British Rail Class 60

The BR Class 60 Tug was a class of one hundred Co-Co diesel-electric heavy freight locomotives built by Brush Traction at Loughborough between 1989 and 1993, powered by a Mirrlees MB275T twelve-cylinder engine producing 3,100 hp. Ordered to replace the ageing Class 56 fleet on the heaviest freight duties — oil and petroleum trains, steel coil, coal, and infrastructure aggregate — the Class 60 was the last diesel locomotive class ordered by British Rail before privatisation.

The Mirrlees MB275T engine offered good fuel economy alongside the required power output. The slow-speed control system — accurate to 1 mph — was designed for operation through automatic MGR loading and unloading terminals. All one hundred locomotives were named, primarily after British mountains, hills, and rivers.

The Class 60's introduction was troubled by electrical commissioning problems, but once resolved the class proved capable and reliable. Under EWS many were placed in storage from 2008 as the cheaper Class 66 took over heavy freight duties, with over sixty stored at one point. A DB Schenker overhaul programme from 2009 returned a significant portion to service. As of 2026, a substantial fleet remains active with DB Cargo on petroleum, steel, and infrastructure traffic.