Class 40
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English Electric built 200 of these 2000hp locomotives, with 1Co-Co1 wheel arrangement, from 1958 to 1962.
True mixed traffic engines, 40s were entrusted with everything from the Royal Train to ballast workings in their time. Principal duties included Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen and Inverness passenger services. Freightliner trains on the east coast were also a regular duty.
London Midland Region based locos replaced steam on the West Coast Main Line express trains to Glasgow Central until superseded by class 47s and class 50s in 1967.
The class were also used on the ECML, but without complete success and steam remained for the fastest trains until the arrival of the Deltics.
D253 and D254 were loaned from York (50A) to the Scottish Region, initally at Leith Central (64H) from January 1960. D253 returned to 50A in February, but D256-D259 came north on loan, and were based at 64B, Haymarket. These locos had returned to York by April 1960 when the Scottish Region's own locos had been delivered
Haymarket received two batches of Class 40s from new. Disc headcode D260-D266 (delivered early 1960) and centre headcode D357-D368 (late 1961).
The locos lost the D prefix after 1968 and were renumbered 40060-40066 and 40157-40168 during 1973/74.
Additional locomotives moved to Haymarket in the mid 1970s, and the class was introduced on to Highland mainline services to Inverness.
Detail Oddities
Three main styles of nose end were built: D200-D324 with folding Headcode discs, D325-344 with 'split' headcode boxes either side on a connecting door, and D345-399 with a 4-character 'centre' headcode box.
Curiously, D260-D266 were modified around 1965 with non-standard (square cornered) centre headcode boxes (Photo), presumably for use on cross-border workings, since the Scottish Region did not adopted 4-character headcodes for internal workings until 1973. This modification also removed the connecting doors which had been a source of draughts.
After 1976, headcodes were no longer displayed and within a few years most locos showed two large white dots (the 'domino') instead.
Other headcode oddities on the Haymarket fleet:
Blue star multiple working jumpers were removed from the original Haymarket locos in the late 1960s, and also from later arrivals 40103 and 40148.
Haymarket Class 40s
Detail codes: v = vacuum brake only. x = air and vacuum brakes. b = steam heat fitted. i = steam heat isolated.
Depot codes: HA = Haymaket, ED = Eastfield, GD = Gateshead, IM = Immingham, HM = Healey Mills (Wakefield), YK = York, KD/KM = Carlisle Kingmoor, SP = Wigan Springs Branch, LO = Manchester Longsight, CD = Crewe Diesel.
True mixed traffic engines, 40s were entrusted with everything from the Royal Train to ballast workings in their time. Principal duties included Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen and Inverness passenger services. Freightliner trains on the east coast were also a regular duty.
40173 Eastfield MPD, circa 1978 Photo by Barney94
London Midland Region based locos replaced steam on the West Coast Main Line express trains to Glasgow Central until superseded by class 47s and class 50s in 1967.
The class were also used on the ECML, but without complete success and steam remained for the fastest trains until the arrival of the Deltics.
D253 and D254 were loaned from York (50A) to the Scottish Region, initally at Leith Central (64H) from January 1960. D253 returned to 50A in February, but D256-D259 came north on loan, and were based at 64B, Haymarket. These locos had returned to York by April 1960 when the Scottish Region's own locos had been delivered
Haymarket received two batches of Class 40s from new. Disc headcode D260-D266 (delivered early 1960) and centre headcode D357-D368 (late 1961).
The locos lost the D prefix after 1968 and were renumbered 40060-40066 and 40157-40168 during 1973/74.
Additional locomotives moved to Haymarket in the mid 1970s, and the class was introduced on to Highland mainline services to Inverness.
Detail Oddities
Three main styles of nose end were built: D200-D324 with folding Headcode discs, D325-344 with 'split' headcode boxes either side on a connecting door, and D345-399 with a 4-character 'centre' headcode box.
Curiously, D260-D266 were modified around 1965 with non-standard (square cornered) centre headcode boxes (Photo), presumably for use on cross-border workings, since the Scottish Region did not adopted 4-character headcodes for internal workings until 1973. This modification also removed the connecting doors which had been a source of draughts.
After 1976, headcodes were no longer displayed and within a few years most locos showed two large white dots (the 'domino') instead.
