First Class 60 Scrapped

[Zomboid]

The Mirrlees engines in the 37/9s weren't a massive liability. And a lot of things would have changed on both sides in the intervening 30 years.

[Mad McCann]

On 22/01/2020 at 09:30, rob D2 said:

It seems really strange to see something with a website address on its side getting scrapped !

 

its odd what you remember - I clearly recall when me and the wife brought our first brand new house having all my Lima 60s out in the kitchen ( including 2x 60081 in green ), must have been early 2001 when they were still in big demand.

 

Im sure EWS would have binned them all if they could, as nothing could match the 66 availability .

 

In my small circle of friends, EWS has long been considered an acronym for ‘Everything We Scrap’...

 

Davy.

[Ron Ron Ron]

31 minutes ago, Mad McCann said:

 

In my small circle of friends, EWS has long been considered an acronym for ‘Everything We Scrap’...

 

Davy.

Well they did inherit hundreds of unreliable, maintenance heavy and clapped out locos that were just a total liability to the business ( not the 60’s of course).

Scrapping was the best thing to do, even if we loved the dear old things to bits.

 

The 60’s have largely been redundant for the last 10 years, with a much reduced demand for their useful, proven capabilities. No point keeping the clapped out and broken ones just sitting in yards, with no prospect of ever being used again. 
Other examples will be kept going for years and who knows, if something like the 56 re-engining can happen out of the blue, maybe one day a similar program might final happen for some of the 60’s.

[smithlington smithe]

10 hours ago, manna said:

G'day Folks

 

Seeing how quickly Mirrlees and Blackstone engines, lasted on 1st Gen locos, I'm surprised they went back to them ????

 

manna

Am I wrong in thinking that mirrlees engines were in class 30’s to start with but because of engine problems they were all replaced with English electric engines instead which became class 31’s . 

[newbryford]

21 minutes ago, smithlington smithe said:

Am I wrong in thinking that mirrlees engines were in class 30’s to start with but because of engine problems they were all replaced with English electric engines instead which became class 31’s . 

 

Yes - and many were sold on to marine use (as mentioned a few posts back)  as they are highly suitable for that purpose without the excessive thermal cycling that railway use subjects them to.

 

The MB lumps fitted into the 60s are a generation removed from those of the 30s.

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by newbryford

[Mad McCann]

It may just me my own empirically-based perception but I felt that after the ‘Boardroom Putsch’ of 1999, EWS lost interest in building traffic and the board just decided to sweat assets for the hedgers’ benefit.

Certainly traffic and new flows appeared to nosedive from that point.

Coupled with the arrival of the 66s, this was the beginning of the end for virtually every other class in the EWS fleet.

Admittedly not before time for some.

 

Davy.

[TravisM]

I sometimes think that the Class 60 were possibly built a decade too late and had they replaced the Class 56 wholesale and the Class 58 were never built, I think they would have been a great success.  To be honest, I think the arrival of the Class 59’s and 66’s totally eclipsed the 60’s.

[newbryford]

4 hours ago, Mad McCann said:

It may just me my own empirically-based perception but I felt that after the ‘Boardroom Putsch’ of 1999, EWS lost interest in building traffic and the board just decided to sweat assets for the hedgers’ benefit.

Certainly traffic and new flows appeared to nosedive from that point.

Coupled with the arrival of the 66s, this was the beginning of the end for virtually every other class in the EWS fleet.

Admittedly not before time for some.

 

Davy.

 

As the traffic levels fell, it made financial sense to lay up the assets they owned (the ex-BR fleet) and use those that were leased - i.e. the 66s. (Although I believe that they are now owned by DB)

But, IIRC, the "super 60" program was initiated by the requirement to replace pairs of 66s on the heavier trains, thus saving a large fuel cost - as well as that of maintaining two locos as opposed to one.

[101]

On 25/01/2020 at 14:07, newbryford said:

 

 

I was behind 60095 when it worked the Regional Railways day on a Barrow-Manchester service along the WCML. Quick up to 60mph and then the limiter cut in...……..

 

When they were new they didnt have limiters, and were capable of a lot more than 60!  However not many of us were willing to go too far or do it too often as it was the first loco we had with a 'spy in the cab'

After the limiters were fitted you simply drove them by opening the power handle fully, and when the speed got to 60 the loco shut off and when it dropped below 60 it opened up again, and you could carry on all day like that!

[Classsix T]

14 hours ago, 101 said:

 

When they were new they didnt have limiters, and were capable of a lot more than 60!  However not many of us were willing to go too far or do it too often as it was the first loco we had with a 'spy in the cab'

After the limiters were fitted you simply drove them by opening the power handle fully, and when the speed got to 60 the loco shut off and when it dropped below 60 it opened up again, and you could carry on all day like that!

Cruise control!

 

C6T. 

[Bedlington North]

On 26/01/2020 at 04:54, manna said:

G'day Folks

 

Seeing how quickly Mirrlees and Blackstone engines, lasted on 1st Gen locos, I'm surprised they went back to them ????

 

manna

 

37901-904 were fitted with a less powerful version of the MB275 engine for evaluation purposes for the proposed Class 38 loco. 37905 & 906 were fitted with a comparable power rating Ruston RK270T engine. I seem to remember that the engines had to meet a BR reliability target, so obviously BR were satisfied by the results of the trial, hence the use of the MB275T in the Class 60 locos.

[Bedlington North]

On 26/01/2020 at 04:54, manna said:

G'day Folks

 

Seeing how quickly Mirrlees and Blackstone engines, lasted on 1st Gen locos, I'm surprised they went back to them ????

 

manna

 

37901-904 were fitted with a less powerful version of the MB275 engine for evaluation purposes for the proposed Class 38 loco. 37905 & 906 were fitted with a comparable power rating Ruston RK270T engine. I seem to remember that the engines had to meet a BR reliability target, so obviously BR were satisfied by the results of the trial, hence the use of the MB275T in the Class 60 locos.

[Bedlington North]

On 26/01/2020 at 04:54, manna said:

G'day Folks

 

Seeing how quickly Mirrlees and Blackstone engines, lasted on 1st Gen locos, I'm surprised they went back to them ????

 

manna

 

37901-904 were fitted with a less powerful version of the MB275 engine for evaluation purposes for the proposed Class 38 loco. 37905 & 906 were fitted with a comparable power rating Ruston RK270T engine. I seem to remember that the engines had to meet a BR reliability target, so obviously BR were satisfied by the results of the trial, hence the use of the MB275T in the Class 60 locos.

[Titan]

There were even a couple of HST power cars tried with a Mirrlees power unit for a while. Obviously of the lightweight 1.500rpm type rather than the same family that was fitted to the 37/60's or the class 30.  Nevertheless their use was not pursued, and I think the power cars were stored out of use until they became the first to have MTU's fitted IIRC.

[Bonziboy]

Wonder where other one is