Jump to content
 

Class 66 coming back from Switzerland for works visit?


JeffP
 Share

Recommended Posts

Why would this be?

 

I saw a TV programme where a class 66 arrived in Rotterdam,  was loaded aboard the Pride of Rotterdam on an Alleleys  trailer, disembarked at Hull, trailered round the King George dock and re-railed, but the programme didn't  say where it went then.

 

So are there no facilities on the continent that could do a works repair?

And why did it not come via the Channel Tunnel?

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I suspect there are gauging issues (or price ?) which is why it didn't use the Chunnel but they are coming over to join the GBRF fleet, so permanently, there are a few already here and in use.

 

I don't know why the Dutch/Swiss etc. have finished with them but GBRF are happy to take them - here's one in original livery but relettered passing Eccles Road on 06/12/2020

 

DAS874005.jpg.966caaf11cb832cedc8dc324e8e00ca1.jpg

 

 

Edited by beast66606
typo
  • Like 5
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, JeffP said:

I saw a TV programme where a class 66 arrived in Rotterdam,  was loaded aboard the Pride of Rotterdam on an Alleleys  trailer, disembarked at Hull, trailered round the King George dock and re-railed, but the programme didn't  say where it went then.

 

Beacon Rail brought three of its Euro-spec 66s to the UK for overhaul and repaint in 2018/19, which were numbered 66997-999 to allow for rail movement between Hull Docks and the EMD workshops at Longport. Not sure a 'why' was ever stated but could have been workshop capacity at an official EMD facility, price, etc.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

And there are more on the way for GBRf. 66797 has just landed - see Big Jim's thread. 

66734 (scrapped after the Loch Trieg derailment) has been re-registered for use. (My bet is that if it is used, it'll be named "Loch Trieg")

Numbers for 66798/799 have been reserved, along with a new series starting at 66351.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
3 hours ago, JeffP said:

I saw a TV programme where a class 66 arrived in Rotterdam,  was loaded aboard the Pride of Rotterdam on an Alleleys  trailer, disembarked at Hull, trailered round the King George dock and re-railed, but the programme didn't  say where it went then.

 

 

3 hours ago, Simon Bendall said:

 

Beacon Rail brought three of its Euro-spec 66s to the UK for overhaul and repaint in 2018/19, which were numbered 66997-999 to allow for rail movement between Hull Docks and the EMD workshops at Longport. Not sure a 'why' was ever stated but could have been workshop capacity at an official EMD facility, price, etc.

 

Here is 47813 taking 66997 as 0Z43, 13.00 Hedon Road Sidings (Hull) to Longport FD, through Deighton on 1st April 2019.

 

1932281037_47813669970Z43Deighton010420191-RMweb.jpg.afa329046b06f24f758ce298a05a53ee.jpg

 

1910072853_47813669970Z43Deighton010420192-RMweb.jpg.43b36616ea8f1f9202efbb903ef05a22.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
48 minutes ago, JeffP said:

Interesting.

How can 66734 have been scrapped, but is now reregistered?

Do you mean the number is available?

Or was it like cars, written off but repaired?


Sufficient time has passed for the number to be reused. The only bit of the original 66734 still in existence is I think one of the cabs.

  • Thanks 1
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
On 15/01/2021 at 16:57, JeffP said:

Interesting.

How can 66734 have been scrapped, but is now reregistered?

Do you mean the number is available?

Or was it like cars, written off but repaired?

 

As Andrew says, the number has been re-registered for use - not the loco itself.

 

It certainly wasn't repaired - it was cut into manageable chunks on site.

 

A time lapse video of the work:

 

  • Informative/Useful 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Steadfast said:

Doesn't look a very accurate simulator to me. Hotplate doesn't work and you've got no windows to rattle to annoy you :lol:

 

Jo

Pahaha so true!

 

its deffo odd though, you dont realise how much the lack of feeling through your backside makes it difficult to judge your speed/stopping ect.

 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

@JeffP Regarding the film - apparently 85% was re-used - it was in the final end titles. A question if I may? What prevented the recovery of the loco? It was a little way off and down from the track, but some locos have been recovered from worse situations - or was it too damaged and too old?

 

I expect I shall answer my own question - it was an insurance decision? I know my perfectly good car was scrapped following an accident (not my fault) because the cost of repair was greater than its value.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
57 minutes ago, Philou said:

@JeffP Regarding the film - apparently 85% was re-used - it was in the final end titles. A question if I may? What prevented the recovery of the loco? It was a little way off and down from the track, but some locos have been recovered from worse situations - or was it too damaged and too old?

 

I expect I shall answer my own question - it was an insurance decision? I know my perfectly good car was scrapped following an accident (not my fault) because the cost of repair was greater than its value.

 

Awkward location to recover from (no roads anywhere nearby, winching up from the railway might've just pulled the railway down instead), so could well be that the cost of recovery would've outweighed the cost of the loco. It wasn't old, looking it up it was 8 years old.

Edited by Reorte
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
On 15/01/2021 at 10:33, Simon Bendall said:

Beacon Rail brought three of its Euro-spec 66s to the UK for overhaul and repaint in 2018/19, which were numbered 66997-999 to allow for rail movement between Hull Docks and the EMD workshops at Longport. Not sure a 'why' was ever stated but could have been workshop capacity at an official EMD facility, price, etc.

 

Because since the closure of Tilburg Works EMD haven't had any major repairs to do that couldnt be contracted out.  However, with spare workshop capacity at Longport, they looked at the options for doing it in house.  Hence the first one (66999 if I remember rightly) was brought over as a trial to evaluate costs, viability and the like.  It worked and the next two should have bene the precursor for around 15 locos to head to the UK when they became due major exams, but so far only three have made it. I suspect capacity is at a premium at Longport with the Class 69 work.

 

On 15/01/2021 at 16:57, JeffP said:

Interesting.

How can 66734 have been scrapped, but is now reregistered?

Do you mean the number is available?

Or was it like cars, written off but repaired?

 

On 15/01/2021 at 17:47, brushman47544 said:


Sufficient time has passed for the number to be reused. The only bit of the original 66734 still in existence is I think one of the cabs.

 

Quite a bit of 66734 survived, as previously commented - the recovery work (incl repairing the loco) had to cost less than the price of a new loco, and no matter how they looked at it, it didn't, hence cutting up on site and being removed in chunks.

 

On 16/01/2021 at 02:02, Steadfast said:

I believe the cabs from 734 became simulators and the engine is in 66779. Happy to be corrected though

 

Jo

 

Yup on both counts.  Bogies were reused as spares at Doncaster Roberts Road - so when a 66 comes in for bogie repairs, the spare set goes under, loco back to traffic quicker, the removed set is overhauled, and then becomes the new spare set ready for the next loco.  Very little of 734 was actually done away with, but its now spread across numerous locos and the Peterborough Training Centre!

 

 

As somebody else has commented, GBRf have leased four more Euro 66s from Beacon - next two arrive in Feb/March, which occupied 797-799 and 734.  gbrf have the 66351-66360 number range allocated to them, but there are currently no physical locos identified to occupy the numbers - all depends on traffic levels, contracts and available locos etc.

 

Rich

  • Like 1
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...