British Rail Class 57/6

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The prototype class 57, 57601 passing Brockhampton, north of Cheltenham, on 16 April 2005.

57602, stabled at Long Rock, Penzance on 2007-03-27 with the stock of the Night Riviera.

The Class 57/6 subclass of the Class 57 consists of the prototype locomotive No. 57601 and the four locomotives used by First Great Western on their Night Riviera sleeper services.

In 2000, Porterbrook Leasing placed an order for a prototype passenger locomotive fitted with electric train heating. This locomotive, no. 57601, was leased to First Great Western (FGW), who were looking for a replacement for their elderly Class 47 locomotives, which were employed on "Night Riviera" overnight sleeper and Motorail services from London Paddington to Penzance. After an evaluation period of three years, FGW ordered four production Class 57/6 locomotives from Brush, which were delivered in 2004. These new locomotives displaced the Class 47 locomotives, which were transferred to other operators. As the prototype locomotive was non-standard, it was returned to Porterbrook Leasing, who then sold it to the West Coast Railway Company.

The FGW fleet is painted in the Great Western Trains green livery with a gold bodyside band to match the coaches, rather than First Group "Barbie" colours. All four locomotives have been named after castles in Devon and Cornwall, following the naming of the GWR Castle Class steam locomotives.