The Class 70 diesel locomotive (not to be confused with the original
Class 70 which was an early DC electric locomotive) is the most powerful freight diesel locomotive on British rails today with nearly 3,700hp to play with and the first General Electric traction built for the UK [1]. Over thirty have been bought by Freightliner and Colas Rail, they are used on intermodal and heavy haul freight services.
| Information |
| Number built: |
37 |
| Built: |
2008-14, 2017 |
| Builder: |
General Electric |
| Engine: |
GE PowerHaul P616 diesel |
| Power: |
3, 690 hp (2, 750 kW) |
| Wheel arrangement: |
Co-Co |
The Class 70 had a troublesome entry into service with a very poor availability rate in its early days on British metals and a number of fires. One locomotive (70 012) was very bad damaged during a mishap during unloading from a cargo ship at Newport Docks and had to be returned to the US [2]. Nowadays the locomotives are much more reliable.
The original twenty Freightliner locomotives are known as the
70/0 with the ten Colas Rail locomotives
70/8. Seven more Class 70s were later ordered for Colas for delivery in 2017.
 |
| Freightliner 70 003 at Stafford |
 |
| Colas 70 807 at Leamington Spa (with a Class 66) |
 |
| Freightliner 70 020 at Stafford |
 |
| Freightliner 70 015 at Olton |
 |
| Freightliner 70 014 and 004 double head through Leamington Spa |
 |
| Unidentified Freightliner 70 at Lapworth |
[1] Colin J Marsden, Diesel & Electric Locomotive Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2011) p. 202
[2] Pip Dunn, British Rail Main Line Locomotive Specification Guide (Crowood Press, 2013) p. 143
