The British Rail Class 57 is a type of

diesel locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving whee ...

that was remanufactured from Class 47s by

Brush Traction Brush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives in Loughborough, England. It is a subsidiary of Wabtec. History Hughes's Locomotive & Tramway Engine Works Henry Hughes had been operating at the Falcon Works since ...

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second large ...

between 1998 and 2004. In reference to these locomotives being re-manufactured, they are often referred to by enthusiasts as ''Bodysnatchers'' or ''Zombies''. The Class 57 was produced in response to an order placed in November 1997 by the recently privatised freight operator Freightliner. The company sought to have its aging Class 47s, some of which had become increasingly unreliable and uncompetitive in comparison to new-build counterparts. Accordingly, redundant locomotives were handed over to Brush, where they were fitted with re-conditioned

Electro-Motive Diesel Progress Rail Locomotives, doing business as Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), is an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives, locomotive products and diesel engines for the rail industry. The company is owned by Caterpillar through its s ...

(EMD) engines and the same model of traction alternator as that fitted to the Class 56 heavy freight locomotive. As a result of this scheme, improved reliability and performance was recorded; Freightliner placed multiple follow-on orders for more to be rebuilt, as would other operators. However, Freightliner abandoned its long term plans to acquire 25 Class 57 locomotives in favour of new-built Class 66 locomotives instead. There are three variants of the Class 57, one designed for freight traffic (57/0) and two to perform passenger operations. During April 2002, Virgin Trains West Coast signed a deal with the rolling stock leaser Porterbrook for the rebuilding of 12 Class 47s into Class 57/3s to conduct rescue duties as well as to drag electric trains along routes that lacked overhead wires to power them directly; further examples would be later ordered to expand Virgin's fleet. The company named its Class 57 locomotives after characters and vehicles from '' Thunderbirds.'' Other passenger train operators that used the type included

Arriva Trains Wales Arriva Trains Wales (ATW; cy, Trenau Arriva Cymru) was a British train operating company owned by Arriva UK Trains that operated the Wales & Borders franchise. It ran urban and inter-urban passenger services to all railway stations in Wales, ...

and

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

. Various freight haulage firms, and mixed traffic operators, opted to procure Class 57 locomotives as well; these include Direct Rail Services,

Rail Operations Group Rail Operations Group (ROG) specialises in ad-hoc movement of rolling stock for rolling stock companies and train operating companies as well as locomotive spot hire services and the operation of charter trains. It has its headquarters and main ...

Advenza Freight Advenza Freight was an English rail freight company based in Gloucester. It was part of the Cotswold Rail group. The company was wound up in October 2009. History Advenza Freight was founded in 2001. It obtained a safety case in 2002 and a lic ...

, and

Colas Rail Colas Rail is a railway infrastructure and rail freight company primarily active in the United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of the French industrial group Bouygues. Colas Rail was originally created as ''Seco Rail'', named after its then-pare ...

; many of these obtained units as a result of Freightliner having made its own fleet redundant after procuring new-build locomotives.

Background

The Class 57 is a re-engineered diesel locomotive that was rebuilt from redundant Class 47 locomotives by

at their

facility. The locomotives are fitted with a refurbished

(EMD) engine and a re-conditioned alternator, improving reliability and performance. There are three variants of the Class 57, one designed for freight traffic (57/0) and two to perform passenger operations. Each locomotive reportedly cost £300,000, about one-third that of a new-build locomotive. The origins of the Class 57 can be traced back to an order placed in November 1997 by the recently privatised freight operator Freightliner for an initial batch of six locomotives. In 1999, the rebuilding of a further six locomotives were ordered for a total of 12 Class 57/0 freight locomotives. Additionally, five locomotives of the Class 57/6 variant were produced between 2000 and 2003, while 12 Class 57/3 locomotives were ordered during 2002, and extended to cover four more units in 2003, making a total of 21 passenger units. During 2001, a single prototype Class 57/0 was converted with

electric train heating In rail transport, head-end power (HEP), also known as electric train supply (ETS), is the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive (or a generator car) at the front or 'head' of a train, p ...

for the purpose of garnering orders from passenger train operating companies.

