The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same power range to provide reliable locomotives.

The locomotives were originally numbered D8000–D8199 and D8300–D8327. They are known by railway enthusiasts as "Choppers".

Overview

Designed around relatively basic technology, the 73-tonne locomotives produce and can operate at up to . Designed to work light mixed freight traffic, they have no train heating facilities. Locomotives up to D8127 were fitted with disc indicators in the style of the steam era; when headcodes were introduced in 1960 the locomotive's design was changed to incorporate headcode boxes. Although older locomotives were not retro-fitted with headcode boxes, a few of the earlier batch acquired headcode boxes as a result of repairs. Unusually for British designs, the locomotive had a single cab. This caused serious problems with visibility when travelling nose first, though in these circumstances the driver's view is comparable to that on the steam locomotives that the Class 20s replaced. It was common, however, to find Class 20s paired together at the nose, with their cabs at opposite ends, ensuring that the driver could quite clearly see the road ahead, and a guard can watch the train from the other locomotive without the need for a brakevan.

thumb|left|Two Class 20s, coupled nose to nose, hauling a freight train in 1986

The Class 20 saw only limited service on passenger trains. A small number were fitted with a through pipe for steam heating, primarily for use in conjunction with a locomotive on the West Highland Line. Otherwise their use was limited to summer relief services, particularly to often under the adopted title of The Jolly Fisherman starting from various places including , , and . Also occasionally other holiday resorts on the east coast of England, occasional duties as a pilot, and short distance diversions of electric-hauled trains over non-electrified lines.

The shift of light mixed freight to the road network left British Rail with an oversupply of small locomotives. The Class 20s, however, could work in multiple and so could handle heavier traffic. Most spent the majority of their working lives coupled nose to nose in pairs to provide a more useful unit and to solve the visibility problems.

As of 2024, most have now been withdrawn, but a small number remain in consistent mainline service with Balfour Beatty in addition to other charter operators including LSL TOC. Industrial use of the Class 20 continues at Hope Cement Works with locomotives supplied by Swietelsky (formerly Harry Needle Railroad Company). Several that are usually operated singly have been fitted with nose-mounted video cameras as a way of solving the visibility problems.

The Série 1400 locomotives of Portuguese Railways (CP) and the G class locomotives of Midland Railway of Western Australia are based on the BR Class 20s, with the latter units featuring a different cab, based on the Jamaican Railways Class 81.

Operation

British Rail

{| class="wikitable floatright"

|+Distribution of locomotives, March 1974

|-

|colspan=3 |

|-

!Code ||Name ||Quantity

|-

|style="text-align:center" |ED ||Eastfield ||style="text-align:right" |49

|-

|style="text-align:center" |HA ||Haymarket ||style="text-align:right" |19

|-

|style="text-align:center" |IM ||Immingham ||style="text-align:right" |7

|-

|style="text-align:center" |TI ||Tinsley ||style="text-align:right" |44

|-

|style="text-align:center" |TO ||Toton ||style="text-align:right" |109

|-

!colspan=2 scope=row |Total:

|style="text-align:right" |228

|}

In June 1957, D8000 was delivered to Devons Road depot in Bow, London. The rest of the first batch of Class 20s were delivered to Devons Road over the following nine months, to work cross-London transfer freights. The following eight locos allocated to Hornsey depot. After a trial with D8006, D8028–D8034 were allocated for work in highland Scotland, and had tablet catcher recesses built into the cabsides. D8035–D8044 were originally to be allocated to Norwich, but were actually used for empty coaching stock (ECS) workings in and out of London . D8050–D8069 were allocated to the new Tinsley TMD in South Yorkshire, from where they regularly worked into Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire. D8070–D8127 were sent to operate in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the Forth-Clyde area, and the Fife coalfield. This completed the original orders for 128 locos, the last being delivered in August 1962.

With the subsequent order for a further 100 Class 20 locos, deliveries recommenced with D8128 in January 1966. Tests in 1967 using D8179 and D8317 resulted in locos from D8316 being delivered from the manufacturer with the new electronic control system for working merry-go-round (MGR) coal trains. Certain trains to Longannet Power Station operated with three locomotives, two at one end and one at the other. These trains were made up with 42 HAA wagons and the formation avoided the need for running round. the train was hauled by 20 901, 20 902 and 20 903 throughout, reaching Prague by 20 September and arriving at Pristina station at 10:00 on 25 September.

DRS initially had a fleet of 15 operational Class 20/3 locomotives. Three of these have subsequently been disposed of for scrap, after stripping for spares; a further two were sold on to Harry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC, now Swietelsky).

|}

Liveries

thumb|Two Class 20s working a passenger train

thumb|20 168 "Sir George Earle" and 20 906 at [[Hope Cement Works in 2025]]

thumbnail|right|[[Harry Needle Railroad Company 20 311 at Derby in 2014]]

thumb|Balfour Beatty 20901 & 20905 with the Drain Train working 6J09 Crewe Gresty Lane Down Sidings to Woking Up Yard passes Byfleet & New Haw 13-08-24

thumb|right|[[Corus Group|Corus 81 (ex-BR 20 056) at Barrow Hill Engine Shed, 9 July 2006]]

thumb|20 309 On hire from Swietelsky sat by the loco shed at Breedon's [[Hope Cement Works 10 April 2025]]

British Rail

D8000 was delivered in June 1957 in overall green livery, with grey footplate, The original batch of 10 locos bore the BR crest facing towards the nose on both sides, used yellow sans serif numerals, and had green cab roofs; locos from D8010 had the correct pattern BR crest, white numerals and grey cab roof. This was adjusted after D8103 After the adoption of Rail Blue as the BR livery, D8178 became one of the first locomotives to be delivered in this livery (along with D7660 and D1953)

Some locomotives, including 20 227, were repainted in the Railfreight grey livery with red sole bars, yellow ends and large double arrows on the sides.

