It has been easy in recent years on Europe’s railways to identify privately operated freight trains, as long as they are hauled by a diesel locomotive.

Pulling a high proportion of them has been a Class 66, designed by Electro-Motive Diesel, the second-largest locomotive supplier to North America. The locomotive uses EMD’s North American technology, scaled down to fit lower bridges and narrower tunnels. The distinctively-styled locomotive has established itself as the main high-powered diesel for Europe’s private train operators, with 650 sold since it first entered service in 1998.