| This was my first look at one of the new Class 70 freight diesels, this one working for Freightliner. Actually, these locomotives were already four years old when I took this, but I had been away from Britain for awhile so I hadnt been able to get a photo. They have several interesting facts about them, in addition to the usual specifications. First of all, theyre made by General Electric, which would make them the first large order of G.E. diesels in British history, in spite of the popularity of G.E.s in North America. Being completely authentic G.E.s, they were built in Erie, PA, just like the Dash 8s I chased as a teenager. Secondly, they are perhaps the first BR class to reuse a previous class number, as 2 SR electrics and one Southern Region BR electric from the 1940s were considered Class 70 electrics under BR. 20 of these units are reported to have been built, although they arent numbered sequentially, carrying the numbers 70001-70011 and 70013-70023 (Wikipedia says 70001-70011 and 70013-70020, but this makes no sense). There is also a demonstrator numbered 70099, and Freightliners order is for 30 units, so more will likely be built. GBRf also have expressed interest in buying some of them. Their horsepower rating is 3,690, making them the most powerful diesels ever to be used in Britain (unless someone can correct me), and they are rated for a top speed of 75 m.p.h., which is typical for a G.E. freight diesel. |