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Class 50
Fifty express diesels that English Electric built at the Vulcan Foundry in 1967-68, first leased to British Rail for the West Coast Main Line north of Crewe, where they often ran in pairs to Glasgow at up to 100 mph (161 km/h). When the wires reached Glasgow in 1974 they moved to the Western Region, working from Paddington to Bristol, Plymouth and Penzance, and later from Waterloo to Exeter. They were refurbished at Doncaster in 1979-83, which gave them their headlights.
Class 50 · schematic drawing GB Trains · gbtrains.uk/stock/class-50/ · CC BY 4.0
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Liveries 1
The same measured train in each livery, each drawn from a cited source. The drawing above shows the largest fleet’s.
Former liveries 2
- Type
- Diesel-electric locomotive (Co-Co)
- Builder
- English Electric, at the Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows
- Built
- 1967-1968
- In service
- 1967–1994
- Formation
- 1 locomotive (Co-Co)
- Trains in fleet
- 50
- Top speed
- 100 mph (161 km/h)
- Power
- 2,700 hp: an English Electric 16CSVT 16-cylinder engine, an EE840/4B main generator and six EE538/5A traction motors · how it works
- Bogies
- English Electric Co-Co bogies (Class 50)
- Train length
- 69 ft (20.879 m)
- Car height
- 12 ft 10 in (3.924 m)
- Car width
- 9 ft 1 in (2.77 m)
- Profile
- main-line
- Status
- Withdrawn between 1987 and 1994; the last ran on railtours in March 1994. Eighteen are preserved, among them the first, D400 (50050).
unverified Some of these figures haven’t yet been checked against an official source or a published history. What’s in doubt ↓
Car types
| Code | Car | Length | Doors per side |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Class 50 diesel-electric locomotive | 68 ft 6 in20.879 m |
Sources
How we source figures → · Spotted a mistake? Tell us → (opens in a new tab)
Show the 9 sources from Wikimedia Commons, British Railways Board, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Department, Wikipedia
- Vehicle Diagram Book No. 100 for Main Line Diesel Locomotives, with sheet 55-a (Class 55, the Deltic) British Railways Board, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Department (PDF copy by J. D. Faulkner, 2009; copyright BRB Residuary Ltd), pp. sheet 50-a X (p. 136)68 ft 6 in over buffers, 42 ft 8 in bogie pivot centres, 56 ft 2 in total wheelbase, 6 ft 9 in + 6 ft 9 in, 3 ft 7 in wheels, buffers at 3 ft 5 1/2 in, 12 ft 11 3/4 in maximum height, 8 ft 10 3/8 in over panelling, 9 ft 1 1/4 in maximum width; English Electric 16CSVT of 2,700 hp at 850 rpm, EE840/4B generator, six EE538/5A motors, 100 mph (161 km/h), 1,055 gallons of fuel, electric train heating
- British Rail Class 50 Wikipedialead only: builder and works, 1967-68, 50 built, the lease, the routes, the refurbishment, the liveries' dates, withdrawals 1987-94, 18 preserved
- Vehicle Diagram Book No. 100 for Main Line Diesel Locomotives, with sheet 55-a (Class 55, the Deltic) British Railways Board, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Department (PDF copy by J. D. Faulkner, 2009; copyright BRB Residuary Ltd), pp. sheet 50-a X (p. 136 of the PDF, April 1974)the drawing's outline and cab end, the bogie's elevation, and every height; bogie pivot centres, wheelbase, wheels, buffer height and length over buffers
- 50 008 Thunderer at Leicester.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 2019-08-16the drawn side's bodyside layout (rectified through both cab doors' windows) and the BR blue
- Inverness to Kyle Taunton50029040787Q (16903002606).jpg (photograph, CC BY-SA 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (Richard Szwejkowski), 1987-07-04the bodyside layout checked (rectified) and the Network SouthEast livery
- 50007 at St Philip's Marsh (2).jpg (photograph, CC BY 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Harry Mitchell), 2010-04-02the leading bogie (tones, springs, brake cylinders), the cab end, the underframe and the BR blue's yellow
- D400 Network Southeast Open Day Old Oak Common 17th August 1991.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 1991-08-18the underframe and bodyside layout checked, BR blue
- 50 028 "Tiger" in Oxford station.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (Barry Lewis), 1983-02the large-logo livery on the drawn side
- 50031 Hood at Exeter Railfair May 1994.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 1994-05-01the large-logo livery's colours (the other side), the cab end and lower nose
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- Dates, builder, the fleet of 50, the lease, the routes, the refurbishment (Doncaster, 1979-83), the liveries' dates, the withdrawals and the 18 preserved: from Wikipedia, used as a lead only
- Height: sheet 50-a prints 12 ft 11 3/4 in (3,956 mm) maximum, Wikipedia 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m); width: the sheet prints 8 ft 10 3/8 in over panelling and 9 ft 1 1/4 in maximum, Wikipedia 8 ft 10 in
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