Current operators

Direct Rail Services

The mixed-traffic operator Direct Rail Services (DRS) currently operate nine class 57/0s—comprising 57002-57003 and 57007-57012, leased from Porterbrook, and 57004, purchased outright as an insurance replacement for 37515 in 2008. During April 2012, DRS agreed terms with Porterbrook to lease 57302, 57305, and 57309 via a three-year deal. In December 2012, DRS started provided locomotives to the passenger train operator

Virgin Trains Virgin Trains (legal name West Coast Trains Limited) was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Virgin Rail Group, a joint venture between Virgin Group and Stagecoach Group, Stagecoach, which operated the InterCity West Coast ...

. Another three Class 57/3s were leased as part of the deal, however, two of these had entered warm storage within two years. During July 2014, DRS took over the leases of the remaining six Class 57/3s from the national railway infrastructure owner

Network Rail Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's len ...

Great Western Railway

During 2000, the rail leasing company Porterbrook placed an order for a prototype passenger locomotive fitted with electric train heating. During June 2001, this locomotive, 57601, was leased to the passenger train operator

First Great Western Great Western Railway (GWR) is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.Class 47 locomotives. 57601 hauled

Mark 2 Mark 2 is the second chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. In this chapter, the first arguments between Jesus and other Jewish religious teachers appear. Jesus heals a paralyzed man and forgives his sins, m ...

stock on day services from

London Paddington Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services provided by the Great We ...

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...

and

Penzance Penzance ( ; kw, Pennsans) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situ ...

—until these services ceased in September 2002—and on the

Night Riviera The ''Night Riviera'' is a sleeper train operated by Great Western Railway (GWR). It is one of only two sleeper services on the railway in the United Kingdom (the other being the ''Caledonian Sleeper'' services between London and Scotland). ...

sleeper service. After an evaluation period, First Great Western agreed to lease three production Class 57/6s from Porterbrook in May 2002, the first of which being delivered during November 2003. As the prototype locomotive was non-standard, it was decided to order a fourth Class 57/6 in 2003 and return 57601 to Porterbrook; this occurred in December 2003 after the first production Class 57/6 was delivered, after which 57601 sold by Porterbrook to the spot-hire company

West Coast Railways West Coast Railways (WCR) is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator based at Carnforth MPD in Lancashire. Using buildings and other facilities previously owned by the Steamtown Carnforth visitor attraction, in June 1998 the com ...

. In mid-2015, First Great Western stated it had plans to obtain one more Class 57, but the sub-class and number of which had not yet been confirmed. The First Great Western fleet were originally painted green with a gold bodyside band to match the Night Riviera stock, with cast name and numberplates. All four locomotives were named after

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

s in Devon and Cornwall, and operate mainly on the Night Riviera sleeper service, with the occasional stock move. From March 2008, the fleet started to receive First Great Western blue livery, with 57605 the first repainted. During June 2010, 57604 received a repaint into lined Brunswick green livery, to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the

. Between December 2009 and July 2010, the rail freight operator First GBRf hired several Class 57/3s from

to operate in top-and-tail formation with Mark 2 stock on a First Great Western

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

diagram; primarily due to unreliability, the Class 57/3s were replaced by Class 67 locomotives.

Locomotive Services Limited

In December 2021, the train operating company

Locomotive Services Limited Locomotive Services Limited is a train operating company in Great Britain. The company operates rail tours using heritage steam, diesel and electric locomotives with support from associated companies and trusts. History In August 2017, Locomo ...

purchased 57302 and 57311 from Direct Rail Services..Also acquired in 2022 was 57004; this was subsequently sold to Great Western Railway as a source of spares for their Class 57 fleet. 57004 was stripped of recoverable components by GWR engineers at LSL’s Crewe depot in October 2022.

