Class 48 Profile and Models
D1705 on the Great Central Railway in September 2007. (This loco was converted to a Class 47 in the 1960s). ©Phil Sangwell
The British Rail Class 48 was a diesel locomotive class which consisted of five examples, built at Brush Falcon Works in Loughborough. They were part of the British Rail Class 47 order, but differed from their classmates by being fitted with a Sulzer V12 12LVA24 power unit producing 2,650 bhp (1,976 kW), as opposed to the standard 12LDA28C twin-bank twelve-cylinder unit of the remaining fleet. The locomotives mainly worked from Tinsley depot in Sheffield on both passenger and freight work. In 1969, they moved to Norwich depot where they worked on express trains between there and London Liverpool Street. The 12LVA24 engine, however, was found to be unreliable and the locomotives spent more time out of service than their standard counterparts. Eventually, it was decided not to continue with the 12LVA24 experiment; the engines were removed and the locomotives were fitted with standard Class 47 engines. |
|
Type of Locomotive |
Diesel-Electric |
Builder |
Brush Traction, Falcon Works |
Build Dates |
1965 to 1966 |
Total Built |
5 |
Tractive Effort |
Unknown |
Power Output |
2,650 bhp |
Top Speed |
95 mph |
Wheel Configuration |
Co-Co |
Operated By |
British Railways |
Main Duties |
Mixed Traffic |
In Service Until |
1971 (All re-engined/ re-classified to Class 47) |
Surviving Examples |
1 |