0-6-0 Class 08 Diesel

08704 arrived at the East Somerset Railway yesterday, 25/2/25.

 

Any idea why?

 

She will take over the shunting duties currently in the hands of PBA39 which will now receive some much needed care and attention.

 

I think every railway should have an 08 - if any locomotive deserved that seriously-overused word "iconic", it is the 08. Heavens, they were even sold to Victoria Railways! (Class F, if I recall correctly).

 

And Liberia.
And the Netherlands had a derivative.
Pat

 

The Class 08 was Britain's most numerous locomotive type, with 996 built for use here (not counting the similar Classes 09 & 10).

For comparison, the most numerous steam loco was the LNWR Ramsbottom DX 0-6-0, with 943 built.

 

Don't forget classes 11 and 12!

 

Or 13 Does that count twice?

 

Has anyone ever considered recreating one of those? I'm not about to suggest it seriously but I'd be interested in it as a thought experiment.

 

It's an amusing thought - before they settled on the final configuration for the 13, didn't they run cab-to-cab at one time? I am left wondering why, if they needed that sort of heft that they didn't just use a Class 20...

 

That extra 9ft of wheelbase pushing it over the workable length maybe?

 

Wiki (I know) suggests that the risk of grounding stopped the use of mainline classes. I also notice from the same source that the 13 had 70,000lbf tractive effort, against the 25,000 continuous (at 11mph)/42,000 maximum for the class 20. For context, that's up at Type 5 levels.

 

@35B that explains a lot, thank you

 

What would you do with it?

 

And the ones that didn't make it to TOPS, D3/3, D3/6, D3/7, D3/9-/12.
And then the 09s that were rebuilt from 08s.
I think the safest answer as to how many were built is "lots"

 

Drag just about anything up just about anywhere, slowly?

 

Adhesion weight.

Class 13
2x49t, ballasted to 2x60t.
Total 120t

Class 20
70t



Gearing.
Class 13
Top speed 15 mph
Full power at 4 mph

Class 20
Top speed 75 mph
Full power at 11 mph

 

I'm really enjoying this thread Most informative.

 

Well, that's one reason I'm not seriously suggesting it. I kind of imagine it fits somewhere like the recreated diesel brake tender at the GCR - a curiosity for the enthusiast, a way of recording a diversion in railway history, but not all that practically useful.

 

Hide one of the units and then hustle other loco owners in haulage contests...