British Rail Class 21 (MaK)

The second use of the TOPS classification Class 21 for locomotives used on the British railway network came through the use of a number of related diesel-hydraulic and diesel-electric locomotives procured following the opening of the Channel Tunnel. The total of 16 locomotives were obtained by two separate operators, with some used for freight, and others to propel service trains and as "Thunderbird" locomotives.

British Rail Class 21 (MaK)
NS 6450 in 2009 - this locomotive was subsequently procured by Eurotunnel[1]
Type and origin Power type Diesel-hydraulic Diesel-electric Builder MaK, Kiel, Germany Model DE6400 DE1004 G1206 G1000 Build date 1990-92 2005-06 Total produced 6 (diesel-hydraulic) 10 (diesel-electric)
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Bo'Bo' Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge Wheel diameter 1,000 mm (39.37 in) Length 14.7 m (48 ft 2 ^3⁄4 in) (21/5) 14.09 m (46 ft 2 ^3⁄4 in) (21/6) 14.4 m (47 ft 2 ^7⁄8 in) (21/9) Width 3.3 m (10 ft 9 ^7⁄8 in) Height 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in) Loco weight 87 t (86 long tons) (21/5) 80 t (79 long tons) (21/6) 90 t (89 long tons) (21/9) Prime mover CAT 3512 B DITA-SC (21/5) MTU 8V 4000R41L (21/6) MTU 12V 396TC13 (21/9) Transmission Hydraulic / L5r4szeU2 by Voith Diesel electric / three phase electrical by ABB Group Train heating None Loco brake Air disc (21/5 and/6) Air (21/9)
Performance figures Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph) Power output 1,570 kW (2,110 hp) (21/5) 1,100 kW (1,500 hp) (21/6) 950 kW (1,270 hp) (21/9)
Career Operators Euro Cargo Rail Getlink Numbers 21544-21547 21610-21611 21901-21910[2]

History

In the early 1980s, Maschinenbau Kiel introduced its MaK DE 1002 design of diesel-electric locomotive, which was chosen by Nederlandse Spoorwegen as the basis of its Class 6400 freight locomotive.[3] In 1991, Eurotunnel procured five similar locomotives as its Class 0001, for use both to operate service trains through the Channel Tunnel and as rescue locomotives.[4]

In 2005, Euro Cargo Rail (ECR) was formed as a freight operator in France by English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS). Its initial operations were carried out by a quartet of Vossloh G1206 diesel-hydraulic locomotives.[5] Although these locomotives were intended for use in France, maintenance was planned to be carried out at EWS's depot at Dollands Moor, close to the Eurotunnel terminal at Cheriton. Because the locomotives would be operating on railways in Great Britain, they were allocated numbers in the TOPS system as Class 21.[6] Two similar G1000 locomotives were procured in 2007.[7]

In 2009, Eurotunnel's five locomotives were used extensively for rescue operations following severe snow.[8] As a consequence, the company identified a need to have greater availability of these units, and so procured a pair of Class 6400 locomotives from DB Schenker Nederland in November 2010.[9] At the same time, Eurotunnel registered its locomotives on TOPS - the superficial similarity to the ECR locomotives led to the Eurotunnel units also being assigned as Class 21.[10] Eurotunnel acquired a further three secondhand units from the Netherlands in 2016.[11]

Fleet details

Class	Operator	No. Built	Year built	TOPS Number Range	Other numbers	Type	Notes
21/5	Euro Cargo Rail	4	2005-06	21544 - 21547	FB1544 - FB1457[12][13][14][15]	G1206	21544 - 21545 off TOPS registration[1]
21/6		2		21610 - 21611	FB1610 - FB1611[16][17]	G1000
21/9	Getlink	10	1990-92	21901 - 21905	0001 - 0005[4]	DE1004	Original Eurotunnel locomotives
				21906 - 21907	NS6456 - NS6457[18][19]	DE6400	Purchased from DB in 2010
					0006 - 0007
				21908 - 21910	NS6450 - NS6451[20][21] NS6447[22]		Purchased from DB in 2016
					0008 - 0010

References

1. Booth, Tony (4 February 2017). "AbRail Rail Databases - Diesel Locomotives". AbRail Rail Databases. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
2. British Rail Locomotives & Coaching Stock 2017. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. 2017. p. 86. ISBN 978-1909431362.
3. "MaK - DE 6400 für die Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)". www.loks-aus-kiel.de (in German).
4. "MaK - DE 1004", www.loks-aus-kiel.de (in German)
5. "News Desk: Euro Cargo Rail". Railway Herald (22): 4. 18 November 2005.
6. "TOPS numbers issued for Euro Cargo Rail Vossloh locomotives". Railway Herald (28): 5.
7. "Two more locomotives for ECR". Railways Illustrated. 5 (3): 17. March 2007.
8. "Eurostar Independent Review" (PDF), www.railwaysarchive,co.uk, 12 February 2010
9. "Eurotunnel buys more rescue locomotives". www.railwaygazette.com. Railway Gazette International. 3 November 2010.
10. "Eurotunnel locos on TOPS". Railways Illustrated. 8 (4): 13. March 2007.
11. "ECR transfers former DB DE6400s to Calais". mainline diesels.net. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
12. Fahrzeugportrait Vossloh 5001628 www.loks-aus-kiel.de
13. Fahrzeugportrait Vossloh 5001630 www.loks-aus-kiel.de
14. Fahrzeugportrait Vossloh 5001631 www.loks-aus-kiel.de
15. Fahrzeugportrait Vossloh 5001516 www.loks-aus-kiel.de
16. Fahrzeugportrait Vossloh 5001610 www.loks-aus-kiel.de
17. Fahrzeugportrait Vossloh 5001611 www.loks-aus-kiel.de
18. Fahrzeugportrait MaK 1200056 www.loks-aus-kiel.de
19. Fahrzeugportrait MaK 1200057 www.loks-aus-kiel.de
20. Fahrzeugportrait MaK 1200050 www.loks-aus-kiel.de
21. Fahrzeugportrait MaK 1200051 www.loks-aus-kiel.de
22. Fahrzeugportrait MaK 1200047 www.loks-aus-kiel.de