British Rail Class 58

The British Rail Class 58 is a Co-Co diesel-electric locomotive designed for heavy freight, nicknamed the Bone by enthusiasts for its narrow body with a cab at each end. It was conceived by British Rail Engineering Limited as a low-cost, easily maintained freight locomotive with export potential, and the contract to build it went to Doncaster Works, where the E2 shop was upgraded for final assembly. Its break with British convention was an American-style modular design, with exchangeable cab, radiator, power unit, turbocharger and electrical modules on a load-bearing underframe. An order for 35 was placed in January 1982 and 15 more were authorised in 1984. The first entered service in 1983, and in 2002 the owner EWS decided to withdraw the whole class after only 19 years. Thirty-two were later hired abroad, to the Netherlands, Spain and France, and a few have been preserved.