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Class 66 (66/0, 66/3, 66/4, 66/5, 66/6, 66/7, 66/8, 66/9)
Class 66 (66/0, 66/3, 66/4, 66/5, 66/6, 66/7, 66/8, 66/9): a diesel-electric locomotive (Co-Co (UIC Co'Co')), built by GM Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), London, Ontario and Muncie, Indiana, 1998-2008 (and 2014-15 low-emission batches). A freight locomotive, drawn indicatively from photographs (set FRL1).
Scale
Class 66 (66/0, 66/3, 66/4, 66/5, 66/6, 66/7, 66/8, 66/9) · indicative drawing GB Trains · gbtrains.uk/stock/class-66/ · CC BY 4.0
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Liveries 5
The same indicative drawing in each livery, each drawn from a cited source. The drawing above shows the largest fleet’s.
- Type
- diesel-electric locomotive
- Builder
- GM Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), London, Ontario and Muncie, Indiana
- Built
- 1998-2008 (and 2014-15 low-emission batches)
- In service
- since 1998
- Top speed
- 75 mph (121 km/h)
- Power
- 2,462 kW (3,300 hp); EMD 12N-710G3B-T2 two-stroke V12 (139.6 L); 6 x EMD D43TRC motors; 1,850 kW at the rail
- Bogies
- GM-EMD HTCR three-axle bogies (Class 66)
- Profile
- main-line
- Status
- Backbone of GB freight. 129.6 t is the UIC II/Stage IIIA weight; original spec 127 t (GBRf's page 127 t). Sub-classes: 66/0 DB Cargo 223 built; 66/3 16; 66/4 24 (intermodal, 75 mph (121 km/h)); 66/5 81; 66/6 28 (65 mph (105 km/h), regeared); 66/7 99 (GBRf); 66/8 5 (Colas 66846-850); 66/9 7 (66951-957, low-emission, reduced fuel).
unverified Some of these figures haven’t yet been checked against an official source or a published history. What’s in doubt ↓
Sources
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Show the 13 sources from Wikimedia Commons, RAIL magazine, Akiem and 3 more
- Class 66 data sheet (Fiche Class 66 EN) Akiem (locomotive lessor), 20182,462 kW, 1,850 kW at rail, 75 mph (121 km/h), 129.6 t, length 70 ft 3 in (21.400 m)
- DB Cargo UK Fleet (undated page) DB Cargo UK, undated (read 2026-10-25)3,300 bhp, 75 mph (121 km/h), 70 ft 3 in (21.4 m), 129.6 t
- British Rail Class 66 Wikipedia (secondary; must be paired), 2026-10-2570 ft 2 in (21.39 m), 8 ft 8 in (2.63 m) wide, 12 ft 10 in (3.91 m) high; sub-classes
- Twenty DB Cargo UK Class 66s set for export to Romania RAIL magazine, 2026-01-19DB Cargo 137 active
- How Freightliner locomotive fleets are splitting after intermodal sale RAIL magazine, 2026-02-11Freightliner/HHR split
- Class 66 data (loco-info.com) loco-info.com, undatedwheelbase 57 ft 1 in (17.41 m), rigid 13 ft 9 in (4.19 m)
- 66702 _Blue Lightning_ Ely DGL 170522.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 21 May 2022the drawing's outline, layout and heights (rectified, level); the GBRf livery
- 66073 Toton 071022.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 14 October 2022the DB Cargo livery, the cab doors and details (ratios only)
- 66701 Toton 071022.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 14 October 2022a cross-check of the layout; GBRf's colours in overcast light
- Freightliner 66591 (no 1 end, left side).JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Geof Sheppard), 14 November 2021the HTCR bogie's layout and the wheel size (by ratio)
- 66 598 Rivenhall side on 231120.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 23 November 2020the bogie and underframe cross-check; the Freightliner livery
- 66847 and 66849 Eastleigh 301223.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 31 December 2023the Colas Rail livery (rectified on its grilles)
- 66421 Gresty Bridge TMD Wilsons Lane 231121.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 23 November 2021the DRS livery's blue (read off its cab doors)
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unverified
- Length: 70 ft 3 in (21,400 mm; Akiem and DB Cargo agree) vs 70 ft 2 in (21,390 mm; Wikipedia) vs 70 ft 1 in / 70 ft 3 in (21,360/21,410 mm; loco-info); 21,400 recorded.
- Height 12 ft 10 in (3,910 mm) and width 8 ft 8 in (2,630 mm) are Wikipedia-only (single secondary).
- Bogie wheelbase: 13 ft 7 in (4,150 mm; 2007 Wikipedia mirror) vs 13 ft 9 in (4,190 mm; loco-info 'rigid wheelbase'): conflict, left null. Bogie centres and wheel diameter are to be confirmed (overall wheelbase 56 ft 9 in or 57 ft 1 in (17.29 or 17.41 m)).
- In_service_total null: operator counts are of different dates (DB 137 + GBRf 104 + Freightliner 46 + HHR 58 + DRS 19 + Colas 5 = 369, an indicative sum only).
- Counts of 66 per operator are partly from Wikipedia (GBRf, DRS, Colas) and not cross-checked.
- Drawing indicative (set FRL1, October 2026): the outline, layout, heights and bogies measured on a level photograph of 66702 (rectified by its 70 ft 3 in (21,400 mm) over buffers), the details from 66073, 66591 and 66598; the bogie centres (43 ft 4 in (13,220 mm) apart) from loco-info's overall and rigid wheelbases, the 3 ft 4 in (1,020 mm) wheels by ratio on 66591
- Drawing: the right-hand side only (the No. 1 end to the right); the left-hand side's grilles differ and are not drawn
- Liveries' colours from photographs, approximate; DRS's from one weathered photograph
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