British Rail Class 58

British Rail Class 58
58 036 at Saltley in April 1987.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder British Rail Engineering Limited, Doncaster Works Build date 1983–1987 Total produced 50
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Co′Co′  • Commonwealth Co-Co Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Wheel diameter 1,120 mm (44.09 in) Minimum curve 4 chains (264.00 ft; 80.47 m) Wheelbase bogie: 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) bogie centres: 14.85 m (48 ft 9 in) Length 19.13 m (62 ft 9 in) Width 2.72 m (8 ft 11 in) Height 3.91 m (12 ft 10 in) Loco weight 130 tonnes (127.9 long tons; 143.3 short tons) Fuel capacity 4,480 litres (990 imp gal; 1,180 US gal) Prime mover Ruston Paxman 12RK3ACT Alternator Brush BA1101B Traction motors Brush TM73-62 Cylinder size 254 mm × 305 mm (10.0 in × 12.0 in), bore × stroke MU working ◆ Red Diamond Train brakes Air
Performance figures Maximum speed 80 mph (129 km/h) Power output Engine: 3,300 hp (2,460 kW) At Rail: 2,387 hp (1,780 kW) Tractive effort Maximum: 60,000 lbf (267 kN) Brakeforce 60 tonnes (59.1 long tons; 66.1 short tons)
Career Operators British Rail EWS / DB Cargo UK Numbers 58 001-58 050 Nicknames Bone Axle load class Route availability 7 Withdrawn 1999–2002 Disposition 5 currently preserved, 36 exported to France or Spain, remainder scrapped

The British Rail Class 58 is a class of Co-Co diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight. The narrow body with cabs at either end led to them being given the nickname "Bone" by rail enthusiasts.

Their design represented a major departure from British conventions of construction; amongst the innovations was the adoption of the American practice of modularisation. The first locomotive of the class was delivered to British Rail during early 1983 and entered service that same year. Despite expectations of a lengthy service life, during 2002, EWS decided to withdraw all examples of the type after only 19 years in service. Subsequently, 32 were hired abroad – four to the Netherlands, eight to Spain and twenty to France. A few examples have also been scrapped or have entered preservation.

History

During the mid-1970s, British Rail operated several different diesel locomotives that had been categorised as Type 5, these being a relatively high-powered locomotive suited to heavy freight trains, the newest of which being the British Rail Class 56. Initial experiences with the Class 56 had proved the type to be somewhat unreliable in service, a factor which had led to dissatisfaction amongst several of British Rail's freight customers. Officials within British Rail also observed that the international market for a competitive freight locomotive could be quite lucrative, and thus there were pressures to enter the export market with a suitable design. Furthermore, British Rail had forecast that the domestic rail freight sector was set to grow, and that the prospects for such growth only improved if more capable locomotives, particularly in terms of reliability, were available to service such trains.

Accordingly, by the late 1970s, there was considerable pressure within British Rail for the development of a new, low-cost, easily maintainable freight locomotive. Thus, despite multiple follow-on orders for the Class 56 being placed during the mid-1970s, British Rail also authorised a feasibility study into the development of a new freight locomotive by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) for the export market. Export potential was an important consideration; pre-production drawings of the Class 58s referred to the type as "Standard Export Locomotives". BREL engineers were involved in the effort from the conceptual stage of development, bringing design and production planning into close alignment. In the concept phase, the locomotive incorporated features such as modularisation and recently developed manufacturing techniques to lower both manufacturing and maintenance costs.

Once the design for the new locomotive had been approved by the British Railways Board, the contract to build the type was awarded to BREL's Doncaster Works. Material ordering for the new Class 58 commenced during 1979. To accommodate the manufacturing programme, BREL embarked on a major multi-million pound upgrade of 'E2' shop, which is where final assembly of the Class 58 would be performed. BREL dropped traditional locomotive construction methods in favour of an entirely new approach – an innovative modular design. This offered savings on construction and maintenance compared to previous locomotive builds. The load-bearing underframe was fitted with exchangeable modules – number 1 cab, radiator, power unit, turbocharger, electrical equipment and number 2 cab. If required, each module could be easily removed from the underframe and replaced.

