British Rail Class 56 [TPFUK]

"The model is available from 1977 in a variety of liveries.

Features - 20 British and 2 Hungarian liveries - All models are also available as track assets.

Specifications - Max speed: 128 km/h. - Power: 2424 kW (3250 hp). - Tractive effort: 275 kN.

About the locomotive Known to enthusiasts as Grids, 135 of the class were built to meet a requirement for a freight locomotive with 3000+ hp. The first 30 locomotives were built in Romania due to lack of capacity in Britain. These had to be extensively rebuilt in the UK due to poor build quality. This poor experience was what prompted the building of the Classes 58 and 60. They have almost all been withdrawn, mostly being replaced with the more reliable Class 66 and 70. The Class 56 was notably the first British locomotive to be built solely with air train brakes.