British Rail modern traction locomotive classes

This article lists every locomotive that had allocated a TOPS classification and all modern traction (e.g. diesel, electric, gas turbine, petrol) stock used on the mainline network since 1948 (i.e. British Railways and post-privatisation).

Diesel locomotives

Small shunters: under 300 hp

TOPS Class	1948 Class	1955 Class	1962 Class	1948 Numbers	1957 Numbers	TOPS Numbers	Year(s) built	Quantity built	Engine	Year(s) withdrawn	Photograph	Scrapped
—	—	—	—	-	11104	–	1950	1	52 hp ("At rail:" 39 hp)	1967		1
—	—	—	—	-	13000 (never carried)	–	1934	1	250 hp	1949		1
—	DY1	D1/1	1/15	11500–11502	D2950–D2952	–	1954–55	3	153 bhp	1966–67		All
Class 01	DY2	D1/2	1/12	11503–11506, 81	D2953–D2956, D2956 (ii)	01 001–2	1956–58	5	153 hp	1966–81		3
—	DY5	D1/3	1/16	11507–11508	D2957–D2958	–	1956	2	165 bhp	1967–68		Both
Class 02	—	D1/4	1/17	—	D2850–D2869	02 001–4	1960–61	20	170 hp	1969–75		13
—	DY11	D2/1	2/4A	11700–11707	D2700–D2707	–	1953–56	8	200 bhp	1964–68		All
Class 03	DJ15	D2/2	2/1	11187–11211	D2000–D2199 D2370–D2399	03004–03199, 03370–03399 (with gaps)	1957–61	230	204 hp	1968–93 2008		174
Class 04	DJ12/1	D2/4	2/13	11100–11115	D2200–D2214	N/A	(D2341 1948) 1952–62	142	204 hp	1967–72		124 (1 in preservation)
	DJ12/2	D2/13		11121–11229	D2215–D2341	N/A
—	DJ14	D2/5	2/12A	11177–11186	D2400–D2409	–	1956–57	10	204 bhp	1967–69		All
—	—	D2/7	2/14	11116–20, 11144–48	D2500–D2509	–	1955–56	10	204 bhp	1967
Class 05	DJ13	D2/8	2/15A	11136–43, 11161–76	D2550–D2573	05001	1955–61	69	204 hp	1966–68, 1983		65
	DJ13/2	D2/9	2/15	—	D2574–D2618	–
Class 06	—	D2/6	2/12	—	D2410–D2444	06001–06010	1958–60	35	204 hp	1967–84		34
—	DY11	D2/10	2/4	11708–11719	D2708–D2719	–	1957	12	225 bhp	1967		All
			2/4B	—	D2720–D2780	–	1958–61	61	225 bhp	1967–68		59
—	—	D2/11	2/2	—	D2999	–	1960	2	180 bhp	1967		1
—	—	D2/12	2/14A	—	D2510–D2519	–	1961	10	204 bhp	1967		9
Class 07	—	–	2/16	—	D2985–D2998	07001–07014	1962	14	275 hp	1973–77		7
—	—	D3/1	–	3/4	D2900–D2913	–	1958–59	14	330 bhp	1967		All