During January 1982, British Rail felt sufficiently confident in the project's progress to place an order for an initial batch of 35 locomotives. During 1984, the construction of a further 15 Class 58s was also authorised.

Design

The British Rail Class 58 is a diesel-electric locomotive primarily intended for heavy freight operations. Structurally, it consists of a strong underframe designed to bear all the static loads imposed by the equipment in addition to the dynamic forces exerted during its service life; it was designed to have a zero possibility of fatigue failure across its anticipated lifespan of thirty-five years as well as to satisfy end-load requirements stipulated by the International Union of Railways (UIC). All major apparatus and associated equipment onboard use modular construction, which enabled the type to be fitted out on the shop floor away from the final assembly area, minimising workplace congestion as well as overall assembly time. Much of the wiring was pre-loomed to also reduce the assembly time required.

The cab is a complete unit, having been designed to be fitted out with all systems as a complete module. The cab is resiliently mounted and is designed to satisfy the UIC requirements for both crashworthiness and strength; the Class 58 is allegedly the first design to meet the crashworthiness requirements. Much of this strength comes from a substantial hollow-rolled beam section running beneath the front windows, which is braced to floor level by two sections running diagonally down the inside of the cab's side-walls. The rear bulkhead is also a strong structural element, designed to prevent the cab's collapse in the event of derailment as well as to serve as an anchoring point for lifting/righting the vehicle. Access to the cab is via a single central door set in the rear bulkhead, opening into a cross-corridor aft of the cab; there is no means of direct external access. The cab was so well received that its design later served as the basis for subsequent British Rail locomotives.

The engine used is a Ruston Paxman 12RK3ACT unit, rated to produce up to 3,300 HP (2,460 kW). In comparison to the Class 56, it was able to achieve a 5-6 percent reduction in fuel consumption, in part due to simplification measures such as a lower cylinder count and the use of only a single turbocharger. A significant emphasis on component reduction and reliability was present during the Class 58's design due to the persistent reliability issues suffered by the preceding Class 56. The engine incorporates a silencer to lower noise emissions, which was in part necessitated to meet future noise restriction standards being developed by the European Economic Community; this silencer is directly mounted to the engine rather than the locomotive's body, and projects upwards via a clearance hole in the roof, surrounded by a gutter to collect rain. The arrangement was facilitated by the elimination of the air inlet manifolds, which were incorporated into the crankshaft's center.

The superstructure is divided into sections by bulkheads, the placement of which was intended to optimally manage airflow. A relatively lightweight roof is used, being formed from removable sections that can be manually stacked on top of one another. A total of thirty-two identically-sized doors line either side, these open in pairs and lift away to provide access for both maintenance and the initial assembly process. These are composed of pressed steel construction for strength while remaining relatively lightweight. The underframe has a relatively low bending frequency, thus careful positioning of the bogies in relation to the underframe was required to minimise body flexing.

The electrical equipment consisted of a brushless three-phase main alternator directly coupled to the engine, along with an auxiliary alternator. The output is fed via a rectification unit to DC traction motors; both the traction motors and alternators are interchangeable with those used on the Class 56. The principle control gear is accommodated within a transverse-mounted cubicle. The brake control system was based on the Poussoir Bouton Locomotive (PBL) system, being less complicated and using cheaper control values than traditional alternatives. Incidents of wheelslip were observed during the type's initial operations; remedial adjustments included additional sanding equipment and softer primary vertical springs on the center axle to improve equalisation across all axles. Further measures were examined, including the revision of the slow-speed motor control system.

Operations

Domestic service

On 9 December 1982, the first locomotive, 58 001, was formally handed over to British Rail at Doncaster Works. Initial trials of this locomotive revealed that the climate control systems for the driver were less effective when driven at high speeds; this was rectified by the relocation of the air intake from the bottom of the front plate to either side of the crash beam, immediately beneath the windscreen. Within its two years of operation, the Class 58 had reportedly proved to be considerably more reliable than the preceding Class 56.

