British Rail Class 66
Encyclopedia
The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59
, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies. In Continental Europe it is marketed as the EMD Series 66
(JT42CWR).
's freight operations in 1996, English, Welsh and Scottish Railway bought most of British Rail's freight operations. Many of the locomotives that EWS inherited were either at the end of their useful life or of doubtful reliability. EWS approached General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD), who offered their JT42CWR model which had the same bodyshell as the EMD built Class 59
; this gave the advantage of having a locomotive of known clearance. The engine and traction motors were different models from those in the Class 59. Additionally, the Class 66s incorporated General Motors' version of a steering bogie - designed to reduce track wear and increase adhesion on curves.
The initial classification was as Class 61, then they were subsequently given the Class 66 designation in the British classification system (TOPS). Two hundred and fifty were ordered and built in London, Ontario
, Canada
.
In 1998, Freightliner
placed an order for locomotives. They were followed by GB Railfreight, and then Direct Rail Services
.
Although sometimes unpopular with many rail enthusiasts, due to their ubiquity and having caused the displacement of several older types of (mostly) British built locomotives, their high reliability has helped rail freight to remain competitive.
".
heavy trains over the Lickey Incline
—on these specific locomotives, the knuckle coupler has been modified to allow remote releasing from inside the cab, whilst in motion. It also includes fifteen locomotives fitted with RETB
signalling equipment, for working in northern Scotland and RETB-fitted branchlines.
Freightliner
followed EWS by initially ordering five new Class 66/5 locomotives, and have continued to order in small batches. As of summer 2010, the 66/5 fleet had reached 98 examples, numbered 66501-520/522-599. 66521 was withdrawn after the 2001 crash at Great Heck
and later scrapped.
In 2000 a new Class 66/6 sub-class was built, with a lower gear ratio, enabling heavier trains to be hauled, albeit at slower speed. There are presently 25 examples of this class, numbered 66601-625.
During 2004 the company also took delivery of the most recent Class 66/9 sub-class of the locomotive, which are a low-emission variant. All new locomotives for all companies are now of the low-emission "T2" type. The original two such locomotives remain as 66951/52.
leased seventeen Class 66/7 locomotives from HSBC Rail
. GBRf's fleet increased to 32 locomotives. The locomotives are employed on infrastructure contracts with Network Rail
and London Underground
. GBRf also haul intermodal container
trains from Felixstowe
to the West Midlands
and coal trains to Ratcliffe, Lynemouth and Drax power station.
During April 2006 five more locomotives (numbered 66718-722) were delivered. These are of the low-emission kind, similar to the 66/9s in service with Freightliner. Their livery differs slightly from the original seventeen, using a lighter blue and 'Metronet' branding on the sides. Their primary use was to work infrastructure trains for Metronet
, but now for Metronet's successor Transport for London
. A further order for five more locomotives (66723-727) was delivered in early 2007, and painted in a new livery of pink, white and blue, which is similar to First Group's corporate livery. In April 2008 First GBRf took delivery of another five locomotives (66728 - 732), again painted in the corporate First Group livery.
As of February 2011 66401-66405 have started to be renumbered into the 66/7 number series and will eventually be repainted.
In 2011 66720 was painted in a special "Rainbow" livery.
Direct Rail Services
(DRS), a subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) leased Class 66 locomotives from Porterbrook
. Previously, they had relied on a fleet of ageing second-hand Class 20
, Class 33
, Class 37
and Class 47
locomotives. In 2002, DRS ordered ten Class 66/4 locomotives from EMD. These were delivered in 2003, numbered 66401–410, and are employed on new Anglo-Scottish traffic, some with Stobart Rail
. They are painted in a variation of DRS's blue livery, with two locomotives, 66411 and 66414, in Stobart Rail
livery. More locomotives have since been ordered, with ten (66411–420) again T2 style spec locos, delivered in 2006 and another ten (66421–430) delivered in late 2007. As of 2008, DRS had another four locomotives (66431–66434) on order.
