GBRF’S latest Class 69 livery pays homage to the Class 33

The latest Class 69 to be completed for GB Railfreight, 69005, emerged from Arlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh, on April 29 painted in British Railways green livery with cream lining and small yellow cab warning panels, in a style reminiscent of that applied to the BRCW Class 33s.

The locomotive has been named Eastleigh, a name also carried by now-preserved 33008 during its final years in service before withdrawal, and the ‘celebrity’ Class 33 was also painted in the same livery style. Arlington has also recently completed the repainting of the 71A Locomotive Group's Class 33, D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN, in the same paint scheme, with the Class 33 leaving the works in April to return to its usual home base at the Swanage Railway. 69005 was created using the bodyshell of Romanian-built 56007 and was completed by EMD Longport in March 2022, moving to Eastleigh for painting on April 7. The repainted locomotive departed Eastleigh for Tonbridge Yard on May 3.

GBRF has long been known for celebrating the heritage of our railways, with a number of its locomotives being painted into modern Gbrf-inspired versions of obsolete former BR livery styles, both on its Class 66 and 69 fleets.

69005 is the third GBRF Class 69 to be repainted into a special one-off livery, following 69002 Bob Tiller CM&EE in Large Logo blue and 69004 which carries BR Research Department red and blue.

Both 69001 Mayflower and 69003 carry GBRF livery with blue ‘speed’ whiskers on the cab fronts, while 69001 also has British and American flags on the bodysides.

Paul Hadfield The BR green and cream lining of the newly-painted 69005 are reminiscent of the livery applied to the Brcw-built Class 33s. Now preserved by Ed Stevenson, preserved 33008 Eastleigh is pictured on a low-loader at Wishaw heading to the Battlefield Line at Shackerstone from the East Somerset Railway at Cranmore, after receiving a bodywork overhaul and repaint on February 21, 2016. Although the shades of green are slightly different, this view allows for a good comparison between the Class 33 and Class 69-inspired liveries.

Scott Paddington The latest striking colours applied to a GB Railfreight Class 69 are shown to good effect as newly repainted 69005 Eastleigh makes a light engine movement from Eastleigh Arlington to Eastleigh East Yard on April 29, a few hours after it had emerged from the Arlington paint facility.