again for ATW.
During the summer of 2008 50044 "Exeter" was fitted with OTMR, and the TPWS fitted previously was commissioned. In October 2008 '44 was re-registered for mainline use, and operated its first revenue mainline train on 18 October 2008, when it worked, in multiple with 50049 "Defiance" on a railtour from Manchester Piccadilly to Minehead.
Several owning groups have ceremonially re-dedicated their locomotives to the warships whose names they carry. The HMS Hood
Association rededicated 50031 Hood at the Mid Hants Railway, unveiling new crests. The crew of HMS Exeter
re-dedicated D444 Exeter at the Severn Valley Railway
a year before the vessel was decommissioned, unveiling a crest and early-BR -style nameplates. The captain of HMS Ark Royal
performed the re-dedication ceremony for 50135 Ark Royal at the Eastleigh 100 Open Days.
Image:50035_'Ark_Royal'_at_Doncaster_Works.JPG|50035 Ark Royal
at Doncaster Works on 27 July 2003. This locomotive carries BR Blue Large Logo livery, and is preserved on the Severn Valley Railway
.
Image:50017_and_50021_at_Birmingham_Railway_Museum.JPG|50021 Rodney behind 50017 Royal Oak at Tyseley Locomotive Works on 21 November 2004. The latter is painted in non-standard LMS
maroon, a legacy from when it was hired to work the VSOE Northern Belle.
Image:Ramillies on ballast working.JPG|50019 Ramillies on a ballast working near , Mid-Norfolk Railway
, June 2009
Image:Valiant.jpg|50015 'Valiant' in Bury, East Lancashire Railway
Image:50008thund.jpg|50008 'Thunderer' in Bury, East Lancashire Railway
File:50007 Swanwick Junction 2007-09-19.jpg|50007 Sir Edward Elgar at the Midland Railway Centre in 2007
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
(BR) Class 50 is a diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
built from 1967-68 by English Electric
English Electric
English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
at their Vulcan Foundry Works
Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
in Newton-le-Willows
Newton-le-Willows
Newton-le-Willows is a small market town within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it is situated about midway between the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, to the east of St Helens, to the north of Warrington and to the south of...
. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
between Crewe, Carlisle and Scotland. They were originally hired from English Electric Leasing, not being purchased outright by BR until around 1973. Before gaining their 50xxx TOPS
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
numbers these locomotives were known as English Electric
English Electric
English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
Type 4s. The class were nicknamed "Hoovers"after The Hoover Company
The Hoover Company
The Hoover Company started out as an American floor care manufacturer based in North Canton, Ohio. It also established a major base in the United Kingdom and for most of the early-and-mid-20th century, it dominated the electric vacuum cleaner industry, to the point where the "hoover" brand name...
, the name "Hoover" being a genericized trademark
Genericized trademark
A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...
used to apply to all makes of Vacuum cleaners in the UK (sometimes shortened to "Vacs") by rail enthusiasts
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
because of the distinctive sound made by the inertial air-filters originally fitted. These proved unreliable, and were removed during mid-life refurbishment, but the "Hoover" nickname stuck.
Introduction
The Class 50 fleet was developed following trials with the prototype DelticBritish Rail Class 55
The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
-bodied DP2
British Rail DP2
DP2, meaning Diesel Prototype number 2, was a prototype Type 4 mainline diesel locomotive built in 1962 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows to demonstrate its wares to British Railways...
locomotive.
Fifty locomotives were built, initially numbered D400-D449. All were delivered in the BR Blue livery with yellow cab fronts. From 1973 onwards, the locomotives were renumbered into the range 50001-50050, to conform with the TOPS
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
system. With the exception of the first-built locomotive, which was renumbered to 50050, the rest of the fleet retained the last two digits of their number.
Service
The class were built for working passenger services on the West Coast Main LineWest Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
(WCML) north of , to , , Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
and . Services south of Crewe would generally be worked by an electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
, with the Class 50s taking over for the journeys that continued north. Trains were often double-headed
Double-heading
In railroad terminology, double-heading or double heading indicates the use of two locomotives at the front of a train, each operated individually by its own crew. The practice of triple-heading involves the use of three locomotives....
to deal with the steep gradients, such as Shap Summit and Beattock Summit
Beattock Summit
Beattock Summit is a high point of the West Coast Main Line railway and of the A74 motorway as they cross from Dumfries and Galloway to South Lanarkshire in south west Scotland.- Railway history :...
. Due to the original build having a high fail rate double heading also increased the reliability of this service, a joke with train crews at the time was the class 50 pairing would only have a 50:50 chance of completing the journey with no failures.
By 1974 the northern WCML was electrified, and the Class 50 fleet was displaced by new Class 87
British Rail Class 87
The British Rail Class 87 is a type of electric locomotive built from 1973-75 by British Rail Engineering Limited . 36 of these locomotives were built to work passenger services over the West Coast Main Line . They were the flagships of British Rail's electric locomotive fleet until the late 1980s,...
electrics. The fleet was transferred to the Western Region
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
, working mainline passenger services from London Paddington along the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
to destinations such as , , Bristol Temple Meads, and . It was not unusual for locomotives to work services on other routes, such as the Birmingham New Street to Bristol Temple Meads corridor. The introduction of the Class 50s on these routes enabled the last remaining, non-standard, diesel hydraulic "Westerns"
British Rail Class 52
British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
to be withdrawn.
