BR class 58
| BR Class 58 | |
|---|---|
 58 001 in 2003 at Doncaster Works
|
|
| Numbering: | 58 001-050 |
| Number: | 50 |
| Manufacturer: | British Rail Engineering |
| Year of construction (s): | 1982-1987 |
| Retirement: | 2002 ( EWS ) |
| Axis formula : | Co'Co ' |
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) |
| Length over buffers: | 19,130 mm |
| Service mass: | 130 t |
| Top speed: | 130 km / h |
| Hourly output : | 2460 kW |
| Starting tractive effort: | 263 kN |
| Driving wheel diameter: | 1120 mm |
The BR-Class 58 is a series of diesel-electric locomotives from the United Kingdom for use in freight trains , manufactured between 1982 and 1987 by the British Rail subsidiary British Rail Engineering .
history
development
The change of traction from steam to the use of diesel locomotives on routes without electrification ended in Great Britain in 1968; At that time, enough locomotives were available to operate the services. When the 1973 oil crisis began to take off, British Rail was confronted with an increase in the volume of coal being transported between the industrial centers of Great Britain, which the existing locomotives did not have enough power to cope with. As a result, British Rail ordered 135 diesel locomotives from Brush Electrical Machines , which were designated as Class 56 . However, due to high production costs and complex technology, the railway company decided against further procurement of Class 56 around 1980 and instead ordered a further development at British Rail Engineering in Doncaster , which was to be referred to as Class 58.
commitment
The first locomotive was delivered in December 1982, and the number of locomotives was increased to 50 in the following years. The machines were used in front of various freight trains in Great Britain; and occasional services in front of slower passenger trains were also included. In use, the locomotives proved to be extremely reliable, after the privatization of British Rail they were taken over by the English, Welsh and Scottish Railway , EWS for short. But as early as 1999, the railway company announced that the robust locomotives would be phased out in 2002. However, numerous machines ended up in other private railway companies , including the Netherlands , Spain and France . After the takeover of EWS by DB Schenker in 2007 and continued operation as DB Schenker Rail UK , the last class 58 locomotives were shut down in 2010.
Several machines have been preserved in museums.
technology
The class 58 locomotive is basically based on class 56. The diesel-electric drive, in which a diesel- powered generator generates electrical power for feeding into the traction motors, is present in both vehicles. However, the financial situation at British Rail made it necessary to simplify the technology while increasing performance. This was achieved by increasing the speed of the traction motors and reducing the number of cylinders from 16 to 12 while increasing the dimensions.
Changes have also been made to the construction of the frame and structure. The weight of the technical equipment in Class 58 is borne by a particularly reinforced, solid frame without the side walls of the locomotive taking on a load-bearing function. This increases the stability and facilitates maintenance , as the removable side panels allow mechanical and electrical components to be exchanged easily. The driver's cab was designed as a separate unit that could be replaced within a few days, as the renewal of the driver's cab of a class 56 locomotive after an accident took several months. The redevelopment of the driver's cab also led to a more practice-oriented arrangement of the controls.
The locomotives also have a control device for the precise maintenance of low speeds , which made it possible to load and unload coal trains while driving at one mile per hour (about 1.6 km / h).
photos
The main application area of the Class 58 was service in front of coal trains
Class 58 off Chesterfield with a special train
Class 58 locomotive in service for ACTS in the Netherlands
Individual machines did their job in front of construction trains, as here in France
literature
- Brian Hollingsworth, Arthur F. Cook: Das Handbuch der Lokomotiven , Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 1996, ISBN 3-86047-138-4 , p. 398f.