Deliveries of further locomotives continued until early 1987, at which point the final example, 58 050, was delivered. This locomotive was temporarily fitted with a SEPEX wheelslip control system, but upon completion of experimental testing, this equipment was removed before the locomotive entered traffic. While not seeing further use on the Class 58, the SEPEX control system was a central feature in the design of the Class 60. Despite hopes of obtaining export order for the type, no overseas customers would ultimately place an order, thus the jigs at Doncaster were dismantled and 58 050 became not only the last Class 58 to be built but also the last diesel locomotive to be produced at 'The Plant'.

Since their introduction to service during the early 1980s, the Class 58 saw service on a variety of freight duties. Despite claims made at the time, their performance was actually inferior to Class 56s on many types of freight train due to their increased tendency to wheelslip, largely as a result of bogie design. Although originally allocated to coal traffic, their arrival coincided with the miners' strike; it has been alleged that British Rail had only tolerated the construction of so many units because the components for their manufacture were already on order. As a result, the 58s could also be seen working other types of freight traffic. With the advent of privatisation in the 1990s, Class 58s greatly extended the geographical scope of their operations and were used on general freight traffic until withdrawal.

Service in Continental Europe

During 2000, EWS announced that eight Class 58s were to be transferred to Spain, where they were initially hired to Spanish infrastructure operator GIF. Subsequently, a large number of Class 58s, alongside numerous Class 56s, operated in France for Fertis, TSO and Seco Rail.

In May 2007, all of the locomotives from the French contract were returned to the UK and placed back into storage. The Spanish locomotives remain active however now under the ownership of Transfesa. The locomotives that were returned to the UK were sent back abroad to France between May and October 2009, as these units had been hired to operators TSO and ETF. The Dutch locomotives were prepared for further use in France before being transported to France in July 2009.

Withdrawal

During the late 1990s, it was almost certain that the entire Class 58 fleet would see service into the next millennium as working locomotives. However, despite being quoted as EWS's most reliable and consistent Type 5s, during 1999, it was announced that a large number of Class 58s were going to be placed into long-term storage: 58 017 was the first to be stored, quickly followed by 58 022. Since then, the remainder of the Class 58s went into storage, initially at various sites around Britain. The type's withdrawal was hastened by the introduction of 250 Class 66s. During September 2002, the last few Class 58 locomotives were withdrawn after working the last charter train, the "Bone Idol" from King's Cross to Skegness and return.

Seven Class 58s were put on the DB Schenker April 2010 disposals list; this was the first time stored Class 58s had been put up for sale. One of these, 58 016, has entered preservation at Barrow Hill with the Class 58 Locomotive Group (C58LG). A further five Class 58s were listed for disposal by DB Schenker on their October 2015 disposals list, these being 58 008, 58 012, 58 022, 58 023, and 58 048. During January 2016, it was reported that DB Schenker had disposed of its last Class 58s in the UK. Of these 58 012, 58 022, 58 023, & 048 were saved for preservation but 58 008 was scrapped by Raxstar.

According to Railways Illustrated, the fleet's operational history could be summarised as having been a shocking waste, with none of the locomotives being life-expired upon withdrawal. The periodical also observed the absurdity of many of the class being in storage in depots across France while there was a shortage of available locomotives in the UK during the mid-2010s.

Accidents and incidents

• On 6 August 1987, locomotive No. 58 013 was hauling a freight train that ran away and was derailed at Baddesley Ensor, Warwickshire.

