| The 13 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) are 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.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Left and below. Two views of 57007 Freightliner Bond ex-47332 passes Basingstoke on Monday 18th September 2000, on an up working at 1:07 p.m.. |
| The first three photographs are by Michael Taylor |  |
 |
57002 Freightliner Phoenix ex-47322 passes Basingstoke on Monday 18th September 2000, with another up working at 2:30pm. |
| 57004 Freightliner Quality leading a southbound shipping
container service pauses in platform 2 at Eastleigh station on the murky
morning of 21st March 2001 to change crew. The train has crossed over from the
down fast to the down slow line shortly before the north end of the platform to
do this but the tail end of the long formation is still on the down main, thus
this operation is blocking both down lines.
Photo by Colin Duff |
 |
| 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.
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. Porterbrook and Brush are hoping there may be a small market for passenger 57s - sub class 57/6 - as replacements for class 47s for remaining passenger hauled services, "Thunderbird" duties (where its ETS rating will be very useful) and also for spot hire. 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. |
All photographs are copyright
return to picture gallery page
This page was last updated 3 December 2002
