Classify 66

The Classe 66 are a Diesel loco series of in service on the network of the British railroads , technically derived from the series Classe 59.

At the time of the Privatization of British Rail in 1996, English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS), at the time subsidiary company of the American company Central Wisconsin directed by ED Burkhardt, resold since with the Canadian National, reiterated the main part of the activities of the branch goods. Many the engines whose EWS inherited were in end of a career and the officers of the company doubted the reliability of the more modern machines then. EWS was thus addressed to division Electro-Justifies General Motors (EMD), which proposed its model JT42CWR, developed starting from the engine Classe 59 of British Rail, which thus accepted coding “Classifies 66” in the British system of classification. EWS ordered 250 specimens of this engine, which were built with London (Ontario) with the Canada.

Class 66 integrates many ideas from America and appreciably differs from the Classe 60 from British Rail, built rather recently according to a more traditional diagram.

In 1998, Freightliner ordered engines of this type, followed later by GB Railfreight and Direct Rail Services. Class 66 was also chosen by new entrants in continental Europe where it is currently certified for the exploitation in Germany, with the Netherlands, in Belgium, with the Luxembourg, in Sweden, Norway, with the Denmark and in Poland. EWS also made them certify in France to develop to with it its activity via its subsidiary company Euro Rail Cargo liner. Their certification is also awaited as a Czech Republic and Italy. Because of their British identity good established, EMD Europe markets this engine under the name of EMD Series 66.

Companies exploiting of Class 66

Direct Rail Services

Direct Rail Services (DRS) is the last company to choose the engine Classe 66. Previously, the company had been pressed on a park of engines of occasion Classe 20, Classe 33, Classe 37 and Classe 47, which because of their age had become not very reliable and of expensive maintenance. In 2002, DRS thus placed order of ten engines Classe 66/4 to General Motors. They were delivered in 2003 and were assigned to a new anglo-Scottish traffic. It were painted in an alternative of delivered blue of DRS. Other engines could be ordered to replace the old machines Classe 33 and Classe 47.

English, Welsh and Scottish Railway

English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS) was the first Railway company of the United Kingdom to order engines of the class 66. 250 engines were ordered, the first arrived by boat at semi-1998, the last was delivered exactly two years later, with semi-2000.

Freightliner

Freightliner followed the first EWS by ordering new engines of the Classe 66/5 . After an initial order relating to five machines, the company has to continue its orders by small batches.

In 2000, a new series, Class 66/6 , was built, with a modified transmission ratio making it possible to tractor draw heavier trains, but at a slower speed however.

The company also placed an order of engines of the more recent series, Classe 66/9 , which is an alternative with low emission.

GB Railfreight

GB Railfreight (GBRF) is most recent exploiting freight in Great Britain. This company chose to order engines of the series Classe 66/7 rather than to buy machines of occasion with EWS or Freightliner. Currently, GBRF has a park of seventy machines, carrying one delivered particular orange and blue. They are assigned to heavy traffics related to contracts with the manager of infrastructure Network Rail and also tractor draw trains of Conteneur S between Felixstowe and the area of the West the Midlands.

Five additional engines (numbered 66717-722) were ordered for work of infrastructure of Metronet.

Composition of the park

DRS = Direct Services
Rail EWS = English, Welsh and Scottish Railway
GBRf = GB Railfreight

See too

Material engine of the British railroads

References

Fiche of presentation of Class 66 on the site of Electro-Justifies Diesel (EMD)

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