British Rail Class 58

British Rail Class 58
A class 58 at Saltley in April 1987
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder British Rail Engineering Limited, Doncaster Works Build date 1983–1987 Total produced 50
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Co′Co′  • Commonwealth Co-Co Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Wheel diameter 1,120 mm (44.09 in) Minimum curve 4 chains (264.00 ft; 80.47 m) Wheelbase bogie: 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) bogie centres: 14.86 m (48 ft 9 in) Length 19.13 m (62 ft 9 in) Width 2.72 m (8 ft 11 in) Height 3.91 m (12 ft 10 in) Loco weight 130 tonnes (127.9 long tons; 143.3 short tons) Fuel capacity 4,480 litres (990 imp gal; 1,180 US gal) Prime mover Ruston Paxman 12RK3ACT RPM: ​  • Maximum RPM 1000 rpm Alternator Brush BA1101B Traction motors Brush TM73-62 Cylinder size 254 mm × 305 mm (10.0 in × 12.0 in), bore × stroke MU working ◆ Red Diamond Train brakes Air Safety systems AWS, DSD
Performance figures Maximum speed 80 mph (130 km/h) Power output Engine: 3,300 hp (2,460 kW) At Rail: 2,387 hp (1,780 kW) Tractive effort Maximum: 60,000 lbf (267 kN) Brakeforce 60 tonnes (59.1 long tons; 66.1 short tons)
Career Operators British Rail EWS / DB Cargo UK Numbers 58 001-58 050 Nicknames Bone Axle load class Route availability 7 Withdrawn 1999–2002 Disposition 5 currently preserved, 36 exported to France or Spain where 5 remain stored, remainder scrapped

The British Rail Class 58 is a class of Co-Co diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight. The narrow body with cabs at either end led to them being given the nickname "Bone" by rail enthusiasts.^[1]

Their design represented a major departure from British conventions of construction; amongst the innovations was the adoption of the American practice of modularisation. The first locomotive of the class was delivered to British Rail during early 1983 and entered service that same year. Despite expectations of a lengthy service life, during 2002, EWS decided to withdraw all examples of the type after only 19 years in service. Subsequently, 32 were hired abroad – four to the Netherlands, eight to Spain and twenty to France. A few examples have also been scrapped or have entered preservation.