In the late-1970s following the earlier withdrawal of the "Warships"
British Rail Class 42
British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
, BR decided to continue this naming policy, and as a result the Class 50 fleet were all named after Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s. The first locomotive naming occurred in January 1978, when 50035 was named Ark Royal in honour of the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (R09)
HMS Ark Royal was an Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and, when she was decommissioned in 1978, was the Royal Navy's last remaining conventional catapult and arrested-landing aircraft carrier...
. The rest of the fleet was named during the course of 1978, concluding in October with 50029, which was named Renown after the Resolution-class
Resolution class submarine
The Resolution-class submarine armed with the Polaris missile was the United Kingdom's primary nuclear deterrent from the late 1960s to 1994, when they were replaced by the Vanguard-class submarine carrying the Trident II.-Background:...
nuclear submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
HMS Renown
HMS Renown (S26)
HMS Renown was the third of the Royal Navy's Resolution-class ballistic missile submarines.Built by Cammell Laird and launched on 25 February 1967, she was decommissioned in 1996.- External links :*...
.
From 1977, British Rail introduced the Class 253
British Rail Class 253
Class 253, Class 254 and Class 255 are classifications that have in the past been applied to InterCity 125 high speed trains in Great Britain.-Class 253 and 254:...
High Speed Train
High Speed Train
There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....
s onto the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
which began the displacement of the Class 50 fleet onto other routes, such as services to Birmingham New Street from London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads. The class also found work on the West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
from London Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
to , Exeter
Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Today the station is owned by Network Rail and operated by First Great Western.-History:...
and . However, due in part to the over-complexity of the design, the class was plagued with reliability problems. As a result, the decision was taken in the late 1970s to refurbish the entire fleet.
Refurbishment
Between 1979 and 1984, the Class 50 fleet was refurbished at Doncaster Works, which had taken responsibility for the fleet after purchase from English Electric. The work involved simplifying the complex electronics and removing redundant features such as slow speed control and rheostatic braking. In addition, the air intake fan arrangement was modified, because the original setup often prevented fresh air from entering the engine room and stale, oil mist-filled air from escaping, leading to many main generator failures. This was in part due to the moisture in the air in the UK: dust and other particles would lodge in the filter system and become 'gummed up' with moisture, preventing circulation which in turn also hampered the intended engine compartment pressure levels which then meant 'filtered' air could not be evacuated by the intended means. The filtration system was fundamentally sound and widely used in other countries; the problems arose because relative humidity had not been taken into account at the design stage. This modification eliminated the characteristic "sucking" noise which had earned the "Hoover" nickname.Externally, the locomotives all received high-intensity headlights, which changed the appearance of the front end. Starting with 50006, the first six locomotives were outshopped in the standard BR Blue livery. However, in 1980, 50023 Howe became the first to be outshopped in a revised livery with wrap around yellow cabs, large bodyside numerals and BR logo, in a livery that became known as BR Blue Large Logo. The final loco to be refurbished was 50014 which was released to traffic in the latter half of 1983.
Following refurbishment, the fleet was concentrated at two depots; Laira
Laira TMD
Laira TMD is a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Plymouth, Devon, England. The depot is operated by First Great Western and is mainly concerned with the overhaul and daily servicing of their fleet of High Speed Trains and also the DMUs used on local services...
in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, and Old Oak Common
Old Oak Common TMD
Old Oak Common TMD is situated to the west of London, in Old Oak Common. The Traction Maintenance Depot is the main facility for the storage and servicing of locomotives and multiple-units which utilise Paddington Station. The depot codes are 'OC' for the diesel depot, and 'OO' for the carriage shed...
in west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The class were again used for Western Region services on the GWML out of Paddington, and on the West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
from Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
to Salisbury and Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
.
In 1984, 50007 Hercules was repainted into lined Brunswick green livery and renamed Sir Edward Elgar, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR). Four Class 47
British Rail Class 47
The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
locomotives were similarly treated, and a Class 117
British Rail Class 117
The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
(DMU) was repainted in chocolate and cream livery. As a result, 50007 quickly became a favourite with rail enthusiasts
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
. Another locomotive repainted in a special livery was 50019 Ramillies, which was repainted in a variation of BR Blue by staff at Plymouth Laira depot.
In 1986 the West of England Main Line came under the control of the Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
(NSE) sector, which saw the introduction of their bright blue, red and white livery. The first locomotive in this livery was again 50023 Howe. The NSE livery had two versions; the original had upswept red and white stripes and the ends, with a white cab surround; the revised livery introduced in 1988 had the red and white stripes continue to the body ends, with a blue cab surround. In the revised livery the blue became a darker shade.
Towards the end of the 1980s, the fleet could be found mostly on the West of England route, as well as fast services from Paddington to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. Some locomotives were also transferred to the civil engineers department to work maintenance and engineering trains. Around this time, the first locomotives were withdrawn, starting with 50011 Centurion in early 1987. This locomotive's nameplates were later transferred to 50040, which was previously named Leviathan. A further two locomotives, 50006 Neptune and 50014 Warspite were withdrawn in 1987, followed by a further five locomotives (50010/13/22/38/47) in 1988.