Large shunters: 300–799 hp

CLASS				NUMBERS			Built	Quantity	Engine	Withdrawn	Photograph	Scrapped
TOPS	1948	1955	1962	1948	1957	TOPS
				15107	–		1949	1	360 bhp	1958		1
				11001	–		1949	1	500 bhp	1959		1
Class 08	DEJ4	D3/2	3/1	13000–13366	D3000–D4192 except those listed under classes 09 and 10	08001–08958	1953–62	996	350 bhp	still in use		899 (3 in preservation)
Class 09					D3665–71, D3719–21, D4099–D4114	09001–09026, 09101-09107, 09201-09205	1959, 1961–62	26	350 bhp	still in use		2
		D3/3	3/1B	13117–13126	D3117–D3126		1955	10	350 bhp	1966–67		All
Class 10	DEJ5	D3/4	3/1C	13137–13151	D3137–D3151, D3439–D3453, D3473–D3502, D3612–D3651, D4049–D4094	N/A	1955–62	146	350 bhp	1967–72		142 (1 in preservation)
	DEJ7	D3/5	3/1D	13152–13166	D3152–D3166		1955	15	350 bhp	1967		All
		D3/6		12000–12002			1935	11	350 bhp	1956–62		10
		D3/7	3/8	12003–12032			1939–42	30	350 bhp	1966–67		All
Class 11	DEJ3	D3/8	3/8A	12033–12138		01153	1945–52	136	350 bhp	1967–72		128 (1 in preservation)
	DEJ1	D3/9	3/10	15000-15003			1944-45	4	350 bhp	1967		All
		D3/10	3/11A	15100			1935	1	350 bhp	1965
		D3/11	3/11	15101–15106			1948	6	350 bhp	1967
		D3/12	3/9A	15201–15203			1937	3	350 bhp	1964
Class 12		D3/13	3/9	15211–15236		N/A	1949–52	24	350 bhp	1968–71		23
	DEJ2	D3/14	3/2	15004			1949	1	360 bhp	1962		All
Class 13			7/1		D4500–D4502	13001–13003	1965	3	360 bhp	1983–1985

• Relation between TOPS, 1948, 1955 and 1962 classes, and 1948, 1957 and TOPS numbers:

Type 1 locomotives: 800 – 1,000 hp

CLASS			1957 numbers	TOPS numbers	Introduced	Quantity	Engine	Withdrawn	Notes	Scrapped
TOPS	1955	1962
Class 14 (Teddy Bear)	N/A	6/1	D9500–D9555	N/A	1964–65	56	700 hp	1968–69	5 exported to Belgium (2) and Spain (3).	32
			10800	-	1950	1	827 hp (rebuilt to 1,400 hp)	1959	Built by LMS in 1946, entered service in 1948, sold Brush Traction, rebuilt into research locomotive Hawk.	1
Class 15	D8/1	8/5	D8200-D8243	N/A	1957–61	44	800 hp	1968–71	D8203/33/37/43 survived as non-powered electric train pre-heating units at Doncaster until 1981–1989.	43
Class 16	D8/2	8/4	D8400-D8409	N/A	1958	10	800 hp	1968		All
Class 17 (Clayton Type 1)	N/A	9/18	D8500-D8587	N/A	1962–65	117	2× 450 hp	1968–71	D8512/21/98 survived at the Derby Research Centre until 1978.	87
		9/19	D8588-D8616							All
Class 18 (I)	N/A	N/A	N/A		1985 (Proposed)			Never Built		Never Built
Class 18 (II)	N/A	N/A	N/A		2021 (Planned)	15 (Planned)		Under Construction
Class 19	N/A	N/A	N/A	19001	2018	1	DVT	still in use	Built in 1988 as Mark 3 DVT, rebuild as self-powered vehicle in 2018.	0
Class 20	D10/3	10/3	D8000-199, D8300-27	20001–20228	1957–1962, 1965-68	228	1,000 hp	still in use		189 (1 in preservation)

• Relation between TOPS, 1948, 1955 and 1962 classes, and 1948, 1957 and TOPS numbers (unless otherwise given):

Type 2 locomotives: 1,001 – 1,499 hp

Locomotive class are listed by TOPS class. Locomotives for TOPS classes 24 and 26 have their original sub-classes shown, as each wholly comprised locomotives from a distinct 1962 class. Class 21 (II) has sub-classes shown as these are superficially similar but mechanically different types grouped into a single class.

