Bachmann 32-983

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

GB Railfreight (GBRf) is the UK's third-largest rail freight operator, established in 1999 and currently owned by Infracapital (M&G plc subsidiary). Operating over 2,000 trainloads weekly with an exceptional 99% reliability rate, the company moves approximately 23% of Britain's rail freight using a fleet of 170 locomotives and 1,800 wagons. GBRf serves major ports including Felixstowe, Southampton, and London Gateway with 54 daily intermodal services nationally, whilst also providing vital infrastructure services for Network Rail, London Underground, and major construction projects like HS2.

The company is renowned for pioneering the innovative Class 69 conversion programme, transforming redundant Class 56 locomotives with modern EMD 710 engines, and for operating diverse heritage livery schemes that celebrate British railway history. With headquarters and control centre in Peterborough and maintenance facilities at Tonbridge, GB Railfreight employs over 1,400 people and has committed to achieving net-zero operations by 2050, positioning itself as a leader in sustainable freight transport whilst maintaining strong partnerships with customers including Network Rail, Drax, Aggregate Industries, and major shipping lines.

The BR Green with Late Crest livery represents a significant period in British railway history, marking the transitional era between 1955-1968 when British Railways implemented its modernisation plan whilst maintaining traditional visual elements. This heritage livery scheme features the classic Brunswick green base colour that dominated British locomotive livery for decades, combined with the distinctive "Late Crest" emblem that replaced the original "Early Crest" design in 1955. The Late Crest, popularly nicknamed the "Ferret and Dartboard" by railway enthusiasts, depicted a lion holding a smaller railway wheel within a crown adorned with a rose, thistle, and leek representing England, Scotland, and Wales - a more refined design than its predecessor.

GB Railfreight has applied this heritage livery to Class 69 locomotive 69005 'Eastleigh', creating an authentic tribute to British railway heritage that celebrates both historical significance and the connection to Eastleigh Works where the Class 69 locomotives receive their distinctive paint schemes. The livery accurately recreates the period colour scheme with dark green base colour, cream or white lining, and the proper Late Crest emblem positioning that would have appeared on diesel locomotives during the late 1950s and 1960s. This application demonstrates GB Railfreight's commitment to preserving British railway heritage through their Class 69 fleet, using modern converted locomotives to showcase classic livery designs that represent the era when diesel traction was replacing steam power across the British network. The choice of 69005 for this livery is particularly appropriate given its naming after Eastleigh, the very location where these heritage paint schemes are expertly applied by Arlington Fleet Services.