Based on the diesel shunting locomotives of the LMS, which later became the class 11, the class 08 was created as the standard shunting locomotive for British Railways. Power was provided by a six-cylinder from English Electric via two electric traction motors and coupling rods. 996 units were built in about ten years, making the class 08 the most-built British diesel locomotive. The classes 09, 10 and 13 were also created on this basis. The last pair of class 08 locomotives are still in commercial use today and more than 80 are preserved today, many of them operational.

The V 75 was a locomotive imported from Czechoslovakia, 20 of which were only procured for the shunting service around Leipzig Central Station. The reason for their procurement was that at the end of the fifties the six-coupled shunting locomotives of the class 80 had to be replaced, but the GDR was not yet able to produce a shunting locomotive in the required power class themself. That is why the choice fell on the locomotives manufactured by CKD in Prague, which were used in Czechoslovakia as the T 435.0 and in the Soviet Union as the ЧМЭ2.

These engines were B-B diesel-electric locomotives with a cab at only one end. The power came from a slow-running in-line six-cylinder, which accordingly had a large displacement of 163 liters. The normal direction of travel, in the style of steam locomotives, was with the engine compartment ahead, severely reducing forward visibility. Since there was only one auxiliary driver's desk in the other direction of travel, it was not possible to take advantage of the better visibility in this direction. The technical deviations from the engines of the CSD were negligible and mainly affected the adapted braking system.

The locomotives, popularly known as “Hector”, were mostly used in shunting service due to their design, but were also used in line service in the vicinity of Leipzig. The engines, which could only travel 60 km/h, not only pulled freight trains, but also commuter trains. Due to the lack of train heating, however, its use in front of passenger trains was limited to the warm season. They were classified as class 107 from 1970 and were retired by 1984. Two pieces now reached the works railway of the Karsdorf cement works, which were later reinforced by four pieces from the former Czechoslovakia by the meanwhile privatized railway company. Today there is still one example that is operational again and bears the colors of the Reichsbahn.

With the advent of diesel traction in various areas of application in the USA, more and more diesel-powered shunting locomotives were procured. In the mid-range, the problem lay in a law requiring a second person in the cab to play the role of fireman for locomotives of all types of propulsion weighing 90,000 pounds and over. As a result, several manufacturers developed diesel shunters just below this limit, of which the 44-tonner from GE was the most well-known model.

In order to ensure an optimal view in both directions of travel, the driver's cab was placed exactly in the middle and raised. There was a hood on each side of the driver's cab, under which was a diesel engine with a generator. Most of the locomotives were powered by two Caterpillar D17000s with eight V-shaped cylinders and 180 hp each. With a maximum of ten pieces each, different six-cylinders were used. This was either the Hercules DFXD also with 180 hp, the Buda 6DH1742 with 200 hp or the Caterpillar D342 with 190 hp. 

Preserved locomotive in February 2009 at the Cowan Railroad Museum, Tennessee

Casey Fleser

Of a total of 386 built vehicles, 276 went to US companies. 47 pieces were created from a special military variant that were delivered to the US armed forces. These had been given a lower cab for use in Europe and weighed down to 90,000 pounds. Of these, 31 were later sold to the Indian Railways and twelve to the Portuguese CP. The remaining four went to Australia, where they first came to the New South Wales State Railways and were listed as Class 79s. They changed hands several times and two of them ended up with the British Phosphate Commission where they were fitted with more modern Caterpillar D3306 engines in 1979.