#3402

British Rail Class 26

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company· from 1958· class of 47 Bo′Bo′ 1160hp diesel-electric locomotives

🛤️ diesel locomotive diesel preserved

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Carlisle Class 26 26037: Steven Duhig from Bowie, Maryland, USA· CC BY-SA 2.0
2. British Rail Class 26 No. 26004 - August 1993: Simon Beeston· Public domain
3. British Rail Class 26 No. 26025 - June 1992: SIMON BEESTON· Public domain
4. Class 26 D5343 - 21103393750: kitmasterbloke· CC BY 2.0
5. Class 26 Diesel Locomotive (31875949610): Charlie Jackson· CC BY 2.0
6. Class 26 hauling a mixed goods train: IDMacpherson1964· CC BY-SA 4.0
7. Birmingham RC&W Co Type 2 D5344 (8395114697): Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0
8. North British Type 2 (later Class 29) 1,350 hp B-B No.D6121: hugh llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0
9. Birmingham RC&W Co Type 2 D5335 (8395113561): Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0
10. Birmingham RC&W Co Type 2 D5339 (8395112517): Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0

Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

what is it?

The British Rail Class 26 diesel locomotives, also known as the BRCW Type 2, were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) at Smethwick in 1958–59. Forty seven examples were built and the last were withdrawn from service in 1994. Like their higher-powered sisters, the BRCW Classes 27 and 33, they had all-steel bodies and cab ends with fibreglass cab roofs.

who runs it

British Rail Scottish Region of British Railways

base stats

speed 129 km/htop speed
power 865 kWpower output
built 47made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 68 years ago, in 1958.
865 kW is about 10 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
15.2 m long: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
Served for 35 years (1958–1993).

diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).

spec sheet

built: 1958–1959
in service from: 1958
retired: 1993
status: preserved
number built: 47
kind: Diesel-electric
traction: diesel
origin: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders: Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
operators: British Rail, Scottish Region of British Railways
top speed: 129 km/h
power: 865 kW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: Bo'Bo'
length: 15.2 m

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q4970764, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 26 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.