In 1987, consideration was given to using the class on freight trains. To this end, 50049 "Defiance"
HMS Defiance
Twelve ships and two shore establishments of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Defiance. Others have borne the name whilst serving as depot ships and tenders to the establishments:...
was renumbered to 50149, equipped with modified Class 37, lower-geared bogies and outshopped in the new trainload grey livery with Railfreight decals. It was based at Plymouth Laira
Laira
Originally Laira was the name given to that part of the Plym estuary from the Cattewater up to Marsh Mills, Plymouth. It is also a name used to refer to the area of Plymouth situated around the Laira Traction Maintenance Depot. Much of the housing in the area was build around 1900 for employees of...
depot, and tested on local china clay
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
trains in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
as well as heavy stone trains to London from Devon quarries. The project was, however, not an outstanding success, and by 1989, the locomotive had returned to its original identity. Ironically, the electronic anti-wheelslip
Wheelslip
Articles on Wheelslip include:* Locomotive wheelslip, railways* Wheelspin, road vehicles* Wheelspin...
equipment (with which, the entire class had originally been built) which would have been key to the success of this experiment had been removed during the refurbishment process.
At the start of the 1990s, the reliability of the fleet became a problem again. By this time, the class was solely used on the West of England route, having been replaced on the Oxford route by Class 47/7
British Rail Class 47
The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
locomotives. Arguably, the Class 50s were not suitable for the stop-start service pattern of Waterloo-Exeter services, nor to the extended single-line sections of this route, where a single locomotive failure could cause chaos. Therefore the decision was taken to retire the fleet, temporarily replacing them with Class 47 locomotives, which were in turn replaced by new DMUs. From 1992, the Oxford route was worked by Class 165
British Rail Class 165
The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
and Class 166
British Rail Class 166
The British Rail Class 166 Turbo Express is a fleet of diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by ABB at York Works between 1992 and 1993...
units, whilst Class 159
British Rail Class 159
The British Rail Class 159 is a class of diesel multiple unit of the Sprinter family, built in 1989 - 1992 by BREL at the Derby Carriage and Wagon Works as Class 158...
units were introduced onto the West of England route in 1993.
By 1992, just eight locomotives remained in service, these being 50007/008/015/029/030/033/046/050. Several of these locomotives were specially repainted to commemorate the run-down of the fleet. The first-built locomotive, 50050 Fearless was renumbered D400 and painted in its original BR Blue livery. Two other locomotives, 50008 Thunderer and 50015 Valiant were also repainted, the former in a variation of BR Blue (the same as 50019 had previously carried), and the latter in "Dutch" civil-engineers grey/yellow livery. Of the final eight locomotives, three were retained until 1994 for use on special railtours, these being 50007 Sir Edward Elgar, 50033 Glorious and 50050 Fearless. 50007 was returned to working order using parts from 50046, which surrendered its recently overhauled power unit and bogies. By this time, 50050 had been repainted into Large Logo livery and 50007 also received a repaint into GWR green as the 1985 paint was wearing very thin. The final railtours operated in March 1994, during one of which 50033 was delivered for preservation at the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
. The final railtour operated with 50007 and 50050 from London Waterloo to Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
and returning to London Paddington. Both locomotives were later preserved.
Class list
| Number | Name | Date named | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-TOPS | TOPS | |||
| D400 | 50050 | Fearless HMS Fearless (L10) HMS Fearless was a Royal Navy ship which served from 1965 until 2002. One of two from the Landing Platform Dock class she was based in HMNB Portsmouth and saw service around the world over her 37 year life... |
23.08.78 | Carried nameplate 04.08.78 - 07.08.78. Preserved by the D400 Fund http://www.d400fund.org.uk/ |
| D401 | 50001 | Dreadnought HMS Dreadnought Several ships and one submarine of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Dreadnought in the expectation that they would "dread nought", i.e. "fear nothing, but God"... |
10.04.78 | |
| D402 | 50002 | Superb HMS Superb Eleven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Superb, or HMS Superbe:*HMS Superb was a 64-gun third rate, previously the French ship Superbe... |
21.03.78 | Preserved by the Devon Diesel Society http://www.devondiesels.org.uk/ |
| D403 | 50003 | Temeraire HMS Temeraire Five ships and two shore establishments of the Royal Navy have been called HMS Temeraire. The name entered the navy with the capture of the first Temeraire from the French in 1759:... |
09.05.78 | |
| D404 | 50004 | St Vincent HMS St Vincent Four ships and three shore establishments of the Royal Navy have been named HMS St Vincent: was an 8-gun fireship captured from the French in 1692 and sold in 1698. was a 14-gun sloop, previously the Spanish ship San Vicente. She was captured in 1780 and sold was sold in 1783... |
09.05.78 | |
| D405 | 50005 | Collingwood HMS Collingwood Three ships and one shore establishment of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Collingwood, after Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood.... |
05.04.78 | |
| D406 | 50006 | Neptune HMS Neptune Nine ships and a naval base of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Neptune after the Roman god of the ocean: was a 90-gun second rate launched in 1683. She was rebuilt in 1710 and 1730 before being renamed HMS Torbay in her new incarnation as a third rate in 1750. She was sold in 1784. was a... |
--.09.79 | |
| D407 | 50007 | Hercules HMS Hercules Five ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Hercules, or HMS Hercule, after the Greek and Roman hero Hercules. Another was launched, but never served in the Navy: was a 74-gun third rate launched in 1759 and sold in 1784.... |
