Invention and Engineering

British Rail Class 88

The British Rail Class 88 is a type of main line mixed traffic electro-diesel locomotive, manufactured by Vossloh España/Stadler Rail Valencia for Direct Rail Services (DRS) in Great Britain. The locomotive is part of the Stadler Euro Dual group and is the first dual-mode locomotive in Great Britain to use 25 kV AC railway electrification. Amid the fulfillment of DRS's order for the Class 68, Vossloh's team proposed the development of a dual-mode locomotive that could be alternatively powered by an onboard diesel engine or via electricity supplied from overhead lines (OHLE). Having been impressed by the concept, DRS opted to place an order for ten Class 88s in September 2013. Having been developed alongside the Class 68, considerable similarities are shared between the two locomotives, amounting to roughly 70% of all components being shared. Testing of the first Class 88 was undertaken at the Velim Test Centre in the Czech Republic during 2016; these trials proved to be relatively smooth. During July 2016, 88001 made the type's first official public appearance. In January 2017, 88002 Prometheus was the first Class 88 to be delivered; all ten Class 88 locomotives arrived by March 2017. In June 2017, the type entered regular service with DRS; locomotives have been typically used to haul freight trains, although they are also fitted for hauling passenger services.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸British Rail Class 16
• ▸Capture of Breda (1590)
• ▸Combination square

Uncatalogued shelf

Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.