New pictures of the GE/Freightliner Class 70 have been released.
THE INTRODUCTION OF the new General Electric Class 70 ‘Powerhaul’ locomotives for Freightliner will also see a radically revised colour scheme and branding debut on the new machines. Pictures of the newly painted locos have been released by Freightliner and they are reproduced here.
The first two PowerHaul locos have been undergoing over 170 tests including ride testing, gauge and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, and are well on target for transit to port and shipping from Lambert’s Point, Virginia at the beginning of October. With arrival expected in Newport, South Wales, at the beginning of November.
As the first two locomotives took to GE’s 4 mile test track in Erie, Pennsylvania, construction continued on a further four locomotives which will be delivered a month later. This second batch, which includes Nos. 70005 & 70006, were the first to receive application of Freightliner’s revised livery scheme.
Freightliner CEO Peter Maybury commented “Our new branding represents the dynamic and modern logistics company which Freightliner has transformed into and represents the step change in technology being introduced to the rail freight market.”
Currently at GE’s site in Erie are Driver Production Mangers, and a team of Maintenance and Engineering staff who are undergoing a loco familiarisation course in readiness for delivering the training to staff back in the UK.
Click on the images for the hi-res versions.
Pictures courtesy of Freightliner/GE.
RAIL EXPRESS 
lmited edition rail express? WOOOOOW this looks awosme!
Hope it performs better than it looks !
Why not call the class 70 locos “Bull Dogs” ?
or call them predetaors
i would say pedataor aswell out of the film
Dreadful design! Still they will make me appreciate the class 66.
Got to be the ‘Ugliest design’ yet for a locomotive!
A suitable name would be ‘Judge Dredd’as the front end looks just like the helmet that belongs to the Marvel comic charachter ‘Judge Dredd’, better still just call them ‘Dredds’!!
It looks like there has been no design input – a far cry from BTC Design Panel days… The widespread application of yellow makes the front ends reminiscent of a tamper.
…how about “Cylons” ?
An ugly looking loco and the paint scheme does nothing to improve them. Freightliner CEO says the new branding represents the dynamic and modern logistics company REALLY !!!!!
i agree with chris…. rather a 66, never thought i would say that, might have to retire from hobby and stick to the model types!!
really nice, will make a change from endless sheds. the front ends different but very cool looking. front page loco’s i think!
They make the Class 66 and class 67 look nice!!
And thats saying something!
Well i have got to say in the age where style &
design is everything,i believe the design team
must have been on drugs.
i take my hat of to BR and give them 10/10 for the
class 58 and HST,s to think in the 60,s such things like
the 47,s,deltic,s etc look stunning?
Nice Tamper!!!
Apart from trying to give it a nick-name has no one noticed the disregard for the tops system- Electric locos: 70 onwards to 91 (or 96?) is it more powerful than a 66? therefore should it not be a Class 68 or 69?
I’m assuming that in these days of privatisation you simply can’t force other companies to renumber their multiple unit fleets just because you have a new locomotive that needs a logical number. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever see a new straight DC locomotive in this country so Class 70 – which was never really in official use – is not a terrible compromise.
Be thankful they have not gone for European loco numbering ! 69-69-696-9-696-9 or whatever !
A design that only its mother could love. Is there any reason at all for those two boxes on the lower part of the cab? Is it for safety or storage, or does it actually house something? The sides look as bad, with one of those horrible dancing areas to access the cab. The 66 may be a shed, but simple lines work, and I bet were (even adjusted for inflation) vastly cheaper.
Boxes are desined as anticlimbers according the latest crashworthiness requirements.
Awful design. Looks like they are built from Lego!
an awful livery variation to go with the ugliest diesel loco ever made!!!!! utter c**p
Knowing parameters, the latest safety requirements and UK limitations I must say that the result encompassing all these ones together is very good. Front mask design evoke me Darth Vader.
It has to be remembered that someone at Freightliner had to agree the design, using the term design very loosely. It is very ugly and goes completely against the classic British design but, have we not seen this with the 67 in the past. The 66 is based on the 59’s which, were influenced by the westerns (as mentioned in the Foster Yeoman book) so ,at least give a nod towards the old diesel designs. I just hope one day we hear about the real reasons why freightliner went for such a design. Was it money/time over design/asthetics?
I just hope they do the job for freightliner.
Cannot wait for official date to welsh soil and se’em powerup and go,away with the sheds,hello class 58 mk11.how about ac version?
Class 66, 67 and now these running on the network is enough to make me consider joining the yobs who ridicule rail enthusiasts. A truly horrific ‘design’ with a less than flattering livery to boot.
my son when he was two could of designed a better loco
sorry but the us cant design like the us or the french
the 60 still looks modern the 66/59 never did like them it looks like its come from the GE parts bin
sorry usa
I think the class 70 looks smart and would like to see one in model form it makes a change from the onslaught of 66’s which Freightliner could of so easily ordered. How many new freight loco’s r we likely to see in the next 10 years
john, thats not what you said about class 70 when your sober! 😉
trouble is that posts are by old anoraks who don’t want to modernise and can’t bear the thought of change. This is the shape of the future!
I work for network rail and happened to see 700005 at Shrewsbury heading towards Wolverhampton, it had 19 fully laden coal wagons, and i have to say as it rounded the curve at Abbey Foregate, the thing picked up quickly . . . butt yes butt ugly though.
Have seen it pass Wellington (shropshire)a few times now , must say it sounds good even with a full train of coal hoppers . The colours look bright Think these locomotivesmay grow on with us .
Butt ugly does not come near describing these hideous beasts… I go to Immingham Dock regularly, and they’re not a patch on the 66’s.
Can’t we design Loco’s in the UK anymore? Do we have to buy hideous American GE designs for our freight locos?
To all the people saying that the class 70 is ugly etc… who cares what you have to say. Their built to do a job not to look pretty, the crews will judge them on their performance and crew comforts and thats all that matters.
In the age of safety paranoia this design is made deliberately hideous to deter photographers and train spotters. The same thing happenned here in new zealand to stop people doing dangerous things near railway lines. I missed the railway scene and felt homesick when I moved here 4 years ago, but the new class 70 is helping me to get over it.
THANK GOD FOR UGLY SMALL MERCIES,AT LEAST IT IS SOMETHING TO GO FOR.I’VE SEEN EVERYTHING ELSE TO BE SEEN