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Preserved 58 Cabs

Preservation & Engineering Heritage

Preserved 58 Cabs

Six separate Class 58 cab structures are currently known to survive: two purpose-built contingency cabs, both original cabs from 58008 and both original cabs from 58022.

The Class 58 preservation story extends beyond the surviving complete locomotives. Several individual cab structures have also escaped scrapping, providing a rare opportunity to study the construction, driving environment and modular engineering of the class.

Two of the surviving cabs were built at BREL Doncaster as unused contingency replacements for the operational fleet. The remaining four were removed from locomotives 58008 and 58022 when those locomotives were dismantled.

Each cab has followed a different route into preservation. Some remain in substantially original condition, some are being restored or displayed, and others survive in private ownership.

6 Known separate Class 58 cab structures
2 Purpose-built spare cabs owned by the Group
2 Original cabs surviving from 58008
2 Original cabs surviving from 58022
 

The Purpose-Built Spare Cabs

After completing the Class 58 fleet, British Rail Engineering Limited at Doncaster built two additional cab structures as contingency replacements.

The intention was that a seriously damaged cab could be replaced without requiring a complete locomotive to be withdrawn for an extended period. Internal controls and fittings would have been transferred from the damaged cab into the replacement shell.

Neither spare cab was required during the fleet’s operational life. Both remained unused at Doncaster for more than two decades before eventually entering preservation.

Purpose-Built Spare Cab

Spare Cab No. 1

Class 58 Locomotive Group
Class 58 spare cab number 1
Spare Cab No. 1, still substantially in its original shell condition.
Photo: Darren Clark

The Class 58 Locomotive Group acquired one of the two spare cab structures when they were offered for sale in 2006. It moved to its new home shortly afterwards.

When the Group later acquired 58016, practical attention and resources were understandably redirected towards the complete locomotive, and the separate cab remained largely untouched for a period.

The cab remains an important Group-owned restoration project. Its future potential includes static display, educational interpretation or recreation of a Class 58 driving environment.

Group Owned Original Shell Condition Long-Term Restoration
Purpose-Built Spare Cab

Spare Cab No. 2

Displayed as 58 001
Class 58 spare cab number 2 displayed as 58 001
Spare Cab No. 2 at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley.
Photo: Phil Lindsey

The second spare cab was initially purchased privately and subsequently changed ownership several times.

Its most notable private custodian was Martin Baker, who completed much of the external restoration and applied the number 58 001 to the driver’s side.

The cab was loaned to the Group for the Rail Riders event at Crewe Heritage Centre in 2023. The Group purchased it in early 2024, and it moved to the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, on 1 May 2024.

Further work can now be undertaken to complete its interior and develop its future use as a Class 58 heritage exhibit.

Group Owned Butterley Internal Restoration

The Surviving Cabs from 58008

Both original driving cabs removed from 58008 are known to survive. One is preserved at The Cab Yard in Llanelli, while the other is held privately in the Brecon area.

The original end identity of each separate cab has not yet been confirmed reliably. They are therefore described by their present location rather than being assigned No. 1 or No. 2 end identities.

Removed from 58008

58008 No.1 End Cab at The Cab Yard

Llanelli, South Wales
Surviving cab from Class 58 locomotive 58008 at The Cab Yard in Llanelli
One of the two surviving cabs from 58008 at The Cab Yard, Llanelli.

The No.1 end of 58008’s original driving cabs is preserved at The Cab Yard in Llanelli, South Wales.

The Cab Yard has assembled a significant collection of surviving locomotive cabs and related railway vehicles, protecting examples that might otherwise have been lost following the dismantling of their parent locomotives.

Its survival helps retain a direct physical link with 58008 and provides an opportunity to compare an operational locomotive cab with the unused replacement structures built by Doncaster.

The Cab Yard Llanelli
Visit The Cab Yard
Removed from 58008

58008 No.2 End Cab in Private Ownership

Brecon area, South Wales
Privately preserved cab from Class 58 locomotive 58008
The second surviving cab from 58008 is privately preserved in the Brecon area.

The No.2 end original cab from 58008 is currently owned by a private individual in the Brecon area of Wales.

Since the cab is part of a private collection, its exact location is not publicly available, and access should not be assumed.

The owner has generously shared some images, information, and their plans for the cab. He purchased it in 2021, and it was delivered in 2022. He has a particular interest in 58008, as he is originally from Portsmouth and saw the loco operating in and out of Fawley Oil Refinery.

The owner plans to convert the cab into a simulator, attach it to a trailer, allowing for transportation to railway events.

Private Ownership Brecon Area

The Surviving Cabs from 58022

The two cabs from 58022 formed part of a locomotive that worked in regular service before being acquired for the LMS 10000 re-creation project.

Major parts of 58022, including its chassis and traction equipment, were retained for that project. Both original Class 58 cab structures were also preserved separately.