06.04.78 | Renamed Sir Edward Elgar 25.02.84. Preserved at the Midland Railway - Butterley Midland Railway - Butterley The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway, formerly known until 2004 as the Midland Railway Centre, at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.-Overview:... http://www.trainweb.org/cfa/eddie/history.html |
| D408 | 50008 | Thunderer HMS Thunderer Eight ships and one shore establishment of the Royal Navy have been called HMS Thunderer: was a 74-gun third-rate launched in 1760. She was wrecked in 1780 was a 14-gun ketch launched in 1776. She sank on Lake Champlain in 1777... |
01.09.78 | Preserved |
| D409 | 50009 | Conqueror HMS Conqueror Nine ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Conqueror, whilst another was planned: was an 8-gun fireship captured from the French by in 1745 and sold in 1748. was a 68-gun third-rate launched in 1758 and wrecked in 1760. was a 74-gun third-rate launched in 1773 and broken up in 1794. was a... |
08.05.78 | |
| D410 | 50010 | Monarch HMS Monarch Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Monarch. was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line, originally the French Monarque, captured in 1747 at the second battle of Cape Finisterre, and sold in 1760. Admiral John Byng was executed on board in 1757., launched in 1765, was another 74-gun... |
16.03.78 | |
| D411 | 50011 | Centurion HMS Centurion Eight ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Centurion, after the centurions of ancient Rome. A ninth ship was planned but never built.... |
--.08.79 | |
| D412 | 50012 | Benbow HMS Benbow Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Benbow, after Admiral John Benbow:* HMS Benbow was a 74 gun third rate ship of the line, built in 1813... |
03.04.78 | |
| D413 | 50013 | Agincourt HMS Agincourt Five ships of the Royal Navy have been called HMS Agincourt, named after the Battle of Agincourt of 1415, and construction of another was started but not completed.... |
19.04.78 | |
| D414 | 50014 | Warspite HMS Warspite Nine ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Warspite: was a 29-gun galleon, sometimes known as Warspight. She was launched in 1596 and sold in 1649. was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line launched in 1666. She was renamed in 1721, rebuilt three times and broken up in 1771. was a 74-gun... |
30.05.78 | |
| D415 | 50015 | Valiant HMS Valiant Six vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Valiant.* Valiant, launched in 1759 at Chatham, was a Third rate ship of the line of 74 guns.* Valiant, launched in 1807, was a Repulse Class Third rate.... |
21.04.78 | Preserved: owned by the Bury Valiant Group |
| D416 | 50016 | Barham HMS Barham Three warships of the Royal Navy have been given the name HMS Barham in honour of Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham. A fourth was planned but never completed:... |
03.04.78 | |
| D417 | 50017 | Royal Oak HMS Royal Oak Eight ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Royal Oak, after the Royal Oak in which Charles II hid himself during his flight from the country in the English Civil War:... |
24.04.78 | Preserved |
| D418 | 50018 | Resolution HMS Resolution Several ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Resolution. However, the first English warship to bear the name Resolution was actually the first rate Prince Royal , which was renamed Resolution in 1650 following the inauguration of the Commonwealth, and continued to bear that name until... |
06.04.78 | |
| D419 | 50019 | Ramillies HMS Ramillies Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Ramillies after the Battle of Ramillies :*HMS Ramilles was 82-gun second-rate launched in 1664 as HMS Royal Katherine. She was renamed HMS Ramillies in 1706, and was wrecked in 1760. was a 74-gun third rate launched in 1763. She was damaged in a... |
18.04.78 | Preserved at the Mid Norfolk Railway |
| D420 | 50020 | Revenge HMS Revenge Thirteen warships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Revenge:* Revenge was a 46-gun galleon launched in 1577. She fought the Spanish Armada in 1588, and was captured by a Spanish fleet 1591. She sank while being sailed back to Spain.... |
07.07.78 | |
| D421 | 50021 | Rodney HMS Rodney Six ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Rodney, at least the last five after Admiral George Brydges Rodney. A seventh was planned but never completed:... |
31.07.78 | Preserved |
| D422 | 50022 | Anson | 20.04.78 | |
| D423 | 50023 | Howe HMS Howe Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Howe, after Admiral Richard Howe:* HMS Howe was the ex-Indian merchantman Kaikusroo; renamed to Dromedary in 1806 and sold in Bermuda in 1864 after many years service as a prison hulk.... |
17.05.78 | |
| D424 | 50024 | Vanguard HMS Vanguard Eleven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Vanguard, meaning the forefront of an action or movement. was a 31-gun galleon launched in 1586, rebuilt twice and was broken up in 1630, with some parts being reused in the next HMS Vanguard. was a 56-gun second-rate launched in 1631, active... |
15.05.78 | |
| D425 | 50025 | Invincible HMS Invincible (1907) HMS Invincible was a battlecruiser of the British Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class of three, and the first battlecruiser to be built by any country in the world. She participated in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in a minor role as she was the oldest and slowest of the British battlecruisers... |
06.06.78 | Scrapped at Old Oak Common Old Oak Common TMD Old Oak Common TMD is situated to the west of London, in Old Oak Common. The Traction Maintenance Depot is the main facility for the storage and servicing of locomotives and multiple-units which utilise Paddington Station. The depot codes are 'OC' for the diesel depot, and 'OO' for the carriage shed... in October 1989, after derailment at in August 1989, as a result of vandals placing an object onto the track, causing the loco to overturn. |
| D426 | 50026 | Indomitable HMS Indomitable (R92) HMS Indomitable was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. The Illustrious class came about due to the 1937 Naval Programme... |
29.03.78 | Privately Preserved http://www.50026.com/ |
