BACHMANN 32-612K CLASS 90128 IN SNCB BLUE AND YELLOW LIVERY ‘VRACHTVERBINDING’

Description

The model features directional lighting (with day and night mode options) and cab lighting along with sprung buffers and an accessory pack which includes full buffer-beam pipework

The Pantograph is sprung and poseable for analogue users and there are micro-switches on the roof to control the directional lights – these are located below one of the roof-mounted air boxes which simply unclips to provide access.

For DCC users, the Pantograph is fitted with a servo motor allowing DCC operation of the raising and lowering actions. To control the model on DCC, a decoder which can operate a servo motor must be used and the Bachmann E-Z Command Class 90 DCC Decoder (36-569) is the ideal decoder choice as this is pre-configured ready for use in the Class 90.

MODEL FEATURES:

• Bachmann Branchline OO Scale
• Era 8/9
• Pristine SNCB Blue & Yellow Livery
• Accessory Pack Including ‘Vrachtverbinding’ Etched Nameplates
• NEM Coupling Pockets
• Sprung Buffers
• Interior Cab Lighting
• Directional Lighting with Day/Night Mode
• Speaker Fitted
• Highly detailed Servo-Operated Metal Pantograph
• Equipped with a 21 Pin DCC Decoder Socket
• Length 250mm
• 352 Certificated Pieces

HISTORY

No. 90128 entered service in 1989 as No. 90028, out-shopped in InterCity Mainline livery and allocated to Willesden, from where it operated as a mixed traffic locomotive on the West Coast Main Line. As locomotives were concentrated into individual businesses, the loco became an asset of BR’s Railfreight Distribution (RfD) sector and subsequently acquired two-tone grey livery. As a dedicated freight locomotive, No. 90028 was de-rated from 110 to 75mph and renumbered in the 90/1 sub-class as 90128 – the 90/1s had their Electric Train Supply (ETS) isolated and push-pull equipment removed.

In 1992, during an exhibition promoting European rail freight, No. 90128 was one of four Railfreight Distribution Class 90s named ‘FreightConnection’. The locos were painted into European liveries: RfD International (90122), German DB (90129) and French SNCF (90130), with names in the appropriate language. The fourth, No. 90128, was the Belgian representative and was named ‘Vrachtverbinding’, being repainted in the blue and yellow livery of Belgian SNCB.

At privatisation in 1996, No. 90128 was one of twenty-five Class 90s acquired by EWS when the freight operating companies including Railfreight Distribution were sold into new ownership. Despite the change of owner, No. 90128 would retain its SNCB livery until 2003.

The Class 90 fleet has experienced mixed fortunes since privatisation, but No. 90128 (subsequently renumbered back to 90028) has fared better than many, having its ETS and push-pull capability restored to enable its hire to passenger operators. It gained EWS livery by 2004, remaining in service and later repainted DB red, its European connections having come full circle when German operator DB bought EWS in 2007!

It now carries the name Sir William McAlpine and was retired from East Coast passenger operation in 2019, as a hire loco, when new Hitachi InterCity Express Trains were introduced.