CLASS				1957 numbers	TOPS numbers	Introduced	Quantity	Engine	Withdrawn	Notes	Scrapped
TOPS		1955	1962
Class 21 (I) (NBL)		D10/1	10/4	D6100-D6157	N/A	1958–60	58	1,000 hp	1967–68	20 rebuilt to Class 29	All
		D11/2	11/4					1,100 hp
Class 21 (II)	21/5	N/A	N/A	N/A	21544–21547	2004–05	4	2,110 hp	still in use		0
	21/6				21610–21611	2006	2	1,500 hp
	21/9				21901–21910	1991–92	5	1,270 hp
						2010	2
						2016	3
Class 22 (Baby Warship)		D10/2A	10/4A	D6300-D6305	N/A	1959–62	58	1,000 hp	1967–72		All
		D11/5	11/4A	D6306-D6357				1,100 hp
Class 23 (Baby Deltic)		D11/1	11/3	D5900-D5909	N/A	1959	10	1,100 hp	1968–71	D5901 survived in departmental use at the Railway Technical Centre until 1975.
Class 24	24/0	D11/3	11/1	D5000-D5049	24001–24047	1958–61	50	1,160 hp	1967–80	24061 survived in departmental use until 1987	49
	24/1		11/1A	D5050-5150	24051–24101		101				98
Class 25		D12/1	12/1	D5151–D5299, D7500–D7677	25001–25327	1961-67	323	1,250 hp	1984–87		303
Class 26	26/0	D11/4	11/6	D5300-D5319	26001–26046	1958	20	1,160 hp	1975–94		13
	26/1	N/A	11/6A	D5320-D5346		1958	27				21
Class 27		D12/3	12/6	D5347-D5415	27001–27066	1961–62	69	1,250 hp	1987		61
Class 28		D12/1	12/5	D5700-D5719	N/A	1958–59	20	1,200 hp	1967–68	A 'Metrovick' passing through Grange-over-Sands, June 1963 D5705 used by the Research Division until 1980.	19
Class 29		N/A	13/4	D6100-03/06-08/12-14/16/19/21/23-24/29-30/32-33/37	N/A	1958–60 Rebuilt 1965–1967	20	1,350 hp	1969–71	Rebuilt from Class 21	All
Classes 30 & 31		D13/1, D14/2	14/2	D5500-D5699, D5800-D5862	31001–31970	1957-62	263 plus 81 conversions	1,250 bhp or 1,365 bhp	still in use		217 (10 in preservation)

• Relation between TOPS, 1948, 1955 and 1962 classes, and 1948, 1957 and TOPS numbers (unless otherwise given):

Type 3 locomotives: 1,500–1,999 hp

CLASS			Pre-TOPS numbers	TOPS numbers	Introduced	Quantity	Engine	Withdrawn	Notes	Scrapped
TOPS	1955	1962
Classes 33 & 34	D15/1	15/6	D6500–D6585	33001–33065, 33101–33119	1960–62	98	1,550 hp	still in use (with West Coast Railway Company)		59
	D15/2	15/6A	D6586-D6597	33201–33212						8
Class 35(Hymek)	D17/2	17/7	D7000–D7100	N/A	1961–64	101	1,700 hp	1971–1975		97
Class 37	D17/1	17/3	D6600-D6608, D6700-D6999	37001–37308	1960–65	309	1,750 hp	still in use		177
Class 38					1980s (Proposed)			Never built		Never built
	D16/1	16/8	10000-10001		1947–48	2	1,600 hp	1963, 1966	1 built by LMS	All
	D16/2	16/9	10201-10203		1950 (2), 1954 (1)	3	10201/2: 1,750 hp (1,600 hp from 1957) 10203: 2,000 hp	1963	10203 at Bletchley Ordered by SR

• Relation between TOPS, 1955 and 1962 classes, and pre-TOPS and TOPS numbers (unless otherwise given):

