Operational History of Class 90 GEC Bo-Bo Electric Locomotives, Driving Van Trailers, technical specification development, Greater Anglia Caledonian Sleeper train images photos pictures photographs

Class 90 GEC Bo-Bo Electric Locomotives and Driving Van Trailers

A brief history of Class 90 electric locomotives

Class 90 electric locomotives were built by BREL at Crewe Works between 1987 and 1990, they weigh 84.5 tonnes. Class 90 electric locomotives have a maximum tractive effort of 258 kN (3700 kW, 5000 bhp, 58000 lbf). The maximum design speed of Class 90 electric locomotives is 110 mph. Class 90 locomotives are powered by a 25 kV AC overhead-pantograph system. Class 90 electric locomotives are used on passenger trains and often double-headed in working freight trains.

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Contemporary and Heritage-Preserved, Diesel, Diesel-Electric and Electric Locomotives

My Archive Steam Photos from the 1960s

Class 90 electric locomotives featured: 90001 Royal Scot, 90002 Wolf of Badenoch, 90003 Raedwald of East Anglia, 90005 Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, 90009 Diamond Jubilee, 90015 Colchester Castle, 90019, 90024, 90026, 90029, 90036, 90037 (ex 90137 Spirit of Dagenham), 90042, 90044, 90046

A pair of Greater Anglia Class 90 electric locomotives at Liverpool Street Station, London. 90009 "DIAMOND JUBILEE" in Greater Anglia trains livery, and, 90015 "Colchester Castle" in National Express livery.

Freightliner Class 90 electric locomotive 90042 at Edinburgh Waverley station (July 2016)

Portraits of Class 90 loco 90042

Class 90 electric locomotive 90009 " Diamond Jubilee" in Liverpool Street station, London

A Great Anglia Train hauled by Class 90 90003 "Raedwald of East Anglia" entering Stratford Station with a train from ? to London Liverpool Street.

Freightliner Class 90 electric locomotive 90044 parked in Edinburgh Waverley station

An intermodal Freightliner freight trained passing east through Stratford Station (East London), hauled by a Class 90 electric locomotive 90047. Freightliner Grey livery (two tone Grey with black cab doors & window surrounds.

Mark 3B Driving Brake Van (110 mph) 82127 heading a Great Anglia train east-bound into Stratford Station (Class 90 90005 electric locomotive in the rear - see below).

Class 90 electric locomotive 90005 "Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson" with the Abellio GreaterAnglia legend on the side.

90003 "Rædwald of East Anglia" returning from Liverpool Street with an express train for ?

Greater Anglia liveried carriage 11082

Ex EWS, DB Schenker DBS Class 90 electric locomotive 90026 at Euston Station, London, with the recently arrived Caledonian Sleeper train from Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, Fort William and other stations) to London Euston

The ScotRail carriages of the Caledonian Sleeper Train

A double header of two DB Schenker Class 90 electric locomotives Class 90 90024 (in Scotrail livery) behind leading class 90 locomotive 90037 (ex 90137 and named "Spirit of Dagenham", in EWS livery, but a DB Schenker operated electric locomotive), heading south through Wigan NW with an intermodal Mossend Euroterminal to Daventry Int Rft Recep Rfd (474H, March 2016)

DB Schenker red liveried Class 90 electric locomotive 90029 hauling fellow Class 90 loco 90036 and a Class 66 diesel 66087 from Arpley Sidings to Carlisle N.Y. (Wigan North western station, March 16th 2016)

On hire to LNER on the ECML, Class 91 90019 in DB Livery, with a KX-Leeds service at Leeds (November 2018)

Class 90 electric locomotive 90002 Wolf of Badenoch, British Rail InterCity Swallow livery (Crewe, May 2024)

British Rail Class 90 electric locomotive 90001 Royal Scot, InterCity Swallow livery (Crewe, May 2024)

Extra notes on Class 90 Electric Locomotives

All Class 50 locomotives were built from 1987 to 1990

Initially 90001 to 90015 were operated by Greater Anglia

90016 and 90041 to 90050 operated by Freightliner

and 90017 t0 90040 operated by DB Cargo UK

Fifty Class 90 electric locomotives were built in the late 1980s and numbered 90001-050. They were an improved development of the Class 87electric locomotives. The Class 90s were primarily built to replace the ageing Class 81, Class 82, Class 83, Class 84, Class 8s and Class 86s locomotives, dating from the early 1960s. In the early 1990s 26 Class 90 locomotives were dedicated for freight traffic and reclassified Class 90/1 and renumbered 90125-150 by 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 replaced by a revised version in 1994. Three locomotives, 90128, 90129 and 90130, received special "continental" liveries (NMBS/SNCB blue, Deutsche Bahn red, SNCF grey respectively) to celebrate the Freight connection event in 1992. Also at the same time, five Class 90 locomotives, 90016 to 90020, 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 Class 90 locomotives, the first 15, 90001-015, were operated by InterCity West Coast on express passenger services. 90021 to 90024 were operated by Railfreight Distribution, but remained as standard Class 90/0 locomotives to enable them to rescue passenger trains. 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

