Route 66: The General Motors Class 66 in Focus

Route 66: The General Motors Class 66 in Focus

In May 1996, the management of the newly formed English, Welsh & Scottish Railway placed a multi-million-pound order with General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division for a fleet of 250 brand-new diesel locomotives. The first of these locomotives, known as Class 66s, was delivered in April 1998 and within two years of its arrival they had revolutionised freight operations for EWS.

Such was the success of these locos that other freight operators followed suit, with deliveries of Class 66s continuing until as recently as 2016. By then, the class had become the predominant type of freight locomotive in Great Britain and examples could be seen almost anywhere on the national rail network, working everything from engineering trains to luxury charters.

Route 66 tells the story of the Class 66, looking at the design, the locomotives’ operating lives and exports/imports to/from mainland Europe. Also includes extensive append