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Colas sell locos to Beacon Rail Leasing


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https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/beacon-rail-buys-colas-fleet.html

 

Presumably the UK fleet leased back to Colas or will they be offered to other companies in the light of the test train work being split up?

 

Cheers,

Mick

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I wonder if Colas sold them and hiring them back on a as needed basis or power by the hour. Does this include the Class 56’s as I thought they belonged to Boden Engineering?

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I wonder if Colas sold them and hiring them back on a as needed basis or power by the hour. Does this include the Class 56’s as I thought they belonged to Boden Engineering?

 

Apparently Colas (used to) own 5 x 56s.

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And reports elsewhere that’s it’s not the whole fleet.

 

So only 5*56 and 7*70 (plus 5*66 and 2*67).

 

No 37s included.

 

No reason for the other 56s and 70s being excluded was known by the poster.

 

I also wonder if this releases cash to Colas with only a short term lease whilst traffic flows are in operation but if Colas do pull back from commercial freight, Beacon will know they can re-lease most of these locos quickly (mainly to GBRF)

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And reports elsewhere that’s it’s not the whole fleet.

So only 5*56 and 7*70 (plus 5*66 and 2*67).

No 37s included.

No reason for the other 56s and 70s being excluded was known by the poster.

I also wonder if this releases cash to Colas with only a short term lease whilst traffic flows are in operation but if Colas do pull back from commercial freight, Beacon will know they can re-lease most of these locos quickly (mainly to GBRF)

70801-10 are owned by Lombard Finance and 70811-17 are owned by Colas, so it’s safe to say that the first batch are heading off lease and any loco’s owned outright by Colas will go to Beacon, but there’s probably a lot of wheeler dealing going on.

 

Strange way events have turned as I heard earlier this year on the jungle drums that there was going to be a three way swop with Freightliner sending their Class 70’s to Colas, Colas sending their 66’s to GBRf and Freightliner picking up the remaining DRS 66’s so they in turn could order more 68’s or 88’s. Sounded credible at the time but obviously all rumour spread by someone with a vivid imagination.

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The sale doesn’t have anything to do with a withdrawal from the commercial freight market; Colas have long term commercial contracts in addition to SCO work in CP6 and the remaining IM work.

 

Most FOCs (except DBC) lease their locos as there are a number of benefits to doing so.

 

So from someone who actually knows, this doesn’t spell the end of Colas, it’s plans to keep running commercial freight or anything else. Unfortunately that won’t stop those who don’t know the full picture speculating but it is what it is.

 

G

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