Names that Class 90 electric locomotives have or had in the past

90001 No name at present ;BC Midlands Today * 90002 No name at present; Girls Brigade, Mission: Impossible

90003 Raedwald of East Anglia; The Herald

90004 Eastern Daily Press: 1870- 2010, Serving Norfolk for 140 years; The D'oyly Carte Opera Company; City of Glasgow

90005 Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson Financial Times * 90006 Roger Ford & Modern Railways Magazine; High Sheriff

90007 Sir John Betjeman; Lord Stamp; Keith Harper * 90008 The East Anglian; Birmingham Royal Ballet

90009 No name at present; Royal Show; The Economist * 90010 No name at present; 275 Railway Squadron (Volunteers)

90011 Let's Go East of England; The Chartered Institute of Transport; West Coast Rail 250

90012 Royal Anglian Regiment; Glasgow 1990 Cultural Capital of Europe; British Transport Police

90013 The Evening Star: Pride of Ipswich 1885 to 2010 - 125 years of serving Suffolk; The Law Society

90014 Norfolk & Norwich Festival; The Liverpool Phil; The Big Dish; Driver Tom Clark O.B.E.

90015 Colchester Castle; BBC North West; The International Brigades Spain 1936 – 1939

90016 No name at present; Never been named * 90017 No name at present; Rail Express Systems Quality Assured

90018 No name at present; Never been named * 90019 No name at present; Penny Black (with & without a Crest)

90020 Collingwood; Colonel Bill Cockburn CBE TD; Michael Heron * 90021 No name at present; Never been named ;

90022 No name at present; FreightConnection * 90023 No name at present; Never been named

90024 No name at present; Never been named * 90025 No name at present; Never been named

90026 No name at present; Crewe Electric Depot; Crewe International Electric Maintenance Depot

90027 No name at present; Allerton T&RS Depot * 90028 No name at present; Vrachtverbinding; Hertfordshire Rail Tours

90029 The Institution of Civil Engineers Frachtverbindungen * 90030 No name at present; Crewe Locomotive Works; Fretconnection

90031 No name at present; The Railway Children Partnership: Working for Street Children Worldwide; Intercontainer

90032 No name at present; Cerestar * 90033 No name at present; Never been named

90034 No name at present; Never been named * 90035 No name at present; Crewe Basford Hall

90036 No name at present; Never been named * 90037 No name at present; Spirit of Dagenham

90038 No name at present; Never been named * 90039 No name at present; Never been named

90040 No name at present; The Railway Mission * 90041 No name at present; Never been named

90042 No name at present; Never been named * 90043 Freightliner Coatbridge

90044 No name at present Never been named * 90045 No name at present; Never been named

90046 No name at present; Never been named * 90047 No name at present; Never been named

90048 No name at present; Never been named * 90049 No name at present; Never been named

90050 No name at present; Never been named

CLASS 90 electric locomotives from Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_90
The British Rail Class 90 is a type of electric locomotive. Class 90 electric were built for mixed-traffic duties, operating from 25 kV AC overhead lines and producing 5,000 bhp (3,700 kW). They weigh 84.5 tonnes and can typically achieve a top speed of 110 mph (177 km/h). The Class 90 is a modernised derivative of the preceding Class 87 locomotive, having been originally designated as the Class 87/2. During the 1980s, British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) had submitted an offer to build 25 examples to replace various aging electric locomotives, including the Class 81, Class 82, Class 83, Class 84 and Class 85. It was selected over numerous rival proposals, including the InterCity 225 and the Class 89; the type was manufactured by BREL at Crewe Works between 1987 and 1990.

