British Rail Class 03

British Rail Class 03

Class 03 D2069 at Doncaster Works open day on 27 July 2003

Type and origin Power type Diesel-mechanical Builder BR Swindon & Doncaster Build date 1957–1961 Total produced 230

Specifications Configuration 0-6-0 UIC class C Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Wheel diameter 3 ft 7 in (1.092 m) Minimum curve 2 chains (40.23 m) Wheelbase 9 ft 0 in (2.743 m) Length 26 ft 0 in (7.92 m) Width 8 ft 6 in (2.591 m) Height 11 ft 10 in (3.61 m) (cut down) Loco weight Fuel capacity 510 imp gal (2,300 L; 610 US gal) Prime mover Gardner 8L3 Transmission Wilson-Drewry CA5 R7, 5-speed epicyclic gearbox, RF11 spiral bevel reverse and final drive unit. Train heating None Train brakes Vacuum (some Dual Air & Vacuum)

Performance figures Maximum speed 28.5 mph (45.9 km/h) Power output Engine: 204 hp (152 kW) At rail: 152 hp (113 kW) Tractive effort Max: 15,650 lbf (69.6 kN) Loco brakeforce 13 long tons-force (130 kN)

Career Operators British Railways Numbers 11187–11209, 91, 92; later D2000–D2199, D2370–D2399; later 03004–03199, 03370–03399 Axle load class RA 1 Retired from April 1968 Disposition 03179 withdrawn 2008 due to being towed too fast, 55 preserved, remainder scrapped

The British Rail Class 03 locomotive was, together with the similar Class 04, one of British Rail's most successful 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 originally numbered 91 and 92 respectively.

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, or where larger or heavier locomotives could not be used. The reduction over time in the demand for shunting locomotives meant that they were progressively withdrawn from 1968 onwards, many being sold to private industry.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, 03179, was reinstated by the West Anglia Great Northern Railway Company (WAGN) for service at Hornsey depot. It was named Clive after a depot employee, and was operated subsequently by First Capital Connect until withdrawal in 2008.

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 gearbox with RF11 spiral bevel reverse and final-drive unit. Drive is through a jackshaft mounted beneath the cab, driving the wheels through coupling rods.

During their later life, some locomotives were fitted with dual (air and vacuum) brakes. These were 03059, 03063, 03073, 03078, 03084, 03086, 03089, 03094, 03112, 03152, 03158, 03162, 03179, 03180, 03371, 03397 and 03399.

Operation

Shunting

Originally the Class 03s were often deployed where their attributes of short wheelbase and light weight enabled them to operate where other shunters could not. On lines such as that to Ipswich docks, bridge weight restrictions prevented the ubiquitous Class 08s from operating. Another common use was as station pilot, usually coupled to a shunters' truck to ensure operation of track circuits which did not always register the passage of the 03 due to its short wheelbase.

By 1979, Class 03s' operations included:

• Depot pilot duties at Hull Botanic Gardens DMU depot and Bradford Hammerton Street DMU depot
• Docks at Ipswich, Kings Lynn, and Poplar (London)
• Freight trips along the Team Valley branch (Gateshead) and the Gwendraeth Valley line
• Shunting duties at Boston Yard, Ipswich Upper and Lower yards, Lincoln engineers' yard, and Tweedmouth yard near Berwick-upon-Tweed
• Spare loco on standby at Boston and Kings Lynn
• Motive power on the Kirkley goods branch line in Lowestoft
• Station pilot duties at Bradford Exchange, Hull Paragon, Ipswich, Newcastle Central, Norwich Thorpe, and Sunderland

Passenger duties

Despite the limited scope for the use of such a small locomotive on main line passenger duties, there were a number of duties rostered to the class. During the early 1970s Southern Region Class 03s worked Channel Island boat trains through the streets to the harbour along the Weymouth Quay tramway. In 1980 a class 03 at Ipswich was booked to shunt the 23:20 Peterborough - Liverpool Street onto the rear of the 23:45 Norwich - Liverpool Street. Also, according to Mangapps Railway Museum, 03089 once hauled a Liverpool to Scarborough express along the York to Scarborough Line from Malton to Scarborough.

Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley Line

Several examples were rebuilt with cut-down cabs for working on the Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley Line, as there were several low bridges on the line that precluded the use of normal height locomotives.

