Hornby R3139

British Rail Class 90 90036 English, Welsh & Scottish Railway Railfreight Triple Grey

Contents

Tooling

Hornby launched a major retooling of its British Rail Class 90 in 2008, replacing the earlier versions with a significantly improved model aimed at meeting modern expectations for detail and digital capability. This upgrade coincided with growing demand for accurate representations of contemporary electric traction and was positioned as a premium offering in Hornby’s range.

Contemporary reviews praised the improved body detailing, flush glazing, and accurate roof equipment. The addition of NEM coupler pockets and DCC readiness was welcomed, though some criticism remained regarding the single-bogie drive and lack of lighting or sound provision. Enthusiasts often describe it as “a solid mid-range model” that looks excellent but offers only modest mechanical sophistication compared to later high-spec competitors. Social media and forums highlight its reliability and ease of digital conversion, making it a popular choice for modern layouts.

Detailing: Factory-fitted separate details including Brecknell Willis high-speed pantograph (poseable), roof electrical gear, bufferbeam detail, front valance, cab interior, flush glazing, and underframe equipment such as battery boxes and electrical housings. Chemically blackened wheels for enhanced realism.

Class & Prototype

  • Running Number: 90036

The British Rail Class 90 electric locomotive, built 1987-1990 at BREL Crewe, delivered 5,000 hp from 25kV AC overhead supply through sophisticated thyristor control. Fifty locomotives served BR InterCity, Virgin Trains, Greater Anglia, and freight operators across 37 years. Pioneer of Time-Division Multiplexing push-pull operations, the class worked West Coast and East Coast main lines at 110 mph with Mark 3 coaching stock. Over 35 liveries span InterCity Swallow through privatisation operators to contemporary Freightliner freight. Bachmann's 2019 OO gauge tooling features world-first servo-operated pantograph; Graham Farish offers excellent N gauge versions. Approximately 30 remain operational.

Operator & Livery

The English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS) operated Britain's largest rail freight network from 1996-2007, controlling 90% of the UK freight market. Formed by Wisconsin Central through acquisition of five British Rail freight companies, EWS revolutionised British freight transport with 250 new General Motors Class 66 locomotives and distinctive maroon and gold livery featuring the famous "three beasties" logo. The company was acquired by Deutsche Bahn in 2007, eventually becoming today's DB Cargo UK while maintaining its freight market dominance.

The Railfreight Triple Grey livery was introduced by British Rail in the late 1980s as the standard scheme for its newly sectorised freight divisions, and some locomotives retained it into the EWS era after 1996. The design used three horizontal bands of dark, medium, and light grey, divided by fine red lining, with large sector decals originally denoting the locomotive’s allocation (such as Petroleum, Metals, or Coal). Under EWS ownership, the sector logos were often removed or replaced with the bold red and yellow EWS ‘three beasts’ logo placed centrally on the bodysides.

On locomotives such as the Class 90 fleet, the Railfreight Triple Grey livery created a professional and uniform appearance, reflecting the sector-based structure of late BR freight. Its survival into the EWS period gave it a transitional character, bridging the gap between British Rail’s sector branding and EWS’s later standard maroon and gold colours.