Br class 08 usage question

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whecsailorjr

Active member
Hi all
A question on prototype Br Class 08 diesels. Are they just shunting locos, or were they ever have seen usage on mainline service on smaller lines or branch lines akin the usage pf EMD SW600 and 1200 series?
I ask as I was just gifted a beautiful old OO Hornby BR08 and wanted to know how to properly utilize her.

Thank you
Mike D
 
They weren't just used for shunting. Amongst other things I remember them working steel coil trains from Ravenscraig to Mossend Yard; a working formerly done by class 17s and an assortment of type 2s. Admittedly it was only about 3 miles, but these were heavy trains from steel mill to transfer sidings where a class 87/ 37s, etc would take over for the journey south. The 08s speed is very limited of course and at 350hp they could never be greyhounds which limited their mainline use somewhat.
 
They had great pulling power, but their gearing (I think) limited them to about 15mph, so you wouldn't want to be using them over any great distance. I remember them being used back in the '70s doing the local early morning trip working from Cleethorpes to Grimsby via the docks. They're arguably Britain's most successful diesel class!
 
They were often outstationed at places some distance from their home depot and they would typically be driven to the outstation yard very early on a Monday morning and returned late on a Friday or Saturday - perhaps not every week, but certainly every two or three weeks at least for refuelling. It's often forgotten that the ones allocated to the Southern Region were rated to run at up to 20 mph, whereas the other regions it was 15mph. The SR only class 09 variant was of course rated higher still at 26mph. Even so some quite long and boring journeys for the crew on those turns.
 
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