Class 08

Class 08 Shunters are an icon of British engineering. Starting from 1952 and based on a design from the London Midland and Scottish Railway, a total of 996 of these rugged shunters were built, many of which still operate on the national network to this day.

Built under the original British Railways number 13265, our shunter left the Derby Works in August of 1956 and was delivered to the Duffryn Yard near Port Talbot alongside three others of its class, before moving soon after to Neath and then to Cardiff East Dock in 1957. At Duffryn and Neath, 13265’s days would have been spent preparing freight trains from the local industries, which would then be steam-hauled into England by the heavier ex-GWR engines, while Cardiff would have seen it moving material on and off ships in the labyrinth of lines around the East Moors Steelworks.

In 1962, having been renumbered at Swindon Works, D3265 was allocated back to Cardiff. It took up duties at the Cathays Carriage works near the University, shunting coaches in and out of the sheds for maintenance and preparing rakes for the mainline. It then moved to its final home at Cardiff Canton in November of 1964, where it would stay until finally withdrawn in 1983. At the Canton Engine Shed, it also acquired a BR Blue livery with Yellow Ends and the ‘TOPS’ number 08195.

After retiring from service in 1983, 08195 served some time on the scrap siding at Cardiff Canton before being acquired for preservation. It’s been a key player at Llangollen Railway, working behind the scenes with our Permanent Way crew while they repair track and maintain the line. It can occasionally be seen pulling the Berwyn Shuttle from Platform 2 and providing our ‘Driver for a Fiver’ attraction.