Type 4 locomotives: 2,000–2,999 hp

CLASS			1957 numbers	TOPS numbers	Built	Quantity	Engine	Withdrawn	Notes	Scrapped
TOPS	1955	1962
			10100		1951	1	2,000 hp	1958	Nicknamed "The Fell Locomotive", ordered by LMS	1
Class 40	D20/1	20/3	D200-D399	40001-40199	1958–62	200	2,000 hp	1967 (1) 1975–85	4 survived in departmental stock until 1987.	193
Class 41 (I) (Warship)	D20/2	20/4	D600-D604	N/A	1958–59	5	2× 1,000 hp	1967	Withdrawn before introduction of TOPS system	All
Class 41 (II)	N/A			41001-41002, 43000-43001	1972	2	2,250 hp	1982	Power cars for Prototype HST	1
Class 41 (III)	N/A				1990s (Proposed)			Never Built		Never Built
Class 42 (Warship)	D22/1	22/1	D800-D832, D866-D870	N/A	1958–61	38	2× 1,135 hp	1968–72	D818/32 survived at Derby and Swindon until 1985	36
Class 43 (I) (Warship)	D22/2	22/2	D833-D865	N/A	1960–62	33	2× 1,100 hp	1969–1971		All
Class 43 (II)	N/A			43002-43198	1975–82	197	1,770 hp	Still in use	Power cars for the InterCity 125 HST sets	6
Class 44(Peak)	D23/1	23/1	D1-D10	44001-41010	1959–60	10	2,300 hp	1976–80		8
Class 45(Peak)	D25/1	25/1	D11-D137	45001-45077, 45101-45150	1960–63	127	2,500 hp	1981–89		115
Class 46(Peak)	N/A	25/1A	D138-D193	46001-46056	1961	56	2,500 hp	1977–84	4 survived in departmental stock until 1984–91	53
Class 47		27/2	D1100-D1111, D1500-D1999	47001-47981	1962–68	512	2,750 hp (later derated to 2,580 hp)	still in use		492
Class 48			D1702-D1706	47114-47118	1965–66	5	2,650 hp	1990–91	Re-engined to Class 47, 1969–1971	4
Class 50		27/3	D400-D449	50001-50050	1967–68	50	2,700 hp	still in use with GB railfreight	Based on the DP2 prototype	32
Class 52(Western)	D27/1	27/1	D1000-D1073	N/A	1961–1964	74	2 x 1,350 hp	1973–77		67
Class 53Falcon	N/A	N/A	1200	N/A	1961	1	2,880 hp	1975	Prototype locomotive. Not classified until taken into BR stock as No. 1200	1
Class 57	N/A			57001-57012 57301-57316 57601-57605	1965–67 Rebuilt: 1997–2004	33	2,580 hp	still in use	Rebuilt from Class 47	0

Type 5 locomotives: over 3,000 hp

CLASS			1957 numbers	TOPS numbers	Built	Quantity	Engine	Withdrawn	Notes	Scrapped
TOPS	1955	1962
Class 51 (Super Deltic)	N/A				1960s (Proposed)			Never Built		Never Built
Class 55(Deltic)	D33/1	33/1	D9000-D9021	55001–55022	1961–62	22	2× 1,650 hp	1980–82	Based on the DP1 Deltic prototype	16
Class 56	N/A			56001-56135	1976–84	135	3,250 hp	still in use	3 in Hungary	97
Class 58	N/A			58001-58050	1983–87	50	3,300 hp	1999–2002	Some still in use in France (23) and Spain (13)	9
Class 59	N/A			59001-59005, 59101-59104, 59201-59206	1985–95	15	3,300 hp	still in use		0
Class 60	N/A			60001-60015, 60017-60100, 60500	1989–93	100	3,100 hp	still in use		1
Class 62	N/A				1990s (Proposed)			Never Built		Never Built
Class 65	N/A
Class 66	N/A			66001-66249, 66301-66305, 66411-66434, 66501-66599, 66601-66625, 66701-66789, 66846-66850, 66951-66957	1998–2015	446	3,300 hp	still in use		2
Class 67	N/A			67001-67030	1999–2000	30	3,200 hp	still in use		0
Class 68	N/A			68001-68034	2013–2017	34	3,800 hp	still in use
Class 69	N/A			69001-69016	2020 (Planned)	16 (planned)	–	Under construction	Planned conversion of 56.
Class 70 (II)	N/A			70001-70020	2009–2011	37	3,300 hp	still in use
				70801-70817	2011–2017