DRS have now returned 401-10 as they are high emission locos thus meaning they are the newest fleet set to reach storage.. DRS 66s now see regular work on Nuclear Flask trains running from several locations as Carlisle Kingmoor, Sellafield, Crewe, Dungeness, Willesden, Seaton and Berkeley. This is due to the ageing class 20s needing major overhauls. Most are now in storage or on hire to GBRF to deliver new LUL stock.
, a Cotswold Rail
subsidiary, operated class 66841-844. They were primarily used on Advenza's scrap and cement flows. The locomotives originated from the batch that DRS returned. Advenza Freight went bust in October 2009 and the class 66s returned to storage.
, part of Jarvis PLC
, which operated intermodal services between Doncaster
and Birmingham International Railfreight Terminal (BIFT), and Thamesport
, in North Kent, using refurbished Class 56
locomotives, ordered five Class 66/3 locomotives to operate a coal flow from Hatfield Colliery
. They were delivered in 2008. Following the demise of Jarvis in 2010, and Fastline going into administration on 29 March 2010, these locomotives were placed in store, being towed to DRS Carlisle Kingmoor or Crewe Gresty Bridge depot for storage.
In April 2007 ASLEF proposed a ban on their members driving the locomotives during the British summer 2007 period. Keith Norman
, ASLEF's general secretary, described the cabs as "unhealthy, unsafe and unsatisfactory". Research showed that in July 2006, when the weather had been extremely hot, the number of times a driver had passed a red signal increased. EWS entered into discussions and make amendments to a series of trial locomotives, GB Railfreight and Freigtliner also investigated cab improvemetns. In June 2007 progress on the issue led ASLEF to withdraw its threat of industrial action.
In Norway CargoNet
related complaints about the noise levels in the CD66 variant of the Class 66 resulted in higher pay rates for drivers.
On 9 February 2006, a freight train, hauled by EWS 66 017, derailed
at Brentingby Junction
, near Melton Mowbray
. Having passed a signal at danger the locomotive and the first three wagons were derailed at catch points at the end of the Up Goods Loop. There were no injuries.
On 4 January 2010, a freight train hauled by DB Schenker
66 048 derailed at Carrbridge
in snowy weather, blocking the Highland Main Line
. Having passed a signal at danger the train was derailed at trap points, subsequently falling down an embankment into trees and injuring the two crew members. The loco was hauling container flats from Inverness
to Mossend Yard on behalf of Eddie Stobart. The line was reopened on 12 January.
British Rail Class 59
The Class 59 Co-Co diesel locomotives were built and introduced between 1985 and 1995 by Electro-Motive Division of General Motors for private British companies, initially Foster Yeoman...
, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies. In Continental Europe it is marketed as the EMD Series 66
EMD Series 66
The Electro-Motive Diesel Class 66 is a series of Co-Co six axle diesel locomotives built by EMD for the European heavy freight market....
(JT42CWR).
United Kingdom
On the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
's freight operations in 1996, English, Welsh and Scottish Railway bought most of British Rail's freight operations. Many of the locomotives that EWS inherited were either at the end of their useful life or of doubtful reliability. EWS approached General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD), who offered their JT42CWR model which had the same bodyshell as the EMD built Class 59
British Rail Class 59
The Class 59 Co-Co diesel locomotives were built and introduced between 1985 and 1995 by Electro-Motive Division of General Motors for private British companies, initially Foster Yeoman...
; this gave the advantage of having a locomotive of known clearance. The engine and traction motors were different models from those in the Class 59. Additionally, the Class 66s incorporated General Motors' version of a steering bogie - designed to reduce track wear and increase adhesion on curves.
The initial classification was as Class 61, then they were subsequently given the Class 66 designation in the British classification system (TOPS). Two hundred and fifty were ordered and built in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
In 1998, Freightliner
Freightliner (UK)
Freightliner Group Limited is a rail freight and logistics company, founded in 1995 and now operating in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Australia. It is the second largest rail freight operator in the UK, after DB Schenker Rail .- History :...
placed an order for locomotives. They were followed by GB Railfreight, and then Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
.