Other headcode oddities on the Haymarket fleet:
- The headcode boxes on 40060, 40061 and 40065 had changed to rounded corners by the late '70s. <Flickr>.
- D367 / 40167 got a square cornered box at the No 1 end. <Flickr>.
- 40062 had the No.2 end headcode box glass replaced by a metal yellow plate in 1978. <Flickr>.
- 40142 was the only split headcode example in the Haymarket fleet. <Flickr>.
- 40158 had the No.2 end headcode box plated over in 1983 (as an LMR loco). <Flickr>.
Blue star multiple working jumpers were removed from the original Haymarket locos in the late 1960s, and also from later arrivals 40103 and 40148.
Haymarket Class 40s
| First Number | TOPS number | Transferred in | Details | Headcode | Transferred out | Withdrawn | Periods away from HA |
| 40002 | HM-HA 5/80 | xi | Disc | HA-KD 10/81 | 05/84 KD | ||
| 40041 | KM-HA 5/75 | vb | Disc | stored 2/76 | 07/76 HA | ||
| 40048 | GD-HA 2/76 | vb | Disc | stored 10/77 | 10/77 HA | ||
| D260 | 40060 | new 19/2/60 | xb | Centre | HA-KD 5/81 | 01/85 KD | |
| D261 | 40061 | new 26/2/60 | xb | Centre | HA-LO 10/81 | 06/83 LO | |
| D262 | 40062 | new 4/3/60 | vb | Centre $ | HA-KD 11/80 | 11/81 KD | |
| D263 | 40063 | new 7/3/60 | xb | Centre | HA-SP 10/81 | 04/84 LO | |
| D264 | 40064 | new 11/3/60 | xb | Centre | HA-LO 9/81 | 04/82 LO | |
| D265 | 40065 | new 14/3/60 | vb | Centre | HA-KD 2/81 | 11/81 KD | |
| D266 | 40066 | new 21/3/60 | xb | Centre | withdrawn | 04/81 HA | |
| 40072 | YK-HA 3/75 | vb | Disc | withdrawn | 08/77 HA | ||
| 40088 | KD-HA 2/78 | vb | Disc | HA-KD 3/78 | 02/82 HM | ||
| 40089 | KM-HA 5/74 | vi | Disc | stored 2/76 | 07/76 HA | ||
| 40094 | KD-HA 2/78 | vb | Disc | HA-KD 3/78 | 10/82 LO | ||
| 40099 | LO-HA 10/75 | xb | Disc | HA-LO 5/78 | 10/84 LO | ||
| 40101 | KM-HA 5/74 | vb | Disc | HA-KD 10/81 | 08/82 KD | ||
| 40103 | KM-HA 5/74 | vb | Disc | HA-SP 2/81 | 02/82 LO | ||
| 40123 | LO-HA 10/75 | vb | Disc | withdrawn | 07/80 HA | ||
| 40142 | SP-HA 5/74 | vb | Split | withdrawn | 04/80 HA | ||
| 40145 | GD-HA 3/78 | xb | Centre | HA-LO 5/78 | 06/83 LO | ||
| 40148 | HM-HA 3/78 | vb | Centre | HA-LO 10/81 | 08/82 LO | ||
| 40150 | GD-HA 1/78 | xb | Centre | HA-KD 5/81 | 01/85 KD | ||
| 40151 | GD-HA 1/78 | xb | Centre | withdrawn | 02/81 HA | ||
| D357 | 40157 | new 30/8/61 | xb | Centre | HA-SP 10/81 | 07/83 CD | SP 11/72 - 5/73 |
| D358 | 40158 | new 6/9/61 | xb | Centre $ | HA-KD 5/81 | 12/83 KD | |
| D359 | 40159 | new 13/9/61 | xb | Centre | HA-LO 9/81 | 03/82 LO | IM 11/72 - 5/73 |
| D360 | 40160 | new 20/9/61 | xb | Centre | HA-SP 9/81 | 11/84 LO | |
| D361 | 40161 | new 3/10/61 | vb | Centre | withdrawn | 12/80 HA | |
| D362 | 40162 | new 11/10/61 | xb | Centre | HA-KD 7/81 | 12/82 KD | |
| D363 | 40163 | new 18/10/61 | xb | Centre | HA-LO 5/78 | 06/82 LO | ED 6/68 - 5/70 |
| D364 | 40164 | new 25/10/61 | xb | Centre | HA-SP 9/81 | 07/83 CD | |
| D365 | 40165 | new 1/11/61 | xb | Centre | withdrawn | 07/81 HA | |
| D366 | 40166 | new 18/11/61 | xb | Centre | HA-LO 5/78 | 02/82 LO | |
| D367 | 40167 | new 22/11/61 | xb | Centre $ | HA-KD 7/81 | 02/84 LO | |
| D368 | 40168 | new 1/12/61 | xb | Centre | HA-LO 10/81 | 11/84 LO | GD 3/68 - 4/68 |
| 40173 | LO-HA 5/74 | vb | Centre | withdrawn | 08/81 HA | ||
| 40180 | SP-HA 5/74 | xb | Centre | HA-SP 5/74 | 06/83 CD | ||
| 40184 | SP-HA 5/74 | vb | Centre | HA-LO 1/81 | 12/82 LO | ||
| 40194 | TE-HA 5/80 | xi | Centre | HA-SP 10/81 | 01/85 LO | ||
Detail codes: v = vacuum brake only. x = air and vacuum brakes. b = steam heat fitted. i = steam heat isolated.
