#3596

British Rail Class 52

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Swindon Works· from 1961· class of 74 C-C diesel-hydraulic locomotives

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Bridgnorth railway station MMB 08 D1062: mattbuck ( category )· CC BY-SA 3.0
2. "Western Lady" At Old Oak Common - 1976 (14153848945): Barry Lewis· CC BY 2.0
3. Class 52 D1001 Western Pathfinder, Old Oak Common, 6 June 1976 (2): Barry Lewis· CC BY 2.0
4. Class 52 D1005 Western Venturer, Paddington, 18 May 1976: Barry Lewis· CC BY 2.0
5. Class 52 D1005 Western Venturer, Paddington, 18 May 1976 (2): Barry Lewis· CC BY 2.0
6. Class 52 D1009 and a Class 128 DMU at Reading in 1975: Terry Fougler· CC BY-SA 2.0
7. Class 52 D1010 Western Campaigner on the Requiem Relief, 13 February 1977: Barry Lewis· CC BY 2.0
8. Class 52 D1010 at Williton Depot during The West Somerset Railway Diesel Gala 100623 - 52964870584: The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
9. Class 52 D1022 Western Sentinel, Old Oak Common, 25 January 1977: Barry Lewis· CC BY 2.0
10. Class 52 D1028 Western Hussar, Old Oak Common turntable, 27 May 1976: Barry Lewis· CC BY 2.0

what is it?

The British Rail Class 52 is a class of 74 Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964. All were given two-word names, the first word being "Western" and thus the type became known as Westerns. They were also known as Wizzos and Thousands.

who runs it

Western Region of British Railways

base stats

speed 145 km/htop speed
power 1.5 MWpower output
built 74made 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 65 years ago, in 1961.
Top speed is 1.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
1.5 MW is about 18 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
20.7 m long: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
Served for 16 years (1961–1977).

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

spec sheet

built: 1961–1964
in service from: 1961
retired: 1977
status: preserved
number built: 74
kind: Diesel-hydraulic
traction: diesel
origin: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders: Swindon Works, Crewe Works
operators: Western Region of British Railways
top speed: 145 km/h
power: 1.5 MW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: C′C′
length: 20.7 m
nicknames: Westerns, Wizzos, Thousands.

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

Sources: Wikidata Q12053618, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 52 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.