The class 90s have seen 35 different liveries of various shades, branding/unbranded and colour-schemes during their 37 year history. However off those 35, only 10 liveries remain in active use today (August 2025), with the remaining 25 hav - ing 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 30th July 2025, 90018 was released from Eastleigh in a special 60th Anniversary livery for Freightliner and was subsequently named “The Greatest Gathering” at the Rail 200 event in Derby. The 90 had previously been in DB Cargo red, but she lost that after going to Eastleigh. In other news, 90039 entered traffic for Freightliner in August 2025 still sporting her former DB livery “Backbone” albeit with Freightliner logo’s. It will be interesting to see how she retains this colour scheme. Additionally, 90021 transferred to Freightliner in August 2025 too still sporting her special 100 Malcom Logistics livery, but the loco has not yet entered traffic with the FOC. Which liveries are currently in use? Intercity Swallow (LSL), Freightliner Powerhaul, Freightliner Green, Freightliner 60 Anniversary 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: