British Rail departmental locomotives


Before the TOPS Class 97 was issued to self-propelled locomotives in departmental use, British Rail had such locomotives numbered in a variety of series, together with locomotives that were no longer self-propelled. See Also:
Key:In useWithdrawnPreservedRenumberedReturned to normal trafficScrapped

Western Region series

The Great Western Railway purchased two diesel shunters during its existence, which were numbered 1 and 2. Number 1 was effectively a departmental locomotive, while 2 was in capital stock. Details of both locomotives may be found here.
The GWR also owned a number of small petrol shunters built by Motor Rail, which carried numbers 15 and 22-27 in their departmental number series. These survived to be taken over by British Rail, which did not renumber them. These shunters are listed below.
The Western Region of British Rail used a PWM series which incorporated some locomotives. The two narrow gauge GWR petrol shunters were allocated numbers in this series, as were the five shunters PWM650-PWM654, which were later renumbered as 97650-97654.
NumberBuilder DetailsUseWithdrawnDisposal
15Motor Rail, 1923Shunter1951Scrapped
22Motor Rail, 1930Shunter, gauge, allocated PWM17801952Scrapped
23Motor Rail, 1925Shunter1960Scrapped
24Motor Rail, 1926Shunter1960Scrapped
25Motor Rail, 1930Shunter, gauge, allocated PWM17791951Scrapped
26Motor Rail, 1927Shunter1960Scrapped
27Motor Rail, 1926Shunter1960Scrapped

Engineering Department series

The London Midland Region Engineering Department numbered its diesel locomotives in a series running from ED1 upwards.
NumberFormer No.Builder DetailsUseWithdrawnDisposal
ED1Ex-LMS 2Fowler, 1935Shunter at Beeston sleeper works1962Scrapped
ED2-Fowler, 1949Shunter1965Scrapped
ED3-Fowler, 1949Shunter1967Scrapped
ED4-Fowler, 1949Shunter1964Scrapped
ED5-Fowler, 1949Shunter1965Scrapped
ED6-Fowler, 1949Shunter1967Scrapped
ED7-Fowler, 1940Shunter 1964Scrapped
ED10-Ruston & Hornsby, 19580-4-0 Shunter at Beeston sleeper works1965Preserved on Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway

