The Class 66 is a type of six-axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction, the class has been successful and has been sold to many British and European operators.
The first locomotive shipped to the UK arrived at Immingham in June 1998 and was taken to Derby for testing.
The second was taken to AAR's Pueblo Test Centre for endurance testing, before shipping to the UK. The locomotives then shipped at a rate of 11 per month into the UK via Newport Docks until the order was completed in December 2001.
After unloading, EWS engineers then simply took off the tarpaulin, unblocked the suspension and finally as each was shipped with water and fuel, hooked up the batteries before starting the engine and handing the locomotive into service. The ability to simply start up the 66s on the dockside and drive them under their own power to depots to enter service was nothing short of a revelation when compared to many other BR locomotives.