#3209· Class 05

British Rail Class 05

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Hunslet Engine Company· from 1955· class of 69 204hp diesel-mechanical shunting locomotives

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Hugh llewelyn D2587 (7124609553): Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0
2. D2554 at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway Diesel Gala (36688186194): https://www.flickr.com/photos/justinfoulger/· CC BY-SA 2.0
3. Isle of Wight Steam Railway (6082267874): David Short from Windsor, UK· CC BY 2.0
4. Isle of Wight Steam Railway 81: Simon Burchell· CC BY-SA 4.0
5. Isle of Wight Steam Railway 82: Simon Burchell· CC BY-SA 4.0
6. Isle of Wight Steam Railway 84: Simon Burchell· CC BY-SA 4.0
7. Isle of Wight Steam Railway Diesel 03: The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
8. D2587 (7124609553): Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
9. Preston Riverside station - D2595: Geof Sheppard· CC BY-SA 4.0
10. Ribble Steam Railway - D2595 (D9537): Geof Sheppard· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The British Rail Class 05 is a class of 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters built by Hunslet Engine Company from 1955 to 1961. They were used on the Eastern and Scottish Regions of British Railways. The first two batches were delivered as 11136-11143 (later renumbered D2550-D2557) and 11161-11176 (later renumbered D2558-D2573).

who runs it

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

base stats

speed 29 km/htop speed
power 152 kWpower output
weight 31 tin working order
built 79made 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 71 years ago, in 1955.
Weighs about as much as 5 African elephants (~6 t each).
Served for 25 years (1956–1981).

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

spec sheet

built: 1955–1961
in service from: 1956
retired: 1981
status: preserved
number built: 79
kind: Diesel-mechanical
traction: diesel
origin: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders: Hunslet Engine Company
operators: British Rail, Eastern Region of British Railways, London Midland Region of British Railways, Southern Region of British Railways, North Eastern Region of British Railways, Scottish Region of British Railways
top speed: 29 km/h
power: 152 kW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: 0-6-0
length: 7.6 m
weight: 31 t
Dutch name: Class 05

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

Sources: Wikidata Q4970686, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 05 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.