BRITISH RAIL CLASS 03

'BR Class 03'
TOPS numbers	03 004 - 03 399
Early numbers	D2000-D2199; D2370-D2390; originally 11187-11209
Builder	British Rail Swindon & Doncaster
Introduced	1957-62
Wheel Arrangement	0-6-0 (C)
Weight	30 t 4 cwt	29 tonnes
Height	11 ft 10 in	3.6 m
Width	8 ft 6 in	2.6 m
Length	26 ft 0 in	7.9 m
Wheel Dia.	3 ft 7 in	1.1 m
Wheelbase	9 ft 0 in	2.8 m
Minimum radius	2 chains	40 m
Maximum speed	29.5 mph	46 km/h
Engine output	204 hp	152 kW
Max. Tractive Effort	15,300 lbf	68 kN
Power at Rail	152 hp	113 kW
Brake type	Air locomotive brake Vacuum; later some Dual
Brake force	13 ton force	130 kN
Route availability	1
Fuel Tank	300 imperial gal	1400 litres
Heating type	None

The 'British Rail Class 03' locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399 (later 03004 to 03399). D2370 and D2371 were used as departmental locomotives and numbered 91 and 92 respectively.

Contents

Overview

Technical details

Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley Line

Preservation

External links

Overview

Like other shunters of this size, the Class 03 was built for light duties where a larger locomotive was not needed, especially for shunting at locomotive and carriage depots and as station pilots. The reduction over time in the demand for shunting locomotives meant that they were progressively withdrawn from 1968 onwards, many being sold to private industry. However, some remained in service much longer, with two examples on the Isle of Wight lasting until 1993 (mainland examples had gone by 1987). In 1998, one of the Isle of Wight locos, no. 03 179, was re-instated into service by the West Anglia Great Northern Railway Company (WAGN) for service at their Hornsey depot. This remains the last operational Class 03 locomotive on the network. It is named ''Clive'' after a depot employee. It is now owned by First Capital Connect, and was recently painted into an 'interesting' version of FCC's urban lines colours.

Technical details

The engine is a Gardner 8-cylinder, 4-stroke 8L3 of 204 hp 152 kW connected to a Wilson-Drewry CA5 R7, 5-speed epicyclic with RF11 spiral bevel reverse and final-drive unit. Drive is through a jackshaft mounted beneath the cab, driving the wheels through coupling rods (US: side rods).

Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley Line

Several examples were rebuilt with cut-down cabs for working on the Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley Line. This was due to several low bridges on the line, which normal height locomotives would not be able to clear without incident.
The modified examples were nos. 03119, 03120, 03121, 03141, 03142, 03144, 03145, 03151 and 03382. Their duties included shunting (for example at Burry Port) but also hauling full coal trains down from the valley's pits. For this latter duty they worked triple-headed.
They were replaced by Class 08/9 locomotives, which were also rebuilt to a reduced height. Several cut-down locomotives have been preserved.
The Isle of Wight shunters, nos. 03079 and 03179, were also rebuilt with cut-down cabs, to enable them to pass through a low tunnel in Ryde.

Preservation

A fairly large number (over 50) of the class survive in preservation.

Number(s)		Preserved location	Industrial use	Notes
03018	D2018	Mangapps Railway Museum	-	[1]
03020	D2020	Lavender Line	-	[2]
03022	D2022	Swindon and Cricklade Railway	-	[3]
-	D2023	Kent & East Sussex Railway	Tees & Hartlepool Dock Authority (1972-1980)	[4]
-	D2024	Kent & East Sussex Railway	Tees & Hartlepool Dock Authority (1972-1980)	[5]
03027	D2027	Peak Rail	-	[6]
03037	D2037	Peak Rail	-	[7]
-	D2041	Colne Valley Railway	Richborough Power Station (1970) Rye House Power Station (1971) Barking Power Station (1971) Rye House Power Station (1974-1981)	[8]
-	D2051	North Norfolk Railway	Ford, Dagenham (06/1973-04/1997)	[9]
03059	D2059	Isle of Wight Steam Railway	-	[10]
03062	D2062	East Lancashire Railway	-	[11]
03063	D2063	North Norfolk Railway	-	[12]
03066	D2066	Barrow Hill Engine Shed	-	[13]
03069	D2069	Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway	Vic Berry, Leicester	[14]
03072	D2072	Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway	-	[15]
03073	D2073	The Railway Age, Crewe	-	[16]

External links

★ 03078 [17] D2078 Stephenson Railway Museum.

★ 03079 [18] D2079 Derwent Valley Light Railway

★ 03081 [19] D2081 Mangapps Farm Railway Museum - was used between 1981-2000

★ 03084 [20] D2084 Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

★ 03089 [21] D2089 Mangapps Farm Railway Museum

★ 03090 [22] D2090 Locomotion - the NRM at Shildon

★ 03094 [23] D2094 Barrow Hill Roundhouse - Cambrian Railways Trust

★ 03099 [24] D2099 Peak Rail

★ 03113 [25] D2113 Peak Rail

★ D2117 [26] Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway

★ D2118 [27] Peak Rail. Worked at Anglian Building Products, Lenwade, Norfolk from August 1973, then at Dow-Mac near Stamford from December 1993.

★ 03119 [28] D2119 West Somerset Railway

★ 03120 [29] D2120 Fawley Hill Railway

★ 03128 [30] D2128 Dean Forest Railway - between 1976 and 1993 based in Belgium.

★ D2133 [31] West Somerset Railway. Worked at Cellophane's Bridgwater factory in 1970s

★ 03134 [32] D2134 Royal Deeside Railway - between 1976 and 1993 based in Belgium.

★ D2138 [33] Midland Railway Centre - Used at Pye Hill Colliery 1969-1984.

★ D2139 [34] Peak Rail. - previous used ? see pixs on link

★ 03141 [35] D2141 Swansea Vale Railway

★ 03144 [36] D2144 Wensleydale Railway

★ 03145 [37] D2145 Private Location

★ D2148 [38] Ribble Steam Railway.

★ 03152 [39] D2152 Swindon & Cricklade Railway

★ 03158 [40] D2158 Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

★ 03162 [41] D2162Llangollen Railway

★ 03170 [42] D2170 Battlefield Railway- owned by Otis Euro Transrail between 1989-1999

★ D2178 [43] Gwili Railway

★ 03180 [44] D2180 Battlefield Railway

★ D2182 [45] Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway

★ D2184 [46] Colne Valley Railway

★ 03189 [47] D2189 Ribble Steam Railway

★ D2192 [48] Paignton & Dartmouth Railway

★ 03196 [49] D2196West Coast Railway Co Carnforth

★ 03197 [50] D2197Lavender Line

★ D2199 [51] Peak Rail. Sold to NCB in 1974 after being overhauled and fitted with air brakes at Doncaster Works. Worked at Rockingham, North Gawber and Royston until being placed into store at Monkton in 1984. Was on loan to Hanson Aggregates, Machen Quarry near Newport 2003 (?)-2006.

★ 03371 [52] D2371 Rowden Mill Station Museum

★ D2381 [53] West Coast Railway Company, Carnforth

★ 03399 [54] D2399 Mangapps Farm Railway Museum