#2879· Class 04

British Rail Class 04

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Drewry Car Co.· from 1948· class of 142 204hp diesel-mechanical shunting locomotives

8 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Drewry Class 04 D2309 (8273246908): Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0
2. British Rail Class 04 D2272 - October 2014: D.J.H Photography· CC BY-SA 2.0
3. British Rail Class 04 D2337 - October 2014: D.J.H Photography· CC BY-SA 2.0
4. Class 04 D2207: RCF13· CC BY-SA 4.0
5. Class 04 D2246 Buckfastleigh 12-07-19: Rob Hodgkins· CC BY-SA 2.0
6. Class 04 D2280 Toddington Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway 07-11-2021: Rob Hodgkins· CC BY-SA 2.0
7. D2279 Drewry Class 04 0-6-0DM Chappel 101222 A: kitmasterbloke· CC BY 2.0
8. Drewry Class 04 Diesel Locomotive (38630207344): Charlie Jackson· CC BY 2.0

what is it?

The British Rail Class 04 is a 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunting locomotive class, built between 1952 and 1962 and was the basis for the later Class 03 built in the British Railways workshops.

who runs it

British Rail Eastern Region of British Railways London Midland Region of British Railways Southern Region of British Railways Western Region of British Railways North Eastern Region of British Railways

base stats

speed 43 km/htop speed
power 152 kWpower output
built 142made 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 78 years ago, in 1948.
Served for 25 years (1947–1972).

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

spec sheet

built: 1948–1962
in service from: 1947
retired: 1972
status: preserved
number built: 142
kind: Diesel-mechanical
traction: diesel
origin: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders: Drewry Car Co., Vulcan Foundry, Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns
operators: British Rail, Eastern Region of British Railways, London Midland Region of British Railways, Southern Region of British Railways, Western Region of British Railways, North Eastern Region of British Railways
top speed: 43 km/h
power: 152 kW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: 0-6-0
length: 7.9 m
Dutch name: Class 04

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

Sources: Wikidata Q4970684, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 04 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.