It was decided by Railfreight in mid 1989 that each of the class 60s would be named in traditional fashion, using names regarded as suitable for locomotives, rather than the more commercial names becoming more and more popular at the time. The class 60 names were compiled by a small select band of Railfreight managers, whom it is reported avoided names with military connotations, instead names were selected from the categories of, mountains of the British Isles, innovators, reformers, scientists and Inventors. The only two exceptions to these categories proved to be prototype 60001 and 60098 named "Steadfast" and "Charles Francis Brush" respectively.
When the namings were initially announced there was no schedule for naming particular numbered locomotives, however the names were allocated to each Railfreight sector. The table below shows which names were initially allocated to each Railfreight sector.
| Construction | Metals | Coal | Petroleum |
| Skiddaw | Scarfell | Cairn Toul | John Flamstead |
| Great Gable | Helvellyn | Cairn Gorm | Joseph Lister |
| Bow Fell | Great Wernside | Brarieach | Alexander Flemming |
| Kinder Scout | Ingleborough | Liathach | Robert Boyle |
| Langdale Pikes | Pen-y-Ghent | Suilven | Caperbility Brown |
| Wild Boar Fell | Cir Mhor | Canisp | Robert Adam |
| High Willhays | Cross Fell | Stac Pollaidh | Christopher Wren |
| Hey Tor | Moel Fammau | Foinaven | Charles Babbage |
| Dovestone Tor | Carnedd Llewelyn | Schiehallion | William Caxton |
| Black Tor | Tremadog | Slioch | Joseph Banks |
| Carnead Dafydd | Tryfan | Lochnagar | Anthony Ashley Cooper |
| Cader Idris | Pen-y-fan | Buachaille Etive Mor | Mary Sommerville |
| Moel Siabod | Crib Goch | Arcuil | Elizebth Fry |
| Glyder Fawr | Blencathra | Quinag | Florence Nightengale |
| Arenig Fawr | Ben Nevis | An Teallach | John Reith |
| Elider Fawr | Ben Macdui | Boar of Badenoch | Samuel Johnsom |
| Plynlimon | Bidean Nam Bian | Ben More Assynt | James Murrey |
| Mam Tor | Sgurr Nam Ciche | James Watt | |
| Breacon Beacons | Ben Lui | Alexander Graham Bell | |
| Glastonbury Tor | Goat Fell | John Logie Baird | |
| Bleaklow Hill | The Cheviot | James Clerk-Maxwell | |
| Axe Edge | Snowdon | Charles Darwin | |
| Shining Tor | John Loudon McAdam | ||
| Dorothy Garrod | |||
| Josephine Butler | |||
| William Wilberforce | |||
| Robert Owen | |||
| William Bramwell Booth | |||
| Thomas Bernardo | |||
| William Beveridge | |||
| Adam Smith | |||
| John Howard | |||
| Samuel Plimsoll |
In the intervening period between the namings being announced and the fleet being build and allocated names a number of alterations were made. The following names were not used Hey Tor, Dovestone Tor, Elider Fawr, Tremadog, Pen-y-fan, Blencathra and Snowdon. These names were substituted with the following, Dunkery Beacon, Yes Tor, Ailsha Craig, Saddleback, Kinder low, Humphrey Davey, Regtanald Munns and Jack Stirk.
A full listing of the original names applied to each locomotive is in the table below along with a brief meaning.
| Loco | Original Applied Name | Meaning |
| 60001 | Steadfast | As per dictionary definition |
| 60002 | Capability Brown | 1715 - 1783. Landscape gardener. |
| 60003 | Christopher Wren | 1632 - 1723. English architect. |
| 60004 | Lochnagar | Scottish Mountain - Braemar. |
| 60005 | Skiddaw | English Mountain - Lake District. |
| 60006 | Great Gable | English Mountain - Lake District. |
| 60007 | Robert Adam | 1728 - 1792. Scottish architect. |
| 60008 | Moel Fammau | Welsh Mountain - Clwdians. |
| 60009 | Carnedd Dafydd | Welsh Mountain - Snowdonia. |
| 60010 | Pumlumon Plynlimon | Welsh Mountain - Cambrians. |
| 60011 | Cader Idris | Welsh Mountain - Cambrians. |
| 60012 | Glyder Fawr | Welsh Mountain - Snowdonia. |
| 60013 | Robert Boyle | 1627 - 1691. Irish physicist. |
| 60014 | Alexander Fleming | 1881 - 1955. Scottish bacteriologist. |
| 60015 | Bow Fell | English Mountain - Lake District. |
| 60016 | Langdale Pikes | English Mountain - Lake District. |
| 60017 | Arenig Fawr | Welsh Mountain - Gwynedd. |
| 60018 | Moel Siabod | Welsh Mountain - Gwynedd. |
| 60019 | Wild Boar Fell | English Mountain - Pennines. |
| 60020 | Great Whernside | English Mountain - Pennines. |
| 60021 | Pen-y-Ghent | English Mountain - Pennines. |
| 60022 | Ingleborough | English Mountain - Pennines. |
| 60023 | The Cheviot | English Mountain - Cheviots. |
| 60024 | Elizabeth Fry | 1780 - 1845. English Quaker. |