Names and numbers

Key:	In Service	Withdrawn/Stored (UK)	Withdrawn/Stored (Exported)	Preserved	Scrapped

Number	Name	Built	UK Withdrawal	Export	Status	Disposal
58 001		09 Dec 82	08 Oct 99	13 Aug 09	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 002	Daw Mill Colliery, 17 Mar 88	9 May 83	09 Nov 00		Scrapped	EMR Southampton, Jan 2014.
58 003	Markham Colliery, Jul 88	31 Jul 83	29 Nov 99		Scrapped	EMR Kingsbury, Aug 2010.
58 004		30 Sep 83	09 Jan 02	15 Oct 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 005	Ironbridge Power Station, 12 May 96	31 Oct 83	13 Oct 00	20 Jun 09	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 006		31 Oct 83	11 Jan 00	24 Nov 09	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 007	Drakelow Power Station, 25 Aug 90	31 Nov 83	19 Jan 00	14 Oct 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 008		31 Dec 83	29 Nov 99		Scrapped	Raxstar at Eastleigh Works, in 2016.
58 009		31 Jan 84	16 Jan 02	03 Nov 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 010	Audrey Newton, 12 Dec 87 (Worn for 1 day only)	29 Feb 84	08 Dec 99	23 Jun 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 011	Worksop Depot, 05 Sep 93	31 Mar 84	07 Dec 99	30 Jun 05	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 012		31 Mar 84	05 Dec 99		Stored	Purchased for preservation, in 2016, from Ron Hull Jr's scrapyard and now stored at the Battlefield Line awaiting restoration.
58 013		31 Mar 84	26 Apr 01	24 Jun 01	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 014	Didcot Power Station, 11 Jun 88	30 Apr 84	17 Nov 00		Scrapped	EMR Kingsbury, Aug 2010.
58 015		30 Sep 84	08 Oct 99	07 Oct 04	Scrapped	Monforte-del-Cid, Spain, c. 2019
58 016		05 Oct 84	05 Aug 02	14 May 05	Under Restoration	Purchased for preservation on 28 Jun 10 by the C58LG and now undergoing restoration.
58 017	Eastleigh Depot, 26 Apr 95	31 Oct 84	30 Apr 99		Scrapped	EMR at Eastleigh 2013
58 018	High Marnham Power Station, 21 May 88	31 Oct 84	07 Dec 99	23 Aug 05	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 019	Shirebrook Colliery, 01 Oct 89	30 Nov 84	07 Apr 01		Scrapped	EMR Kingsbury, Oct 2010.
58 020	Doncaster Works BRE, 07 Nov 84 & Doncaster Works, May 87	30 Nov 84	02 Sep 02	23 May 04	Scrapped	Monforte-del-Cid, Spain, c. 2019
58 021	Hither Green Depot, 28 Oct 85	31 Dec 84	03 Aug 02	13 Jul 05	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 022		31 Dec 84	11 Mar 02		Stored	Owned by Ivatt Diesel Recreation Society. The chassis will be used for the re-creation of the LMS pioneer diesel 10000.
58 023	Peterborough Depot, 02 Jun 95	31 Dec 84	24 Jul 99		Operational.	Purchased in 2016 along with 58 012 and 58 048. Based at the Battlefield Line and returned to service in November 2016. Now operational in private ownership.
58 024		31 Dec 84	02 Sep 02	23 May 04	Scrapped	Monforte-del-Cid, Spain, c. 2019