| D427 | 50027 | Lion HMS Lion Eighteen ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Lion, after the lion, an animal traditionally associated with courage, and also used in several heraldric motifs representing England, Scotland and the British Monarchy... |
17.04.78 | Preserved at the North York Moors Railway |
| D428 | 50028 | Tiger HMS Tiger Fifteen ships of the British Royal Navy have carried the name HMS Tiger after the feline tiger, with a number of others provisionally bearing the name at various stages in their construction:... |
10.05.78 | |
| D429 | 50029 | Renown HMS Renown Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Renown, whilst three others have borne the name at various stages in their construction:... |
26.10.78 | Preserved: owned by the Renown Repulse restoration Group |
| D430 | 50030 | Repulse HMS Repulse (1916) HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner... |
10.04.78 | Preserved: owned by the Renown Repulse restoration Group |
| D431 | 50031 | Hood HMS Hood Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Hood after several members of the Hood family, who were notable Navy officers: was a 91-gun second-rate ship of the line, originally laid down as HMS Edgar, but renamed in 1848 and launched in 1859. She was used for harbour service from 1872 and was... |
28.06.78 | Preserved: operated by the Class 50 Alliance |
| D432 | 50032 | Courageous HMS Courageous HMS Courageous or Courageux may refer to one of several ships of the Royal Navy:, a 74-gun ship of the line captured from the French on 13 Aug 1761, and wrecked on the coast of Morocco 19 Dec 1796., or Courageuse, was a 32-gun sailing frigate captured from the French in June 1799... |
07.07.78 | |
| D433 | 50033 | Glorious | 26.06.78 | Preserved |
| D434 | 50034 | Furious HMS Furious Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Furious: was a 12-gun launched in 1797 and sold in 1802. was a 12-gun launched in 1804 and sold in 1815. was a wooden-hulled paddle frigate launched in 1850. She was hulked in 1867 and sold in 1884. was an Arrogant-class second class protected... |
06.04.78 | |
| D435 | 50035 | Ark Royal HMS Ark Royal (91) HMS Ark Royal was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War.Designed in 1934 to fit the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, Ark Royal was built by Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd. at Birkenhead, England, and completed in November 1938. Her design... |
17.01.78 | Preserved: owned by the Class 50 Alliance |
| D436 | 50036 | Victorious HMS Victorious Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Victorious.*The first Victorious, launched in 1785 at Blackwall Yard, London, was a third-rate ship of the line, with an armament of 74 guns.... |
16.05.78 | |
| D437 | 50037 | Illustrious HMS Illustrious (R87) HMS Illustrious , the fourth Illustrious of the British Royal Navy, was an aircraft carrier which saw service in World War II, the lead ship of the Illustrious-class of carriers which also included Victorious, Formidable, and Indomitable.-Construction:Illustrious was built by Vickers-Armstrongs at... |
08.06.78 | |
| D438 | 50038 | Formidable HMS Formidable Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Formidable. was an 80-gun second rate captured from the French at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, and broken up in 1768. was a 90-gun second rate launched in 1777. She fought at the Battle of Ushant and the Battle of the Saintes, was converted to... |
05.05.78 | |
| D439 | 50039 | Implacable HMS Implacable Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Implacable:* The first Implacable, launched in 1795 as the French ship Duguay-Trouin, was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line. Captured by the British on 3 November 1805, she was renamed Implacable... |
20.06.78 | |
| D440 | 50040 | Leviathan HMS Leviathan Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Leviathan:* The first Leviathan was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line launched in 1750 as Northumberland, renamed in 1777 and sunk in 1780 in the Atlantic.... |
15.09.78 | Scrapped at Sims Metals, June/July 2008. |
| D441 | 50041 | Bulwark HMS Bulwark (R08) The sixth HMS Bulwark of the Royal Navy was a 22,000 tonne Centaur-class light fleet aircraft carrier.-Construction:Bulwark was laid down by the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast on 10 May 1945... |
08.05.78 | |
| D442 | 50042 | Triumph HMS Triumph Ten ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Triumph. Another was planned, but renamed before being launched: was a 68-gun galleon built in 1561. She was rebuilt in 1596, and sold in 1618. was a 44-gun ship launched in 1623 and broken up in 1687. was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line... |
04.10.78 | Preserved at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway Bodmin and Wenford Railway The Bodmin & Wenford Railway is a heritage railway, based at Bodmin in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has an interchange with the national rail network at Bodmin Parkway railway station, the southern terminus of the line.-History:... |
| D443 | 50043 | Eagle HMS Eagle (R05) HMS Eagle was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy, in service 1951-1972. With her sister ship , she is one of the two largest British aircraft carriers yet built.... |
28.06.78 | |
| D444 | 50044 | Exeter HMS Exeter Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Exeter after the city of Exeter in Devon. was a 70-gun third-rate launched in 1680. She was damaged in an explosion in 1691 and was hulked. She was broken up in 1717. was a 60-gun fourth-rate launched in 1697. She was rebuilt to carry 58 guns in 1744... |
26.04.78 | Preserved: owned by the Class 50 Alliance |
| D445 | 50045 | Achilles HMS Achilles Six ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Achilles, after the Greek hero Achilles. Four others, mostly prizes, have had the French spelling of the name, Achille.... |
12.04.78 | |
| D446 | 50046 | Ajax HMS Ajax Eight ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Ajax after the Greek hero Ajax: was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched in 1767 and sold in 1785. was a 74-gun third rate launched in 1798. She fought at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and was burned by accident in 1807. was a 74-gun... |
