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Bachmann 32-611

Class 90 90037 BR Railfreight Distribution Sector

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 8 (1983 to 1994) British Rail Sectorisation

Manufacturer description

Highlights:

• Servo-operated pantograph
• Directional and cab interior lights
• Accessory-pack
• Buffers and couplings appropriate to prototype

History

The British Rail Class 90 electric locomotives were built by British Rail Engineering Limited at Crewe Works 1987-1990, weigh 84.5 tonnes and have a top design speed of 110 mph (177 km/h). They operate from 25 kV AC overhead lines and produce 5,000 bhp (3,700 kW). The class is employed on express passenger and heavy freight trains. The fifty class members were constructed in the late 1980s, numbered 90001-050. They were developed from the Class 87, with many improvements and new features, and were initially classified as the Class 87/2 prior to production, however, due to many visual and technical differences, they were reclassified as Class 90.

They were primarily built to replace the ageing Class 81 -85s which could then be retired, and to replace Class 86s on express passenger work on the West Coast Main Line. In addition, the locos were designed to work in push-pull mode with new Driving Van Trailers (DVTs), which reduced the need for shunt-release locomotives or for the loco to run-round at destinations including Euston, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Wolverhampton and Birmingham, for example.

Class 90s have operated for freight and passenger operators, including InterCity West Coast, Virgin, Anglia Railways, One Anglia, National Express, Abellio, Deutsche Bahn, EWS, Freightliner and have been sub-leased to GNER, LNER and ScotRail/ SERCO Caledonian Sleeper. They have also appeared in various one-off liveries such as Malcolm Logistics, SNCF and SNCB.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

Bachmann Class 90 90037 is a 1:87 scale (HO) model of a British Rail Class 90 electric locomotive, representing the Railfreight Distribution sector. The model is in pristine condition, finished in two‑tone grey livery, and carries the running number 90037. It measures 250 mm in length, features directional and cab interior lighting, a servo‑operated pantograph, and is DCC ready with a 21‑pin socket. The minimum curve radius is 2nd radius (438 mm) and it includes appropriate buffers and couplings.

The prototype locomotive was built by British Rail Engineering Limited at Crewe Works between 1987 and 1990, with a total of 50 units produced. It has a Bo‑Bo wheel arrangement, a maximum speed of 75 mph in service (design speed 110 mph), and is powered by a 25 kV AC overhead supply delivering 5 000 bhp. The model is supplied with the manufacturer part number 32‑611.

The Class 90s were introduced to replace older Class 81‑85 locomotives and to operate in push‑pull mode with Driving Van Trailers on the West Coast Main Line, serving both express passenger and heavy freight services. They have been employed by a range of operators, including InterCity West Coast, Virgin, Anglia Railways, Freightliner and others, and have appeared in several one‑off liveries.