British Rail Class 50
The British Rail (BR) Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967–68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe, Carlisle and Scotland. They were originally hired from English Electric Leasings, not being purchased outright by BR until around 1973. Under the pre-1968 classification system these locomotives were known as the English Electric Type 4. The class were affectionately nicknamed "Hoovers" by rail enthusiasts because of their distinctive engine sound, caused by the centrifugal air filters originally fitted. These proved unreliable, and were later removed, but the "Hoover" nickname stuck.
| British Rail Class 50 | |
| |
| 50049 Defiance at Bath Spa Station on 3 June 2007. | |
| Power type | Diesel-electric |
|---|---|
| Builder | English Electric at Vulcan Foundry |
| Build date | 1967–1968 |
| Total production | 50 |
| Configuration | Co-Co |
| UIC classification | Co'Co' |
| Gauge | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Track gauge/data' not found. |
| Wheel diameter | 3 ft 7 in (1.092 m) |
| Wheelbase | 56 ft 2 in (17.12 m) |
| Length | 68 ft 6 in (20.88 m) |
| Width | 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) |
| Locomotive weight | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). |
| Prime mover | English Electric 16 CSVT |
| Multiple working | ■ Orange Square |
| Top speed | 105 mph (169 km/h) |
| Power output | Engine: 2,700 bhp (2,010 kW) |
| Tractive effort | Maximum: Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). Continuous: Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). |
| Train heating | Electric Train Heat |
| Train brakes | Dual (Air and Vacuum) |
| Career | British Rail |
| Number | D400–D449; later 50001–50050 |
| Axle load class | Route availability 6 |
British Rail Class 50 Media
50010 at Reading General in 1974
50048 Dauntless naming ceremony at Reading,1978
50043 Eagle hauling the morning express across the Penadlake viaduct on 29 August 1987
50044 Exeter in Network South East livery at London Waterloo
50007 Sir Edward Elgar at Bournemouth Open Day, 1992
En route from Barreiro to Vila Real de Santo António on 27 November 1990, 1805 pauses at Ermidas Sado where it was booked to cross over with a northbound train.
D400 Fearless, the first Class 50 to be built in 1967, seen here on the Settle & Carlisle Railway, 2022
50050 Fearless at Hardingham
The South Devon Railway 16