The modified examples were nos. 03119, 03120, 03141, 03142, 03144, 03145, 03151, 03152 and late addition (ex-Bristol) 03382. Their duties included shunting (for example at Burry Port), and hauling full coal trains down from the valley's pits. For this latter duty they sometimes 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 large number (55 confirmed so far) of the class survive in preservation, while a 56th example (03179) remained in active service until 2008.

TOPS Number	D Number	Original Number Allocated	Image	Preserved location	Industrial use	Notes
03018	D2018	11205		Mangapps Railway Museum	-	[1]
03020	D2020	11207		Lavender Line	-	[2]
03022	D2022	11209		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			Crewe Heritage Centre	Used for occasional loco shunting and brakevan rides to visitors to the heritage centre
03078	D2078			North Tyneside Steam Railway	Newcastle Central Station, used as a station pilot.	[16]
03079	D2079			Derwent Valley Light Railway	TBA	[17]
03081	D2081			Mangapps Railway Museum
03084	D2084			West Coast Railway Company, Carnforth	Sold by the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway in 2010 or 2011.	[18]
03089	D2089			Mangapps Railway Museum
03090	D2090			Locomotion	Part of the National Collection	[19]
-	D2094			Royal Deeside Railway	TBA	[20]
03099	D2099			Heritage Shunters Trust	-	[21]
03112	D2112			Rother Valley Railway	-
03113	D2113			Heritage Shunters Trust	-	[22]
-	D2117			Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway		[23]
-	D2118			Great Central Railway Nottingham	Worked at Anglian Building Products, Lenwade, Norfolk from August 1973, then at Dow-Mac near Stamford from December 1993.	[24]
03119	D2119			Epping Ongar Railway		[25]
-	D2120			Fawley Hill Railway, Buckingamshire		[26]
03901	D2128			Appleby-Frodingham RPS, Scunthorpe	Sold for scrap to Birds, Long Marston, where engine and coupling removed and then exported to Belgium where fitted with Deutz V12 air-cooled engine, VM hydraulic pump and motor into original change speed box. Reimported and operated at Peak Rail, eventually to Dean Forest where stored incomplete. Moved to Scunthorpe 2009, where repowered with Cummins 14 litre engine, hydraulic transmission and renumbered 03 901 to reflect this	[27]
-	D2133			West Somerset Railway	Worked at Cellophane's Bridgwater factory in the 1970s, prior to preservation at the time.	[28]
-	D2134			Royal Deeside Railway	Was based in Belgium between 1976 and 1993, has since been repatriated back to the UK.	[29]
-	D2138			Midland Heritage Railway	Used at Pye Hill Colliery between 1969-1984, prior to preservation.	[30]
-	D2139			Heritage Shunters Trust	-	[31]
-	D2141			Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway		[32]
-	D2144			Wensleydale Railway		[33]
-	D2145			D2578 Locomotive Group, Moreton Business Park		[34]
-	D2148			Ribble Steam Railway		[35]
-	D2152			Swindon & Cricklade Railway		[36]
03158	D2158			Great Central Railway		[37]
03162	D2162			Llangollen Railway
03170	D2170			Epping Ongar Railway	Was owned by Otis Euro Transrail between 1989-1999 and then latterly was present on the Battlefield Line
-	D2178			Gwili Railway		[38]
03179	D2179				Govia Thameslink Railway Hornsey
-	D2180			Battlefield Line		[39]
-	D2182			Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway		[40]
-	D2184			Colne Valley Railway		[41]
03189	D2189			Ribble Steam Railway
03192	D2192			Dartmouth Steam Railway		[42]
03196	D2196			West Coast Railway Company Carnforth		[43]
03197	D2197			Lavender Line		[44]
-	D2199			Heritage Shunters Trust	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	[45]
-	D2371	Departmental 92		Dartmouth Steam Railway		[46]
-	D2381			West Coast Railway Company, Carnforth		[47]
03399	D2399			Mangapps Railway Museum		[48]

This transport-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Models

Mainline and Replica each offered an OO gauge model. Mainline's original 'split-chassis' tooling later passed to Bachmann. When the company later took the decision to produce the Class 04 in its place the tooling was altered, retaining the split chassis power arrangement. However, Bachmann later announced that they would be re-introducing several new variations of the 03 in OO gauge, including special edition examples of the Isle of Wight prototypes.

Graham Farish currently offers an N gauge model.