West Coast Railways

During April 2003, 57601 was sold to

(WCRC), but it remained in traffic with First Great Western for a few months. WCRC's managing director stated that the first action taken upon taking control of the locomotive was to pass it through his paint shop to apply the house colours in the original diesel style. In January 2011, WCRC purchased 57001 from Porterbrook as well as 57005 from

, followed in April 2011 by 57006 from Advenza, with 57001 and 57006 returned to service and 57005 stored at Carnforth. During January 2013, 57313-316 were purchased from Porterbrook, a move which made WCRC the only company to operate all three of the Class 57 sub-classes.

Former operators

Advenza Freight

Cardiff Central railway station MMB 18 57005

During January 2008, the fright haulage company

purchased 57005 and 57006 from Porterbrook to use on a number of freight flows that had been recently won by the company. After Advenza ceased operations in 2009, 57005 was sold to West Coast Railways in January 2011, as was 57006 in April 2011.

Arriva Trains Wales

Between January and July 2006, passenger service operator

hired Class 57/3s from Virgin Trains to operate a weekday

Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. Opened as Store Street in 1842, it was renamed Manchester London Road in 1847 and became Manchester Piccadilly in 1960. Located to the south-east of Manchester city ...

Holyhead Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and i ...

diagram, hauling rakes of Mark 2 carriages. During December 2008, Arriva Trains Wales commenced operation of the daily '' Premier Service'' between

and

with Mark 2 carriages. To provide the motive power for this train, ATW contracted Virgin Trains to provide Class 57/3 locomotives; these were initially operated in a top and tail formation, but later on their own. Four were repainted at Cardiff Canton, 57314 and 57315 receiving ATW livery, 57313 and 57316 plain blue with no signwriting. In March 2012, Class 67 locomotives took over the duties from the Class 57/3s.

Colas Rail

From the start of 2007 until 31 October 2009, the freight haulage company

hired Class 57/3 locos from Virgin Trains to haul its timber trains. Starting in August 2009, a Class 57/0 was hired from Direct Rail Services on a trial basis for one or two days each week. Unlike the Virgin Trains Class 57/3s, all sixteen of which were variously used on the timber trains, Direct Rail Services specifically allocated 57002 to the Colas workings with 57008 as standby when 57002 was undergoing maintenance.

Freightliner

During 1997, the recently privatised freight operator Freightliner placed an order for an initial six Class 57/0 locomotives. The first of these was released in July 1998, and coincided with the unveiling of the new British Racing Green Freightliner livery. After an evaluation period, Freightliner was sufficiently impressed to order a further six during June 1999, and stated its long term plans to eventually acquire a fleet of 25 Class 57s. However, this plan was abandoned and no further Class 57s would be ordered by the company, largely due to Freightliner switching preference towards new-built Class 66s and opting to transfer its remaining Class 47s to the metal recycler

CF Booth C F Booth Ltd is a family-owned scrap metal and recycling business based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. Operations Clarence Frederick Booth founded the business in 1920, as a metal purchaser and trader. Over the company's history, ...

. During 2007, Freightliner started to replace its Class 57/0s with new Class 66 locomotives. Initially six Class 57/0s (the second batch) were returned to Porterbrook, and leased to Direct Rail Services in July 2007. Of the original six, three also went to Direct Rail Services and two to

in January 2008. The remaining Class 57/0 was sold to

in January 2011. All were named:

Network Rail

During September 2011,

leased six Class 57/3s from Porterbrook, which were initially intended for use on test trains and the company's deicing trains. Network Rail's Class 57 fleet was also expected to occasionally operate with

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, 350,

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, 377, 444 and

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in response to emergencies, their primary operational area was the Southern Region. During early 2013, the organisation openly stated its target for emergency rescue operations in the region was to keep five Class 57s continuously available to respond; of these, two were fitted with tightlock couplings while three featured Dellner couplings instead. Typically, rescued trains would be hauled onto the nearest convenient station, but the Class 57 had sufficient capabilities to haul most trains through their original schedule if desired. To achieve the necessary compatibilities to work with various EMUs, the locomotives were outfitted with multiple types of adapter cables, pressure switches, and pickups to convey electricity and other services, such as pressurised air, to the rescued train. In July 2014, the leases were transferred to Direct Rail Services.