Electric locomotives

DC electric locomotives

TOPS class	Pre-TOPS class	Pre-TOPS numbers	TOPS numbers	Built	Quantity	Engine	Withdrawn	Notes	Scrapped
Class 70 (I)	Southern Railway, Class CC Electrics	20001-20003	N/A	1941 1945 1948||3||1,470 hp	1968		All
Class 71	HA	E5000–E5023 later E5001–E5024	71001–71014	1958–60	24	2,252 hp	1976–77		13
Classes 72 & 73	JA or JB	E6001–E6049	73001–73006 73101–73142	1962 1965–67	49	600 hp (diesel) 1,600 hp (electric)	still in use		10
Class 74	HB	E6101–E6110	74001–74010	1958–60 Rebuilt 1967–1968	10	650 hp (diesel) 2,500 hp (electric)	1976–1977	Rebuilt from Class 71	All
Class 75				1960s (Proposed)			Never Built		Never built
Class 76	EM1	26000–26055 later E26000–26057	76001–76057	1941 (prototype) 1950–53	58	1,300 hp	1970 (prototype) 1981	Prototype built by LNER	57
Class 77	EM2	27000–27006	N/A	1953–54	7	2,490 hp	1968	Sold to Netherlands as NS 1500 Class	4
	EB1/EF1	26502-26511		1914–1919	10	1,100 hp	1950–1951 1964	Built by NER (later LNER)	All
	EE1	26600		1922	1	1,800 hp	1950 (never used)	Built by NER
	ES1	26500–26501		1903–1904	2	640 bhp	1964	Built by NER	1

AC electric locomotives

TOPS class	Pre-TOPS class	Pre-TOPS numbers	TOPS numbers	Built	Quantity	Engine	Withdrawn	Notes	Scrapped
Class 80		E1000, E2001 from 1959	N/A	1951 rebuilt 1958	1	–	1968	Rebuilt from prototype main line gas turbine-electric locomotive 18100, stored in 1961.	1
Class 81	AL1	E3001–E3023, E3096–E3097	81001–81022	1959–1964	25	–	1968 (2) 1971 (1) 1983–91		24
Class 82	AL2	E3046–E3055	82001–82008	1960–62	10	–	1969 (1) 1971 (1) 1983 (6) 1987 (2)		9
Class 83	AL3	E3024–E3035, E3098-E3100	83001–83015	1960–62	15	–	1975 (1) 1978 (1) 1983 (10) 1989 (3)	83012 (previously E3035) at Doncaster Works	14
Class 84	AL4	E3036–E3045	84001–84010	1960–61	10	–	1979–80		9
Class 85	AL5	E3056–E3095	85001–85040	1961–64	40	–	1981–92		39
Class 86	AL6	E3101–E3200	86001–86048, 86201–86252	1965–66	100	–	2002-date still in use (with Freightliner)	Some still in use in Bulgaria (7) and Hungary (9)	65
Class 87		E3201–E3234 (not carried)	87001–87035, 87101	1973–75	36	–	2003–6	87028 at Crewe in 1988 27 still in use in Bulgaria	12
Class 88 (I)				1983–87 (planned)			Never Constructed		Never built
Class 88 (II)			88001–88010	2015–16	10	5,400 hp (electric) 940 hp (diesel)	still in use	88003 at InnoTrans 2016	0
Class 89			89001	1986	1	–	2001	89001 Doncaster Works Prototype locomotive
Class 90			90001–90050	1987–90	50	–	still in use	90001 at Crewe
Class 91			91001–91031 later 91101–91122, 91124–91132	1988–91	31	–	2019-date still in use	91021 at Peterborough in 1992	5
Class 92			92001–92046	1993–96	46	–	still in use		0
Class 93 (I)				1992–95 (planned)	30 (planned)		Never Constructed	Mock-up of a Class 93 Planned InterCity 250 locomotive; project cancelled in 1992	Never built
Class 93 (II)			93001–93010	2023 (planned)	10 (minimum)	5,438 hp	Under Construction	Option for an additional 10	0

