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| British Rail Class 31 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Class 31 |
| Powertype | Diesel-electric |
| Builder | Brush Traction |
| Builddate | 1957–1962 |
| Totalproduction | 263 |
| Uicclass | A1A-A1A |
| Primemover | Mirrlees/English Electric |
| Transmission | DC generator, DC traction motors |
| Topspeed | 90–95 mph |
| Tractiveeffort | 39,000 lbf |
| Operator | British Rail, Network Rail |
| Disposition | preserved, heritage, withdrawn |
British Rail Class 31 The British Rail Class 31 is a type of diesel-electric locomotive introduced in the late 1950s for use on British Railways mainline and secondary services. Designed and built by Brush Traction in association with English Electric, the class served passenger and freight duties across England, Scotland, and Wales for several decades, interacting with major operators such as Network SouthEast, InterCity, and Regional Railways. The type underwent multiple modifications, rebrandings, and reallocations, and a number of examples survive on heritage railways and in museum collections.
Brush Traction developed the type as part of the 1955 Modernisation Plan era, responding to requirements set by British Transport Commission and influenced by prior designs from English Electric units used on Southern Region and Eastern Region routes. Early design work incorporated lessons from prototypes such as the Deltic and the Class 20 produced by English Electric, adopting a six-wheel bogie arrangement similar to the Great Western Railway rationale for route availability. Negotiations with the British Railways Board and subcontracting with firms including Mirrlees defined the prime mover choice; the procurement process reflected contemporaneous procurement policies involving British Leyland-era suppliers and nationalised industries. The final specification balanced route availability, tractive effort, and maintenance regimes established at depots like Crewe Works and Derby Works.
The electrical transmission used a DC generator from English Electric feeding DC traction motors on an A1A-A1A axle configuration to reduce axle load for secondary routes such as those serving Cumbrian Coast and Wrexham lines. Early batches were fitted with Mirrlees JVS12T engines, while later retrofits involved English Electric 12SVT or overhauls performed by contractors including Brush Traction and British Rail Engineering Limited. Brake systems conformed to Railtrack-era standards following upgrades that paralleled compliance work undertaken for Network Rail on multiple classes. Maximum speeds of 90–95 mph suited roles on services formerly operated by Thames-Clyde Express or replacement services for named trains like the Borderlands Line specials. Weight distribution, fuel capacity, and multiple-working compatibility were set to coordinate with other diesel types such as Class 37 and Class 47 on diagrams and consists managed by Train Operating Companies.
Class 31s entered traffic in the late 1950s and quickly spread across regions, underpinning secondary passenger services, parcels trains, and light freight duties. The class featured in diagrams for InterCity relief workings, Network SouthEast commuter diagrams out of London Paddington and London King's Cross, and regional services in Scotland out of Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central. Over time, operational control shifted through organisational changes involving the British Railways Board, privatisation events affecting Railtrack and later Network Rail, and franchising impacts tied to operators such as Arriva and FirstGroup. Withdrawals accelerated with the introduction of multiple units like Sprinter and Turbostar fleets, as well as stricter emissions and accessibility regulations introduced by agencies including the Office of Rail and Road.
Throughout their service life Class 31 locomotives carried a variety of liveries, reflecting corporate identity changes from British Railways green and blue to sectorisation schemes for InterCity, Network SouthEast, and later private operators. Special liveries commemorated events and partnerships with institutions such as Royal Mail for parcels contracts and local authorities on community-named examples. Several locomotives received individual names referencing places and organisations like Scarborough, Derby, and heritage sponsors linked to National Railway Museum collaborations; naming ceremonies sometimes involved figures associated with National Lottery heritage grants or local civic dignitaries.
Class 31s were involved in a number of operational incidents over their careers, from level crossing collisions on rural routes such as the Cambrian Line to derailments at junctions near Doncaster and Crewe. Investigations sometimes involved bodies like the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and led to recommendations implemented across fleets, mirroring responses seen after other incidents involving classes such as the Class 47 and Class 56. Mechanical failures and signal passed at danger (SPAD) events prompted reviews of training at depots including Heaton and Toton and introduced stricter maintenance protocols influenced by industry-wide reforms.
A significant number of Class 31s entered preservation, appearing on heritage lines including the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, and Severn Valley Railway. Preservation groups and societies such as the Thirty One Group and volunteer crews from museums like the National Railway Museum undertook restorations, sometimes returning locomotives to operational mainline-registered condition for gala events and excursions visiting termini like York and Bristol Temple Meads. These preserved examples participate in charters organised by operators including West Coast Railways and educational programmes supported by Heritage Lottery Fund grants.
Class 31s have been extensively modelled by manufacturers such as Hornby, Bachmann, and Dapol across scales including OO and N gauge, featuring in collectors' exhibitions at events hosted by groups like the Historical Model Railway Society. The class appears in railway photography books published by houses such as Ian Allan Publishing and has been featured in television documentaries about the Beeching cuts era and rail modernisation, contributing to popular interest alongside other types like the Deltic and Class 37. Enthusiast communities, online forums, and magazines including Railways Illustrated continue to document their legacy.
Category:Diesel-electric locomotives of Great Britain Category:Brush Traction locomotives