In the nineties, Freightliner was faced with the problem that their fleet of class 47 diesel-electrics was ageing and inefficient. Since the procurement of new locomotives would have been too expensive, they decided to rebuild the old locomotives and designate them class 57. Brush Traction took over the task to fit them with re-condtioned 12-cylinder EMD two-stroke engines and the traction alternators which are also used in the class 56.
Additional orders followed, which brought the number of rebuilt locomotives to 33. Aside from the standard freight variant with 2,300 hp, some were rebuilt as class 57/3 with 2,800 hp, electric train heating equipment and a higher top speed. Freightliner later sold its class 57/0 locomotives in favor of new-built class 66 locomotives.