11.10.78 | |
| D447 | 50047 | Swiftsure HMS Swiftsure The Royal Navy has had ships named HMS Swiftsure since 1573, including:*Swiftsure, a galleon launched in 1573, renamed Speedwell and rebuilt in 1607, and lost in 1624., a 42-gun great ship launched in 1621, and captured by the Dutch in 1666., a 70-gun ship built in 1673 and later renamed Revenge., ... |
26.05.78 | |
| D448 | 50048 | Dauntless HMS Dauntless Five ships and one Shore Establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Dauntless:* HMS Dauntless was an 18-gun sloop launched at Hull, England in November 1804... |
16.03.78 | |
| D449 | 50049 50149 |
Defiance HMS Defiance Twelve ships and two shore establishments of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Defiance. Others have borne the name whilst serving as depot ships and tenders to the establishments:... |
02.05.78 | 50149 carried during experimental Railfreight period (see text). Preserved: owned by the Class 50 Alliance |
Portuguese locomotives
The Portuguese public operator, CP, bought ten locomotives similar to the BR Class 50, the 1800 series (1801–1810) that entered service in 1968. Like the UK design, they were equipped with an English Electric 16 CSVT engine and produced 2700 hp (2020 HP at the wheels). Unlike the BR locomotives upon which electronic control is extensively used, the Portuguese locomotives employ conventional control gear (the only exceptions being stepless control of tractive effort by a solid-state load regulator and the use of a very effective out-of-balance wheel-slip detector). The main generator and the traction motors are identical to those used on the BR Type 3 and Deltic locomotives. Contrary to BR Class 50, the Portuguese 1800 locomotives were built to be as much compatible with the smaller 1400 (themselves similar to BR Class 20) as possible and also to use as many common components as possible. They were the only diesel locomotives in PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
authorised to run at 140 km/h. The CP1800s were all withdrawn in 2001 and all except 1809 still survive, their future still unclear as of today with only 1805 remaining functional at the service of the national railway museum at Entroncamento.
At the present, locomotive 1805 is at Contumil CP works near Porto, being repainted in the distinctive blue color scheme of the 1970s. It is fully functional, and while still an integral part of the National Railway Museum, is set to return to service pulling tourist trains in the Douro River Line sometime soon.
Preservation
Class 50 locomotives proved popular with rail enthusiastsRailfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
, with eighteen locomotives saved for preservation and several subsequently registered for use on the mainline.
An ambitious project involving preserved Class 50s was "Operation Collingwood", an engineering charity established in the early 1990s. The aim had been to train young engineering apprentices by getting them to rebuild railway locomotives and Class 50s were chosen both for the fact that they were a British design throughout and that all were named (so the apprentices would derive some pride from rededication ceremonies at the completion of their work). To this end, Operation Collingwood purchased and stored 50001, 50023, 50029, 50030, 50040 and 50045. All except 50029 and 50030 were heavily stripped examples sold to scrapyards for final cutting up. The intention was to restore them by using industrial sponsorship money to build an engineering centre and overhaul the components, making brand new ones where necessary to overcome lack of availability of some parts unique to the original design. These ambitions failed when sponsorship did not reach the required level and the project lost various key people. The charity was wound up in 2002; 50001/023/040 and 045 were sold back to scrapyards and their state as little more than bodyshells deterred most further preservation attempts. 50045 was scrapped to provide spares for preserved 50026, and 50001 met a similar fate. A private individual made an attempt to restore 50023 using some parts from 50001 but this was abandoned and the shell was cut up a few years after the initial purchase. 50040 could have been suitable for cosmetic restoration, but after many years untouched and in a derelict state at the Coventry Railway Centre, it finally had all remaining parts stripped for spares and was transported to Sims Metals of Halesowen and scrapping. The cutting of the derelict hulk was completed by Wednesday 2 July 2008. 50029 and 50030 were in far better mechanical condition, and were sold to a preservation group for full restoration.
50043 Eagle was purchased in almost working order (the main generator had failed, a very common Class 50 problem) but it was never intended for restoration. Instead the power unit was gutted to provide parts for preserved Class 40
British Rail Class 40
The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. 40118 as the two share a very similar design of diesel engine. Eagle was then subjected to a further bout of stripping when electrical and other parts were sold to various Class 50 preservationists. Although cosmetically very smart, the loco was by this stage unrestorable and although an ambitious private individual did try, this effort soon came to naught and it was scrapped to provide parts for 50026 Indomitable.
50031 became the first to operate on the mainline, hauling the Past Time Railtours Pilgrim Hoover train from Birmingham International to Plymouth on 1 November 1997. Since then several other members of the class have also been passed for use on Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
(was Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
) lines (including 50044, 50049 and 50050). However with changes in the UK's Rail Access regulations (requiring fitment of additional equipment: TPWS/OTMR) some of these locos are no longer of a standard to continue mainline operation.
One locomotive, 50017, was hired to Venice Simplon Orient Express (VSOE) to work the Northern Belle service from Bath to Manchester Victoria. As part of the contract it was painted in LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
-style maroon livery. It is now undergoing restoration having suffered a serious mechanical failure.
