Talk:British Rail Class 80

Expansion

I intend to expand the gas-turbine section of this article. Once this is done, I think it would be appropriate to split the article in two, one for British Rail 18100 and one for British Rail Class 80. Biscuittin (talk) 22:35, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

Done, see British Rail 18100. Biscuittin (talk) 10:16, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

TOPS class

I have never heard of this locomotive being allocated a TOPS class as it was withdrawn from service before TOPS was introduced. I am wondering what evidence is out there to support this claim. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.134.2.62 (talk) 22:03, 24 June 2010 (UTC)

Good point; I shall check The Railway Magazine for the relevant period. However, I do know that the TOPS class list, although published in autumn 1968, was drawn up in 1967; and some published versions from 1968/9 do include several classes that had become extinct by then, such as Class 41. --Redrose64 (talk) 22:34, 24 June 2010 (UTC)

Intersting that you mention class 41. I have the BR diagrams books from the late 1960's, just before TOPS was introduced, and there is no class 41 either, also no class 80, which I am basing my info on. 198.134.2.62 (talk) 18:11, 26 June 2010 (UTC)

Right; I have checked

• Haresnape, Brian (1983). 6: Electric Locomotives. British Rail Fleet Survey. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 44. ISBN 0 7110 1332 2. GE/1183. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

Loco E1000/E2001 is there, but no mention of a TOPS class.

• Cooke, B.W.C.; Dannatt, H.M., eds. (1968). "Locomotive Notes: Reclassification of B.R. locomotives". Railway Magazine. Vol. 114, no. 809. London: Transport & Technical Publications. p. 565. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Hope, D.A.; Mallaband, P.; Belton, G.; Lissenden, R.A. (1969). "B.R. Locomotive Classification". Locomotive Stock Book 1969 (15th ed.). Kenilworth: RCTS. pp. 38–39. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

These two do not mention any Class 80 (nor class 41 for that matter); but both of these lists appears to be revised versions, since they do not list class 34 (early designation for Class 33/1) either. However, this book:

• Strickland, D.C. (1983). D+EG Locomotive Directory. Camberley: Diesel & Electric Group. p. 127. ISBN 0 906375 10 X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

lists E1000/E2001, but doesn't show a TOPS class against it. It does show Class 41 for D600-4 (p. 98), and has a note on p. 91 "The TOPS 1967 Class draft allocated Class 33 to the unmod locos & Class 34 to the PP-fitted, but this was soon revised to Class 33 for all locos, subdivided 8/69 to 33/1, 33/2(PP), 33/3(narrow), amended 6/72 to 33/0, 33/1, 33/2.", so revisions occurred at least three times before the 5-figure numbers began to be applied.

Unless that "TOPS 1967 Class draft" can be located and checked, the "Class 80" would therefore appear to be WP:OR, or just speculation. --Redrose64 (talk) 18:56, 26 June 2010 (UTC)

I checked with my father who worked for BR in the 1960's and he advised that the TOPS list never had a class 80. He wasn't sure about class 41 however. Yes class 34 was originally assigned to the latter class 33/1, as well class 30 was for the latter 31/0 and 72 for the 73/0. Obviously the list was revised at some point, but I would agree that it would appear that assigning class 80 to E2001 is speculation. 198.134.2.62 (talk) 16:48, 27 June 2010 (UTC)

The essential difference between classes 30 and 31 was the engine: cl. 30 were the locos which still had the original Mirrlees engines, whereas cl. 31 were those locos that had been given English Electric engines from 1964 in replacement. As new engines were fitted, the locos were reclassified, the last such change being D5500 in 1969 (for some reason, the original 20, which had the "red circle" MW code, were among the last to be converted). Class 72 was indeed the original designation for 73/0. --Redrose64 (talk) 19:14, 27 June 2010 (UTC)