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Class 57
photograph by Michael Taylor
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| The tihirteen member class (12 of 57/0 & 1 of 57/6) are
re-engined class 47 Co-Co locomotives which were originally built from 1965
onwards by Brush Traction of Loughborough. They were rebuilt starting in 1997
by Brush using General Motors 645-12E3 2500 h.p. diesel engines.
The first 12 locomotives (class 57/0) were owned and operated by Freightliner. As they are intended for single engine freight working they are not fitted with ETH or capable of multiple working. The top speed of the class is 75 m.p.h.
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| The thirteenth member of the class is a speculative
build with Brush working in co-operation with lessors Porterbrook to test the
market for a passenger 57. Porterbrook's off lease 47825 was converted and
emerged as 57601. It is fitted with a modified class 56 alternator to provide
the ETS (electrical train supply) although given the US origin of it prime
mover it is also increasingly referred to as HEP (head end power). The output
of the alternator can supply 500kW (ETS index 10) the highest of an diesel
locomotive in the UK.
On the freight side Freightliner's orders for more GM class 66s - 12 in April 2001 and a further 17 in May 2001 taking their total of the class to 59 - effectively spelled the end of the 57/0 programme. The front end is also different to the class 47 and 57/0s with the former headcode panel removed and Railtrack standard triangulation headlights and marker light clusters are fitted. It was unveiled on 26th March 2001 in a modified Porterbrook livery of silver, mauve yellow and black but most striking of all are its full height silhouette style numerals on the body sides. Ironically it was placed on hire to Freightliner heavy haul working its first service on 13th April. Although it is not fitted with sanding equipment for freight work the plumbing is there to make retro fitting easy. From May it has been on hire to First Great Western. Further Class 57/3 rebuilds from Class 47 engines to provide a fleet of locomotives for rescue duties and for drags on routes with no overhead wires were ordered through Porterbrook in 2002 with the first delivered in June 2002. These were operated by Virgin which, in keeping with their thunderbird duties, named them all after characters and vehicles from the Thunderbirds television programmes.
After DRS took control of the Virgin ThunderbirdsNº57307 Lady Penelope was the only 57/3 to keep a Thunderbirds nameplate. |
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This page was last updated 3 December 2005
