Bachmann 31-591

British Rail Class 70 70805 Colas Rail Yellow & Orange

Contents

Class & Prototype

The British Rail Class 70 is a General Electric PowerHaul diesel-electric locomotive introduced in 2009 for UK freight operations. Built at GE's Erie, Pennsylvania plant, 36 locomotives entered service with Freightliner Heavy Haul (20 units) and Colas Rail (17 units) between 2009-2017. Delivering 3,690 hp with 544 kN starting tractive effort, the Class 70 represents Britain's most powerful privately-owned freight diesel, featuring regenerative braking, Miller cycle engine efficiency, and air-conditioned cabs. Despite early reliability problems causing widespread Freightliner fleet storage (2017-2020), the class found its niche hauling 4,000-tonne aggregate trains from Tunstead and Merehead quarries, whilst Colas Rail's modified fleet achieved excellent reliability on infrastructure and general freight work. The distinctive American hood-unit styling, green-yellow Freightliner and yellow-orange Colas liveries create instant recognition. Bachmann produces comprehensive OO gauge models (£212-350) whilst Graham Farish offers N gauge variants (£141-155).

No prototype found.

Operator & Livery

Colas Rail is a modern European railway company combining infrastructure construction with freight operations across 20+ countries. Formed in 2008 from the merger of Seco Rail and Spie Rail, the company operates diverse locomotive classes including Class 56 'Gridirons', Class 66s, and Class 70 PowerHauls in distinctive orange and yellow livery. Major projects include High Speed 1 construction, London Waterloo upgrades, and Morocco's Al Boraq high-speed line. As both a Network Rail contractor and freight operator, Colas Rail represents contemporary railway engineering excellence with over 170 years of heritage dating back to French railway pioneers.

The distinctive Colas Rail livery features a striking tri-colour scheme designed for maximum visibility during infrastructure operations. The design comprises a split-colour body with bright yellow covering the one half and vibrant orange covering the other half of the locomotive sides (approximately Humbrol 24 Trainer Yellow and Humbrol 82 Lining Orange respectively). The upper section and roof are finished in matt black, creating a characteristic angled demarcation line that cuts diagonally across the locomotive body, separating the coloured lower sections from the black upper area. Bold black "COLAS RAIL" or "COLAS RAIL FREIGHT" lettering spans across the yellow section, with the company's distinctive logo prominently displayed on the cab sides. This high-visibility half-and-half colour combination ensures operational safety while creating one of the most recognisable corporate identities in contemporary British railways, making Colas Rail locomotives particularly popular subjects for railway photographers and model railway enthusiasts seeking authentic modern prototype liveries.