Why Was the Class 28 the Most Bizarre Diesel Britain Ever Built?

The Class 28: A locomotive that broke the mould — and paid the price.

In this captivating documentary, we take a deep dive into the story of the British Rail Class 28, one of the most unique and short-lived diesel locomotives ever to run on UK tracks. With only 20 units built by Metropolitan-Vickers between 1958 and 1959, the Class 28 was part of British Rail's ambitious Modernisation Plan — but things didn’t go quite to plan.

At first glance, the Class 28 looked like a promising freight hauler: it packed a turbocharged Paxman engine, featured a distinctive cab design, and came with a rare Co-Bo wheel arrangement — that’s five powered axles, unevenly split across the two bogies. While this design aimed to provide better traction and weight distribution, it proved to be a maintenance nightmare. The asymmetry made the locomotives incompatible with other classes, and their reliability left a lot to be desired.

Even more curious were the gangway doors on each end — designed to allow crew movement between locomotives when double-heading. But for a loco primarily used on freight duties, these doors were rarely practical, making them another oddity in an already eccentric design.

Plagued by mechanical issues and unable to blend into the growing standardisation of British diesel traction, most Class 28s were scrapped by the late 1960s. But one survivor — D5705 — was saved by preservationists and now resides on the East Lancashire Railway, lovingly restored and running as a reminder of an era of bold experimentation.

In this video, we uncover:

How the Class 28 fit into British Rail’s diesel era

The pros and cons of its Co-Bo wheel configuration

What made it so difficult to maintain

Why it was withdrawn so early

And where you can still see the last surviving unit today

From flawed design to cult classic, the Class 28 is a story of innovation, miscalculation, and unexpected redemption. Whether you're a lifelong rail enthusiast or just discovering the rich world of British locomotives, this is a journey you won’t want to miss.

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Video Credits
33109 Takes Class 28 D5705 Back to East Lancashire Railway Depot
   • 33109 Takes Class 28 D5705 Back to East La...  

UNIQUE class 28, METRO-VIC, co-bo, D5705!!! Bury ELR, 30th June 2023
   • UNIQUE class 28, METRO-VIC, co-bo, D5705!!...  

The second Cobo Lift (a VERY short time lapse of D5705 returning to the rails)
   • The second Cobo Lift (a VERY short time la...  

MODERN TRACTION CLASSIC ARCHIVE 4 Early Liveries - Telerail
   • MODERN TRACTION CLASSIC ARCHIVE  4 Early L...  


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