The Class 90 was introduced to service during the closing years of British Rail, being used for both passenger services and freight trains alike. Following the privatisation of British Rail, the Class 90 electric has served with various operators, including Greater Anglia, Virgin Trains and Great North Eastern Railway (GNER); it was, however, displaced largely from regular passenger services during the 2000s and 2010s. Currently, Class 90 locomotives are employed on heavy freight trains and occasional charter services. The origins of the Class 90 can be traced back to various schemes performed by British Rail (BR) during the 1970s and 1980s. Several events, including the electrification of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) and the cancelled procurement of the Advanced Passenger Train (APT), which was at one point intended for the APT to be the next major inter-city express train, had led to a significant nationwide shortage of electric traction.

Various different efforts were launched during this era to alleviate this shortage, including an electrified version of the InterCity 125 (known as the HST-E), the Class 89 mixed-traffic locomotive, and what would become the InterCity 225. While BR's board had approved the ordering of a single Class 89 for demonstration purposes, the Strategy Committee queried why the locomotive had been favoured over a proposed 80-tonne Bo-Bo locomotive. At this time, the Class 89 had been allegedly thought to be a low-risk option for multi-purpose operations, but offered little in the way of performance advantages over the existing Class 87. It was clear that additional electric locomotives were necessary no matter what, as both the 1950s era Class 81 and Class 85 electric locomotives were nearing the end of their viable service lives and had become quite unreliable. The InterCity 225 was, at one point, intended to address this need for multipurpose traction; the prequalification document included a requirement for it to perform mixed-traffic duties, including day and night passenger duties, as well as handling parcel/mail traffic and overnight heavy freight services.

Appraisals had also determined that the Class 89 was comparatively inferior in financial terms to the InterCity 225, which decreased the likelihood of the former ever attaining quantity production. While it was intended for the InterCity 225 to be ubiquitous, even potentially having the capability built into it to operate over the southern third-rail network and within the Channel Tunnel, such fanciful ideas had been curtailed by mid 1984. BR officials opted to deprioritise the freight haulage capabilities of the InterCity 225; instead, they planned to meet the outstanding traction needs for the sector via other platforms e.g. the Class 90 electric locomotives. The Class 87 locomotive, having been introduced a decade earlier, had proven itself capable; thus there was considerable interest procuring additional units as a low-cost option with virtually no risk for the West Coast Main Line (WCML). The British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) issued its submission to produce an initial batch of 25 Class 87/2s (the original designation for the Class 90), which quickly received a favourable reception.

The BR board decided that it would curtail its plans to procure the InterCity 225 for the WCML and instead procure the Class 87/2 to haul its intended traffic.[5] As result of this procurement, the freight business refused to finance a planned upgrade to InterCity 225's traction equipment, which would have given the former an equal haulage capability to the Class 87/2. Further studies determined that, when hauling passenger consists, the Class 87/2 had no disadvantage against the InterCity 225 on the WCML, unless the latter was outfitted with tilting coaches; both the Class 87/2 and the InterCity 225's Class 91 locomotive had been specified to possess at least 5,000 horsepower (3,700 kW). Accordingly, the procurement of the Class 90 electric locomotives was assured, while no InterCity 225s would be procured for the WCML. A total of 50 Class 90 locomotives were manufactured by BREL at the Crewe Works from 1985 to 1990; these were numbered 90001-050. The design of the Class 90 is heavily derived from the Class 87, but incorporates many improvements and new features; due to this lineage, the type was initially classified as the Class 87/2 prior to introduction. However, on account of its many visual and technical differences, it was decided to reclassify the locomotive as its own TOPS class.

The Class 90s were primarily built to replace the Class 81-85 locomotives, all of which dated from the early 1960s and had become quite unreliable due to their advanced ages. 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 or to work a push-pull passenger train with a Driving Van Trailer (DVT), DBSO or Propelling Control Vehicle. Single phase 1,000 V electric train supply (ETS) is provided to facilitate passenger working. In 1991, with the sectorisation of British Rail removing shared mixed traffic locomotives and limiting them to specific sectors, 25 locomotives were dedicated for freight traffic; they were reclassified Class 90/1 and renumbered 90126–150 by the addition of 100 to the original number, with a 26th (90125) converted in 1993. The modifications of Class 90 electric locomotives included lowering the maximum speed to 75 mph (121 km/h), isolating the electric train supply by removing the ETH jumper cables and, later, by removing the drop-head buckeye and associated rubbing plate. Many of these locomotives were repainted in the new Railfreight Distribution two-tone grey livery, which was replaced by a revised version in 1994. Three locomotives (90128, 90129 and 90130) received special continental liveries: (NMBS/SNCB blue, Deutsche Bahn red and SNCF grey respectively) to celebrate the Freightconnection event in 1992. In October 1991, the BR Parcels sector rebranded itself as Rail Express Systems introducing a new livery and dedicated to Royal Mail parcels services as well as postal trains. They were primarily used on London-Glasgow, London-Newcastle and Birmingham-Glasgow services.

