The Twilight of the Class 40s

The English Electric Type C/Type 4 1Co-Co1 diesel-electric, later known as Class 40 werebuilt by EE at Vulcan Foundry and also by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns at Darlington. With their distinctive turbocharged engine sound they were nicknamed ‘Whistlers’. The first ten were ordered as part of BR’s Pilot Scheme, and they were an immediate success. For more than thirty years, the throaty whistling noise of these versatile locomotives could be heard up and down BR’s main lines from East Anglia to North Wales and London to the Scottish Highlands. By the dawn of the 1980s, several had been scrapped and an enthusiastic entourage of ‘bashers’ and photographers was determined to get as much mileage and footage out of the remaining Forties as they could. Happily, there are seven Class 40s surviving in preservation, including the pioneering D200. All but one has been restored to working order, and two have even returned to the main line.