Graham Farish 371-391

Class & Prototype

The British Rail Class 66, introduced in 1998, revolutionized UK freight operations with American EMD reliability. Built as the JT42CWR model with a 12-cylinder 710 engine producing 3,300 horsepower, these Co-Co diesels achieved 95% availability versus 65% for the Class 47s they replaced. Approximately 412 locomotives remain operational across DB Cargo UK, GB Railfreight, Freightliner, DRS and Colas Rail, dominating intermodal container services, aggregates, steel, biomass and infrastructure traffic. The class's 27-year production run ended in 2016 with 66779 "Evening Star" due to EU emissions regulations. No replacements are expected before the 2040s, ensuring continued prototype relevance. The Class 66 offers modellers exceptional livery diversity across all major operators, making it essential for any British layout from 1998 onwards.

No prototype found.

Operator & Livery

Direct Rail Services (DRS) is Britain's premier nuclear transport and commercial rail freight operator, established in 1995 by British Nuclear Fuels Limited to handle the safe movement of nuclear materials. Now owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority through Nuclear Transport Solutions, DRS has evolved into one of the UK's leading freight companies whilst maintaining its core nuclear transport mission.

Operating from major depots at Carlisle Kingmoor, Crewe Gresty Bridge, and Motherwell, DRS runs a modern fleet including cutting-edge Class 68 diesels and revolutionary Class 88 bi-mode locomotives alongside heritage Class 37s and specialist Class 20/3s. The company's distinctive blue and grey livery has become synonymous with operational excellence and technical innovation.

DRS's commercial success centres on its partnership with Tesco, operating ten dedicated rail routes carrying over 12,000 containers monthly, whilst infrastructure support services include rail head treatment, snow clearance, and rescue locomotive provision. The company's commitment to environmental leadership delivers 76% fewer CO2 emissions compared to road transport, with Class 88 locomotives achieving additional efficiency gains through dual-mode electric/diesel operation.

Key Facts:

• Founded: 1995 (30 years of operation)
• Owner: Nuclear Decommissioning Authority via Nuclear Transport Solutions
• Headquarters: Carlisle Kingmoor Depot
• Fleet: Class 20/3, 37, 66/4, 68, 88 locomotives
• Specialty: Nuclear transport, intermodal freight, infrastructure support
• Major Contract: Tesco (12,000+ containers/month across 10 routes)
• Environmental Impact: 76% CO2 reduction vs road transport

The DRS Stobart Rail Blue livery represented a distinctive promotional scheme applied to Direct Rail Services Class 66/4 locomotives operating the Tesco Express intermodal service on behalf of Eddie Stobart Group between 2006 and 2010. The most famous example was locomotive 66411 "Eddie the Engine," which wore a striking blue-based livery featuring prominent white "Stobart Rail" branding with the characteristic red chevron design elements, combined with Eddie Stobart's corporate colours and graphics including cartoon-style character imagery. This locomotive, along with 66414 "James the Engine" in a similar but slightly varied promotional scheme, hauled container trains on the high-profile Daventry to Mossend and Grangemouth to Inverness services, marking Stobart's £5.5 million investment in switching 70% of Tesco's cross-border traffic from road to rail.

The Stobart Rail livery represented a significant departure from DRS's standard corporate blue and grey scheme, instead prominently featuring the Eddie Stobart brand identity to highlight the logistics partnership. When the Daventry-Scotland Stobart contract transferred to DB Schenker in January 2010, the locomotives were debranded and 66411 eventually passed to Freightliner before being sent to work in Poland. The promotional livery has become highly collectible among railway modellers, with manufacturers including Bachmann producing detailed OO and N gauge models capturing this distinctive scheme. The livery represents an important period in British rail freight history when major retailers and logistics companies increasingly recognised rail's environmental and efficiency benefits, with the colourful promotional schemes helping to raise public awareness of rail freight's role in modern supply chains.