British Rail Class 09
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The British Rail Class 09 is a class of 0-6-0 diesel locomotive designed primarily for shunting and short-distance freight trips along branch lines.cite-ref-semg-2-0[2]
The 26 locos are nearly identical to the more numerous Class 08 shunting locomotives but have different gearing, giving a higher top speed of 27.5 mph (44 km/h) at the expense of a lower tractive effort. They were introduced from 1959 to 1962 and latterly operated in the Southern Region of British Railways, although some of the class were originally allocated to depots in the Midlands and North.cite-ref-3[3] Further locomotives were converted from Class 08 in 1992 and, following this and privatisation in 1997, the class has been distributed much further afield.
Contents
• Liveries
• Sources
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Passenger operations
Although not normally considered for passenger work, Class 09s were recorded working passenger trains between Clapham Junction and Kensington Olympia when the booked Class 33 diesel was unavailable.cite-ref-4[4]
They were also used on railtours which needed to depart Brighton heading along the West Coastway Line or vice versa. To achieve this the 09 worked between Brighton and Preston Park, allowing the main tour locomotive to work the train forward via the Cliftonville tunnel and Hove.cite-ref-6bells-5-0[5] The connection to the West Coastway Line at Brighton can only be used by four car trains due to the arrangement of the points and track.
Liveries
Post-Privatisation
The following liveries have been carried since the privatisation of British Rail:
• 09006/007/019/024 carried Mainline Freight liverycite-ref-6[6]
• 09008 in EWS livery
• 09204 in Arriva TrainCare liverycite-ref-7[7]
Sub-classes
The original 26 locomotives (built 1959–1962) became sub-class 09/0 when further locomotives were modified from Class 08s in 1992 which became subclasses Classes 09/1 and 09/2. There were variations, which were given the following TOPS design codes:
Class 09/0
| TOPS design code | Electrical system | Max speed | Weight | Brakes | Route availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09-0AX | 110 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | ? | Original design |
| 09-0BA | 110 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 51.0 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons) | air | 6 | knuckle couplings fitted (09003/11) |
Classes 09/1 & 09/2
| TOPS design code | Electrical system | Max speed | Weight | Brakes | Route availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09-1AX | 110 V | 27.5 mph (formerly 20 mph) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | ? | |
| 09-1BX | 110 V | 27.5 mph (formerly 15 mph) | 50.4 long tons (51.2 t; 56.4 short tons) | dual | ? | |
| 09-1CX | 110 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 49.0 long tons (49.8 t; 54.9 short tons) | dual | ? | fitted with knuckle couplings |
| 09-1EA | 110 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 51.0 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons) | air | 6 | fitted with knuckle couplings |
| 09-2AA | 90 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 49.6 long tons (50.4 t; 55.6 short tons) | air | ? | |
| 09-2BX | 90 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 50.5 long tons (51.3 t; 56.6 short tons) | dual | ? | |
| 09-2DA | 90 V | 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) | 51.0 long tons (51.8 t; 57.1 short tons) | air | 6 | fitted with knuckle couplings |
Preservation
12 members of the class have been preservedcite-ref-8[8]
• 09001 Ex DB Schenker at Peak Rail (Heritage Shunters Trust)
• D3668 (09004) at Avon Valley Railwaycite-ref-9[9]
• D3721 (09010) at South Devon Railway
• D4100 (09012) Dick Hardy at Severn Valley Railway
• 09015 at Avon Valley Railway
• 09017 at National Railway Museum
• 09018 at Bluebell Railway
• 09019 at West Somerset Railway
• 09024 at East Lancashire Railway
• D4113 (09025) at Lavender Linecite-ref-10[10]
• 09026 Cedric Wares at Spa Valley Railway
• 09107 at Severn Valley Railway
Model railways
References and sources
References
cite-note-11. citerefwalmsley2020Walmsley, Ian (March 2020). "Bodysnatchers, Gronks and Bones". Modern Railways. Vol. 77, no. 858. Stamford: Key Publishing. p. 42. ISSN 0026-8356.
cite-note-semg-22. ↑ "Class 09". Southern Railway E-mail Group.
cite-note-33. ↑ "09 0-6-0". Brdatabase.info. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
cite-note-6bells-55. ↑ "20th April 1996 Pathfinder Tours The Southern Coasterman". Six Bells Junction. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
cite-note-66. ↑ "Mainline Freight". Class 58 Locomotive Group. Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
cite-note-77. ↑ "Ex LNER (And Grand Central) Mark 4 sets for TFW". 7 May 2019.
cite-note-99. ↑ "09004 Avon Valley Railway Heritage Trust". Avon Valley Railway Heritage Trust. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
cite-note-1010. ↑ "New Diesel Arrival Class 09 09025". The Lavender Line. Isfield Station, East Sussex. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
Sources
• citerefmarsden1981Marsden, Colin J. (1981). Motive power recognition:1 Locomotives. Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-1109-5.
Further reading
• Vehicle Diagram Book No. 120 for Shunting Diesel Locomotives (PDF). Derby: British Railways Board. April 1974. 09-a – via Barrowmore MRG.
External links