Depot codes: HA = Haymaket, ED = Eastfield, GD = Gateshead, IM = Immingham, HM = Healey Mills (Wakefield), YK = York, KD/KM = Carlisle Kingmoor, SP = Wigan Springs Branch, LO = Manchester Longsight, CD = Crewe Diesel.
- In the early 1980s increasing numbers of Class 47s were allocated to Scottish depots, and the 40s were replaced. Haymarket lost its remaining locos to the London Midland Region in October 1981.
- The 40s were being phased out, but continued to work into Scotland until the final withdrawal of the class in January 1985.
- BR retained pioneer loco 40122 (painted green as D200 in 1983) until 1988, and this visited Scotland several times both on specials and timetabled trains.
- It's last visit was on the 'The Son of Skirl' railtour in September 1987, running from Carlisle to Mossend with ETHEL 2 on the night of 19th, and returning south on the 20th from Polmadie to Manchester Victoria.
- Most of the locos withdrawn from service at Haymarket were soon moved to BREL Works at Doncaster, Swindon or Crewe for disposal. Three of the class were broken up in Scotland.
- 40072 was dumped at Millerhill from October '77 to May '78, before being taken to Glasgow Works, and was cut up there in June 1978.
- 40173, withdrawn in August 1981, was stored at Eastfield Depot. It was moved initially to Dunfermline Townhill on 27/7/83, then later in the year to Perth Yard. By 1984 it had lost its bogies (for use with beilhack snowploughs). The body was taken to Forth Ports Authority Inverkeithing (the former T.W. Ward shipbreakers yard) on 2/5/85 and cut up shortly after.
- 40162, withdrawn in December 1982 (as a KM allocated loco) remained at Haymarket until 26 June 1985 when it was moved to Millerhill together with 26019. It was eventually cut up there in April 1986.
 |  |  |  | ||||
| D207 Glasgow Central (late 60s) | 40059 at Kyle (1970s) | 40145 at Thurso (2007) | 40145 at Larbert (2009) | ||||
- Seven Class 40s were saved for preservation.
- Loco 40145 returned to mainline operation in 2002, and subsequently visited to Scotland several times on railtours.
- Some of the tours using 40145 have gone to places rarely visited in BR days such as Kyle of Lochalsh and Wick, and the tour to Fort William in August 2007 is thought to be a first for the class.
- From August 2007 until May 2013, 40145 appeared in BR Large Logo livery, named East Lancashire Railway.
