British Rail Class 40

English Electric Type 4
British Rail Class 40

40145 on a charter train at Carlisle, 27 August 2004

Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder English Electric at Vulcan Foundry and Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Build date 1958–1962 Total produced 200

Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 1Co-Co1  • UIC (1Co)'(Co1)' Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Wheel diameter Driving: 3 ft 9 in (1.143 m) Idling: 3 ft 0 in (0.914 m) Minimum curve 4.5 chains (91 m) Wheelbase 61 ft 3 in (18.67 m) Length 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) Width 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) Height 12 ft 10 in (3.91 m) Loco weight 133 long tons (135 t; 149 short tons) Fuel capacity 710 imp gal (3,200 l; 850 US gal) Prime mover English Electric 16SVT MkII Generator DC generator Traction motors DC traction motors Transmission Diesel-electric transmission MU working ★ Blue Star Train heating Steam Train brakes Vacuum; later Dual (Air & Vacuum)

Performance figures Maximum speed 90 mph (140 km/h) Power output Engine: 2,000 bhp (1,490 kW) At rail: 1,550 hp (1,160 kW) Tractive effort Maximum: 52,000 lbf (231 kN) Brakeforce 51 long tons-force (508 kN)

Career Operators British Railways Numbers D200–D399, later 40 001–40 199 Nicknames Whistler Axle load class Route availability 6 Withdrawn 1976-1985 Disposition seven preserved, remainder scrapped

The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, 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 being retired from regular service in 1985.

The origins of the Class 40 fleet lay in the prototype diesel locomotives (Types D16/1 ordered by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and British Railways and D16/2 ordered by British Railways between 1947 and 1954) and most notably with the Southern Region locomotive No. 10203, which was powered by English Electric's 16SVT MkII engine developing 2,000 bhp (1,460 kW). The bogie design and power train of 10203 was used almost unchanged on the first ten production Class 40s.

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 Norwich 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.