58 025		31 Jan 85	05 Aug 02	23 May 04	Stored (Albacete, Spain)
58 026		31 Mar 85	16 Jan 2	20 Jun 09	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 027		31 Mar 85	05 Sep 99	21 Oct 04	Stored (Albacete, Spain)
58 028		31 Mar 85	29 Oct 99		Scrapped	EMR Kingsbury, Aug 2010.
58 029		31 Mar 85	25 Jun 02	23 May 04	Scrapped	Monforte-del-Cid, Spain, c. 2019
58 030		30 Jun 85	01 Aug 02	23 May 04	Scrapped	Monforte-del-Cid, Spain, c. 2019
58 031	Cabellero Ferroviario, 8 Jun	30 Sep 85	06 Apr 02	23 May 04	Scrapped	Monforte-del-Cid, Spain, c. 2019
58 032	Thorsby Colliery, Oct 95	30 Sep 85	12 Jan 00	19 Oct 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 033		30 Sep 85	31 Aug 02	28 Oct 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 034	Bassetlaw, 12 Dec 85	30 Nov 85	18 Aug 99	21 Oct 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 035		31 Jan 86	30 Jun 99	27 Oct 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 036		28 Feb 86	10 Mar 00	11 Sep 99	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 037	Worksop Depot, 26 Jun 00	28 Feb 86	08 Apr 02		Scrapped	EMR Southampton, Jan 2014.
58 038		28 Feb 86	04 Dec 99	7 May 05	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 039	Rugeley Power Station, 13 Sep 86	31 Mar 86	30 Dec 99	25 Jun 03	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 040	Cottam Power Station, 20 Sep 86	31 Mar 86	07 Dec 99	13 Nov 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 041	Ratcliffe Power Station, 06 Sep 86	31 Mar 86	08 Jul 02	03 Apr 03	Stored (Albacete, Spain)
58 042	Ironbridge Power Station, 29 Sep 86 & Petrolea, 05 Feb 96	31 May 86	13 Apr 02	20 Aug 09	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 043	Knottingly, 25 Apr 93	31 Jul 86	01 Aug 02	03 Apr 03	Scrapped	Monforte-del-Cid, Spain, c. 2019
58 044	Oxcroft Opencast, 9 May 92	31 Aug 86	24 Jul 99	16 Oct 03	Stored (Woippy Yard, Metz, France)
58 045		30 Sep 86	31 Aug 02		Scrapped	Purchased on 07 Jul 10 by the C58LG to provide spares for 58 016. Later cut up at EMR Kingsbury in Oct 2010.
58 046	Thoresby Colliery, 29 Jun 91 & Ashfordby Mine, 27 Sep 95	31 Oct 86	13 Jan 00	09 Sep 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 047	Manton Colliery, 28 Apr 92	31 Oct 86	04 Sep 02	28 Oct 04	Scrapped	Monforte-del-Cid, Spain, c. 2019
58 048	Coventry Colliery, 11 May 91	30 Nov 86	19 Jan 00		Under Restoration.	Purchased in 2016 from Ron Hull Jr's scrapyard at Rotherham with 58 012 and 58 023. This engine is being restored and will be joining 58 016 in preservation. Will be used by UK Rail Leasing Locomotives at Leicester where it will go into hire on Heritage Railways.
58 049	Littleton Colliery, 14 Mar 87	31 Dec 86	29 May 02	17 Nov 04	Stored (Alizay, France)
58 050	Toton Traction Depot, 9 May 87	31 Mar 87	05 Aug 02	18 Sep 08	Stored (Albacete, Spain)

