The British Railways Class 09 is a class of 0-6-0 diesel locomotive designed primarily for shunting and also short distance freight trips along branch lines.
The 26 locos are similar to the Class 08 shunting locomotives but with different gearing, which gives them a top speed of 27.5 mph (44 km/h) at the expense of a lower tractive effort. They were introduced from 1959 to 1962 and latterly operated in the Southern Region of British Railways, although some of the class were originally allocated to depots in the Midlands and North before transferring south. Further locomotives were converted from Class 08 in 1992 and following this and privatisation in 1997, the class has been distributed much further afield.
Passenger operations[]
Although not normally considered for passenger work, the 09s were recorded working passenger trains between Clapham Junction and Kensington Olympia due to unavailability of the booked Class 33 diesels.
They were also used on Railtours which needed to depart Brighton heading along the West Coastway Line or vice versa. To achieve this the 09s worked between Brighton and Preston Park, allowing the main tour locomotive to work the train forward via the Cliftonville tunnel and Hove. The connection to the West Coastway Line at Brighton can only be used by four car trains due to the arrangement of the points and track.
Liveries[]
Post-Privatisation[]
The following liveries have been carried since the privatisation of British Rail:
- 09006/007/019/024 carried Mainline Freight livery
- 09025 in Connex Livery
- 09201 in Railfreight grey and is currently in the Knottingley area working at EWS Depot
Sub-classes[]
The original 26 locomotives (built 1959-1962) became sub-class 09/0 when further locomotives that were modified from Class 08 in 1992 became subclasses 09/1 and 09/2. There were variations, which were given the following TOPS design codes:
Class 09/0[]
| TOPS design code | Electrical system | Max speed | Weight | Brakes | Route availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09-0AX | ? | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | ? | Original design |
| 09-0BA | ? | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 51.0 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons) | air | 6 | knuckle couplings fitted (09003/11) |
Classes 09/1 & 09/2[]
| TOPS design code | Electrical system | Max speed | Weight | Brakes | Route availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09-1AX | 110 V | 27.5 mph (formerly 20 mph) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | ? | |
| 09-1BX | 110 V | 27.5 mph (formerly 15 mph) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | ? | |
| 09-1CX | 110 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 49.0 long tons (49.8 t; 54.9 short tons) | dual | ? | fitted with knuckle couplings |
| 09-1EA | 110 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 51.0 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons) | air | 6 | fitted with knuckle couplings |
| 09-2AA | 90 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 49.6 long tons (50.4 t; 55.6 short tons) | air | ? | |
| 09-2BX | 90 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 50.5 long tons (51.3 t; 56.6 short tons) | dual | ? | |
| 09-2DA | 90 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 51.0 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons) | air | 6 | fitted with knuckle couplings |
Preservation[]
11 members of the class have been preserved
- D3665 (09001) Ex DB Schenker at Peak Rail (Heritage Shunters Trust)
- D3668 (09004) at Swindon & Cricklade Railway
- D3721 (09010) at South Devon Railway
- D4100 (09012) 'Dick Hardy' at Severn Valley Railway (following sale to the railway Feb 2013)
- D4105 (09017) at National Railway Museum
- D4106 (09018) at Bluebell Railway
- D4107 (09019) at West Somerset Railway
- D4112 (09024) at East Lancashire Railway
- D4113 (09025) at Lavender Line
- D4114 (09026) 'Cedric Wares' at Spa Valley Railway
- D4013 (09107) at Severn Valley Railway
