Class 69 - Return of the body snatchers?

[russ p]

10 minutes ago, RedgateModels said:

 

oh dear, aesthetics over safety once more. Problem is it's VERY difficult to up the output of Airchime horns, increasing the air pressure does not significantly raise it. We had this problem 30 odd years ago with the first "new generation" dmus where the horns were located in a similar position. We got complaints that our horns were not meeting standards when in reality the mounting location was the problem.

I wonder if these horns are turned down like thee ones on a lot of 66s?

They don't look like the original 56 horns 

[Corbs]

I don't particularly like this but I feel it's an improvement.

Not sure why they have Blue+Orange+Yellow+Red when orange is still a bright colour and you can just wrap it around the nose.

Straightened and extended the whisker to go up the the bottom of the side grilles.

 

Removed the naff clip-art on the sides.

 

Made the top orange strip the same depth rather than the grilles taking a chunk out of it.

 

 

Edited June 15, 2021 by Corbs

[Zomboid]

40 minutes ago, Corbs said:

Not sure why they have Blue+Orange+Yellow+Red when orange is still a bright colour and you can just wrap it around the nose.

Warning panel yellow is a very specific shade. It would have to have the necessary compliance in the headlights to use anything else. Though quite why they couldn't have made them compliant I couldn't say.

[newbryford]

38 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

Warning panel yellow is a very specific shade. It would have to have the necessary compliance in the headlights to use anything else. Though quite why they couldn't have made them compliant I couldn't say.

 

IIRC, there are currently 10 (!) listed shades in the RSSB standard for yellow ends

 

[Zomboid]

I stand corrected then. But I bet GBRF orange isn't one of them.

[newbryford]

11 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

I stand corrected then. But I bet GBRF orange isn't one of them.

 

What orange? It looks yellow to me - flickr pic

 

Edited June 15, 2021 by newbryford

[big jim]

2 hours ago, RedgateModels said:

 

oh dear, aesthetics over safety once more. Problem is it's VERY difficult to up the output of Airchime horns, increasing the air pressure does not significantly raise it. We had this problem 30 odd years ago with the first "new generation" dmus where the horns were located in a similar position. We got complaints that our horns were not meeting standards when in reality the mounting location was the problem.

I don’t think it’s as much aesthetics to improve the front but the need for the jumper socket to be in the centre of the cab so it can multi with other 69s and possibly 66s using a standard length jumper cable 

 

iirc when I was looking at the loco the other month in longport they are the original horns, they are certainly short ‘cranked’ ones as opposed to the long type you would see on say a 37 roof 

 

as for the livery, not a fan of the speed whiskers but I like the rest 

[big jim]

31 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

IIRC, there are currently 10 (!) listed shades in the RSSB standard for yellow ends

 

if anyone knows about yellow paint it’s you! 

 

 

Edited June 15, 2021 by big jim

[Zomboid]

25 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

What orange? It looks yellow to me - flickr pic

 

I was initially responding to the post where the end had been photoshopped into orange. Which would be non compliant.

[newbryford]

14 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

I was initially responding to the post where the end had been photoshopped into orange. Which would be non compliant.

 

Oops!

[Steadfast]

I'd laugh if the speed whiskers were low tack vinyl applied to generate comment but removed before entry to traffic!

That upper orange band either needs shifting up to below the cant rail stripe (like other GB locos) or deleting altogether, like on the 73s. It looks weird stepped down from the cab side orange.

 

Jo

[russ p]

4 hours ago, big jim said:

I don’t think it’s as much aesthetics to improve the front but the need for the jumper socket to be in the centre of the cab so it can multi with other 69s and possibly 66s using a standard length jumper cable 

 

iirc when I was looking at the loco the other month in longport they are the original horns, they are certainly short ‘cranked’ ones as opposed to the long type you would see on say a 37 roof 

 

as for the livery, not a fan of the speed whiskers but I like the rest 

 

Isn't it to give more room to get round the control stand? Why on earth other than to make training easier didn't they adapt the 56 controller.

I wouldn't fancy been in a frontal smash in one that control stand could seriously block your way out 

[big jim]

I don’t think training would be any more easier if it was still essentially 56 as most if not all drivers sign 66s and PBL brakes whereas there there are only a handful of us who sign 56s and I suppose the 66 controller is a ready made off the shelf solution to the problem rather than trying to adapt a 40 odd year old controller 

 

the end of the day it’s a 56 in its shape but pretty much nothing else! 
 

I don’t think I’ll get to sign them either way as by the looks of it they won’t see the Midlands/north very much anyway 

 

 

[ModRXsouth]

7 hours ago, Steadfast said:

I'd laugh if the speed whiskers were low tack vinyl applied to generate comment but removed before entry to traffic!

That upper orange band either needs shifting up to below the cant rail stripe (like other GB locos) or deleting altogether, like on the 73s. It looks weird stepped down from the cab side orange.

 

Jo

 I agree with making the upper orange band a constant width along its length. The whiskers look lost; the cabside ‘GBRailfreight’ logos could be repositioned higher up (like the GBRf Class 47s) and then have the whiskers flow from the ends of these logos.

Also, why separate large flags, with Union Jack on left and Stars and Stripes on right? Why not have a smaller pair of crossed flags below the Mayflower nameplate - Stars and Stripes on left, Union Jack on right which makes better sense geographically.

[Zomboid]

66 equipment which everyone is familiar with is probably easier for training than the old 56 stuff.

It should also integrate with the EMD internals much more readily than a bespoke lash up of the BR stuff, and replacements/ spares should be easy to get since it's such a huge product line.

 

There's really no compelling reason that I can see to retain the old kit.

[kev]

Was the plan to get us all talking about the loco ?

[JeffP]

Where are these likely to be used Big Jim?

[big jim]

Pretty sure they will be Tonbridge based 

[rob D2]

They’d have been better off with standard GBrF , ie. no whiskers, get rid of top colour line and the flags.

 

At least it’s not one of those inspirational “ allied gravel solutions “ kinda customer linked schemes 

[Grizz]

On 16/06/2021 at 12:08, big jim said:

Pretty sure they will be Tonbridge based 

Big Jim you were bang on with your prediction. 
Looks like 69001 was settling in at Tonbridge yesterday. 
 

[Andrew P]

Not a brilliant Video, but the best I could do on the day.

 

[JeffP]

Must be very heavy if it takes TWO class 73's to haul it?

[Phil Mc]

A few pics, especially of the modified roof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[mdvle]

That's going to be fun for Bachmann to tool...

[jbqfc]

Tonbridge 24-06-21 test run with 73961