Bachmann Class 66 Malcolm Rail 32-979
Freightliner Group Ltd placed an order for 30 Class 66 freight locomotives of a new design giving even greater hauling capacity than earlier members of the class and a significant improvement in fuel economy. 'Project Genesis', which was being developed in partnership with General Electric (GE), brought new technology to the UK rail freight market, enabling Freightliner to move longer and heavier trains whilst reducing CO2 emissions per tonne moved.
This development came at a time when the Government was making large investments in the rail network and Freightliner had to continue to mirror this to meet the rising demand for delivery of products throughout the UK. The tonnages moved had been increasing each year.
Other companies followed suite, ordering low emission Class 66 locomotives and amongst these was Direct Rail Services (DRS). The locomotives belong to HBOS and are leased to DRS. 66412 carries advertising in the form of Malcolm Rail on behalf of Malcolm Logistic Services. The model is 'DCC ready', now with a 21-pin DCC decoder socket fitted, and has directional lighting (options), etched nameplates, 6-axle drive, different light cluster styles and etched roof grill.