Although sometimes unpopular with many rail enthusiasts, due to their ubiquity and having caused the displacement of several older types of (mostly) British built locomotives, their high reliability has helped rail freight to remain competitive.
Continental Europe
The Class 66 design has also been introduced to Continental Europe where it is currently certified for operations in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, and Poland, with certification pending in the Czech Republic and Italy. They currently operate on routes between Sweden and Denmark and between Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Poland. As a result of its well-known British identity, EMD Europe markets the locomotive as "Series 66EMD Series 66
The Electro-Motive Diesel Class 66 is a series of Co-Co six axle diesel locomotives built by EMD for the European heavy freight market....
".
DB Schenker
English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (now DB Schenker Rail (UK)) was the first to order Class 66 locomotives, with the first of the two hundred and fifty locomotives shipped to Britain in mid-1998. The final locomotive entered traffic just two years later, in mid-2000. The EWS fleet includes five locomotives capable of bankingBank engine
A bank engine or helper engine or pusher engine is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a grade...
heavy trains over the Lickey Incline
Lickey Incline
The Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain and is situated south of Birmingham, in England. The climb is a gradient of 1-in-37.7 for a continuous distance of two miles ....
—on these specific locomotives, the knuckle coupler has been modified to allow remote releasing from inside the cab, whilst in motion. It also includes fifteen locomotives fitted with RETB
Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block is a system of railway signalling used in the United Kingdom. It is a development of the physical token system for controlling traffic on single lines.- How it works :...
signalling equipment, for working in northern Scotland and RETB-fitted branchlines.
Freightliner
Freightliner (UK)
Freightliner Group Limited is a rail freight and logistics company, founded in 1995 and now operating in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Australia. It is the second largest rail freight operator in the UK, after DB Schenker Rail .- History :...
followed EWS by initially ordering five new Class 66/5 locomotives, and have continued to order in small batches. As of summer 2010, the 66/5 fleet had reached 98 examples, numbered 66501-520/522-599. 66521 was withdrawn after the 2001 crash at Great Heck
Selby rail crash
The Great Heck rail crash, widely known as the Selby rail crash, was a high-speed train accident that occurred at Great Heck near Selby, North Yorkshire, England on the morning of 28 February 2001...
and later scrapped.
In 2000 a new Class 66/6 sub-class was built, with a lower gear ratio, enabling heavier trains to be hauled, albeit at slower speed. There are presently 25 examples of this class, numbered 66601-625.
During 2004 the company also took delivery of the most recent Class 66/9 sub-class of the locomotive, which are a low-emission variant. All new locomotives for all companies are now of the low-emission "T2" type. The original two such locomotives remain as 66951/52.
GBRf Europorte
GB RailfreightGB Railfreight
GB Railfreight is a British freight train operating company. Formerly called First GBRf, its new owner Eurotunnel bought the company in May 2010.-History:...
leased seventeen Class 66/7 locomotives from HSBC Rail
HSBC Rail
Eversholt Rail Group is one of the three major ROSCOs in the United Kingdom...
. GBRf's fleet increased to 32 locomotives. The locomotives are employed on infrastructure contracts with Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
and London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. GBRf also haul intermodal container
Intermodal container
An intermodal container is a standardized reusable steel box used for the safe, efficient and secure storage and movement of materials and products within a global containerized intermodal freight transport system...
trains from Felixstowe
Felixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
to the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
and coal trains to Ratcliffe, Lynemouth and Drax power station.
During April 2006 five more locomotives (numbered 66718-722) were delivered. These are of the low-emission kind, similar to the 66/9s in service with Freightliner. Their livery differs slightly from the original seventeen, using a lighter blue and 'Metronet' branding on the sides. Their primary use was to work infrastructure trains for Metronet
Metronet
Metronet Rail was one of two companies in a public-private partnership with London Underground.Metronet was responsible for the maintenance, renewal, and upgrade of the infrastructure on nine London Underground lines from 2003 to 2008. This included track, trains, signals, civil work and stations...
