BR Class 40

BR Class 40

---

'Whistlers': The English Electric 1Co-Co1 Type 4s, once the pride of the British Rail diesel fleet, seen here in their later years. 200 were built between 1958 and 1962. The heyday of the class was in the early 1960s, when they hauled top-link expresses on the West Coast Main Line and in East Anglia. However, the arrival of more powerful diesels such as Class 47 and Class 55, together with the electrification of the West Coast Main Line, meant that the fleet was gradually relegated to more mundane duties. The final class 40s were withdrawn from regular service in 1985.