Next batch of Class 70's

[Baby Deltic]

[Cwmbran]

Saw a 70 yesterday morning, passing through Abergavenny at about 0840. Pulling Freightliner Heavy Haul Hoppers. I see this working most weekends. Any idea what it is?

[br2975]

Saw a 70 yesterday morning, passing through Abergavenny at about 0840. Pulling Freightliner Heavy Haul Hoppers. I see this working most weekends. Any idea what it is?

 

Portbury Dock - Rugeley Power Station ?

.

Brian R

[Steadfast]

Portbury Dock - Rugeley Power Station ?

.

Brian R

Yup, sounds very much 6M55, usually through Caerleon about 8.20 IIRC, runs from either Avonmouth or Portbury

HTH

 

cheers

 

jo

[barrowroad]

Yup, sounds very much 6M55, usually through Caerleon about 8.20 IIRC, runs from either Avonmouth or Portbury

HTH

 

cheers

 

jo

 

There were three of the class at Stoke Gifford Yard on thursday evening; 70006 left light engine to Portbury or Avonmouth? whilst 70004 & 70005 were stabled in the yard. I didn't have my camera then but returned the following morning.

 

 

 

 

[250BOB]

I was forwarded this email by someone in the know.........is this right.?????

 

Network Rail are totally p....d off with the class70's constantly failing on the mainline and causing 1000's of minutes of delay so as of yesterday afternoon banned them from "Marches" (Newport-Shrewsbury) and other bits of railway until they can get them running correctly!

 

Hence a pair are assigned the Avonmouth-Rugeley tomorrow just in case one fails!!!

 

Bob

[Guest Phil]

I was forwarded this email by someone in the know.........is this right.?????

 

Network Rail are totally p....d off with the class70's constantly failing on the mainline and causing 1000's of minutes of delay so as of yesterday afternoon banned them from "Marches" (Newport-Shrewsbury) and other bits of railway until they can get them running correctly!

 

Hence a pair are assigned the Avonmouth-Rugeley tomorrow just in case one fails!!!

 

Bob

 

I've seen the same script on a forwarded newsgroup posting.

 

Begs the question as to how throroughly these were tested in the USA before heading eastwards. British permanent way is considered quite punishing to traction units which is why it is said Hitachi spent the money on converting the AM10 into a mobile test lab to develop its's path into the UK train market.

 

GE have placed enormous faith in the power unit of the class 70 - a design which has traditonally been bolted down to mother earth instead of bouncing around on UK railway. I really hope their convictions will be suitably vindicated - far too early to draw conclusions yet.

 

My hope is that GE can bring competition into the UK diesel locomotive market because I am fed up with the predominance of class 66

[The Stationmaster]

I've seen the same script on a forwarded newsgroup posting.

 

Begs the question as to how throroughly these were tested in the USA before heading eastwards. British permanent way is considered quite punishing to traction units which is why it is said Hitachi spent the money on converting the AM10 into a mobile test lab to develop its's path into the UK train market.

 

GE have placed enormous faith in the power unit of the class 70 - a design which has traditonally been bolted down to mother earth instead of bouncing around on UK railway. I really hope their convictions will be suitably vindicated - far too early to draw conclusions yet.

 

My hope is that GE can bring competition into the UK diesel locomotive market because I am fed up with the predominance of class 66

 

An aside I know - the main reason for the Hitachi AM10/'a bit of dc too' testbed was to examine electrical interference on UK 25kv overhead and 750vdc 3rd. The whole of the test programme contained no reference at all to any impact of riding etc on the Hitachi kit (unless it was in some of the few bits of the programme I saw in Japanese ) but was wholly dedicated to electrical stuff albeit with variations in the way the Hitachi package was operated. And it didn't include any particularly high speed running which would have been the way to show up ride induced/created problems.

 

But I do share your concern about the engine in the Class 70 - it does seem to be a very bold (some might say foolhardy) step to take an engine with little or no previous rail traction use and chuck it into one of the worst environments in the world for diesel engine operation - a freight loco running in Britain; fingers crossed for them.

[Captain Kernow]

I've seen the same script on a forwarded newsgroup posting

I was informed yesterday of a temporary suspension of their use on revenue-earning freight trains, pending the sorting out of the reliability issues. In the meantime, a work-related visit to Stoke Gifford earlier this week yielded some useful detail shots, for all of you modern-image modellers who are champing at the bit for a model of one of these... I've posted them up on a seperate thread, as there are potentially quite a few of them - detailed photos of new Class 70s

[Trainshed Terry]

Me thinks that they have been under engineered along with the modern technology can not handle the modern day working situations.