, but now for Metronet's successor Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
. A further order for five more locomotives (66723-727) was delivered in early 2007, and painted in a new livery of pink, white and blue, which is similar to First Group's corporate livery. In April 2008 First GBRf took delivery of another five locomotives (66728 - 732), again painted in the corporate First Group livery.
As of February 2011 66401-66405 have started to be renumbered into the 66/7 number series and will eventually be repainted.
In 2011 66720 was painted in a special "Rainbow" livery.
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
(DRS), a subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) leased Class 66 locomotives from Porterbrook
Porterbrook
Porterbrook is one of the three major ROSCOs in the United Kingdom...
. Previously, they had relied on a fleet of ageing second-hand Class 20
British Rail Class 20
The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
, Class 33
British Rail Class 33
The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
, Class 37
British Rail Class 37
The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
and Class 47
British Rail Class 47
The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
locomotives. In 2002, DRS ordered ten Class 66/4 locomotives from EMD. These were delivered in 2003, numbered 66401–410, and are employed on new Anglo-Scottish traffic, some with Stobart Rail
Stobart Rail
Stobart Rail is a railway freight service operator in the United Kingdom. Stobart Rail now comes under the Stobart Transport and Distribution division of the Stobart Group, and carries intermodal freight for the group...
. They are painted in a variation of DRS's blue livery, with two locomotives, 66411 and 66414, in Stobart Rail
Stobart Rail
Stobart Rail is a railway freight service operator in the United Kingdom. Stobart Rail now comes under the Stobart Transport and Distribution division of the Stobart Group, and carries intermodal freight for the group...
livery. More locomotives have since been ordered, with ten (66411–420) again T2 style spec locos, delivered in 2006 and another ten (66421–430) delivered in late 2007. As of 2008, DRS had another four locomotives (66431–66434) on order.
DRS have now returned 401-10 as they are high emission locos thus meaning they are the newest fleet set to reach storage.. DRS 66s now see regular work on Nuclear Flask trains running from several locations as Carlisle Kingmoor, Sellafield, Crewe, Dungeness, Willesden, Seaton and Berkeley. This is due to the ageing class 20s needing major overhauls. Most are now in storage or on hire to GBRF to deliver new LUL stock.
Colas Rail
Colas Rail took over the ex-Advenza Cemex Cement flow after the company went bust utilising ex Advenza locomotives. During 2010 they took on 66843 and laterly 66844 which both had been on lease to GBRf, they also took on ex DRS 66410 which was renumbered 66845.Advenza Freight
Advenza FreightAdvenza Freight
Advenza Freight was a rail freight company based in Gloucester in the United Kingdom. It was part of the Cotswold Rail group. The company was wound up in the High Court on 7 October 2009, following a petition from HM Revenue & Customs.- History :...
, a Cotswold Rail
Cotswold Rail
thumb|right|[[British Rail Class 47|Class 47]], no. 47316 'Cam Peak', at [[Doncaster railway works|Doncaster Works]] open day on 27th July 2003. This locomotive had recently been returned to traffic after a period in store...
subsidiary, operated class 66841-844. They were primarily used on Advenza's scrap and cement flows. The locomotives originated from the batch that DRS returned. Advenza Freight went bust in October 2009 and the class 66s returned to storage.
Fastline
Fastline FreightFastline
Fastline was a railway freight operator. It was part of Jarvis plc. It ceased trading when Jarvis plc entered administration and subsequently ceased trading in late March 2010. The company is in administration with N.G. Edwards, N.B. Kahn, P.S. Bowers and I. Brown of Deloitte LLP.They operated a...
, part of Jarvis PLC
Jarvis PLC
Jarvis plc is a British company that provides support services to the British railway industry. It also runs rail freight operations. The most significant feature of the modern firm is its leading share of the UK’s railway maintenance and infrastructure services.-19th and 20th centuries:The...
