25 Years of the Class 66

The ubiquitous class 66 loco first emerged on to the UK freight scene in 1998, with many getting their first close-up look at these engines at the Open Day at Toton in August that year. 2023 sees the twenty-fifth anniversary of the class in operation in the UK. Since pioneer 66001 went on display at the, then, EWS-owned depot back in 1998, over 400 of these machines have seen service in the UK through all the major railfreight operators. This book looks at the rapid cascade of these locomotives across the UK in that twenty-five year period. The class 66’s area of operation extends from the China Clay traffic in the south-west of England through to services to both Fort William and Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. It is also a celebration of the variety of traffic on offer to the observer of our railways today.

John Jackson, a lifelong transport enthusiast, opted for early retirement at the turn of the Millennium – and swapped the rat race for the rail tracks. Since then, he has travelled extensively on the British rail network with his camera as a constant companion. He continues to compile a photographic collection reflecting the UK rail industry that already extends to tens of thousands of images. He also has an interest in the history of his local county of Bedfordshire and John and his wife Jenny, together with their trusty cameras, have spent hundreds of hours meandering around their home county visiting each one of the parishes in the county, recording the churches.