Twenty four veteran Class 08 shunters put up for sale by DB Cargo

Published: 20th September 2016

5 October deadline to bid for a piece of railway history

Following their recent sale of 20 Class 60 freight locomotives, some which had not turned a wheel in over ten years, the UK’s largest freight train operator, DB Cargo (DBC) has offered another 24 locomotives for sale. These are the 50 to 60 year old Class 08 350hp diesel shunters.

These are in much demand from preserved railways to private freight operators so expect a flurry of activity by those interested in acquiring one of these locomotives. They are situated around the UK at Toton depot near Nottingham, Bescot near Birmingham, Arpley near Warrington, Didcot, Doncaster, Eastleigh, Westbury,Stoke, Swansea, Knottingley, Mossend and Hoo Junction in Kent.

The engines concerned and their locations are as follows:

08428 Arpley, Warrington

08703 Bescot

08752 Bescot

08623 Bescot

08907 Bescot

08405 Crewe

08495 Crewe

08706 Crewe

08757 Crewe

08804 Crewe

08742 Didcot

08782 Doncaster

08904 Eastleigh East

08735 Eastleigh

08888 Hoo Junction

09106 Knottingley

08879 Margam

08632 Mossend

08633 Stoke

08480 Toton

08784 Toton

08922 Toton

08799 Westbury

08605 Wigan

As is usual with these sales, the engines are offered for sale as seen and must be collected from the depot.

There is not a lot of time to consider a bid as registrations of interest must be made by 12noon on 5 October 2016. Whoever wins any locomotive must pay for collection and removal of their new ‘toy’.

Bidders must register their interest in accordance with the “Guide to making an offer for a Locomotive” issued by DBC.

Registrations of interest must be e-mailed to Stella.Horrocks@deutschebahn.com or by post to Stella Horrocks quoting ref SH/Sept 16/shunters at:

DB Cargo (UK) Ltd.

Toton TMD

Toton Sidings

Stapleford

Nottingham

NG10 1HA.

Expression of interest and tendering

If your expression of interest is accepted, you will be sent Tender documents to make a bid. Each locomotive has had a reserve price put on it by the vendor.

The locomotives are to be sold by competitive open tender in accordance with the DBC “Code of Practice for the identification, Sale and/or Disposal of Surplus Locomotives”.

It may be possible to inspect the locomotives but only by making an appointment and not by arriving ‘on spec’.

If bidding, you must demonstrate how you will comply with all legal requirements and DBc says that the locomotives will be disposed of in a manner which is fair and non-discriminatory and complies with safety and environmental considerations.

If you make a winning bid, a sale contract will be awarded to the purchaser with the highest present value offered over the set reserve price. Another consideration will be how quickly the winning bidder will remove their locomotive and how fast the engines will be paid for.

Compliance is vital

Once the formal Sales Acceptance(s) to the successful Tenderer(s) has been made, DBC say contractual compliance will be rigidly enforced and if these are breached, the sale may be cancelled or stabling charges levied.

Full details of all this will be issued with the Code of Practice and Standard Conditions of Sale which will be issued with the Tender documents. DBc reserves the right to withdraw any of these locomotives from sale at any point in the proceedings.

The Class 08

Nearly 1000 of these shunting locomotives were built from the early 1950s and they have been based around the UK ever since but now their numbers are fast dwindling in main line use.

They are popular with preservationists and will be snapped up by the heritage railway movement without doubt.

External Links

• DB Cargo