, which operated intermodal services between Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
and Birmingham International Railfreight Terminal (BIFT), and Thamesport
Thamesport
London Thamesport is a container seaport on the River Medway, serving the North Sea. It is on the Isle of Grain, in the Medway unitary authority, Kent, England in the United Kingdom. It is sited on the former Port Victoria.-History:...
, in North Kent, using refurbished Class 56
British Rail Class 56
The British Rail Class 56 is a type of diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight work. It is a Type 5 locomotive, with a Ruston-Paxman power unit developing 3,250 bhp , and has a Co-Co wheel arrangement...
locomotives, ordered five Class 66/3 locomotives to operate a coal flow from Hatfield Colliery
Hatfield Colliery
Hatfield Colliery also known as Hatfield Main Colliery is a recently re-opened colliery in the Doncaster unitary authority, and historically part of South Yorkshire. It is next to the Doncaster-Goole railway, just east of Hatfield and Stainforth railway station...
. They were delivered in 2008. Following the demise of Jarvis in 2010, and Fastline going into administration on 29 March 2010, these locomotives were placed in store, being towed to DRS Carlisle Kingmoor or Crewe Gresty Bridge depot for storage.
Sub-classes
Minor differences between different orders, and different operating companies have resulted in a number of subclasses being defined.| Subclass | Number built | TOPS TOPS Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system... number range |
Operators | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66/0 | 250 | 66001-66250 | DB Schenker DB Schenker Rail (UK) DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British... |
The original order of 250. The first loco arrived at Immingham Immingham Immingham is a town in North East Lincolnshire, located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary... in 1998. 60 EWS locomotives lent from EWS stock to EWSi subsidiary Euro Cargo Rail although some are back in the UK now. DBS are now sending locos to Poland. |
| 66/3 | 5 | 66301-66305 | Direct Rail Services Direct Rail Services Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought... |
Ordered to service a coal contract. Former operated by Fastline. |
| 66/4 | 3 | 66402-66404 | GB Railfreight GB Railfreight GB Railfreight is a British freight train operating company. Formerly called First GBRf, its new owner Eurotunnel bought the company in May 2010.-History:... |
|
| 23 | 66411-66434 | Direct Rail Services Direct Rail Services Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought... |
Intended use is on intermodal traffic. Occasionally used on nuclear flask Nuclear flask A nuclear flask is a shipping container that is used to transport active nuclear materials between many nuclear power stations in the UK. Each flask weighs more than 50 tonnes, and transports usually not more than 2.5 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel.... traffic - for which they are overpowered. |
|
| 66/5 | 85 | 66501-66520, 66522-66572, 66585, 66587-66599 | Freightliner Freightliner (UK) Freightliner Group Limited is a rail freight and logistics company, founded in 1995 and now operating in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Australia. It is the second largest rail freight operator in the UK, after DB Schenker Rail .- History :... |
Replaced Class 47s and Class 57 British Rail Class 57 The Class 57 diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004. They are rebuilds, with reconditioned EMD engines, of former Class 47 locomotives, originally introduced in 1964-5.- Description :... s on Intermodal freight. 66521 written-off Write-off The term write-off describes a reduction in recognized value. In accounting terminology, it refers to recognition of the reduced or zero value of an asset. In income tax statements, it refers to a reduction of taxable income as recognition of certain expenses required to produce the income... after Selby rail crash Selby rail crash The Great Heck rail crash, widely known as the Selby rail crash, was a high-speed train accident that occurred at Great Heck near Selby, North Yorkshire, England on the morning of 28 February 2001... . 66582, 66583, 66584 and 66586 have been exported to Poland, the operating subsidiary Freightliner PL. |
| 66/6 | 19 | 66601-66607, 66610, 66613-66623 | Freightliner Freightliner (UK) Freightliner Group Limited is a rail freight and logistics company, founded in 1995 and now operating in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Australia. It is the second largest rail freight operator in the UK, after DB Schenker Rail .- History :... |
Top speed of 65 mi/h - reduced gearing to cope with heavier oil, aggregates and cement trains. 66608, 66609, 66611, 66612, 66624 and 66625 have been exported to Poland, the operating subsidiary Freightliner PL. |
| 66/7 | 34 | 66701-66746 | GB Railfreight GB Railfreight GB Railfreight is a British freight train operating company. Formerly called First GBRf, its new owner Eurotunnel bought the company in May 2010.-History:... |
Operates on coal, intermodal services and also engineering / departmental work for Metronet Metronet Metronet Rail was one of two companies in a public-private partnership with London Underground.Metronet was responsible for the maintenance, renewal, and upgrade of the infrastructure on nine London Underground lines from 2003 to 2008. This included track, trains, signals, civil work and stations... and Network Rail Network Rail Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland... on London's underground and national rail lines.
