Class 60 (Brush Traction 3,100hp Type 5 Diesel-Electric)

The Class 60 was a Type 5 heavy freight locomotive built by British Rail in the late 1980s, designed for the Trainload Sector which included coal, oil and metal loads. The Class 60 used a version of the engine which had been tested in the Class 37/9 and a shared body shell with the Class 92 - itself an updated and simplified version of the Class 47 / 56 outline [1]. The extra available power of the Class 60 allowed for longer heavier trains and for the double heading of trains using older classes of diesel to be eliminated.

DCR 60 028 at Derby

Information
Number built:	100
Built:	1989-93
Builder:	Brush Traction
Engine:	Mirrlees MB275T diesel
Power:	3, 100 hp (2, 300 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	Co-Co

With the influx of Class 66s onto the network in the post-privatisation era many Class 60s were withdrawn from service, at times the vast majority of the fleet was out of use. However, in the last few years a number have been returned to traffic and have been refurbished (only a couple have been scrapped to date).

The Class 60 should remain in service until the late 2020s at least [2]. They can be usually seen on oil trains and aggregate traffic and are in service with DB Cargo, GB Railfreight and DCRail.

GB Railfreight 60 095 at Kidderminster Town

DB 60 039 heads through Duffield

DB 60 092 heads through Tamworth

60 066 takes a steel train through Cardiff Central

DB 60 063 at Derby

[1] David Lawrence, British Rail Designed 1948-97 (Ian Allan, 2016) p. 246
[2] Colin J. Marsden, Traction Recognition (2nd Edition) (Ian Allan, 2008) p. 64