966xxx and 968xxx series

The 968xxx series was used for departmental locomotives from 1968 onwards. Previously, some former Class 08 shunters that were converted to snowploughs had been numbered in the 966xxx series, but this was discontinued and some of these locomotives were renumbered into the 968xxx series.
When the Class 97 series for self-propelled locomotives was introduced, some locomotives in this series were renumbered to Class 97, leaving the 968xxx numbers just for locomotives that were no longer self-propelled. Since privatisation, other numbering schemes have been used for locomotives used for a similar-purpose as those in the 968xxx series. For completion these locomotives are also included. Details of all locomotives are shown below:
NumberPrevious NumberPrevious ClassConvertedUseWithdrawnDisposal
ADB 96650613078 / D3078081973Snowplough1978Scrapped 1979
ADB 96650713006 / D300608-Snowplough1979Scrapped 1979
ADB 96650813035 / D3035081974Snowplough1979Scrapped 1979
ADB 96650913069 / D3069081974Snowplough1979Scrapped 1980
ADB 96651013037 / D3037081974Snowplough1978Scrapped 1979
ADB 96651113186 / D3186 / 08119081977Snowplough1977Renumbered to ADB 968011
ADB 96651213177 / D3177 / 08111081977Snowplough1977Renumbered to ADB 968012
ADB 96651313184 / D3184 / 08117081977Snowplough1977Renumbered to ADB 968010
ADB 966514E3044 / 84009841978Mobile load bank1978Renumbered to ADB 968021
ADB 968000D8243151968Coaching-stock Pre-heating Unit1981Scrapped 1991
ADB 968001D8233151968Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1982Preserved at East Lancs Railway
ADB 968002D8237151968Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1982Scrapped 1982
ADB 968003D8203151968Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1981Scrapped 1981
ADB 9680047055 / MPU2 / 953Ex-LMS-Mobile power generating unit-Written off
TDB 968005D7089351975Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1975Scrapped 1976
TDB 968006D5705 / 15705281968Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1977Preserved on East Lancashire Railway
RDB 968007D5061 / 24061241975Research-department use1978Renumbered to 97201
TDB 968008D5054 / 24054241976Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1982Preserved on East Lancashire Railway
TDB 968009D5142 / 24142241976Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1982Scrapped 1984
ADB 96801013184 / D3184 / 08117 / ADB 966513081977Snowplough1979Scrapped 1979
ADB 96801113186 / D3186 / 08119 / ADB 966511081977Snowplough1979Scrapped 1980
ADB 96801213177 / D3177 / 08111 / ADB 966512081977Snowplough1979Scrapped 1979
ADB 968013D5513 / 31013311979Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1983Scrapped 1983
ADB 968014D5502 / 31002311980Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1982Scrapped 1984
ADB 968015D5514 / 31014311977Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1982Scrapped 1983
ADB 968016D5508 / 31008311981Coaching-stock pre-heating unit1982Scrapped 1985
ADB 96801713061 / D3061 / 0804808CancelledSnowplough-Scrapped 1978
ADB 96801813080 / D3080 / 0806508CancelledSnowplough-Scrapped 1978
ADB 96801913081 / D3081 / 0806608CancelledSnowplough-Scrapped 1978
RDB 96802013337 / D3337 / 08267081978Research-department use1979Renumbered to 97801
ADB 968021E3044 / 84009 / ADB 966514841978Mobile load bank1995Scrapped 1995
ADB 968022E3038 / 8400384CancelledMobile load bank-Scrapped 1986
ADB 968023E3032 / 83009831983Static transformer1985Returned to normal traffic - later scrapped
ADB 968024D23 / 45017451985Static training locomotive1988Scrapped 1991
ADB 968025D5404 / 27113 / 27207271986Static training locomotive1987Scrapped 1988
ADB 968026D7657 / 25307 / 25908251986Static training locomotive1988Scrapped 1988
ADB 968027D7672 / 25322 / 25912251987Static training locomotive1989Returned to normal traffic - later preserved
ADB 968028D5374 / 27024271989Static training locomotive1989Preserved on Caledonian Railway
ADB 968029 D8001 / 20001201989Static training locomotive1992Preserved at Midland Railway - Butterley
TDB 968030D6530 / 33018331988Static training locomotive2000Preserved at Midland Railway - Butterley
ADB 968031D411 / 50011501987Power unit transporter1992Scrapped 1992
ADB 968032D8011 / 20011201988Power unit transporter1992Scrapped 1994
ADB 968033D1502 / 47403471988Static training locomotive1992Scrapped 1994
ADB 968034 D3937 / 08769081989Static training locomotive1999Preserved on Dean Forest Railway
ADB 968035D1669 / 47538471993Power unit transporter1996Scrapped 1997

Internal User series

Internal User vehicles are those that are not allowed to run on the mainline, but are only for use within depot complexes. They are often stationary, though not always. Two former locomotives that were heavily stripped, leaving just the frames, to carry power units within Toton depot were allocated IU numbers.
NumberPrevious NumberPrevious ClassConvertedUseWithdrawnDisposal
025031D6770 / 37070371995Power unit transporter1995Scrapped 2004
025032D6838 / 37138371995Power unit transporter1995Scrapped 2004

Miscellaneous locomotives

, Loughborough were using a British Rail Class 56 locomotive, 56009 in their works as a power unit transporter and test bed for a Class 56 overhaul programme. It was not registered on the TOPS system, but Brush had given it the painted TOPS-like number 56201. This programme was abandoned, leaving the loco in extended storage for over 16 years. It since been sold to UKRL leasing and remains stored at Shackerstone with plans to overhaul it as part of their re-engineering programme.
A heavily stripped Class 73 locomotive, 73126 was used as a static training locomotive at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh, replacing the previously used locomotives TDB 968030 and ADB 968034. Since this locomotive was converted after privatisation it was not renumbered into the 968xxx series. Bought by Cotswold Rail's Adrian Parcell and later sold to the college, the locomotive was little more than a shell after 4 years as a spares donor at Stewart's Lane and Old Oak Common, and after 9 years was sold for scrap at Booth Roe Metals, Rotherham in August 2009.
NumberPrevious NumberPrevious ClassConvertedUseWithdrawnDisposal
5620156009561996Power unit transporter/test bed1996Owned by UK Rail Leasing and stored at the Battlefield Line pending overhaul.
73126E6033732000Static training locomotive1999Sold to CF Booth Rotherham and scrapped in August 2009