Traction & Stock

Greater Anglia Class 90s move to Freightliner, two namings for Captain Tom Moore, former LNER HSTs enter service with EMR, more Merseyrail Class 777s arrive, TfW Class 230s out on test.

THE last of three movements to transfer 13 Class 90 electric locomotives from Greater

Anglia (GA) to Freightliner was completed on May 15, bringing an end to loco-hauled trains between London and East Anglia.

The departure of the final batch leaves Norwich with no formal locomotive allocation for the first time in more than 170 years.

The new 12-car Stadler Class 745 'Flirt' electric units took over all Norwich to Liverpool Street services from March 24, with the Class 90s moved in three batches following removal of all branding and external cleaning.

The first was on May 7, when Nos. 90003, 90010 and 90011 were worked from Norwich to Crewe Basford Hall yard via the GE and West Coast Main Lines.

The following day it was the turn of locos Nos. 90005-008 to move, with the final five Nos.90004,90009,90012,90013 and 90015 - transferring on

May 15. All locos transferred with their nameplates, which will be returned to GA.

The 13 locos await preparation and repainting by Freightliner, but the arrival of the '90s' is likely to mean their fleet of Class 86/6 locos, which operate in pairs, are likely to be gradually withdrawn by late this year/early-2021.

One loco not mentioned in the moves is No. 90014, which in fact had been moved to Crewe EMD on January 20 for repairs by Class 37 No. 37401.

Greater Anglia confirmed the final Class 90 and Mk3 working was its 17.00 Norwich-London and 19.30 return on March 24 hauled by No. 90001 Crown

Point, after which this loco and No. 90002 were sold to Locomotive Services Limited, also based at Crewe.

On April 23, Nos. 90001/002 had moved to Eastleigh with

Mk3 carriages Nos. 10411, 11068 and 12171 for repainting.

The 15 Class 90s used by GA were all built by BREL at Crewe in 1988, and until 2004 were part of the West Coast Main Line fleet, first under BR and then Virgin Trains.

As Class 390 'Pendolinos' were phased by Virgin on the WCML from 2003, Nos. 90001-15 were transferred to London to Norwich services.

They replaced Class 86s, which were 40 years old, the final '86' running in September 2005.

Above: Seven of Freightliner's Class 90s - Nos. 90003, 90005-8, 90010 and 90011 - sit in Basford Hall yard, Crewe, on May 9, sandwiched between six stored Class 70s and a TransPennine Class 68 and MkS set. The picture is taken from the A500 Shavington bypass; the white building in the distance is Freightliner's Crewe depot. STUART J HOOD

Below: The final Class 90 move on May 15 sees No. 90015 leading 90004, 90009, 90012 and 90013 through Atherstone en route from Norwich to Crewe. CHRIS MILNER