 

Terry

[Adam1701D]

Teething problems with new traction units are not new - I well remember the introduction of the 91s on the ECML during 1988-9, which was plagued with issues. I have a shot of 91006 on a test rake in Kings Cross with "APT AGAIN" scrawled in the dirt on the nose! Every time a 91 passed under the booking office at New Southgate, it used to wipe the memory in the APTIS ticket machine until some extra shielding was put in place

 

The 70s are radically new, being the first AC traction diesel units and I certainly never expected to see them working out of the box without the need for a few reliability mods and tweaks down the line.

[Steadfast]

Another factor that seems to make a bit of a difference, is that with the 59 and 66, EMD re-bodied and shrank existing products, so reliability of the mechanicals was proven. The class 70 has got a lot more new kit and developement in it, it's not just US GE inside a smaller shell

cheers

 

jo

[Adam1701D]

From that angle it goes to prove that the 70 is actually not a bad looking loco, just with an atrocious paintjob! B)

[Steadfast]

Now I'm getting used to them, I do quite like them. Certainly looks ok with a bit of decent sun. Rather like the livery, the new Freightliner logo looks limp in comparison with the older style

cheers

 

jo

 

 

[60maniac]

Hi everyone,

here's my shot of 70006 working the 6F02 EPORTMTYW-FIDLRSFRY loaded coal, I wasnt really the biggest fan but they don't half sound good at full power as 006 impressed me as it revved to enter the single track beneath warrington bank quay I have to say they are growing on me....

 

Thanks Richard

[Rugd1022]

Heard one ticking over for the first time in Basford Hall Yard last week, it sounded like a bag on nails but I rather liked it. Looks wise they're growing on me, they're much more impressive close up in the flesh than in photos. It's the skirts that do it for me.... !

 

Nidge

[beast66606]

to enter the single track beneath warrington bank quay I have to say they are growing on me....

 

Unless it's been singled this weekend then it will still be double Richard

[Trainsrgr8]

No it's deffinatley still double track! haha

 

From the other week, but thought id wack it up none the less...

 

70004 works 6F02 Ellesmere Port Manisty Wharf - Fiddlers Ferry Power Station loaded coal train. 15.02.10

 

 

I must admit, after seeing one in the flesh the other week, they are starting to grow on me!

 

Danny

[Steadfast]

Sounds like No.2 failed today with low power, needing a shed (585 IIRC) to be sent from Stoke Gifford to rescue it from the Cheltenham area.

Hopefully the diagnostics fitted to the first 6 will help GE to nail down the causes of these faults, to help make the follow on locos have a smoother introduction

cheers

 

jo

[Lord-Claud-Hamilton]

I was lucky enough to see my first Class 70 001 at Ely (CAMBS) last Saturday (27/02/10).

 

It arrived Light Engine from the Ipswich about 1130. The images were taken with my Mobile Phone, and it was a bit dark, so I'm not certain how they'll turn out.

 

I had a quick chat with the Driver who said the Loco was out of service due to low Oil Pressure issues, and was on it's way to Petrborough.

 

The Loco was 'parked' in a loop in the station while the (three) Crew members vanished......for something to eat

 

[Edit - Looks like I did something wrong with those shots. I'll figure out what that was and re-post.]

[Dudley Dodger]

I think I may have seen one on the camp hill line on the twenty second of january. is this at all likely? it definitely wasn't a sixty six. the front slanted.

[Edinburgh Junction]

Ooops. forgot to post here.

 

On 19th February, went to Warrington to see the 6F02 Ellesmere Port - Fiddlers Ferry coal, which was done by 70006... my first sighting of a beast.

 

 

Enjoy!

[dave_long]

I think I may have seen one on the camp hill line on the twenty second of january. is this at all likely? it definitely wasn't a sixty six. the front slanted.

 

 

 

 

Its quite likely as they've worked a number of trains into Lawley st container site, from which direction they arrive I'm not sure. Were the wagons containers or was it light?

 

 

 

[beast66606]

I think I may have seen one on the camp hill line on the twenty second of january. is this at all likely? it definitely wasn't a sixty six. the front slanted.

 

Here's the locations of the 70s on the morning of 22 Jan.

 

70001 MIDLANDRD

70002 AVONMWWFL

70003 MIDLANDRD

70004 MIDLANDRD

70005 PORTBYCTL

70006 RUGELEYPS

 

70005 worked the Portbury - Fiddlers Ferry coal

[Steadfast]

Sounds like it was number 6's turn to break today, working 6Z70 to Rugeley

Here's 003 on 9/3/10 with the 4Z70 return to Portbury

cheers

 

jo