The Class 56 Freight Locomotives of British Railways

In September 1974, sixty diesel-electric freight locomotives, designated Class 56, were ordered by British Railways to meet an anticipated upsurge in coal and freight traffic. This new freight locomotive has been designed and constructed employing latest developments in traction technology with a.c. electrical power generation and electronic control equipment. Considerably less routine maintenance is thus required and carried out at extended periods. The first thirty were purchased from Brush Electrical Machines Limited (BEML) being constructed in Romania and later locomotives at British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) Doncaster Works. Further orders for seventy-five locomotives have since been placed with BREL, Doncaster. This paper outlines the main design features, methods of construction used at Doncaster Works and regional utilization and service experience since 1977.