British Rail Class 40


The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel electric locomotive. A total of 200 were built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962. They were numbered D200-D399. They were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet. Despite their initial success, by the time the last examples were entering service they were already being replaced on some top-link duties by more powerful locomotives. As they were slowly relegated from express passenger uses, the type found work on secondary passenger and freight services where they worked for many years. The final locomotives ended regular service in 1985.

Origins

The origins of the Class 40 fleet lay in the prototype diesel locomotives and most notably with the Southern Region locomotive No. 10203, which was powered by English Electric's 16SVT MkII engine developing 2,000 bhp. The bogie design and power train of 10203 was used almost unchanged on the first ten production Class 40s.

Prototypes

British Railways originally ordered ten Class 40s, then known as "English Electric Type 4s", as evaluation prototypes. They were built at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire. The first locomotive, D200, was delivered to Stratford on 14 March 1958. Following fitter and crew training, D200 made its passenger début on an express train from London Liverpool Street to on 18 April 1958. Five of the prototypes, Nos. D200, D202-D205, were trialled on similar services on the former Great Eastern routes, whilst the remaining five, Nos. D201, D206-D209, worked on Great Northern services on the East Coast Main Line.
Sir Brian Robertson, then chairman of the British Transport Commission, was less than impressed, believing that the locomotives lacked the power to maintain heavy trains at high speed and were too expensive to run in multiple – opinions that were later proved to be correct. Airing his views at the regional boards prompted others to break cover and it was agreed that later orders would be uprated to 2500 hp. Direct comparisons on the Great Eastern Main Line showed they offered little advantage over the "Britannia" class steam locomotives, when driven well, and the Eastern Region declined to accept further machines as they deemed them unsuitable to replace the Pacific steam locomotives on the East Coast Main Line preferring to hold on until the "Deltic" Class 55 diesels were delivered.
The London Midland Region was only too pleased, as the Eastern Region's decision released additional locomotives to replace their ageing steam fleet, Class 40s managing Camden Bank, just north of Euston, with apparent ease. The West Coast Main Line had been starved of investment for many years and the poor track and generally lower speeds suited Class 40s, as the need to hold trains at speed for long periods simply did not exist and it better exploited their fairly rapid acceleration.

Production

Following the mixed success of the prototypes, another 190 locomotives were ordered by British Railways, and were numbered from D210 to D399. All were built at Vulcan Foundry, except a batch of twenty which were built at Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns factory in Darlington. All the locomotives were painted in the British Railways diesel green livery, and the final locomotive, D399, was delivered in September 1962.
Batches of the class were built with significant design differences, due to changes in railway working practices. The first 125 locomotives, Nos. D200–D324, were built with steam-age 'disc' headcode markers, which BR used to identify services. Later, it was decided that locomotives should display the four character train reporting number of the service they were hauling, and Nos. D325–D344 were built with 'split' headcode boxes, which displayed two characters either side of the locomotive's central gangway doors. Another policy decision led to the discontinuing of the gangway doors. The remaining locomotives, Nos. D345–D399, carried a central four-character headcode box. In 1965, seven of the first batch of locomotives, Nos. D260–D266, which were based in Scotland, were converted to the central headcode design.
From 1973, locomotives were renumbered to suit the TOPS computer operating system, and became known as 'Class 40'. Locomotives D201 to D399 were renumbered in sequence into the range 40 001 to 40 199. The first built locomotive, D200, was renumbered 40 122, which was vacant due to the scrapping of D322 as the result of accident damage.

The named 40s

Locomotives in the range D210–D235 were to be named after ships operated by the companies Cunard Line, Elder Dempster Lines, and Canadian Pacific Steamships, as they hauled express trains to Liverpool, the home port of these companies. The only locomotive not to carry a name was D226 which was to carry the name Media but never did so. From approximately 1970, with Class 40s no longer working these trains, the nameplates were gradually removed, so that by 1973 contributors to Railway World were reporting 7 different locomotives running without nameplates, all observed in North Wales. However the Ian Allan Motive Power Combined Volume was stilll listing the names of all officially named Class 40 locomotives in 1980 despite none having carried their nameplates for many years.
LocoNameShipping lineDate named
D210Empress of BritainCanadian Pacific Steamships
D211MauretaniaCunard Line
D212AureolElder Dempster Lines
D213AndaniaCunard Line
D214AntoniaCunard Line
D215AquitaniaCunard Line
D216CampaniaCunard Line
D217CarinthiaCunard Line
D218CarmaniaCunard Line
D219CaroniaCunard Line
D220 FranconiaCunard Line
D221IverniaCunard Line
D222LaconiaCunard Line
D223LancastriaCunard Line
D224LucaniaCunard Line
D225LusitaniaCunard Line
D226Cunard LineNever
D227Cunard Line
D228Cunard Line
D229SaxoniaCunard Line
D230ScythiaCunard Line
D231SylvaniaCunard Line
D232Empress of CanadaCanadian Pacific Steamships
D233Empress of EnglandCanadian Pacific Steamships
D234Elder Dempster Lines
D235Elder Dempster Lines

