British Rail Class 03 Diesel Locomotive

Discover more about this hard-working diesel-mechanical shunter that saw over a decade of active service in yards in the 1950s and 60s.

Diesel Mechanical Shunter

The British Rail Class 03 Diesel Locomotive was a diesel-mechanical shunter class engine used for empty coaching stock and engine movements around depots.

0-6-0

Built in a 0-6-0 configuration by the British Railways engineering works in Swindon and Doncaster between 1957 and 1962, its short wheelbase and relatively low weight enabled it to work where other engines, like Class 08 shunters, were more restricted.

Withdrawal

Over the 1960s, as the network evolved and steam was superseded by electric and diesel locomotion, the need for stock movements reduced at depots and by 1968 the Class 03 locomotives began to be withdrawn from service.