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Hornby R3660

DCR, Class 56, Co-Co, 56303 - Era 10

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI/AI images rather than photographs

Prototype Eras
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation
Era 10 (2005 to 2015) Rebuilding of the Railways
Era 11 (2016 to 2026) The Last Days of Privatisation

Manufacturer description

The British Rail Class 56 Type 5 Co-Co diesel locomotive was first introduced in 1976 to cope with the increased requirement for heavy freight. British Rail awarded the contract to design and build these new engines to Brush Traction in Loughborough, who subsequently sub-contracted the construction to Electroputere in Romania due to the lack of capacity in their own works.

The initial 30 locomotives to be delivered from Romania suffered from transit damage and construction deficiencies and had to be extensively rebuilt before entering service. With this in mind, the decision was made to build the remaining 105 locomotives in England with British Rail Engineering Ltd manufacturing them at their Doncaster Works (nos. 56031 to 56115) and Crewe Works (nos. 56116 to 56135). The design specification was based upon the Class 47 bodyshell, with the omission of redundant features such as the headcode panel. Power came from a Ruston-Paxman unit that was similar to that fitted in the Class 50 locomotives, which provided the capability for heavy haul freight. Air brakes were fitted for the first time in a British Rail engine and the electrics were improved in a number of areas, resulting in a more robust power unit.

Nicknamed as Gridirons or 'Grids', the Class 56 displaced the Class 20 and Class 47 locomotives and commonly undertook the transportation of iron ore, coal, aggregate and steel across the Eastern and London Midland Regions and on the Western Region for aggregate duties. The locomotives were popular, strong and reliable performers but needed heavy maintenance, particularly when compared against the Class 66 locomotives that came to displace them in service. The introduction of the Class 60 locomotives saw a gradual reduction in the use of the Class 56 locomotives and with the arrival of the Class 66 locomotives, plus their greater availability and lower maintenance, the Class 56 fleet were placed into storage between 1998 and 2004.

The majority of the locomotives remain in depots around the UK, despite being variously sold for scrap and then re-acquired and reinstated in service. Colas Railfreight operate a small fleet on a rotating basis and British American Railway Services and UK Rail Leasing have a number available for working. Five locomotives, 56006, 56097, 56098, 56301 and 56302 have been preserved. 56108 was built at BREL at Crewe and entered traffic on October 20, 1983 allocated to Tinsley. Having passed through British Rail, Railfreight Coal Sector and Transrail ownership, 56103 was withdrawn from service in February 2000 at Immingham with excessive wheelset wear.

Subsequently identified for reinstatement, 56103 passed into Fastline service and was overhauled by Brush Traction in May 2006 and reclassified as Class 56/3. Renumbered to 56303 on May 18, 2005, the locomotive was then used alongside 56301 and 56302 on the Fastline container trains running between Doncaster, Grain, Birch Coppice and Trafford Park. With the collapse of Fastline, 56303 passed into Devon & Cornwall Railways ownership and is currently awaiting sale by tender.

Product videos

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  Hornby | R3660 DCR Class 56 Co-Co 56303

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Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

Hornby DCR’s model of British Rail Class 56 locomotive number 56303 (Era 10) is an OO gauge kit finished in pristine condition. The model is painted in BR green livery, carries running number 66847 and measures 254 mm in length. It is DCC ready with an eight‑pin socket, fitted with a 5‑pole skew wound motor and all wheels act as power pickups. The minimum curve radius is 2 nd radius (438 mm). Couplings are NEM with tension lock. The part number is R3660.

The real Class 56 is a Co‑Co diesel locomotive built between 1976 and 1984 to meet growing heavy‑freight requirements. The first 30 units were produced by Electroputere in Romania and required extensive rebuilding; the remaining 105 were built in England by British Rail Engineering Ltd at Doncaster and Crewe. Powered by a Ruston‑Paxman engine similar to that of Class 50, the locomotive featured air brakes for the first time on a British Rail engine and was used for iron ore, coal, aggregate and steel trains across the Eastern, London Midland and Western regions. It was withdrawn from main‑line service between 1998 and 2004 as newer classes such as the Class 60 and Class 66 took over.

Locomotive 56103, later renumbered 56303 on 18/05/2005, was overhauled by Brush Traction in May 2006 and reclassified as Class 56/3 for Fastline container services. Following Fastline’s collapse the unit passed to Devon & Cornwall Railways and is currently listed for sale by tender. Five members of the class have been preserved, while the majority remain in depots or are operated by private rail freight companies.