Product Info

The British Rail Class 56 Type 5 Co-Co diesel locomotive was first introduced in 1976 to cope with the increased requirement for heavy freight. British Rail awarded the contract to design and build these new engines to Brush Traction in Loughborough,  who subsequently subcontracted the construction to Electroputere in  Romania, due to the lack of capacity in their own works. The initial 30  locomotives to be delivered from Romania suffered from transit damage and construction deficiencies and had to be extensively rebuilt before entering service.

With this in mind, the decision was made to build the remaining 105 locomotives in England, British Rail  Engineering Ltd manufacturing them at their Doncaster Works (nos. 56031  to 56115). The design specification was based upon the Class 47  bodyshell, with the omission of redundant features such as the headcode panel. Power came from a Ruston-Paxman unit that was similar to that fitted in the Class 50 locomotives, which provided the capability for heavy haul freight. Air brakes were fitted for the first time in a  British Rail engine and the electrics were improved in a number of areas, resulting in a more robust power unit.

Nicknamed Gridirons or 'Grids', the Class 56 displaced the Class 20 and Class 47  locomotives and commonly undertook the transportation of iron ore, coal, aggregate and steel across the Eastern and London Midland Regions and on the Western Region for aggregate duties. Strong and reliable performers, the locomotives were popular but needed heavy maintenance,  particularly when compared to the Class 66 locomotives that came to displace them in service. The introduction of the Class 60 locomotives saw a gradual reduction in the use of the Class 56 locomotives and with the arrival of the Class 66 locomotives, with their greater availability and lower maintenance, the Class 56 fleet was placed into storage between 1998 and 2004.

Most of the locomotives remain in depots around the UK, despite being variously sold for scrap and then re-acquired and reinstated in service. Colas Railfreight operates a small fleet on a rotating basis and British American Railway Services and UK  Rail Leasing have a number available for work.

Five locomotives, 56006, 56097, 56098, 56301, and 56302 have been preserved.  No. 56060 was built in June 1979 by BREL in Doncaster. The locomotive received the name 'The Cardiff Rod Mill' in December 1992 and ran under this name until March 1997.

What's Inside

• 1x Locomotive Diesel

Tech Specs

• Item Length - Without Packaging (cm): 25.4
• Item Scale: 1:76 Scale 00 Gauge
• Finish: Painted
• Colour: Blue
• Gauge: OO
• DCC Status: DCC Ready 8 pin socket
• Operator: BR
• Designer: BREL
• Livery: BR Large Arrow
• Minimum Curve (mm): Radius 2
• Motor: 5 Pole Skew wound
• Number of Parts: 1
• Class: Class 56

Safety Information

Detailed scale model. Not suitable for children under 14 years. Please refer to the safety notes in the enclosed instruction leaflet. Colours and contents may differ from those illustrated.