In 2005, 50031 and 50049 were on long term hire to Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
(ATW), for use on special services in connection with events at the Millennium Stadium, and over the summer period saw regular use on the Monday to Saturday "Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
Flyer" from Cardiff to Fishguard and return, in connection with the ferry sailing to Ireland. One of the two locomotives was used for the service each day, along with 4 Mark 2
British Rail Mark 2
The Mark 2 family of railway carriages were British Rail's second design of carriages. They were built by British Rail workshops between 1964 and 1975...
coaches, the short formation and high power leading to very good performance. This arrangement lasted for one year. At the end of this period 50031 failed whilst working an ECS (Empty Coaching Stock) train, again for ATW.
During the summer of 2008 50044 "Exeter" was fitted with OTMR, and the TPWS fitted previously was commissioned. In October 2008 '44 was re-registered for mainline use, and operated its first revenue mainline train on 18 October 2008, when it worked, in multiple with 50049 "Defiance" on a railtour from Manchester Piccadilly to Minehead.
Several owning groups have ceremonially re-dedicated their locomotives to the warships whose names they carry. The HMS Hood
HMS Hood
Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Hood after several members of the Hood family, who were notable Navy officers: was a 91-gun second-rate ship of the line, originally laid down as HMS Edgar, but renamed in 1848 and launched in 1859. She was used for harbour service from 1872 and was...
Association rededicated 50031 Hood at the Mid Hants Railway, unveiling new crests. The crew of HMS Exeter
HMS Exeter (D89)
HMS Exeter was a Type 42 destroyer, the fifth ship of the Royal Navy to be named Exeter, after the city of Exeter in Devon.Exeter was the first of the slightly modified 'Batch 2' Type 42 destroyers. This was a mid-build consideration with her later sister ship, HMS Southampton sporting a similar...
re-dedicated D444 Exeter at the Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
a year before the vessel was decommissioned, unveiling a crest and early-BR -style nameplates. The captain of HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (R07)
HMS Ark Royal is a decommissioned light aircraft carrier and former flagship of the Royal Navy. She was the third and final vessel of Invincible-class...
performed the re-dedication ceremony for 50135 Ark Royal at the Eastleigh 100 Open Days.
List of preserved locomotives
| Numbers (current in bold) | Name | Livery | Location | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D400 | 50050 | - | Fearless HMS Fearless (L10) HMS Fearless was a Royal Navy ship which served from 1965 until 2002. One of two from the Landing Platform Dock class she was based in HMNB Portsmouth and saw service around the world over her 37 year life... |
BR Blue Large Logo | Yeovil Railway Centre Yeovil Railway Centre The Yeovil Railway Centre is a small railway museum at Yeovil Junction on the L&SWR West of England Main Line between Salisbury and Exeter.It was created in 1993 in response to British Rail's decision to remove the turntable from Yeovil Junction. Approximately ¼ mile of track along the Clifton... |
First-built locomotive. |
| D402 | 50002 | - | Superb HMS Superb (S109) HMS Superb was a nuclear powered fleet submarine of the Swiftsure class serving in the Royal Navy.She was built by Vickers Shipbuilding Groups, now a division of BAE Systems Submarine Solutions. HMS Superb was launched on 30 November 1974 at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria and commissioned into the... |
Network SouthEast (Original) Network SouthEast Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter... |
South Devon Railway South Devon Railway Trust The South Devon Railway Trust is a charitable organisation that operates a heritage railway from Totnes to Buckfastleigh in Devon, alongside the River Dart... |
Being cosmetically restored to unrefurbished condition |
| D407 | 50007 | - | Sir Edward Elgar (formerly Hercules HMS Hercules (1910) HMS Hercules was a Colossus-class battleship built by Palmers, launched on 10 May 1910, and commissioned on 31 July 1911 at Portsmouth. She was a 20,000-ton dreadnought, mounting ten 12 inch guns in five twin gun turrets, sixteen 4 inch , four 3 pounders, and three 21 inch ... ) |
GWR Brunswick Green | Midland Railway - Butterley Midland Railway - Butterley The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway, formerly known until 2004 as the Midland Railway Centre, at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.-Overview:... |
Specially repainted to commemorate Great Western Railway Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838... 150th anniversary in 1984. |
| D408 | 50008 | - | Thunderer HMS Thunderer (1911) HMS Thunderer was the third Orion class battleship built for the Royal Navy and was the last vessel to be constructed by Thames Iron Works. She was the last and largest warship ever built on the River Thames, and after her completion her builders declared bankruptcy.By a margin of £1000, she was... |
BR "Laira Blue" | Privately owned, East Lancashire Railway East Lancashire Railway The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended... |
Re-entered preservation in 2006. Repainted by ELR 2009-2010 |
| D415 | 50015 | - | Valiant HMS Valiant (S102) The sixth, and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class... |
BR Blue Large Logo | East Lancashire Railway East Lancashire Railway The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended... |
Only Class 50 to carry "Dutch" civil-engineers livery in BR ownership. Preserverd by Bury Valiant Group |
| D417 | 50017 | - | ex-Royal Oak | LMS Maroon | Plym Valley Railway Plym Valley Railway The Plym Valley Railway is part of the closed South Devon and Tavistock Railway near Plymouth, a branch line of the Great Western Railway in Devon.The Plym Valley Railway is currently rebuilding the Marsh Mills to Plym Bridge section of the line... |
Previously used to operate VSOE Northern Belle. |
| D419 | 50019 | - | Ramillies | BR Blue Large Logo | Mid-Norfolk Railway Mid-Norfolk Railway The Mid-Norfolk Railway or MNR is a heritage railway in the English county of Norfolk. Opening as a tourist line in 1997, it is often referred to as a "New Generation" heritage railway.... |
