The class 90s have seen 34 different liveries of various shades, branding/unbranded and colour-schemes during their 36 historic years. However off those 34, only 4 liveries remain in active use today (October 2024), with the remaining 30 having either become obsolete or applied to the DB Cargo Class 90s currently in store (see below). As new, there were 3 main liveries applied to the Class 90 locomotives:- • 90001 to 90025 (Intercity Swallow) • 90026 to 90036 (Intercity Mainline) • 90037 to 90050 (Railfreight Distribution) The original liveries cited above remained in place for the first few years of operations before change was inevitable following the break up of BR. The newly formed ‘Rail Express Systems' (Res) resulted in 90016 to 90020 being trans - ferred to the PXLE pool operating mail trains and repainted into Res livery. Incidentally, 90020 was the first 90 to be applied with the Res colours (1997) and it was subsequently named Sir Michael Heron after the opening of the new Royal Mail centre in Warrington. The next batch of repaints came after 90021 to 90025 were transferred to RfD from Inter-City - these were painted into the original RfD house colours, which left 90026 to 90036 in Inter-City Mainline. However, 90026-90036 suffered the same fate as 90021 to 90025 e.g. painted into the same RfD colour scheme. Interestingly at the time of being stored, 90025 and 90027 still carried their original BR RfD livery and a handful of Class 90s were still sporting the revised RfD livery when stored e.g. 90038. The sole remaining Class 90s left in their original BR livery as new until privatisation were 90001-90015 which all carried the iconic "Inter-City Swallow" colours, which remained in place until Virgin Trains took over the operations of the West Coast route from April 1997 onwards. The first 90 to be painted into the Virgin Trains colour scheme was 90002 and this engine was subsequently named Mission: Impossible. In 1992, as part of a Rail Freight Exhibition, 90022 was named "FreightConnection" and retained the original RfD livery, but this did not last long and 90022 was soon out-shopped in a revised RfD livery which she still had until stored in 2006. In parallel with the naming of 90022 - 90028/29/30 were painted into three new European liveries; Belgium for 90028, DB for 90029 and SNCF for 90030 - these 3 Class 90s were also named Freight connection, but in their appropriate European language. What are the latest liveries? On the 25th March 2022, 90021 was released from the Toton paint-shop sporting a new Malcolm Logistics livery celeb - rating 100 years of the logistics provider. The new livery applied to 90021 replaced its former First Scotrail colour- scheme, which was the last loco sporting the First livery - this resulted in the First Scotrail livery being confined to the history books. Prior liveries applied to the class 90s before 90021 was unveiled included the painting and rebranding of 90039 (the last member active member to carry the EWS livery, which has also become obsolete. In other news, the painting and branding of 90020, 90026 and 90029 into Grand Central orange and black with appropriate branding was removed from the loco’s in September 2020 following the Grand Central venture being cancelled. However, the three loco’s remain in a “unbranded” variant of Grand Central for the time being (similar to what happen to 90034). Which liveries are currently in use? Intercity Swallow (LSL), Freightliner Powerhaul, Freightliner Green, and Freightliner Orange & Black. The above list does not include those liveries currently applied to the DB Cargo Class 90s currently in short and long- term storage at Crewe IEMD. Summary of liveries applied to the Class 90s over the years: