Class 56 Profile and Models
56101 at Barrow Hill in August 2009. ©Clagmaster
The British Rail Class 56 is a type of diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight work. It is a Type 5 locomotive, with a Ruston-Paxman power unit developing 3,250 bhp and has a Co-Co wheel arrangement. Enthusiasts nicknamed them "Gridirons" (or "Grids" for short), due to the grid-like horn cover on the locomotive's cab ends fitted to nos. 56056 onwards. The first 30 locomotives were built by Electroputere in Romania, but these typically suffered from poor construction standards and many were withdrawn from service early for extensive rebuilding before re-entering revenue service. The remaining 105 locomotives were built by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL). The Class 56 proved to be a strong and capable locomotive type but its maintenance requirements and costs were relatively high compared to its contemporaries and modern locomotive classes. Despite this, several can still be seen in mainline use, with a trio of locomotives also preserved.
(Information provided via Wikipedia)
|
Type of Locomotive |
Diesel-Electric |
|
Builders |
Electroputere, Romania BREL Doncaster BREL Crewe |
|
Build Dates |
1976 to 1984 |
|
Total Built |
135 |
|
Tractive Effort |
61,800 lbf |
|
Power Output |
3,250 bhp |
|
Top Speed |
80 mph |
|
Wheel Configuration |
Co-Co |
|
Operated By |
British Rail Colas Rail DCRail EWS Fastline Floyd Zrt. GB Railfreight UK Rail Leasing |
|
Main Duties |
Heavy Freight |
|
In Service Until |
Present |
|
Surviving Examples |
38 |
BR blue
BR large logo blue
Railfreight grey (inc. Red Stripe)
Railfreight 'Sector' triple grey
LoadHaul
Transrail
EWS - English Welsh and Scottish
Fastline Freight
Colas Rail
Devon and Cornwall Railways
Unpainted
Awaiting Categorisation
Civil Engineers 'Dutch'
Products awaiting categorisation
| Scale | Brand | Image | Construction Type | DCC Capability | Product Code | Product Title | Livery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N Gauge | CJM |
|
RTR/RTUse/Pre-assembled | Not set |
CJM-56047 View |
Class 56 56047 in Transrail Livery | Awaiting Categorisation |
| N Gauge | Dapol |
|
RTR/RTUse/Pre-assembled | DCC decoder fitted. Analogue compatible |
NDIESEL2loco View |
Class 56 56003 in Loadhaul black and orange - DCC fitted - split from NDIESEL2 set |