The British Rail Class 31 (aka Brush Type 2) locomotives were produced following the launch of the Class 20 and were one of the pilot scheme designs by British Railways which were intended to replace steam locomotives. Originally destined for the Eastern region, the class became known for working on both the Western and London Midland regions too, working even further afield later in life. Throughout their life, the class saw several modifications and five different subclasses existed. The class held a long and varied lifespan, working a variety of local and express passenger sevices, freight and engineers trains - with some locomotives working on the mainline as late as 2017. |
|
Type of Locomotive |
Diesel-Electric |
Builder |
Brush Traction |
Build Dates |
1957 to 1962 |
Total Built |
263 |
Tractive Effort |
35,900 lbf |
Power Output |
1,250 to 1,365 bhp (Mirlees Engines) 1,470 bhp (English Electric Engines) |
Top Speed |
80mph (D5500 to D5534) 90mph (Remainder of class) |
Wheel Configuration |
A1A-A1A |
Operated By |
British Rail EWS Fragonset Railways FM Rail Mainline Rail Nemesis Rail Network Rail |
Main Duties |
Mixed Traffic |
In Service Until |
2017 |
Surviving Examples |
26 |
Scale | Brand | Image | Construction Type | DCC Capability | Product Code | Product Title | Livery |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N Gauge | CJM | RTR/RTUse/Pre-assembled | Not set |
31290 View |
Class 31 31290 in Railfreight Red Stripe Livery | Railfreight grey (inc. Red Stripe) | |
N Gauge | Graham Farish | RTR/RTUse/Pre-assembled | Not set |
371-112B View |
Class 31/1 31306 'Cricklewood' in BR blue | Awaiting Categorisation |