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Bachmann 32-612

Class 90 90042 Freightliner Powerhaul

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

Prototype Eras
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation
Era 10 (2005 to 2015) Rebuilding of the Railways
Era 11 (2016 to 2026) The Last Days of Privatisation

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 offers a 4 mm scale model of British Rail Class 90 locomotive number 90042 in the Freightliner Powerhaul livery. The finish is described as pristine, with a green and yellow colour scheme. The model measures 250 mm in length, is DCC ready with a 21‑pin socket, and can navigate a minimum radius of 438 mm (second radius). Directional and interior lighting are fitted, and the locomotive is powered electrically.

The prototype is a Bo‑Bo electric locomotive built between 1987 and 1990, with a total production run of 50 units. It was originally intended for both express passenger and heavy freight work, capable of a design speed of 110 mph (75 mph operating speed). The model bears manufacturer part number 32‑612 and represents the period of railway rebuilding in the late 1980s.

Key features of the model include a servo‑operated pantograph, directional cab lights, interior lighting, an accessory pack, and prototype‑accurate buffers and couplings.

The real Class 90 fleet was constructed by British Rail Engineering Limited at Crewe Works. Weighing 84.5 tonnes and delivering 5 000 bhp from a 25 kV AC overhead supply, the locomotives replaced older Class 81‑85 units and were used on the West Coast Main Line, often in push‑pull configuration with Driving Van Trailers. Throughout their service they have been operated by a range of passenger and freight companies, and have appeared in several special liveries.