Throughout The Railway Series, several diesel engines from British Railways have made various appearances.
The Brighton Diesels
These three diesels were diesels who worked on British Railways. The three were present at Brighton Station when Stepney passed through on his way to Sodor in 1962.
Technical Details
Basis
The first diesel is a British Rail (BR) Class 31 Co-Co diesel-electric engine. Two-hundred and sixty-three members of this class were built from 1957 to 1962, with thirty-six currently preserved by museums and heritage railways. Eleven more of these engines were once in preservation, but were later scrapped due to either accidents or in order to provide spare parts for other engines. 31120 is another real member of this class.
The second diesel is a British Rail (BR) Class 52 "Western". All engines of this class were given two-word names, with the first word being "Western" and thus the class became known as Westerns. Seventy-four of these engines were built between 1961 and 1964. Seven of these engines have been preserved by heritage groups.
The third diesel is a British Rail (BR) Class 40 1Co-Co1 diesel-electric engine. Two-hundred members of this class were built from 1958 to 1962, and the last was withdrawn in 1985. They were given the nickname "Whistlers" because of the strange whistling noise their engines would make. Seven BR Class 40s are preserved, including D200 at the National Railway Museum, the first BR Class 40 ever built. D4711 and 40125 are also members of this class.
Liveries
The first diesel is painted BR Deep Bronze green with yellow warning panels on each end. It has red buffer beams with silver buffers. Its rooftop and the stripes along each side are painted white. Its number is painted on the sides of its cab in white.
The second diesel is painted BR maroon. It has red buffer beams with black buffers.
The third diesel is painted BR Deep Bronze green with full green ends and a white rooftop. It has red buffer beams with black buffers. Its number is painted on the sides of its cab in white.
Appearances
Books
- 2005 - Thomas the Tank Engine Encyclopedia (cameos)
Video Releases
- 1995 - The Thomas the Tank Engine Man (cameos)
Trivia
- Two of these diesels were once portrayed by surviving classmates at a Day Out with Thomas event at the National Railway Museum. The Class 31 was portrayed by D5500 (31018), while the Class 52 was portrayed by D1015 "Western Champion".
Gallery
Diesel 5701
D5701 was a blue mixed-traffic diesel engine who worked on British Railways.
Biography
D5701 was built for British Railways in 1958, and along with the rest of its class, worked in the Barrow-in-Furness area from 1962. It and some other diesel engines were alongside a signal box near an old quarry branch where Oliver, Isabel and Toad briefly hid to escape scrap. Oliver described the diesels as "baying and growling like hounds outside", and he felt very frightened.[1]
Diesel 5701 was later retired from service in September 1968, and scrapped by the end of 1969.
Technical Details
Basis
D5701 is based on the real British Rail (BR) Class 28 Co-Bo diesel-electric engine of the same number. The BR Class 28s were initially used on the "Condor" express freight services, but the class' Crossley engines quickly proved problematic. They suffered frequent failures, and in 1961 the entire class was handed back to the manufacturer for remedial work on the engines, and to cure problems with cab windows falling out while running. Upon return to service in 1962, all members of the class were allocated to Barrow-in-Furness. The BR Class 28s were withdrawn and scrapped by the end of 1969 with only one engine, D5705, surviving in preservation.
BoCo is also a member of this class.
Livery
D5701 was painted in the BR Rail Blue livery with yellow warning panels and a light grey rooftop.
Appearances
The Railway Series
- Enterprising Engines - Escape (cameo)
Companion volumes
- 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (indirectly mentioned)
- 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (indirectly mentioned)
Trivia
- D5701 was the only BR Class 28 to be painted in the later Rail Blue livery.
Gallery
Class 08
This Class 08 is a diesel shunter who works on British Railways.
Biography
The Class 08 and some other diesel engines were seen alongside a signal box near an old quarry branch where Oliver, Isabel and Toad briefly hid to escape scrap. Oliver described the diesels as "baying and growling like hounds outside", and he felt very frightened.[1]
Technical Details
Basis
The Class 08 is based on a British Rail (BR) Class 08 diesel-electric shunter. In the real world, BR Class 08s were in fact the most successful shunting engines in the world with 996 of them built. Over seventy of them are preserved by heritage railways, such as the Dean Forest Railway and museums, such as the National Railway Museum. Around one-hundred BR Class 08s also remain in service on the national rail network.
Diesel is another member of this class.
Livery
The Class 08 is painted BR Black livery. It has red buffer beams.
Appearances
Gallery
The Passing Diesel
- “Yoohoo! Yoohoo! A steamer's escaping! Yoohoo!”
- ― The Passing Diesel
The Passing Diesel is a diesel which shouted a warning that Oliver was escaping when Douglas helped him, Isabel and Toad escape from scrap.[1] The diesel does not appear in illustrations, so very little is known about it.
Appearances
31120
31120 (formerly known as D5538) was a diesel engine who worked on British Railways.
Biography
31120 was built by Brush Traction on 2 July 1959. It originally carried the number D5538, until 1973 when it was renumbered 31120 in the British Rail TOPS Renumbering scheme.
