Graham Farish 371-389 Class 66/7 66789 ‘British Rail 1948-1997’ GBRf BR Blue (Large Logo

The Class 66 is synonymous with the current rail scene in mainland Britain and in recent years several class members – more often than not operated by GBRf – have become somewhat celebrity machines thanks to their special one-off liveries. No. 66789 is one such loco, having been treated to a modern rendition of BR Blue Large Logo livery and named ‘British Rail 1948-1997’ to celebrate the period from Nationalisation of Britain’s railways in 1948 through to Privatisation during the 1990s.

Despite the retro livery, you can’t be fooled into thinking this is a heritage machine as the shape of the Class 66 is unmistakable, and this Graham Farish model captures all the character of the real loco and also includes working directional lights and a 6 Pin DCC Decoder socket for those wishing to equip their model for use on DCC.

MODEL FEATURES:

• Graham Farish N Scale
• Era 9
• Pristine GBRf BR Blue (large Logo) livery
• Running No. 66789
• Named ‘British Rail 1948-1997’
• Accessory Pack
• Directional Lighting
• Equipped with a 6 Pin Decoder Socket – recommended Decoder item No.36-568A
• Length 145mm (over couplings)

CLASS 66 HISTORY

The Class 66 is a type of six-axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction, the Class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies. In Continental Europe it is marketed as the EMD Class 66 (JT42CWR). Placing what was termed as “the biggest British loco order since steam days,” EWS ordered 250 units in May 1996 to be built at the EMD plant in London, Ontario, Canada; the first locomotives were ready in 1998. They were given the Class 66 designation in the British classification system (TOPS). In 1998 Freightliner placed an order for further locomotives. They were followed by GB Railfreight, and then Direct Rail Services. The last of more than 500 built over an 18-year period was No 66779, Evening Star, delivered to GB Railfreight in spring 2016.

The Class 66 is synonymous with the contemporary UK rail scene, operating for all the major freight operators including DB Cargo, Freightliner, GB Railfreight, Colas Rail, and DRS, and they are set to dominate the domestic locomotive fleet for many years to come.