|
| 66/8 | 5 | 66846-66850 | Colas Rail | Former operated by Freightliner 66573-66577. |
| 66/9 | 7 | 66951-66957 | Freightliner Freightliner (UK) Freightliner Group Limited is a rail freight and logistics company, founded in 1995 and now operating in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Australia. It is the second largest rail freight operator in the UK, after DB Schenker Rail .- History :... |
A lower emission variant - fuel capacity reduced to compensate for the increased weight of other components. |
Cab design problems
The British Trade Union ASLEF has complained that the locomotives are unfit and unsafe to work in, citing a lack of air conditioning, and poor seating and noise levels.In April 2007 ASLEF proposed a ban on their members driving the locomotives during the British summer 2007 period. Keith Norman
Keith Norman
Keith Norman is general secretary of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen , the train drivers' trade union in Great Britain. He comes from Wales, and is a supporter of the Labour Party.- External links :* from BBC website...
, ASLEF's general secretary, described the cabs as "unhealthy, unsafe and unsatisfactory". Research showed that in July 2006, when the weather had been extremely hot, the number of times a driver had passed a red signal increased. EWS entered into discussions and make amendments to a series of trial locomotives, GB Railfreight and Freigtliner also investigated cab improvemetns. In June 2007 progress on the issue led ASLEF to withdraw its threat of industrial action.
In Norway CargoNet
CargoNet
CargoNet AS is the primary operator of freight trains on the Norwegian railway system. It was formed as NSB Gods after NSB fissioned into a passenger and a freight company. NSB Gods changed its name to CargoNet at the beginning of 2002. It is owned by NSB and the Swedish freight company Green Cargo...
related complaints about the noise levels in the CD66 variant of the Class 66 resulted in higher pay rates for drivers.
Accidents
66 521 was involved in the 2001 Great Heck rail crash which resulted in 10 deaths including the driver Stephen Dunn.On 9 February 2006, a freight train, hauled by EWS 66 017, derailed
Derailment
A derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
at Brentingby Junction
Brentingby
Brentingby is a village in Leicestershire, England....
, near Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is to the northeast of Leicester, and southeast of Nottingham...
. Having passed a signal at danger the locomotive and the first three wagons were derailed at catch points at the end of the Up Goods Loop. There were no injuries.
On 4 January 2010, a freight train hauled by DB Schenker
DB Schenker
DB Schenker is a logistics company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. The company, created by reorganisation and rebranding of various Deutsche Bahn subsidiaries, comprises a logistics division encompassing air, land and sea freight, and a rail division made up from a variety of...
66 048 derailed at Carrbridge
Carrbridge railway station
Carrbridge railway station is a railway station serving the village of Carrbridge, Highland, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is on the Highland Main Line, 44 km south east of Inverness.- History :...
in snowy weather, blocking the Highland Main Line
Highland Main Line
The Highland Main Line is a railway line in Scotland. It is long and runs through the Scottish Highlands linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth at one end and Inverness at the other. Today, services between Inverness and Edinburgh, Glasgow and London use the line...
. Having passed a signal at danger the train was derailed at trap points, subsequently falling down an embankment into trees and injuring the two crew members. The loco was hauling container flats from Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
to Mossend Yard on behalf of Eddie Stobart. The line was reopened on 12 January.
Sources
- Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. EMD: JT42CWRM.