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British Rail Class 09
09008 at Coalville open day in 1991.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder British Railways' Darlington Works, Horwich Works Build date 1959, 1961–1962 (09/0) Total produced 26 (09/0) Rebuild date 1992–1993 (09/1, 09/2) Number rebuilt 12 (7 09/1 + 5 09/2)
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0DE  • UIC C Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Wheel diameter 4 ft 6 in (1.372 m) Minimum curve 3.5 chains (70.41 m) Wheelbase 11 ft 6 in (3.505 m) Length 29 ft 3 in (8.92 m) Width 8 ft 6 in (2.591 m) Height 12 ft 8+1⁄2 in (3.874 m) Loco weight 49 long tons (49.8 t; 54.9 short tons) Fuel capacity 668 imp gal (3,040 L; 802 US gal) Prime mover English Electric 6KT Generator DC English Electric 801 Traction motors 2 x English Electric 506 Transmission Diesel-electric, double reduction gearing Train heating None Train brakes originally Vacuum, later Dual, some now Air only
Performance figures Maximum speed 27.5 mph (44.3 km/h) Power output Engine: 350 hp (261 kW) Tractive effort Maximum: 25,000 lbf (111.2 kN) Continuous: 8,800 lbf (39.1 kN) Brakeforce 19 long tons-force (189 kN)
Career Operators British Rail Number in class 38 Numbers 09/0: D3665–D3671, D3719–D3721, D4099–D4114; later 09001–09026 09/1: 09101-09107 09/2: 09201-09205 Nicknames Gronk Supergronk Axle load class RA 5 Withdrawn 1981–present Disposition 12 preserved, 25 still in service, 2 scrapped

The British Rail Class 09 is a class of 0-6-0 diesel locomotive designed primarily for shunting and short-distance freight trips along branch lines.

The 26 locos are nearly identical to the more numerous Class 08 shunting locomotives but have different gearing, giving a higher top speed of 27.5 mph (44 km/h) at the expense of a lower tractive effort. They were introduced from 1959 to 1962 and latterly operated in the Southern Region of British Railways, although some of the class were originally allocated to depots in the Midlands and North. Further locomotives were converted from Class 08 in 1992 and, following this and privatisation in 1997, the class has been distributed much further afield.

Passenger operations

Although not normally considered for passenger work, Class 09s were recorded working passenger trains between Clapham Junction and Kensington Olympia when the booked Class 33 diesel was unavailable.

They were also used on railtours which needed to depart Brighton heading along the West Coastway Line or vice versa. To achieve this the 09 worked between Brighton and Preston Park, allowing the main tour locomotive to work the train forward via the Cliftonville tunnel and Hove. The connection to the West Coastway Line at Brighton can only be used by four car trains due to the arrangement of the points and track.

Liveries

Post-Privatisation

The following liveries have been carried since the privatisation of British Rail:

• 09006/007/019/024 carried Mainline Freight livery
• 09008 in EWS livery
• 09025 in Connex livery
• 09204 in Arriva TrainCare livery
• 09201 in Railfreight grey and is currently in the Knottingley area working at EWS Depot

Sub-classes

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The original 26 locomotives (built 1959–1962) became sub-class 09/0 when further locomotives were modified from Class 08s in 1992 which became subclasses Classes 09/1 and 09/2. There were variations, which were given the following TOPS design codes:

Class 09/0

Classes 09/1 & 09/2

Preservation

12 members of the class have been preserved

• 09001 Ex DB Schenker at Peak Rail (Heritage Shunters Trust)
• D3668 (09004) at Swindon & Cricklade Railway
• D3721 (09010) at South Devon Railway
• D4100 (09012) Dick Hardy at Severn Valley Railway
• 09015 at Avon Valley Railway
• 09017 at National Railway Museum
• 09018 at Bluebell Railway
• 09019 at West Somerset Railway
• 09024 at East Lancashire Railway
• D4113 (09025) at Lavender Line
• 09026 Cedric Wares at Spa Valley Railway
• 09107 at Severn Valley Railway

Model railways

Lima produced a range of Class 09s in OO gauge.

Hornby Railways and Bachmann have also produced 00 gauge models of Class 09 locomotives.

References and sources

References

1. Walmsley, Ian (March 2020). "Bodysnatchers, Gronks and Bones". Modern Railways. Vol. 77, no. 858. Stamford: Key Publishing. p. 42. ISSN 0026-8356.
2. ^ "Class 09". Southern Railway E-mail Group.
3. "09 0-6-0". Brdatabase.info. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
4. Lund, E (1980). To the last drop. Chesterfield: Longden technical Publications. ISBN 0-9507063-0-2.
5. "20th April 1996 Pathfinder Tours The Southern Coasterman". Six Bells Junction. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
6. "Mainline Freight". Class 58 Locomotive Group. Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
7. "Ex LNER (And Grand Central) Mark 4 sets for TFW". 7 May 2019.
8. Marshall, Andrew (2007). Preserved Heritage Traction. GM Publications. ISBN 978-0-9555581-0-8.
9. "New Diesel Arrival Class 09 09025". The Lavender Line. Isfield Station, East Sussex. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
10. "An 08 from an 09". RAIL. No. 84. EMAP National Publications. September 1988. pp. 67, 69. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.

Sources

• Marsden, Colin J. (1981). Motive power recognition:1 Locomotives. Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-1109-5.
• Strickland, David C. (September 1983). Locomotive Directory: Every Single One There Has Ever Been. Camberley: Diesel and Electric Group. pp. 53–61. ISBN 978-0-906375-10-5. OCLC 16601890. OL 27959920M. Wikidata Q105978499.

Further reading

• Vehicle Diagram Book No. 120 for Shunting Diesel Locomotives (PDF). Derby: British Railways Board. April 1974. 09-a – via Barrowmore MRG.
• "Two more 09 'Gronks' bought from HNRC". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 159, no. 1345. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. May 2013. p. 98. ISSN 0033-8923. OCLC 750645684.

External links

• SEMG gallery

• British Rail diesel locomotives
• English Electric locomotives
• C locomotives
• Standard gauge locomotives of Great Britain
• Railway locomotives introduced in 1959
• Diesel–electric locomotives of Great Britain
• Shunting locomotives