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| D421 | 50021 | - | Rodney | BR Blue Large Logo | Tyseley Locomotive Works | - |
| D426 | 50026 | - | Indomitable HMS Indomitable (R92) HMS Indomitable was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. The Illustrious class came about due to the 1937 Naval Programme... |
BR Blue Large Logo | Severn Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route... |
Operational and awaiting test runs. |
| D427 | 50027 | - | Lion HMS Lion (C34) HMS Lion was a light cruiser of the Royal Navy, ordered in 1942 as one of the Minotaur class and laid down that same year as Defence by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company at Greenock on 6 June 1942.... |
Network SouthEast (Revised) Network SouthEast Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter... |
North Yorkshire Moors Railway North Yorkshire Moors Railway The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line... |
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| D429 | 50029 | - | Renown HMS Renown (S26) HMS Renown was the third of the Royal Navy's Resolution-class ballistic missile submarines.Built by Cammell Laird and launched on 25 February 1967, she was decommissioned in 1996.- External links :*... |
BR Blue Large Logo | Peak Rail Peak Rail Peak Rail is a preserved railway in Derbyshire, England, which operates a steam service for tourists and visitors to both the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales.... |
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| D430 | 50030 | - | Repulse HMS Repulse (S23) HMS Repulse was a Resolution-class ballistic missile submarine of the Royal Navy.Launched on 4 November 1967, she was the last of her class remaining in service with the navy, decommissioning in 1996.... |
BR Blue Large Logo | Peak Rail Peak Rail Peak Rail is a preserved railway in Derbyshire, England, which operates a steam service for tourists and visitors to both the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales.... |
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| D431 | 50031 | - | Hood HMS Hood (51) HMS Hood was the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. One of four s ordered in mid-1916, her design—although drastically revised after the Battle of Jutland and improved while she was under construction—still had serious limitations. For this reason she was the only ship of her class to be... |
BR Blue Large Logo | Severn Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route... |
Mainline registered. Main generator repair completed, other systems still need recommissioning. |
| D433 | 50033 | - | Glorious | BR Blue Large Logo | Tyseley Locomotive Works | Previously at Swindon Steam Railway Museum Swindon Steam Railway Museum STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway, also known as Swindon Steam Railway Museum, is located at the site of the old railway works in Swindon, England – Wiltshire's 'railway town'... |
| D435 | 50035 | 50135 | Ark Royal HMS Ark Royal (R09) HMS Ark Royal was an Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and, when she was decommissioned in 1978, was the Royal Navy's last remaining conventional catapult and arrested-landing aircraft carrier... |
Load-Haul Load-Haul Loadhaul Ltd. was a railfreight operator based in the north-east of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1994, prior to the privatisation of British Rail... |
Severn Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route... |
Currently at Severn Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route... . Operational. |
| D442 | 50042 | - | Triumph HMS Triumph (R16) HMS Triumph was a Royal Navy Colossus-class light fleet aircraft carrier. She served in the Korean War and later, after reconstruction, as a support ship.-Construction and commission:... |
BR Blue | Bodmin & Wenford Railway | - |
| D444 | 50044 | - | Exeter HMS Exeter (68) HMS Exeter was a York class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was laid down on 1 August 1928 at the Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon. She was launched on 18 July 1929 and completed on 27 July 1931... |
BR Blue | Severn Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route... |
Cosmetically de-refurbished. Mainline Registered. |
| D449 | 50049 | 50149 | Defiance HMS Defiance Twelve ships and two shore establishments of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Defiance. Others have borne the name whilst serving as depot ships and tenders to the establishments:... |
BR Blue Large Logo (Black Roof) | Severn Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route... |
Mainline registered. Currently undergoing wheelset repairs. |
Gallery
Image:50035_'Ark_Royal'_at_Doncaster_Works.JPG|50035 Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (R09)
HMS Ark Royal was an Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and, when she was decommissioned in 1978, was the Royal Navy's last remaining conventional catapult and arrested-landing aircraft carrier...
at Doncaster Works on 27 July 2003. This locomotive carries BR Blue Large Logo livery, and is preserved on the Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
.
Image:50017_and_50021_at_Birmingham_Railway_Museum.JPG|50021 Rodney behind 50017 Royal Oak at Tyseley Locomotive Works on 21 November 2004. The latter is painted in non-standard LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
maroon, a legacy from when it was hired to work the VSOE Northern Belle.
Image:Ramillies on ballast working.JPG|50019 Ramillies on a ballast working near , Mid-Norfolk Railway
Mid-Norfolk Railway
The Mid-Norfolk Railway or MNR is a heritage railway in the English county of Norfolk. Opening as a tourist line in 1997, it is often referred to as a "New Generation" heritage railway....
, June 2009
Image:Valiant.jpg|50015 'Valiant' in Bury, East Lancashire Railway
East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
Image:50008thund.jpg|50008 'Thunderer' in Bury, East Lancashire Railway
File:50007 Swanwick Junction 2007-09-19.jpg|50007 Sir Edward Elgar at the Midland Railway Centre in 2007
External links
- 50015 Bury Valiant Group - Information on D415/50015 based at the East Lancashire Railway
- The Fifties – extensive information on names, liveries and history, plus comprehensive photo gallery
- Class 50 loco-by-loco photo gallery
- Class50.net – pictorial guide to Class 50s preserved or under restoration
- English Electric Archive – archive gallery dedicated to English Electric Type 4 and Type 5 diesel locomotives