At least four of the class were painted in the British Rail Telecommunications livery:

  • 20 075 – Sir William Cooke – rebuilt as 20 309 and sold by DRS to HNRC, currently on short-term hire at Breedon's Hope Cement Works.
  • 20 128 – Guglielmo Marconi – rebuilt as 20 307 and has been scrapped
  • 20 131 – Almon B. Strowger – rebuilt as 20 306 and has been scrapped
  • 20 187 – Sir Charles Wheatstone – rebuilt as 20 308 and currently stood down by DRS, awaiting disposal

Privatisation

Class 20/3 locomotives operated by DRS have all been painted in DRS Oxford Blue livery, with red bufferbeams and full yellow ends. There have been small variations in the shade of yellow used on these locos, and the penetration of blue from the sides onto the ends.

Class 20 locomotives operated by Swietelsky (who have recently acquired the Harry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC))

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Sub-Class

! Description

|-

| 20/0

| 20 007, 20 096, 20 107, 20 118, 20 132, 20 142, 20 168, 20 189, 20 205, 20 227

|-

| 20/3

| 20 301, 20 302, 20 303, 20 304, 20 305, 20 308, 20 309, 20 311, 20 312, 20 314

|-

| 20/9

| 20 901, 20 905, 20 906

|}

Accidents and incidents

  • On 16 December 1971, locomotives D8142 and D8115 collided with no. D7605 at Lenton South Junction, Nottingham, killing 3 railwaymen.
  • On 18 May 1989, locomotives 20 134 and 20 131 collided with the rear of an MGR train at Worksop, killing the driver.
  • On 21 September 2021, 20 189 collided with a rake of carriages at , North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Five passengers on the heritage railway service were injured.

For the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, a Class 20 (20 188) on the Nene Valley Railway was made to look like a Russian armoured train with the addition of fake armour.

Preservation

22 English-Electric Type 1 Class 20s are preserved, including the first of the class built, D8000, which is part of the National Railway Collection at the National Railway Museum in York, North Yorkshire.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

|+ Class 20s in preservation

! TOPS number !! Current number !! Photo !! Preserved by !! Location

|-

|20 001 || D8001 || 150px || Class 20 Locomotive Society || Epping Ongar Railway

|-

|20 007 || 20 007 || 150px|| Class 20 189 Ltd || Mainline operational

|-

|20 020 || 20 020 || 150px || Scottish Railway Preservation Society || Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway

|-

|20 031 || 20 031 || 150px|| Privately owned || Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

|-

|20 048 || 20 048 || 150px|| Class 20189 Ltd || Midland Railway, Butterley

|-

|20 050 || D8000 || 150px|| National Collection || National Railway Museum

|-

|20 057 || D8057 || 150px || Privately Owned || Churnet Valley Railway

|-

|20 059 || D8059 || frameless|150x150px|| Somerset & Dorset Loco Company || Watercress Line

|-

|20 069 || D8069 || 150px || Privately owned || -

|-

|20 098 || D8098 || 150px|| Type One Locomotive Company || Great Central Railway, Loughborough

|-

|20 137 || 20137 || 150px|| Privately owned || Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway

|-

|20 142 (Sir John Betjeman) || 20 142 || 150px|| Class 20 189 Ltd || Mainline operational

|-

|20 154 || D8154 || 150px|| English Electric Preservation || Great Central Railway (Nottingham)

|-

|20 166 || 20166 || 150px|| Privately owned || Caledonian Railway

|-

|20 188 || D8188 || 150px|| Somerset & Dorset Loco Company || Watercress Line

|-

|20 189 || 20 189 || 150px || Class 20 189 Ltd || Mainline operational

|-

|20 205 || 20 205 || 150px || Class 20 Locomotive Society || Mainline operational

|-

|20 214 || 20 214 || 150px|center || Privately owned || Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway

|-

|20 227 || 20 227 || x150px|center || Class 20 Locomotive Society || Mainline operational

|-

|20 228 || 2004 || 150px|center || Privately owned || Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway

|}

A further three engines were preserved but later used for spares, then eventually scrapped. 20 035 was stripped of parts for use on fellow Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway based classmate D8137, and later scrapped at EMR Kingsbury. 20 177 was located at the Severn Valley Railway and became a source of spare parts for D8188 & D8059; with the remains first going to C.F. Booth Ltd., Rotherham and then the cab section to The Cab Yard in south Wales. 20206 was operated on the Mid-Norfolk Railway, but later sold by its owner, stripped of parts and scrapped.

Named locos

The following locos received names:

  • 20075 Sir William Cooke
  • 20128 Guglielmo Marconi In 2008 Hornby Railways launched its first version of the BR Class 20 in OO gauge.

In May 2021 Bachmann Collectors Club announced a limited edition run of two London Transport models of the class 20, No. 20142 Sir John Betjeman and No. 20227 Sherlock Holmes. The models are produced in conjunction with the London Transport Museum.

In 2010, Heljan produced an O gauge Class 20 in BR blue.

Notes

References

General references

Further reading

  • BRT Locos