SCRAP processors Sandbach Commercial Dismantlers Ltd (SCDL) has acquired Nos. 90017/022/023/027/030/032/033/038, European Metal Recycling (EMR) has acquired Nos. 90025/031 and Freightliner has bought Nos. 90018/040 from the Class 90 tender issued by DB Cargo UK in September 2023.
While Freightliner will reactivate the two it has bought, the other 10 are set to be scrapped. Meanwhile, the results of the second, and final, group of 12 Class 90s put up for sale by DBC in December, Nos. 90019-021/024/026/028/029/034-037/039, was not yet known as this issue of Rail Express went to press.
SCDL was quick to remove the first of its acquisitions from Crewe International Electric Maintenance Depot (IEMD). No. 90033, stored since April 2005, departed on the back of a Reid Freight low-loader on April 22. It was quickly followed by Nos. 90027 (stored August 2007), 90030 (stored January 2006) and 90038 (stored July 2005) the following day. All four were subsequently deregistered from TOPS. Notably Nos. 90033/038 are the last pair to wear the Europeanised version of the Railfreight Distribution scheme, originally applied to 11 Class 90s.
No. 90022 is another survivor but was ‘patched’ with a large EWS logo.
The next to depart was No. 90023 (also stored July 2005) on April 30, while No. 90032, the longest stored ‘90’ having been parked up in February 2004, said goodbye to its home of the last two decades on May 1. All were moved to a private site at Middlewich for storage.
Freightliner sent Nos. 66504
