BR Class 50019
'Ramillies'

British Railways Class 50 Diesel-Electric (Type 4)

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The British Railways Class 50, also known as the English Electric Type 4, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive built by the English Electric Vulcan Foundry between 1967 and 1968. A total of 50 locomotives were produced.

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The class was originally introduced to work passenger trains on the West Coast Main Line between Crewe and Aberdeen, before electrification of the northern section was completed. Allocations were primarily to Crewe, with the remainder based at Bristol Bath Road. The locomotives soon became a familiar sight on the route, handling some of the most prestigious services of the era.

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By 1974, much of the West Coast route had been electrified, rendering the Class 50s surplus. The entire fleet was transferred to the Western Region, where they worked express passenger services from London Paddington to Penzance. However, reliability problems began to mount, and between 1979 and 1984 the fleet underwent a comprehensive refurbishment programme at Doncaster Works. Despite these efforts, performance issues resurfaced, and by the early 1990s the class was once again considered unreliable.

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Withdrawals accelerated rapidly, and by 1992 only eight Class 50s remained in traffic, with the remainder either stored or scrapped.

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Today, 18 of the original 50 survive, preserved at heritage railways across Britain. A small number remain certified for mainline use, continuing to operate railtours and charter services.