Rail Operations Group

During October 2018, the

(ROG) confirmed a long term lease for two Class 57 owned by Direct Rail Services. In October 2019, it was confirmed that ROG would lease a third Class 57/3 from Direct Rail Services. In March 2022, it was announced that the lease of the three Class 57s would be terminated and the locomotives returned to Direct Rail Services.

Virgin Trains West Coast

During April 2002, Virgin Trains West Coast signed a deal with Porterbrook for the rebuilding of 12 Class 47s into Class 57/3s; these were to provide a fleet of locomotives for rescue duties as well as to drag electric trains along routes that lacked overhead wires to power them directly. The first of these locomotives were delivered in June 2002. After the discovery of structural defects, 47844 and 47849, which were to become 57307 and 57303, were replaced after they had been stripped down. After it was announced by the

Strategic Rail Authority The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry. Its motto was 'Britain's railway, properly delivered'. I ...

during June 2003 that Class 390 ''Pendolinos'' would operate along the

North Wales Coast Line The North Wales Coast Line ( cy, Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru), also known as the North Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru or cy, label=none, Prif Linell y Gogledd), is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, ...

hauled by Class 57/3s, a further four were ordered to expand Virgin's fleet. Furthermore, it was decided to fit the fleet with

Dellner Dellner Couplers AB is a Swedish original equipment manufacturer of train connection systems as couplers, gangway systems and dampers. The headquarter of the company is located in Vika in the Falun Municipality. Dellner is owned by the investme ...

retractable couplings; the original 12 Class 57/3s were also retrofitted as such from October 2003. From spring 2005, Class 57/3s were used to haul two daily Virgin services from

Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The Crewe built-up area had a total population of 75,556 in 2011, which also covers parts of the adjacent civil parishes of Willaston ...

, complementing the Class 221 ''Super Voyagers'' that covered the other North Wales services. The downside of this arrangement was that whilst the Class 390 ''Pendolino'' sets are longer and have the added advantage of running off OHLE south of Crewe, coupling and uncoupling at Crewe added to the journey time. From December 2008, all North Wales Coast services were operated by Super Voyagers, except for one Saturday service formed of a Class 57/3 and Class 390 ''Pendolino'' set. However, this too was converted to Voyager operation in November 2012. As a nod to their purpose as rescue engines, Virgin named the engines after characters and vehicles from '' Thunderbirds.'' In keeping with this theme, the engines also bore special plates with the International Rescue logo above their regular nameplates including: All were named: After the completion of the West Coast Main Line upgrade in 2008, Virgin's requirement for Class 57/3s decreased. The sixteen strong fleet found other work with both Arriva Trains Wales and Colas Rail. During September 2010, six were placed in warm storage at

Eastleigh Works Eastleigh Works is a locomotive, carriage and wagon building and repair facility in the town of Eastleigh, in the county of Hampshire in England. History LSWR The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) opened a carriage and wagon works at E ...

before being returned to Porterbrook and leased to

in September 2011. In December 2012, the remaining seven Class 57/3s were returned, three of which were leased to Direct Rail Services while the remaining four sold to

Fleet details

References

External links

{{EMD misc 57 Brush Traction locomotives Co-Co locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1998 Rebuilt locomotives Standard gauge locomotives of Great Britain Diesel-electric locomotives of Great Britain Passenger locomotives in the United Kingdom