A series of unofficial names were applied to the Class 40s by enthusiasts and enthusiastic depot staff. Some locos ran in service with these names applied for many months, others were painted out within days.
The locos to carry these unofficial names were:
The Class 40s operated in all areas of British Railways although sightings in the Western and Southern Regions have always been exceptionally rare and usually the result of special trains and/or unusual operational circumstances, but examples have been recorded such as D317 hauling a parcels train between Micheldever and Basingstoke on 3 July 1967, and 335 operating the 07:35 Oxford to Paddington and 10:16 Paddington - Birmingham on 29 June 1971. A review of the areas of operation published towards the end of the class's operational life showed no regular operational service on the Southern Region, and the only parts of the Western Region regularly visited were the Cambrian Line between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth, and freights on the Gloucester to Severn Tunnel Junction route.
After the early trials the majority of Class 40s were based at depots in northern England, notably Longsight, Carlisle Kingmoor, and Wigan Springs Branch on the Midland Region, and Thornaby and Gateshead on the Eastern Region.
The heyday of the class was in the early 1960s, when they hauled top-link expresses on the West Coast Main Line and in East Anglia. However, the arrival of more powerful diesels such as Class 47, Class 55, and the later InterCity 125, together with the electrification of the West Coast Main Line, meant that the fleet was gradually relegated to more mundane duties.
In later life the locomotives were mainly to be found hauling heavy freight and passenger trains in the north of England and Scotland. As more new rolling stock was introduced, their passenger work decreased, partly due to their lack of electric train heating for newer passenger coaches. They lost their last front-line passenger duties – in Scotland – in 1980, and the last regular use on passenger trains was on the North Wales Coast Line between Holyhead, Crewe and Manchester, along with regular forays across the Pennines on Liverpool to York and Newcastle services.
Throughout the early 1980s Class 40s were common performers on relief, day excursion and holidaymaker services along with deputisation duties for electric traction, especially on Sundays between Manchester and Birmingham. This resulted in visits to many distant parts of the network. It would be fair to say that few routes in the London Midland and Eastern regions did not see a Class 40 worked passenger service from time to time. Regular destinations included the seaside resorts of Scarborough, Skegness and Cleethorpes on the Eastern region, with Blackpool and Stranraer being regularly visited on the West Coast.
Much rarer workings include visits to London's Paddington and Euston stations, Norwich, Cardiff and even Kyle of Lochalsh. The fact that 40s could turn up almost anywhere resulted in them being followed by a hard core of bashers, enthusiasts dedicated to journeying over lines with rare traction for the route.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal of the Class 40s started in 1976, when three locomotives were taken out of service. At over 130 tons the Class were by then considered underpowered. In addition, some were found to be suffering from fractures of the plate-frame bogies, and spares were also needed to keep other locomotives running.
Also, many Class 40s were not fitted with air braking, leaving them unable to haul more modern freight and passenger vehicles. Despite this, only seventeen had been withdrawn by the start of the 1980s. The locomotives became more popular with railway enthusiasts as their numbers started to dwindle.
Withdrawals then picked up apace, with the locomotives which lacked air brakes taking the brunt of the decline. In 1981, all 130 remaining locomotives were concentrated in the London Midland region of BR. Classified works overhauls on the Class 40s were also gradually phased out, only 29 members of the class had a full classified in 1980, and the final two emerged from Crewe Works in 1981. The last to receive a classified overhaul was 40 167 in February 1981.
After that, numbers dwindled slowly until, by the end of 1984, there were only sixteen still running. These included the pioneer locomotive, 40 122, which, having been withdrawn in 1981, was reinstated in July 1983 and painted in the original green livery to haul rail enthusiasts' specials. The last passenger run by a Class 40, apart from 40 122, occurred on 27 January 1985, when 40 012 hauled a train from Birmingham New Street to York. All the remaining locomotives except 40 122 were withdrawn the next day.
The majority of Class 40s were cut up at Crewe, Doncaster, and Swindon works.
Crewe works dismantled the most 40s, the totals are listed below.
The other ten locos to be scrapped were cut at Derby, Glasgow, Inverkeithing, and Vic Berry at Leicester.
1981 and 1983 saw the highest number of Class 40 withdrawals, a total of 41 locomotives being withdrawn both years.
The very last Class 40s to be cut up were 40 091 and 40 195 by A. Hampton contractors at Crewe Works in December 1988.
YearQuantity in
service at
start of year		Quantity
withdrawn		Locomotive numberNotes
19672001D322Accident damage
19761991140 005/21/39/41/43/45/53/89/102/189-9040 039 never received B.R blue livery.
1977188440 048/54/59/72
1978184140 051Vacuum brake only
19791830–
19801832040 011/26/38/40/42/71/100/105/108-110/112/114/119/123/142/146-147/156/161
19811634140 010/14/16-19/23/31-32/37/62/65-67/70/75/78/83/95/98/107/111/113/116-117/120/122/125/134/137/144/149/151/165/171/173/175-176/178-179/19340 122 would be reinstated 24 April 1983.
40 010 withdrawn only 14 months after receiving a full classified works overhaul.
19821223240 003/08/20/25/36/55/64/87-88/92/94/101/103/115/127-128, 130/132/136/138-140/148/154, 162-163/166/182/184/186-187/19940 183 was due for an E exam, the loco was withdrawn but then reinstated and given E exam 8 September 1982. Final withdrawal came on 1 June 1983 with bogie fractures.
1983904140 006-07/27/30/46/49-50/52/61/68-69/73/76-77/80-81/84/90/93/96-97/106/121/131/141/145/153/157-159/164/169-170/172/180/183/185/188/191/197-19840 185 withdrawn 2yrs overdue a classified works repair.
40 076 provided bogies for the restoration of 40 122.
1984493340 001-02/04/09/15/22/24/28-29/33-35/47/56-58/63/74/82/85/91/99/124/126/129/133/160/167-168/174/177/195-19640 009 the last vacuum braked Class 40 withdrawn 7 November 1984 with bearings and traction motor problems. 40 126 was the locomotive stopped at Sears Crossing in the 1963 Great Train Robbery.
1985161640 012-13/44/60/79/86/104/118/135/143/150/152/155/181/192/194All locos were switched off surplus to requirements or life expired by 22 January 1985.

