About Us
About the Group
About the Class 58 Locomotive Group
Founded in 2001 as the Class 58s began disappearing from the UK rail network, the Class 58 Locomotive Group exists to preserve, promote and protect the legacy of one of British Rail’s most distinctive heavy freight locomotive classes.
The Class 58 Locomotive Group was established in July 2001, at a time when the Class 58 fleet was rapidly disappearing from everyday operation in Britain.
From the outset, the Group set out not only to champion the significance of the class, but also to ensure that its history, engineering importance and surviving examples would not be forgotten.
Today, the Group focuses on recording and sharing the Class 58 story, caring for its two spare cab shells and preserving photographs, documents and railway artefacts. Members can get involved through cab conservation, events, publications, research and other Group activities.
Who We Are
The Group brings together enthusiasts, historians, volunteers and supporters with a shared commitment to preserving the Class 58 story. Our work has never been limited to one locomotive alone.
We aim to document the complete history of the class, preserve important artefacts and components, and make reliable information available to anyone with an interest in British freight traction and railway heritage.
Our activities bring together practical conservation of the spare cabs with research, archive work, publications and events. The surviving locomotives are independently owned; Group membership does not offer volunteering on those locomotives.
Preserve
Safeguard the history, records, photographs, artefacts, spare cabs and surviving material connected with the Class 58 fleet.
Record
Collect and record photographs, technical documents and personal memories so that the history of the class remains accessible.
Promote
Share the significance of the Class 58 through research, publications, events, displays, membership activities and online resources.
Photo: Peter Nicholson
The Class 58 Story
The Class 58 locomotives were conceived in the late 1970s, when British Rail began exploring a new generation of heavy freight diesel locomotives that would be lower in cost, easier to maintain and suitable for the changing needs of the network.
Their modular construction and distinctive profile made them unlike anything else built in Britain at the time.
The first locomotive, 58001, was formally handed over on 9 December 1982, and construction of the fleet continued until March 1987. All 50 locomotives were built at British Rail Engineering Limited, Doncaster Works, making the Class 58 the final diesel locomotive class built by British Rail.
In service, the class became closely associated with heavy coal traffic across the Midlands, although its work later extended beyond that original role. Following withdrawal from regular UK service, many examples went on to work overseas in the Netherlands, Spain and France.
From Research Group to Active Preservation
From its earliest days, the Group aspired to become directly involved in the physical preservation of the Class 58. That opportunity arrived in 2010, when DB Schenker announced the sale of seven locomotives remaining in the UK.
The Group responded with an intensive period of fundraising, negotiation and planning. This ultimately led to its involvement in the acquisition of 58016 through a consortium, with the Group becoming the locomotive’s custodian.
The project marked an important turning point in the Group’s history. It developed practical preservation experience, established relationships across the heritage railway sector and created opportunities for volunteers to contribute directly to a full-size locomotive restoration.
The Class 58 Locomotive Group is established as the fleet begins to disappear from regular UK service.
The Class 58 fleet is withdrawn from regular UK main line service, although many locomotives subsequently continue working overseas.
DB Schenker announces the sale of seven Class 58s, creating the first significant opportunity for private preservation ownership.
The Group becomes involved in securing 58016 and begins a long-term programme of preservation, parts recovery and restoration work.
58016 moves to the UKRL site in Leicester, providing access to improved facilities, engineering support and heavy lifting equipment.
The consortium agreed the sale of 58016 to Edward Stevenson in 2023. He purchased the locomotive with the intention of returning it to commercial work.
A new chapter for 58016: the Group’s earlier involvement remains an important part of its history. Following the sale, plans for the locomotive are a matter for Edward Stevenson. The Group’s own activities focus on its spare cabs, archives, publications and events.
Preserving the Class 58 Story
The Group’s present-day work centres on the history and heritage of the Class 58, with practical conservation focused on its two spare cab shells.
The website records the stories of the surviving locomotives. Their owners are responsible for their operation, maintenance and future plans; these are not Group projects.
Spare Cab Conservation
Organised Group working parties offer opportunities to help care for the spare cabs, with suitable tasks such as cleaning, preparation, painting and recording progress. Attendance and tasks must be agreed in advance.
Engineering and Historical Knowledge
The Group preserves technical knowledge, photographs, documentation and first-hand accounts for historical research and interpretation.
Artefacts and Archives
Volunteers can help identify, catalogue and care for the Group’s collection of Class 58-related material, keeping its history and provenance on record.
Publications and Events
The Group shares the Class 58 story through its website, magazine, displays, events and sales stands. These activities help sustain the Group and keep the history of the class visible.
The Spare Cabs and Group Collection
The Group owns and cares for the two purpose-built spare Class 58 cab shells, which form a rare and unusual part of the class’s engineering history.
Volunteers can assist with the continued conservation and restoration of these cabs through agreed Group working parties. Other opportunities include events, archives, publications and administration.
The Group also preserves photographs, records, technical information, nameplates, components and personal recollections. Together, these materials help explain not only how the locomotives looked and operated, but also the people, depots, industries and freight flows associated with them.
Why the Group Matters
The Class 58 was a bold and distinctive part of British Rail’s freight modernisation story: the final diesel class built by British Rail, designed around modular construction and developed with both domestic operation and export potential in mind.
Its working career in Britain may have been shorter than originally intended, but its historical and engineering legacy has proved lasting.
The Class 58 Locomotive Group exists to ensure that this legacy is properly understood, accurately recorded and, wherever possible, physically preserved.
That means caring for the spare cabs and preserving the photographs, documents, artefacts, technical knowledge and personal recollections that tell the wider Class 58 story.
Explore the rest of the website for the latest Group news, Class 58 running dates, volunteer opportunities, events, membership information and updates from preservation projects across the surviving fleet.
Access to the Group’s cabs and working parties must be arranged in advance and remains subject to the host site’s requirements. Group membership does not provide access to or work on independently owned locomotives.
- Latest Group and preservation news
- Volunteer working parties and upcoming dates
- Membership information and supporter details
- Class 58 fleet history and technical information
- Preserved locomotives and surviving cab records
- Events, running days and public appearances