Five Class 90 electric locomotives, 90016-020, were repainted into the new livery between October 1991 and March 1992. Of the remaining locomotives, the first 15 (90001-015) were operated by InterCity West Coast on express passenger services and 90021-025 were operated by Railfreight Distribution; the latter group remained as standard Class 90/0 locomotives to enable them to operate charter trains or be used on standard passenger trains. Due to the Class 91s' initial unreliability, Railfreight Distribution leased some of their 90/0s to InterCity for use on the East Coast Main Line with Mark 4 coaches. These services were usually limited to London Kings Cross to Leeds/York services, due to their lower 110 mph (177 km/h) top speed. 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.

A brief history of Class 90 electric locomotives

The British Rail Class 90 is a fleet of 50 mixed‑traffic 25 kV AC electric locomotives built at Crewe Works between 1987 and 1990 as a modernised successor to the Class 87, intended to replace ageing early‑1960s AC types (Classes 81–85).

Origins and Development of the Class 90 electric locomotives (1970s–1980s)

The Class 90’s roots lie in British Rail’s long‑term need to renew its AC electric fleet. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, BR faced a shortage of modern electric traction, worsened by delays and cancellations around the APT and InterCity 225 programmes. Several proposals were explored, including the Class 89 prototype and an electrified HST, but BR ultimately selected a four‑axle development of the Class 87, originally designated Class 87/2.

BREL Crewe was contracted to build 50 locomotives, with construction taking place from 1987 to 1990.

Technical Characteristics of the Class 90 electric locomotives

The Class 90 was designed as a Bo‑Bo mixed‑traffic locomotive with significant upgrades over the Class 87:

Power output: 5,000 hp (3,730 kW) continuous
Top speed: 110 mph (177 km/h) for passenger variants
Traction motors: Four GEC 412 series motors with thyristor control, a major technological improvement over earlier tap‑changer systems
Pantograph: Brecknell Willis high‑speed type
Multiple‑working: TDM (Time‑Division Multiplexing) system, enabling push‑pull operation with Driving Van Trailers (DVTs)

The locomotives also featured a completely redesigned bodyshell, giving them a distinctive angular appearance compared with the Class 87.

Entry into Service of the Class 90 electric locomotives (Late 1980s–1990s)

The Class 90 entered traffic during the final years of British Rail, working:

InterCity West Coast expresses
East Coast Main Line services (before Class 91s took over)
Anglia services to Norwich
Railfreight and parcels duties

Sectorisation in 1991 split the fleet roughly half‑and‑half between passenger and freight. Freight locomotives were re‑geared for 75 mph and designated Class 90/1, losing their electric train heating equipment.

Post‑Privatisation Operations of the Class 90 electric locomotives (1990s–2020s)

After 1994–97 privatisation, Class 90s served with:

Virgin Trains (WCML)
GNER (ECML)
Greater Anglia (GEML)
EWS / DB Cargo UK
Freightliner

Passenger use declined sharply in the 2000s–2010s as EMUs and Class 91s/390s took over. By around 2020, most regular passenger diagrams had ended.

Freightliner and DB Cargo UK became the main operators, though DB Cargo withdrew and scrapped or stored its fleet in 2023 due to high energy costs.

As of the mid‑2020s, around 25 remain in service, with others stored or scrapped.

Significance of the Class 90 electric locomotives

The Class 90 represents:

The final British‑built AC electric locomotive class before privatisation
A technological bridge between 1960s AC traction and later high‑performance designs
A versatile mixed‑traffic platform that has served for nearly four decades

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My Archive Steam Photos from the 1960s

