Ten Class 74 (Pre-TOPS designation HB) Bo-Bo Electro Diesel locomotives were rebuilt during 1967/8 from the earlier 24 strong all electric class 71 (Pre-TOPS designation HA).

Rebuilding took place at Crewe works and included the original Class 71 booster set (a motor-generator and flywheel combination) to overcome the problem of gapping; however, the separate auxiliary generator and pantograph were removed and a 650hp Paxman 6YJXL 'Ventura' diesel engine fitted.
Buckeye couplers and high-level control & brake jumpers were fitted to facilitate working with other EMU EP stock, especially TC units in push-pull mode and any Blue Star fitted mainline diesel locomotive. Also, air horns were mounted on the cab roof, replacing the original air operated whistle. Like the Class 71s, some members of the Class 74s had additional cab ventilators on the front corner window pillars.

Class 74 locomotives operated regular daytime passenger turns including Waterloo–Weymouth services as far as Bournemouth. Subsequently, their only regular non-freight workings were on night mail and newspaper trains to and from Bournemouth, the Weymouth boat trains, and Southampton 'Ocean Liner Specials'. These trains ran to/from both Southampton Western and Eastern Docks.
They were regular visitors to the London area, often running on London Midland Region and Western Region tracks. In the early half of the 1970s, the made regular appearances on milk trains for the Southern Region working as far as Acton Yard, requiring diesel power from Clapham Junction through Kensington and onto the Western Region mainline.

Originally, they were numbered E6101–E6110. Later they were renumbered 74001–74010. All members of the class were withdrawn by December 1977,

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EFE RAIL CLASS 74 SPECIFICATION



Produced especially for the EFE Rail range, this all-new model features a wealth of detail with a tooling suite that allows for bodies with and without cab window pillar vents. Driven by a coreless motor with twin flywheels, each of the four axles are driven whilst all eight wheels provide electrical pickup. Directional headcode box lighting will operate in the forwards direction (the real locomotives were not fitted with head or tail lights), cab lighting and rear headcode box lighting can be switched, via underside switches when used on analogue control, or when a 21 Pin DCC decoder is fitted, via DCC functions. 

MECHANISM:

• Coreless, twin shaft motor with twin flywheels providing drive to both bogies
• All axle drive
• Electrical pickup from all wheels
• Separate metal bearings fitted to each axle
• Diecast metal chassis block
• Gearing arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities
• 16.5mm (OO gauge) wheels to NEM310 & NEM311 standards with authentic ‘Bulleid’ profile and detailing
• Close coupling mechanism fitted at either end, each of which is fitted with coupling pockets to NEM362 standards
• Designed to operate on curves of second radius (438mm) or greater

DETAILING:

• Bogies constructed from multiple components featuring full relief detail
• Separately applied detail parts, including lamp irons, metal handrails, etched grilles, cab-end jumper cables, windscreen wipers and whistles
• Sprung buffers
• Cab interior detailing including seats, control desk, controls and dials with authentic decoration
• Slide in destination blinds with a selection of routes, white and red blinds provided for user-fitment
• Each model supplied with a full set of decorated, model-specific bufferbeam pipework and accessory parts including bufferbeam skirt infill pieces to be used when the tension lock couplings are removed

LIGHTING:

• Illuminated headcode blinds, with the rear blinds turned on/off via a chassis-mounted switch on Analogue control. On DCC, headcode blinds can be switched on/off independently at either end via dedicated functions
• Cab lighting, switchable on/off via a chassis-mounted switch on Analogue control, or via dedicated functions on DCC
• Authentic light colours and temperatures selected for each model based on era and application

DCC:

• 21 Pin DCC decoder interface

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E82006 EFE Rail Class 74 Electro-Diesel E6101 BR Blue

E82007 EFE Rail Class 74 Electro-Diesel E6104 BR Blue

E82008 EFE Rail Class 74 Electro-Diesel 74007 BR Blue

E82009 EFE Rail Class 74 Electro-Diesel number 74 010 - BR Blue

E82010 EFE Rail Class 74 Electro-Diesel number 74 009 - BR Blue - Weathered