Miscellaneous locomotives

Type	Class / number(s)	Information
Channel Tunnel	Class 22 (II)	SNCF Class BB 22200 class dual voltage electric locomotives used for freight duties through the Channel Tunnel by Railfreight Distribution during 1994–95, prior to the availability of the dedicated Class 92 locomotives. Allocated as Class 22 under TOPS.
	Class 9000	Dedicated locomotives used only on Eurotunnel Shuttle services through the Channel Tunnel between Folkestone & Calais. No TOPS classification.
	Class 0001	Diesel-electric locomotives used for rescue purposes on the Channel Tunnel network. Classed as 21/9 under TOPS
	Class 0031	Diesel locomotives used for maintenance purposes by Eurotunnel on the Channel Tunnel network. No TOPS classification
Departmental	Class 97	General departmental locomotives, used for special or engineering duties. Were therefore of many different classes, lumped together for numbering purposes. Forty-seven locomotives allocated Class 97 numbers, including five in subclass 97/6.
	Class 97/6	Class 97/6 (97 651, also known as PWM651) at Pitsford and Brampton station Five diesel shunting locomotives purpose-built for departmental duties on the Western Region in 1953 (number 97650) and 1959 (numbers 97651-654), and originally numbered PWM650-4. Withdrawn 1987–2005.
	Various Pre-TOPS Departmental Locomotives
Steam	Class 98	Class 98 Vale of Rheidol locomotive taking on water Used to cover all steam locomotives used on the mainline in Britain. Had particular usage for the three Vale of Rheidol Railway steam locomotives (and one VoR 0-6-0DH) that remained in BR's ownership after the end of mainline steam traction in August 1968, and numbered 98007–98009, although in practice the locomotives retained their former (GWR) numbers 7–9. Also used for privately owned steam locomotives registered to run on the mainline since 1971, with numbers allocated in the following way: First two digits: 98 (for class 98) Third digit: 0–9 representing the Power Class 0–9 Fourth and fifth digits: The last two digits of the locomotive's original number. If this would duplicate an existing number, then the number is increased by 1
Petrol	15097-15099	Petrol powered locomotives built by Simplex, introduced 1919–1925 by the GER and NBR (later LNER (1 built by LNER)), and subsequently inherited by BR.
Gas turbine	18000	18000 at the ORE Arsenal Test Centre in 1988 Prototype mainline gas turbine locomotive built for BR in 1949 by Brown Boveri. Had been ordered by GWR in 1940, but construction was delayed due to World War II.
	18100	Prototype mainline gas turbine locomotive built for BR in 1951 by Metropolitan-Vickers. Had been ordered by the GWR in the 1940s, but construction was delayed due to World War II.

Builders' demonstrators

These were locomotives built and owned by private firms, but used by British Railways to test them.

Locomotive	Builder	Year	Fate
D0226 & D0227	English Electric	1956–60	Experimental diesel-electric locomotive D0226 post-preservation at Haworth D0226 preserved D0227 scrapped
D0260 Lion	BRCWC	1962-3	Returned to manufacturer and scrapped in 1964
10800 Hawk	Brush Traction	1962-5	Stripped 1972-6 and used as a stationary generator, scrapped 1976
D0280 Falcon	Brush Traction	1961-5	Transferred (and later sold in 1970) to BR; withdrawn 1975, scrapped 1976
D9998	Brush Traction	1958	Scrapped
DHP1	Clayton	1963-5	Scrapped 1967
DP1 Deltic	English Electric	1955–61	DHP1 "Deltic" at National Rail Museum, Shildon, UK in October 2006 Withdrawn 1961, preserved
DP2	English Electric	1962-7	Demonstration locomotive DP2 at Kings Cross in 1963 Destroyed in a collision in 1967, scrapped 1970
GT3 (Gas turbine)	English Electric	1961-2	Returned to VF 1962, turbine removed; scrapped 1966
HS4000 Kestrel	Brush Traction	1967–71	Kestrel outside Derby Works during testing in 1968 Sold to Soviet Railways 1971; withdrawn 1989, scrapped 1993
Janus	Yorkshire Engine Company	1956	Demonstration shunter Janus (2787) at Shelton Sold to Appleby-Frodingham Steel works; scrapped c.1982
Taurus	Yorkshire Engine Company	1961	Stripped 1962, scrapped 1965

Unbuilt locomotives

Main article: List of British Rail unbuilt locomotive classes

A number of TOPS class numbers were allocated to proposed locomotives, both diesel and electric, which for many reasons were not proceeded with.

See also

• List of British Rail classes
• British Rail locomotive and multiple unit numbering and classification
• Steam locomotives of British Railways
• List of British Rail diesel multiple unit classes
• List of British Rail electric multiple unit classes
• List of British Rail departmental multiple unit classes
• British Rail coach type codes

External links

• departmentals.com