- By the time of its next visit to Scotland in 2021 it was BR Green as unnamed D345, and had been been joined on the mainline with 40013 running as D213 'Andania'
| Date | Loco | Train | Details | Route | Remarks | Photos | |
| 29 Nov 2003 | 40145 | The North Countryman | SBJ link | Crewe - ECML - Edinburgh - WCML - Crewe | Flickr, Flickr | ||
| | |||||||
| 26 Aug 2005 | 40145 | The Whistling Scotsman | SBJ link | Bradford - Aberdeen | |||
| 27 Aug 2005 | Aberdeen - Kyle of Lochalsh - Inverness | ||||||
| 28 Aug 2005 | Inverness - York | Photo | |||||
| | |||||||
| 22 Sep 2006 | (40145) | (loco move) | Bury (ELR) - Bo'ness | Hauled by 55022. With 26024. | |||
| 30 Sep 2006 | 40145 | Bo'ness Diesel Gala | Bo'ness and Birkhill | ||||
| 01 Oct 2006 | Bo'ness Diesel Gala | Bo'ness and Birkhill | |||||
| 06 Oct 2006 | 40145 | The Autumn Highlander | SBJ link | Edinburgh - Kirkcaldy - Inverness | Top and Tail with 47245 | ||
| 07 Oct 2006 | Inverness - Kyle (And return) | Top and tail with 47245 | |||||
| 08 Oct 2006 | Inverness - Thurso (And return) | Top and tail with 47245 | Flickr | ||||
| 09 Oct 2006 | Inverness - Perth | Top and tail with 47245 | |||||
| Perth - London Kings Cross | With 55022, and 47245 on rear. | ||||||
| 07 Dec 2006 | 40145 | (ECS) | Bury - Carnforth - Bo'ness | With 33029. | |||
| 08 Dec 2006 | 40145 | The Link Undo (SRPS) | SBJ link | Linlithgow - Lincoln (and return) | With 33029 | ||
| 19 Dec 2006 | 40145 | (ECS) | Bo'ness - Carnforth | With 33029. | |||
| | |||||||
| 09 Jun 2007 | 40145 | The Galloway Special (SRPS/NER) | SBJ link | Darlington - Carlisle - Stranraer (and return) | Top and tail with 47501 | Flickr | |
| 10 Jun 2007 | (ECS) | Heaton - Bo'ness | 47501 leading. 40145 on rear. | ||||
| 22 Jun 2007 | 40145 | The Far North Excursion (SRPS) | SBJ link | Linlithgow - Wick | Top and tail with 57601 | ||
| 23 Jun 2007 | Wick - Linlithgow | Top and tail with 57601 | Flickr | ||||
| 22 Aug 2007 | 40145 | (loco move) | Carnforth - Bo'ness | With 57601 | |||
| 24 Aug 2007 | (ECS) | Bo'ness - Carlisle | Top and tail with 57601 | ||||
| 25 Aug 2007 | The West Highlander (SRPS) | SBJ link | Carlisle - Fort William (and return) | Top and tail with 57601 | Flickr | ||
| 21 Sep 2007 | (40145) | (loco move) | Carnforth - Bo'ness | Hauled by 55022, with D5310, D8020, 37175 | |||
| 22 Sep 2007 | 40145 | Inverness & Speyside (SRPS) | Timings | Linlithgow - Inverness - Aberdeen - Linlithgow | With 47787 on rear. | Photo | |
| 29 Sep 2007 | 40145 | Bo'ness Diesel Gala | Bo'ness and Birkhill | ||||
| 30 Sep 2007 | Bo'ness Diesel Gala | Bo'ness and Birkhill | |||||
| 05 Oct 2007 | 40145 | (loco move) | Bo'ness - Perth | ||||
| The Autumn Highlander | SBJ link | Perth - Inverness | With 50049 on rear. | ||||
| 06 Oct 2007 | Inverness - Strathcarron (and return) | Top and tail with 50049 | Flickr | ||||
| 07 Oct 2007 | Inverness - Wick - Thurso (and return) | Top and tail with 50049 | |||||
| 08 Oct 2007 | (40145) | Inverness - Perth | 50049 leading. 40145 on rear. | ||||
| (40145) | Perth - London Kings Cross | 50049 and 55022 leading. 40145 on rear | |||||
| | |||||||
| 15 Aug 2008 | (40145) | (loco move) | Carnforth - Bo'ness | 55022 hauling 40145, 26010, 37712. | |||
| 24 Aug 2008 | 40145 | Routes and Branches | SBJ link | Tour of Strathclyde lines (from/to Bo'ness) | Top and Tail with 55022 | Photo | |
