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Class 57, no. 57304 'Gordon Tracy' at Crewe on 1st November 2003. This locomotive is owned by Virgin Trains, and is employed on diversion and rescue duties.
The British Rail Class 57 is a re-engineered locomotive, rebuilt by Brush Traction at Loughborough from redundant Class 47 locomotives. The locomotives are fitted with a refurbished General Motors engine, and a reconditioned alternator, vastly improving reliabilty and performance. Two variants exist, for freight and passenger operations.
The class has its origins in 1997, when Freightliner took the plunge, and ordered an intial six locomotives. In 2000, a prototype locomotive, number 57601, was converted with electric train heating capacities, with a view of obtaining orders from passenger companies.
In 1997, Freightliner placed an order for an initial six Class 57/0 locomotives. The first of these was released in 1998, and coincided with the unveiling of the new British Racing Green Freightliner livery. After an evaluation period, Freightliner was sufficiently impressed to order a further six locomotives, with plans for an eventual fleet of 25 locomotives. However, in the event, only twelve locomotives were rebuilt, due to the purchase of completely new Class 66 locomotives from General Motors.
The Freightliner fleet sees use over a wide area, serving locations such as Ipswich, Southampton, Birmingham, Cardiff and Leeds. The introduction of the class resulted in the replacement of the Class 47 locomotives on most long-distance intermodal trains.
Freightliner has named all its locomotives, with examples such as 'Freightliner Pioneer' and 'Freightliner Phoenix'.
In 2000, Porterbrook Leasing placed an order for a prototype passenger locomotive fitted with electric train heating. This locomotive, no. 57601, was leased to First Great WesternPaddington Station in London, are in the First Great Western livery First Great Western is a British railway company operating services on the Great Western Main Line, owned by FirstGroup. It was formed after the purchase of Great Western Trains by First. (FGW), who were looking for a replacement for their elderly Class 47 locomotives, which were employed on Night Riviera overnight sleeper and Motorail services from London Paddington to PenzancePenzance is a port in Cornwall, England, facing east onto the English Channel. Incorporated in 1615, it has a population of about 20,000 people. The name Penzance is derived from the Cornish pen sans meaning "holy headland", it is the principal town on th. After an evaluation period of three years, FGW ordered four production Class 57/6 locomotives from Brush, which were delivered in 2004. These new locomotives displaced the Class 47 locomotives, which were transferred to other operators. As the prototype locomotive was non-standard, it was returned to Porterbrook Leasing, who then sold it to the West Coast Railway Company.
The FGW fleet is painted in a green livery with a gold bodyside band. It is planned to name the locomotives after castles.
Under their franchise agreement, Virgin Trains was required to purchase new locomotives to replace its elderly Class 47 locomotives. As a result, an order for sixteen Class 57/3 locomotives was placed with Brush Traction. They are employed as rescue locomotives (so called "Thunderbird" duties), and are used to drag Virgin Train's electric train when engineering works force services to be diverted. They are also used to haul Crewe to Holyhead passenger trains.
The Virgin fleet is painted in their red and silver livery, and locomotives are named after characters from the TV series Thunderbirds.
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