Further use

The Class 40 story was not quite over, however. Upon the joint initiative of enthusiasts Howard Johnston and Murray Brown who noticed 40 122 on the withdrawn sidings at Carlisle Kingmoor depot in summer 1981 ready to go to Swindon Works for breaking up. 40 122 was reinstated by BR and overhauled at Toton depot with parts from 40 076. Now in working condition and repainted in BR green, it was regularly used to haul normal passenger trains in the hope of attracting enthusiasts, as well as special trains. In addition, four locomotives were temporarily returned to service as Class 97 departmental locomotives, numbered 97 405–408. They were used to work engineering trains for a remodelling project at Crewe station. These were withdrawn by March 1987.
40 122 was eventually withdrawn in 1988 and presented to the National Railway Museum. Six other locomotives were preserved, and on 30 November 2002, over sixteen years after the last Class 40 had hauled a mainline passenger train, the Class 40 Preservation Society's 40 145 hauled an enthusiasts' railtour, "The Christmas Cracker IV", from Crewe to Holyhead via Birmingham. Following a three-year hiatus, after suffering a traction motor flashover, 40 145 returned to mainline operation in 2014.

Accidents and incidents

D326 was the most famous Class 40, but for unfortunate reasons. The engine had an early chequered history, she was classed as a jinxed loco by some railwaymen, with some drivers being reluctant to drive it. In 1963 it was involved in the infamous "Great Train Robbery", a year later in August 1964 a secondman was electrocuted when washing the windows. Finally, in August 1965, it suffered total brake failure with a maintenance train at Birmingham New Street and hit the rear of a freight train, injuring the guard. It then settled down and had a normal life until it was scrapped in 1984.
40126 was withdrawn from service on 15 February 1984. Upon withdrawal the locomotive was offered to the National Railway Museum at York as an exhibit loco regarding its past history, however, the NRM declined and she was reduced to a pile of scrap metal at Doncaster Works with indecent haste, no doubt to stop any pillaging souvenir hunters. Other famous "40s" include 40 106, which was the last one to remain in BR green livery, and 40 009, the last 40 to still have vacuum brakes only.

Preservation

Seven locomotives and one cab end have been preserved on heritage railways, including the first built, number D200, and the Departmental Locomotives, 97 406, 97 407, 97 408. Not all locos may be carrying their names so ones noted show they aren't currently carrying their names.
Of the seven class 40's to be preserved all except for 40118 have run in preservation and three have run on the main line in preservation, these being Nos D200, D213 and D345. As of 2018 D213 & D345 are operational on the main line.

Model Railways

There has been quite a few models of class 40s over the years, this is not a complete list. In OO gauge, French manufacturer Jouef entered the UK OO gauge market with a class 40 model in the late 70s. This was available in blue or green, but only the head code disc version was available. It was not a very accurate model being overly wide. Next Lima produced a much better class 40 from the late 80s and was available with all three types of nose styles. Bachmann produced a super detailed class 40 in the early 00s, but this was criticised somewhat for poor shape in the cab area, and this was addressed by Bachmann later in production when lighting as included and the drive was a true 1CO-CO1 drive arrangement.
In 2010 Hornby Railways launched its first version of the BR Class 40 which was a remotored Lima model that Hornby had acquired, which is basic representation of the prototype as part of their Railroad range in BR Blue in OO gauge.

Locomotive details

  1. , including driver's desk, secondman's position, AWS equipment
  2. , including sanding gear, hand brake, vacuum brake controls
  3. , including bogie structure; brake, heating and electrical connections
  4. , camshaft and associated components

  5. Preservation groups