| 27 Aug 2008 | (loco move) | Bo'ness - Carnforth | with 55022 | ||||
| | |||||||
| 03 Jan 2009 | 40145 | The East Lancs Ambassador | SBJ link | (Bury) Heywood - Edinburgh (and return) | Flickr | ||
| 23 May 2009 | 40145 | The Settle Scotsman | SBJ link | Shrewsbury - Edinburgh (and return) | Photo | ||
| 05 Sep 2009 | 40145 | SRPS tour | Timings out & return | Carlisle - Kilmarnock - Inverness (and return) | with 57601 on rear | Photo | |
| | |||||||
| 01 Apr 2010 | (40145) | (loco move in freight) | Warrington - Mossend | Hauled by 92031, also with 47812 and 47815. | |||
| 02 Apr 2010 | 40145 | The West Highlander | Timings | Braidhurst Loop - Inverness | Portion off Salisbury - Fort William train | ||
| 04 Apr 2010 | The West Highlander | Timings | Inverness - Kyle (and return) | Flickr | |||
| 05 Apr 2010 | The West Highlander | Timings | Inverness - Braidhurst Loop | ||||
| (loco move in freight) | Mossend - Warrington | Hauled by 920xx | |||||
| 20 Jun 2010 | 40145 | The Father's Day Scotsman | Timings | York - Preston - Edinburgh (and return via ECML) | Photo | ||
| | |||||||
| 23 Jul 2015 | (40106) | (loco move) | Timings | Washwood Heath - Bo'ness | 31601 hauling 50007, 40106 & 50017. | Flickr | |
| 25 Jul 2015 | 40106 | Bo'ness Diesel Gala | Bo'ness and Manuel Junction | Photo | |||
| 26 Jul 2015 | 40106 | Bo'ness Diesel Gala | Bo'ness and Manuel Junction | ||||
| | |||||||
| 19 May 2016 | (40106) | (loco move) | Timings | Bo'ness - Dalmeny - Carnforth (then to ELR) | 37706 hauling 40106. | Flickr | |
| 22 Jul 2016 | (40106 & 40135) | (loco move) | Timings | Castleton ELR - Bo'ness | 47237 hauling 40106, 40135, 33109 | Flickr | |
| 23 Jul 2016 | 40106 & 40135 | Bo'ness Diesel Gala | Bo'ness and Manuel Junction | Photo, YouTube | |||
| 24 Jul 2016 | 40106 & 40135 | Bo'ness Diesel Gala | Bo'ness and Manuel Junction | ||||
| 29 Jul 2016 | (40106 & 40135) | (loco move) | Timings | Bo'ness - Dalmeny - Castleton ELR | 47237 hauling 40106, 40135, 33109 | Flickr | |
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| 13 Nov 2021 | D345+D213 | The Double Scotch | Timings | Crewe - WCML - Edinburgh (and return) | with 47828 or rear. | Photo | |
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| 29 Sep 2023 | D213 | The Chairmans Train | Timings | Alnmouth - Mossend | with 37 D6817 on rear. | Photo | |
| D213 | (loco move) | Timings | Mossend - Carlisle | - | = | ||
| 24 Nov 2023 | D213 | (loco move) | Timings | Crewe HS - Joppa Straight | hauling 20132 | = | |
| 25 Nov 2023 | D213 | Forth Bridge Lunchtime Tour | Timings | Edinburgh - Kirkcaldy - Dunfermline - Stirling - Edinburgh | with 47 D1924 on rear. | Photo, Flickr | |
| 26 Nov 2023 | D213 | Edinburgh Christmas Market (Day.4) | Timings | Edinburgh - York | with 47 D1924 on rear. | Flickr | |
| 21 Dec 2023 | D213 | Edinburgh Christmas Statesman | Timings | Leicester - ECML - Edinburgh | On rear, with 47593 leading | = | |
| D213 | Edinburgh Christmas Statesman | Timings | Edinburgh - ECML Leicester | with 47593 on rear. | Flickr | ||
See Also:
External Links:
- Wikipedia: BR Class 40
- BR Database: Class 40 fleet summary
- Class 40 motherlist - A list of known workings 1958-1988
- Diary of Dundee driver Hoskins - Class 40s
- Flickr Group: Class 40s in Scotland
- Class 40 Preservation Society (owners of 40135 & 40145)
- RCTS: Who Scrapped 40173?
- Six Bells Junction: Railtour reviews