Removed from 58022

58022 No. 1 End Cab

Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society
Number 1 end cab from Class 58 locomotive 58022 at Wirksworth
The No. 1 end cab from 58022, retained at Wirksworth on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

The No. 1 end cab from 58022 is retained by the Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society at Wirksworth on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

It is used as a gate guardian, providing a visible reminder of the Class 58 donor locomotive and the contribution made by its components to the LMS 10000 re-creation project.

The cab’s location also preserves a publicly visible connection between 58022 and the project for which the locomotive was acquired.

Gate Guardian Wirksworth Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Removed from 58022

58022 No. 2 End Cab

Private owner in the Bristol area
2021 eBay auction listing for the No. 2 end cab from Class 58 locomotive 58022
The No. 2 end cab from 58022 as shown in its 2021 eBay auction listing.

The No. 2 end cab from 58022 was offered for sale through eBay in 2021.

The listing attracted 21 bids, with the successful bidder purchasing the cab for £1,120. Collection was advertised from the Matlock area.

The cab is understood to have passed into private ownership in the Bristol area. Its precise location and the identity of the owner are not published.

The Group continues to record its known history while respecting the privacy of its present custodian.

Sold in 2021 £1,120 Winning Bid 21 Bids Bristol Area
Historic eBay listing for the Class 58 locomotive 58022 No. 2 end driving cab
Historic Sale

58022 No. 2 End Cab Auctioned in 2021

The online sale provides an unusual record of the market value and preservation interest attached to a complete Class 58 driving cab after separation from its parent locomotive.

Following 21 bids, the cab sold for £1,120 and subsequently moved into private preservation in the Bristol area.

2021 Year Sold
21 Auction Bids
£1,120 Winning Bid

Class 58 Cab Preservation Timeline

1980s
Two additional Class 58 cab shells are built at BREL Doncaster as contingency replacements for the operational fleet.
2006
The two unused spare cabs are offered for sale after remaining at the former Doncaster Works site for more than two decades.
2016
Both cabs from 58008 survive after the locomotive is dismantled. One later enters The Cab Yard collection at Llanelli, while the other is preserved privately near Brecon.
2016
58022 is acquired for the LMS 10000 re-creation project. Both of its original cab structures are retained separately.
2021
The No. 2 end cab from 58022 is sold through eBay for £1,120 after receiving 21 bids. It passes into private ownership in the Bristol area.
2023
Spare Cab No. 2 is loaned to the Class 58 Locomotive Group for the Rail Riders event at Crewe Heritage Centre.
2024
The Group acquires Spare Cab No. 2 and moves it to the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley on 1 May.

Known Surviving Cab Locations

The table below records the currently known ownership and broad location of each surviving separate Class 58 cab. Precise private locations are deliberately not published.

Cab Owner or Custodian Known Location Status Public Access
Spare Cab No. 1 Class 58 Locomotive Group RSS, Wishaw Restoration project By Arrangement
Spare Cab No. 2 Class 58 Locomotive Group Midland Railway Centre, Butterley External restoration substantially completed Visible
58008 Cab The Cab Yard Llanelli, South Wales Preserved By Arrangement
58008 Cab Private Owner Brecon area, South Wales Privately Owned No
58022 No. 1 End Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society Wirksworth, Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Gate guardian Visible
58022 No. 2 End Private Owner Bristol area Privately Owned No

Preserving and Interpreting the Cabs

The surviving cabs differ considerably in condition, ownership and intended use. As a result, there is no single restoration approach suitable for all six structures.

Purpose-Built Spare Cabs

The two Group-owned spare cabs provide the greatest opportunity for a structured restoration programme, educational interpretation and possible future use as static exhibits or a driving simulator.

Cabs from Operational Locomotives

The cabs removed from 58008 and 58022 retain a direct physical link with locomotives that worked in regular service, giving them a different historical significance from the unused replacement shells.

Components and Technical Information

Completing a cab interior requires specialist panels, controls, seating, fittings and instruments. Original drawings, photographs and surviving parts are essential if a cab is to be represented accurately.

Public Interpretation

A restored cab can explain Class 58 construction, demonstrate the driver’s working environment and support educational or interactive heritage displays without requiring access to a complete locomotive.

Maintaining the Class 58 Cab Register

The Class 58 Locomotive Group aims to maintain an accurate record of all known surviving Class 58 cab structures, alongside the surviving complete locomotives and other significant artefacts.

Ownership, condition and location can change over time. If further cabs are identified, a cab changes ownership, or its preservation status alters, the Group would be pleased to receive updated and reliable information.

Information concerning privately owned cabs can be provided confidentially. Precise locations or owner details will not be published without permission.

Help Us Keep the Register Accurate

Photographs, historical details, ownership updates and information about the current condition of any surviving Class 58 cab are welcome. Please contact the Group if you can help expand or correct this record.

Contact the Class 58 Locomotive Group