Preservation

On 28 June 2010, DB Schenker confirmed that the Class 58 Locomotive Group's bid for 58016 had been accepted and thus the locomotive would become the first preserved example of its type. Shortly afterwards, on 7 July, the group announced they had also acquired another locomotive, 58045, as a spares donor. A subsequent posting on the group's website said that the stripping of 58045 had proceeded apace and all parts recovered were to be initially stored until the restoration of 58016 commences properly.

In 2016, 58012 and 58023 were saved from Ron Hull Jr's scrapyard at Rotherham and are now preserved at the Battlefield Line, privately-owned. 58023 is now in running order, and there are also plans to restore 58012 to running order as well.

58048 is also owned by the Battlefield Line however it is planned that it will be saved for preservation to join the heritage roster at UK Rail Leasing Locomotives in Leicester where it will be on hire to Heritage Railways.

58022 was purchased by the Ivatt Diesel Recreation Society, with plans use it as the chassis in the new build class D16/1 LMS 10000.

In 2002, 58050 was nominated by the Railway Heritage Committee for preservation at the conclusion of its service life.

As of 2018, five members of the class have been preserved, in addition one cab of 58008 has also been preserved.

List of preserved locomotives

Number	Name	Livery	Status	Location	Notes
58012	N/A	N/A	Stored	Battlefield Line	Purchased from Ron Hull Jr's scrapyard in 2016 and now stored awaiting restoration.
58016	N/A	Fertis Grey	Under Restoration	Leicester LIP	Purchased for preservation in Oct 2010 to become the First member of class to be preserved.
58022	N/A	N/A	Stored	Ecclesbourne Valley Railway	Purchased from Ron Hull Jr's scrapyard in 2016 and now stored awaiting deconstruction, with the frames destined for the new build class D16/1 LMS 10000. Locomotive transferred from Peak Rail to Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in August 2020.
58023	Peterborough Depot	Mainline Blue	Operational	Leicester LIP	Purchased for preservation in 2016 from Ron Hull Jr's scrapyard along with 58012 & 58048 and moved to the Battlefield Line. This was the first Class 58 to be started in preservation.
58048	Coventry Colliery	N/A	Under Restoration	Battlefield Line	Purchased from Ron Hull Jr's scrapyard in 2016 along with 58012 & 58023 and now undergoing restoration.

Livery

From new, all locomotives were outshopped in Railfreight grey, with yellow ends and red solebars. The introduction of Railfreight sector liveries from October 1987 saw 58 050 outshopped by Stratford in the new triple grey scheme, complete with the Railfreight coal sub-sector logo. Eventually the majority of the fleet were repainted in triple grey livery. Upon shadow privatisation of the UK freight business, Mainline Freight became the owners of the 50 strong fleet, which saw a small number re-painted into the operator's aircraft blue and silver livery, while others had Mainline Freight branding applied to the triple grey bodywork. With full privatisation and the takeover of the freight operations by EWS, maroon and gold became the standard livery for repainted examples from mid-1997 and beyond.

• 
  58 021 in Mainline Freight livery (2000)
• 
  Spanish infrastructure operator GIF's livery (2003)
• 
  ACTS 5812 in the Netherlands (2008)
• 
  LGV Rhin-Rhône construction train in France (2010)

Models

In 1979, prior to the building of the first locomotive by British Rail Engineering Limited, a 1:25 scale model was made by a member of the staff of the Locomotive Drawing Office at the Railway Technical Centre (RTC) in Derby, using the General Arrangement drawings of the proposed design. The model formed part of an exhibition at the RTC to illustrate the work of the Locomotive Design Office to the then Chairman of British Rail, Sir Peter Parker. In 1982 Hornby Railways released 00 gauge model of a Class 58, with variants produced over the next two decades. Heljan released an OO model in 2008. In 2011 Dapol released a model in N scale.

Further reading

• Marsden, Colin J. (1988). Class 58. OPC. ISBN 9780860934226. OCLC 17981102.
• Marsden, Colin J.; Fenn, Graham B. (1988). British Rail Main Line Diesel Locomotives. Sparkford: Haynes. pp. 232–235. ISBN 9780860933182. OCLC 17916362.
• Shannon, Paul (2005). Rail Portfolios: Classes 56 and 58. Ian Allan. ISBN 9780711030961. OCLC 62224164.
• Vehicle Diagram Book No. 100 for Main Line Diesel Locomotives (PDF). Derby: British Railways Board. October 1984. p. 140 (per pdf). {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
• "Doncaster's first '58' nearly ready". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. October 1982. p. 49. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
• "Grid-iron with style!". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. February 1983. pp. 34–37. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
• "Readers' round-up". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. April 1983. pp. 52, 58. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
• Pobgee, Ray (June 1983). "The building of a '58'". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. pp. 46–49. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
• "Two weeks late – but 'Class 58 Pioneer' was worth the wait". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. November 1983. p. 17. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
• Wrate, Clifford (May 1984). "Class 58s join the Merry-go-round". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. pp. 55–57. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.

External links

• Media related to British Rail Class 58 at Wikimedia Commons
• Class 58 Loco Group