British Rail Class 56
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The British Rail Class 56 is a Type 5 Co-Co diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight work. They were introduced between 1976 and 1983. The first 30 (56001-56030) were built by Electroputere in Romania, but these suffered from poor construction standards. The rest were built by BREL at Doncaster Works (56031 to 56115) and Crewe Works (56116 to 56135). Enthusiasts nicknamed them "Grids".
The final examples were withdrawn by EWS on 31 March 2004. Some have since been reinstated for use on construction trains for the LGV Est in France. In 2006 three (56045 and 56124) have been revamped as 56301-3 for Fastline the British freight company launched by Jarvis.
[edit] Preservation
Five locomotives have been preserved.
| Number | Name | Livery | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56003 | - | LoadHaul | Nene Valley Railway | Oldest surviving member of class |
| 56040 | Oystermouth | TransRail | Mid-Norfolk Railway | - |
| 56057 | British Fuels | BR Blue Large Logo | Nene Valley Railway | - |
| 56097 | - | Trainload Grey | Great Central Railway (Northern) | - |
| 56098 | - | Railfreight Grey | Nene Valley Railway | - |
[edit] External links
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