British Rail Class 90

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British Rail Class 90

British Rail Class 90/0, no. 90017 at Norwich
Power type	Electric
Builder	BREL Crewe Works
Build date	1987–1990
Total production	50
Configuration	Bo-Bo
UIC classification	Bo'Bo'
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Locomotive weight	84.5 tonnes (83.2 LT; 93.1 ST)
Electric system(s)	25 kV AC
Multiple working	TDM system
Top speed	75–110 mph (121–177 km/h)
Train heating	Electric Train Heating
Locomotive brakes	Air, Rheostatic
Train brakes	Air
Career	British Rail
Number	90001–90050
Axle load class	Route availability

The British Rail Class 90 electric locomotives were built by BREL at Crewe from 1987-1990. Each locomotive weighs 84.5 tonnes and has a top speed of 110 mph (180 km/h). They operate from 25 kV AC overhead wires and produce 5,000 bhp (3,700 kW). The class is employed on both express passenger services and heavy freight trains.

Description

A fleet of fifty Class 90/0 locomotives were built in the late 1980s, numbered 90001-050. They were developed from the earlier Class 87 locomotives, but featured many improvements and new features. The Class 90s were primarily built to replace the ageing fleets of Classes 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85 dating from the early-1960s, which were prone to fire damage.

The class is fitted with rheostatic brakes in addition to standard westinghouse air brake equipment. A Time-Division Multiplexer (TDM) is fitted to enable two or more locomotives to work in multiple. It also allows a Class 90 to work a push-pull passenger train with a Driving Van Trailer (DVT), DBSO or Propelling Control Vehicle.

The first Class 90, No.90001 in brand new condition at Crewe in 1987 with InterCity Swallow livery

In the early-1990s, with the sectorisation of British Rail, twenty-six locomotives were dedicated for freight traffic; they were reclassified as Class 90/1 and renumbered in the range 90125-150 (with the addition of 100 to the original number). The modifications included lowering the maximum speed to 75 mph (121 km/h) and isolating the electric train supply. Many of these locomotives were repainted in the new Railfreight Distribution two-tone grey livery, which was itself replaced by a revised version in 1994. Three locomotives, nos. 90128, 90129 and 90130, received special "continental" liveries (NMBS/SNCB blue, DB red, SNCF grey respectively) to celebrate the Freightconnection event in 1992.

Around the same time, five locomotives, nos. 90016-020, were repainted into the new Rail Express Systems livery and dedicated to postal trains. They were primarily used on London-Glasgow, London-Newcastle and Birmingham-Glasgow services.

Of the remaining locomotives, the first fifteen, nos. 90001-015 were operated by the InterCity sector on express passenger services. Locomotives nos. 90021-024 were operated by Railfreight Distribution but remained as standard Class 90/0 locomotives to enable them to rescue passenger trains.

Despite being built to be less susceptible to fire damage than classes 81-85, one example, 90050, caught fire at the end of September 2004, prompting its storage and subsequent stripping for spares. It is not expected to work again.

Over the years, many Class 90 locomotives have received names. The passenger locomotives were named after cities, newspapers or famous institutions. Many of the freight locomotives have been given names with a commercial link. The Class 90 was the first new locomotive to carry InterCity Swallow livery.

Current operations

Upon the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, the Class 90 fleet was divided between several operators.

DB Schenker

90021 in First ScotRail livery at Edinburgh Waverley.

EWS (now DB Schenker) acquired the largest fleet with 20 locomotives from the Railfreight Distribution business and five from Rail Express Systems. EWS are contracted to provide locomotives for First ScotRail's Caledonian Sleeper services between Scotland and London Euston, and the Class 90s are frequently used for this purpose as well as on freight duties. An agreement was reached in 2006 to livery a number of Class 90s for First ScotRail, for their exclusive use hauling the Caledonian Sleeper.

Freightliner

Freightliner inherited a fleet of ten Class 90/1 locomotives. These have since been returned to their original Class 90/0 configuration.

National Express East Anglia

In early 2004 'one' (now National Express East Anglia) needed a replacement for the ageing Class 86 locomotives on the Norwich-London route. At the same time Virgin Trains was starting to get rid of its Class 90 locomotives. A deal was struck and progressively 90001-015 were delivered to Norwich Crown Point to replace the Class 86s, but their the reliability wasn't good and the last few Class 86s were kept in service, and Class 47s hired from Cotswold Rail were sometimes used also. 'one' then borrowed Class 90s from EWS and Freightliner to retire the remaining Class 86s. The Class 90s' reliability improved and the borrowed locos were returned to their owners. Through 2006 and 2007 reliability has improved greatly: in 2007 the whole fleet won the 'Silver Spanner' from Modern Railways for the most improved main line fleet reliability in the UK.

Virgin Trains

Virgin Trains (VT) inherited a fleet of 15 locomotives to work passenger trains on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). The locomotives, nos. 90001-015, were based at Willesden depot in London. The fleet was used on services from London Euston to Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Lime Street, Preston and Glasgow Central.

In 1998, no. 90002 became the first locomotive to be repainted in Virgin Trains red and black livery. It was named "Mission: Impossible" to launch the challenge of upgrading passenger services on the WCML. The rest of the fleet was quickly repainted into the new livery.

In 2002, new Class 390 Pendolino electric multiple units started to enter service. These 9-car units were built to replace VT locomotive-hauled trains from the WCML. The first locomotives to be replaced were the elderly Class 86/2 and some of the less reliable Class 87 locomotives. However, since the VT Class 90 fleet was relatively small and subsequently non-standard, it was decided to retain the larger Class 87 fleet. Therefore, from March 2004, VT started to replace its Class 90 fleet, with the locomotives being transferred to the new 'one' franchise. The final service operated by a Virgin-liveried Class 90 was on 27 August 2004, when 90015 worked a London Euston-Glasgow Central and return service.

However, following the derailment of 390033 at Grayrigg in 2007, Virgin Trains has had the need for an additional set. As a result, Virgin has been using Class 90 locomotives hired from EWS, along with a rake of Mark 3 coaching stock and a DVT. It is expected that this set of coaches will enter refurbishment works with Virgin Trains being allowed to keep WB64 on lease from Porterbrook, the set will be kept on standby duties and work a Friday only relief to Preston from London Euston.

Future work with National Express East Coast

As part of the new franchise agreement for the East Coast Main Line (ECML), National Express East Coast (NXEC) will hire four Class 90 locomotives from EWS and operate them with four rakes of Mark 3 coaches from 2010. The lower maximum speed of the Class 90 compared with the HSTs and Class 91 locomotives that NXEC will also operate will likely see the Class 90s operate on the slower stopping services. These could possibly be the London-Leeds routes, allowing HSTs to be released to the rest of the route.^[1]

Gallery

No.90016 at London Liverpool Street in 2004, carrying Rail Express Systems livery.	No.90036, on loan to one railways from EWS at Liverpool Street in 2007.	EWS-owned No.90019 in First ScotRail livery at London Euston station in 2007.	No.90049 in original Freightliner grey livery at Ipswich station deputising for an unavailable Anglia Railways Class 86/2 locomotive in 2003.
No.90015 "The International Brigade Spain 1936-1939" at Carlisle station on 27th August 2004. This locomotive is pictured with the final Class 90-hauled service for Virgin Trains.	No.90012 in one railways livery at London Liverpool Street.	A class 90 in GNER colours at Liverpool Street.	90035 at Euston in EWS livery.
90008 at Norwich in National Express East Anglia livery.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: British Rail Class 90

• Class 90 at traintesting.com