| 60025 | Joseph Lister | 1827 - 1912. English Surgeon. |
| 60026 | William Caxton | 1422 - 1491. English Printer. |
| 60027 | Joseph Banks | 1744 - 1820. English Naturalist. |
| 60028 | John Flamsteed | 1646 - 1719. English astronomer. |
| 60029 | Ben Nevis | Scottish Mountain - W Highlands. |
| 60030 | Cir Mhor | Scottish Mountain - Isle of Arran. |
| 60031 | Ben Lui | Scottish Mountain - W Highlands. |
| 60032 | William Booth | 1829 - 1912. English Evangelist. |
| 60033 | Anthony Ashley Cooper | 1671 - 1713. English Politician. |
| 60034 | Carnedd Llewelyn | Welsh Mountain - Snowdonia. |
| 60035 | Florence Nightingale | 1820 - 1910. English Nurse/reformer. |
| 60036 | Sgurr Na Ciche | Scottish Mountain - W Highlands. |
| 60037 | Helvellyn | English Mountain - Lake District. |
| 60038 | Bidean Nam Bian | Scottish Mountain - Glen Coe. |
| 60039 | Glastonbury Tor | English hill - Somerset. |
| 60040 | Brecon Beacons | Welsh Mountains - Mid-Glamorgan. |
| 60041 | High Willhays | English tor - Dartmoor. |
| 60042 | Dunkery Beacon | English Mountain - Exmoor. |
| 60043 | Yes Tor | English tor - Dartmoor. |
| 60044 | Ailsa Craig | Scottish Island. |
| 60045 | Josephine Butler | 1826 - 1906. English Reformer. |
| 60046 | William Wilberforce | 1759 - 1833. English Reformer. |
| 60047 | Robert Owen | 1771 - 1858. Welsh Conservationist. |
| 60048 | Saddleback | English Mountain - Lake District. |
| 60049 | Scafell | English Mountain - Lake District. |
| 60050 | Roseberry Topping | English hill - Cleveland. |
| 60051 | Mary Somerville | 1780 - 1872. Scottish Scientist. |
| 60052 | Goat Fell | Scottish Mountain - Isle of Arran. |
| 60053 | John Reith | 1889 - 1971. Scottish architect. |
| 60054 | Charles Babbage | 1792 - 1871. English Mathematician. |
| 60055 | Thomas Barnado | 1845 - 1905. Irish Philanthropist. |
| 60056 | William Beveridge | 1879 - 1963. English Economist. |
| 60057 | Adam Smith | 1723 - 1790. Scottish Economist. |
| 60058 | John Howard | 1726 - 1790. English Philanthropist. |
| 60059 | Samuel Plimsoll | 1824 - 1898. English Reformer. |
| 60060 | James Watt | 1736 - 1819. Scottish Engineer. |
| 60061 | Alexander Graham Bell | 1847 - 1922. Scottish Scientist. |
| 60062 | Samuel Johnson | 1709 - 1784. English Lexicographer. |
| 60063 | James Murray | 1837 - 1915. Scottish Philologist. |
| 60064 | Back Tor | English tor - Peak District. |
| 60065 | Kinder Low | English Mountain - Peak District. |
| 60066 | John Logie Baird | 1888 - 1946. Scottish Engineer. |
| 60067 | James Clerk-Maxwell | 1831 - 1879. Scottish Physicist. |
| 60068 | Charles Darwin | 1809 - 1882. English Scientist. |
| 60069 | Humphry Davy | 1778 - 1829. English Chemist. |
| 60070 | John Loudon Mcadam | 1756 - 1836. Scottish Engineer. |
| 60071 | Dorothy Garrod | 1892 - 1968. English Archaeologist. |
| 60072 | Cairn Toul | Scottish Mountain - Grampians. |
| 60073 | Cairn Gorm | Scottish Mountain - Cairngorms. |
| 60074 | Braeriach | Scottish Mountain - Cairngorms. |
| 60075 | Liathach | Scottish Mountain - in North West . |
| 60076 | Suliven | Scottish Mountain - NW Highlands. |
| 60077 | Canisp | Scottish Mountain - NW Highlands. |
| 60078 | Stac Pollaidh | Scottish Mountain - NW Highlands. |
| 60079 | Foinaven | Scottish Mountain - NW Highlands. |
| 60080 | Kinder Scout | English Mountain - Peak District. |
| 60081 | Bleaklow Hill | English Mountain - Peak District. |
| 60082 | Mam Tor | English tor - Peak District. |
| 60083 | Shining Tor | English tor - Peak District. |
| 60084 | Cross Fell | English Mountain - Pennines. |
| 60085 | Axe Edge | English Mountain - Peak District. |
| 60086 | Schiehallion | Scottish Mountain - Grampians. |
| 60087 | Slioch | Scottish Mountain - NW Highlands. |
| 60088 | Buachaille etive More | Scottish Mountain - Glen Coe. |
| 60089 | Arcuil | Scottish Mountain - NW Highlands. |
| 60090 | Quinag | Scottish Mountain - NW Highlands. |
| 60091 | An Teallach | Scottish Mountain - NW Highlands. |
| 60092 | Reginald Munns | Co-developer of MGR concept. |
| 60093 | Jack Stirk | Co-developer of MGR concept. |
| 60094 | Tryfan | Welsh Mountain - Snowdonia. |
| 60095 | Crib Goch | Welsh Mountain - Snowdonia. |
| 60096 | Ben Macdui | Scottish Mountain - Cairngorms. |
| 60097 | Pillar | English Mountain - Lake District. |
| 60098 | Charles Francis Brush | Founder of Brush works. |
| 60099 | Ben More Assynt | Scottish Mountain - NW Highlands. |
| 60100 | Boar Of Badenoch | Scottish Mountain - Drumochter. |
Page Last Updated 13th July 2008.