The origins of this class lie in the pre World War Two fledgling development of diesel traction by British railway companies. In particular both the SR and the LMS had small fleets of diesel shunters in service before the war. After obtaining prototypes from a number of private locomotive companies the LMS selected a design by the English Electric Company with six coupled wheels driven by a 350 hp engine-generator set powering two nose suspended electric motors on the outer axles via reduction gearing. 10 were in service before the war and were the start of an intended order of 100. With the outbreak of war responsibility for production passed to the War Department who had a further 14 built for use on the LMS system. Following nationalisation a further 96 were built with production ending in 1952 by which time British Railways were ready to produce their own unified design.

The BR shunter - subsequently TOPS class 08 - is based on and virtually indistinguishable from the LMS design (although its wheel size is inherited from a similar post war SR type). English Electric continued to supply the power and electrical parts whilst BR supplied the chassis and bodywork. Construction was at Derby, Darlington Doncaster, Horwich and Crewe BR works between 1953 and 1962. Almost 1000 were built and construction included 27 higher geared versions (subsequently TOPS class 09) for the Southern region where shunter hauled trip freights were required to thread their way between tightly timed EMU services. (In comparatively recent years use of 09s has spread beyond the Southern and a further twelve 09s were converted from 08s in 1992/3.)

There have been minor modifications to the class over the years. Six locomotives were converted into six cow and calf pairs - designated class 13 - for use at Tinsley hump yard between 1965 and the mid 1980s. There was also a batch of fifteen 08s built in 1955 with Blackstone prime movers and GEC electrical plant. Such non standard locomotives could not survive long in an increasingly standardising BR and they were sold to Netherlands Railways where they have continued to prove themselves to be a useful locomotive. Surplus 08s have found ready customers among industrial users.