Photo Class 90034 EWS UK Electric Locomotive at Rugby Station 1990s

 

EWS Class 90034 - Rugby       Photo: Charles Moorhen

Class 90034 electric locomotive, photographed in English Welsh & Scottish Railways (EWS) livery, stands in Rugby station in the 1990s around the time of its  modernisation.

 

Built by British Rail Engineering Ltd. (BREL) at Crewe between 1987 and 1990, the electric Class 90 locomotives, a derivative of the Class 87, and initially intended to be classified Class 87/2, were produced essentially for mixed traffic duties on sections of the UK railway network.  

Due to their unreliability in the early years of service, they were unfortunately nicknamed, 'Skodas', a derogative name for the cheap and, some claim, unreliable Skoda Czech-manufactured car.

In response to the aging of various electric locos on the UK railway network, dating from the 1960s, such as Classes 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85, BREL tendered proposals to build 25 examples to replace.

In total 50 units were produced with all of the fleet in still service or stored at the present time.

At the time of writing the current Class 90 operators are - DB Cargo UK, Freightliner, and Locomotive Services.

Photo BR Class 31130 UK Diesel Loco and BR Brake Van Wellingborough 1990s

British Rail Class 31130 Diesel Locomotive, Wellingborough

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Running virtually 'light' UK British Rail Class 31130 diesel locomotive, in BR Railfreight livery, hauls a lone former British Railways brake van through Wellingborough station on a summer's day in the 1990s.

 

Built in 1959 at Brush Traction, Loughborough, UK, Class 31130 was  originally number D5548 and based at Ipswich shed.

31130, now carrying the name Calder Hall Power Station, is one of two Class 31 diesel locomotives based at the Avon Valley Railway, Bath Road, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, BS30 6HD.

Class 31 Diesel Locomotive Historical Note:

Whilst hauling a train in which Queen Elizabeth II was travelling on 4th January 1961, D5667 (31240), broke down south of Cambridge.  

 

Two onboard Brush fitters, on hand to deal with any mechanical problems that may occur, were unable to fix the problem and a steam loco had to be sent for in order to rescue the stricken diesel adding over an hour to the completed journey.

 

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