docspics images of Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays photos of Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays photographs of Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays pictures of Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays © Dr Phil Brown * Treyn Railway Holidays to France, Italy and Spain from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays Booking tickets for Great Railway Journey luxury Rail Trip holidays Train travel in Europe Rail holidays from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays to the USA & Canada luxury train through the Rocky Mountain Canadian rail railway holidays through the Rockies US Cities by train from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays Continental rail holidays to France Germany Italy Austria Switzerland Glacier Express Treyn Holidays from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays from Eurostar to Paris Brussels Avignon Turin Turino Rome Roma Florence Firenze TGV fast trains Railway travel holidays special steam excursions from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays great steam heritage line and offers luxury Pullman coach dining trains Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays Travelling by train always seems a pleasure, especially if through wonderful scenery to Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays in England, Scotland, Wales or on holiday in the rest of Europe! The railway trip from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays involves seeing or travelling behind a 'real' steam locomotive in action and there is nothing like the sight and sounds of a steam train to invoke feelings of nostalgia in some of us to Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays even more luxury by having a special trip out on a steam dining train! England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland top class hotels in Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays dining out travel tours top tourist destinations tourist information on Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays weekend breaks mini-breaks family holidays restaurants touring coach trips from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays continental tours cruise ships pleasure cruises summer breaks spring breaks continental winter breaks European winter holidays spring holidays summer holidays European Rail tours Railway travel holidays special steam excursions from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays A great steam heritage line and offers luxury Pullman coach dining trains European Rail tours US and Canadian Railway travel holidays special steam excursions to Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays A great steam heritage line and offers luxury Pullman coach dining trains Travelling by train from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays always seems a pleasure, especially if through wonderful scenery either in England, Scotland, Wales or on holiday in the rest of the railways of Europe! The railway trip involves seeing or travelling behind a 'real' steam locomotive or heritage diesel in action on a special trip from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays Booking Eurostar Continental Rail Travel Tour Tickets Stuttgart Brussels Eurostar Brussels from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays by TGV to Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International Stratford International, St Pancras International Paris Gare du Nord Paris Gare de Lyon Paris Gare de L'est Paris Gare Montparnasse by Eurostar from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays London to Paris, Eurostar London - Brussels Eurostar London to Lille deals bargain city breaks Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays Great Railway Journey holidays in Italy, Spain and France by TGV booking from Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays Booking Eurostar Continental Rail Travel Tour Tickets to the Continent eg Paris Brussels Avignon or railway tours across France, Holland, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia, Asia or China for a travel spectacular Class 90 electric locomotive rail tour holidays

Good trainspotting 'TRAINSPOTS' Good trainspotting and photographic locations Barnetby Station, North Lincolnshire * Carlisle Station * Clapham Junction Station, London * Colton Junction, south of York * Crewe Station * Doncaster Station, South Yorkshire * Hellifield station - Carlisle to Settle line * Lancaster station * Newcastle Station * Northallerton Station * Nuneaton Station * Sheffield Station * Stratford Station, East London * Warrington Bank Quay station * Wigan North Western - WCML * York Station

See other TOPS classes of diesels and electrics * Class 01 * Class 02 * Class 03 * Class 04 * Class 08 * Class 09 * Class 10 * Class 11 * Class 14 * Class 20 * Class 24 * Class 25 * Class 26 * Class 27 * Class 31 * Class 33 * Class 35 * Class 37 * Class 40 * Class 43 * Class 44 * Class 45 * Class 47 * Class 50 * Class 52 * Class 55 * Class 56 * Class 57 * Class 58 * Class 60 * Class 66 * Class 67 * Class 68 * Class 70 * Class 71 * Class 73 * Class 76 * Class 77 * Class 84 * Class 86 * Class 87 * Class 88 * Class 90 * Class 91 * Class 92 * Derby Lightweight * Class 101 * Class 108 * Class 114 * Class 117 * Class 120 * Class 121 * Class 122 * Class 127 * Class 141 * Class 142 * Class 144 * Class 150 * Class 153 * Class 155 * Class 156 * Class 158 * Class 159 * Class 165 * Class 166 * Class 170 * Class 172 * Class 175 * Class 180 * Class 185 * Class 195 * Class 196 * Class 197 * Class 220 * Class 221 * Class 222 * Class 252 * Class 313 * Class 315 * Class 317 * Class 319 * Class 320 * Class 321 * Class 322 * Class 323 * Class 325 * Class 331 * Class 332 * Class 333 * Class 334 * Class 350 * Class 357 * Class 360 * Class 365 * Class 373 * Class 375 * Class 376 * Class 377 * Class 378 * Class 379 * Class 380 * Class 387 * Class 390 * Class 395 * Class 414 * Class 423 * Class 442 * Class 444 * Class 450 * Class 455 * Class 458 * Class 460 * Class 465 * Class 466 * Class 489 * Class 507/508 * Class 700 * Class 730 * Class 755 * Class 800 * Class 801 * Class 802 * Class 803 * Class 805 * Class 3000 *

IMAGES OF PRESERVED STEAM LOCOMOTIVES