31120 was once present to take Gordon's passengers at Barrow-in-Furness in 1986, after Gordon's puncture dampened his fire and he narrowly avoided overheating.[2]
Technical Details
Basis
31120 is based on the British Rail (BR) Class 31 A1A-A1A diesel-electric engine of the same number. Two-hundred and sixty-three members of this class were built from 1957 to 1962, with thirty-six currently preserved by museums and heritage railways. Eleven more of these engines were once in preservation, but were later scrapped due to either accidents or in order to provide spare parts for other engines. the first of the Brighton Diesels is another real member of this class.
Livery
31120 wore BR Rail Blue livery with yellow ends, black bufferbeams and silver buffers. The engine's number was painted on its cab sides in white.
When first built, 31120 was painted BR Deep Bronze green with yellow warning panels, white stripes and a grey roof. The real 31120 was later painted Railfreight grey with yellow warning panels and black cab windows and doors.
Appearances
Trivia
- 31120 is illustrated with the Headcode "1X01". This is seemingly incorrect, as "X" can indicate either "Royal Train" or "out-of-gauge load".
- In The Railway Series, 31120 did not have the British Rail logo on its sides.
Gallery
Class 127
The Class 127 is a diesel multiple unit who worked on British Railways.
Biography
In 1986, the Class 127 was taking a railtour train of enthusiasts to Carlisle, but broke down at Barrow-in-Furness. At this time, Gordon arrived with the Express. As he was the only engine available, he got to take the enthusiasts to Carlisle, with permission from the Fat Controller.[3]
Technical Details
Basis
The Class 127 is based on a British Rail (BR) Class 127 diesel–hydraulic multiple unit. Over thirty sets of this class were built in 1959, with six of these units preserved by heritage railways. The number 10751 is actually a headcode as opposed to their running number. The latter is unknown, but it would logically be in the range of 51591 to 51650.
Livery
The Class 127 is painted BR Rail Blue with yellow warning panels on its ends. Its rooftop is painted dark grey. It has black buffer beams with silver buffers.
Appearances
The Railway Series
- Gordon the High-Speed Engine - Gordon Proves His Point (not named; does not speak)
Companion Volumes
- 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (not named; mentioned)
Gallery
Other Diesel Engines
Several other diesel engines have also been mentioned in The Railway Series.
Biography
In Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine, these diesels were first referenced in a conversation between Percy and Douglas about dieselisation on the Mainland. With the scrapping of British Railways Steam Engines, Douglas referred to the diesels as "devils" and stated he would never trust one himself. Percy later mentioned that Stepney would not be captured by any diesels during his journey from the Bluebell Railway to Sodor.
In Enterprising Engines, Gordon to The Fat Controller mentioned how the British Railways Diesels he encountered boast how they "abolished steam" on the Mainland. He was further distraught to learn that his brothers had all been scrapped, with the exception of Flying Scotsman. In a flashback scene, Oliver recalled how the diesels tried to hunt him, Isabel and Toad down and were "baying and growling like hounds" when they had heard about a mystery steam train escaping scrap. After rescuing the stowaways, Douglas feared that "some murdering diesels" may creep in and capture Oliver while he was hidden in a siding on the Island of Sodor.
In James and the Diesel Engines, it was mentioned that many diesels from British Railways have visited the Island of Sodor on several different occasions. Visiting diesels are known to be particularly haughty, as they feel superior to steam engines and often put the steam engines down. Known visiting diesels include Diesel, Class 40, D199 and Old Stuck-Up. With the arrival of friendlier British Railway diesels (such as BoCo, Bear, Pip and Emma) to North Western Railway, the steam engines had gradually grown to accept them.
Appearances
The Railway Series
- Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine - Bluebells of England (mentioned)
- Enterprising Engines - Escape (does not speak)
- James and the Diesel Engines - Old Stuck-Up (mentioned)
Companion volumes
- 1996 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection (first not seen; second does not speak)
- 2007 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection (mentioned)
Books
- 2004 - Oliver (cameo)
- 2011 - Oliver the Great Western Engine (cameo)
- 2016 - The Engine Shed Story Collection (cameo)
- 2017 - Oliver (cameo)
Trivia
- In the third illustration of Escape', an unidentifiable diesel appears alongside D5701 and Class 08.
- In a 1981 Six Fifty-Five Special interview with the Rev. W. Awdry, he described the British Railways Diesels as "two-faced" and stated "you never know if you can trust them".[4]
References
| Locomotives | Steam | 87546 and 98462 | Workshop Engines | Big City Engine | Jinty and Pug | City of Truro | Stepney | Bluebell and Primrose | Adams | Cromford | Captain Baxter | Flying Scotsman | Toby's Brothers | 8783 | 1020 | Stephenson's Rocket | Green Arrow | Boxhill | Iron Duke | Mallard | Duchess of Hamilton | Wilbert | Sixteen | Albert | King James I | Bahamas |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | Diesel | Diesel 4711 | Diesel 199 | Diesel 40125 | Diesel 31120 | 10751 | |
| Rolling Stock | Helena | |
| People | Elizabeth II | The Thin Clergyman | The Fat Clergyman | |
| Stations | Barrow-in-Furness | Brighton | Carnforth | Crewe | Euston | Horsted Keynes | King's Cross | Lakeside | Norchard | Paddington | St. Pancras | York | |
| Railways | Bluebell Railway | British Railways | Corris Railway | Dean Forest Railway | Ffestiniog Railway | Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway | Snowdon Mountain Railway | Talyllyn Railway | Toby's Old Tramway | |