The Fall & Rise of the 60's ( was The End of the Tugs?)

[newbryford]

19 minutes ago, Jack374 said:

 

Nope, one of the last HRAs to be done I believe, buffer fitted and hitching a ride to Bescot...

 

 

Thanks,

Jack.

 

Buffer fitted HRA....

Hmmmmmmmm?

 

Questions shall be asked elsewhere

[Steadfast]

A number of HRA are buffer fitted as designated outers. The set doing the Whatley - St Pancras at present is buffer fitted one end but not the other, or at least it was last time I had to play with it

 

Jo

[Ohmisterporter]

I must admit that when this topic started as The End of the Tugs?  back in 2009 I never thought it would get to 100 pages and they are still going strong.

Edited May 24, 2019 by Ohmisterporter

[Steadfast]

A page for every loco! To keep it vaguely on topic, here's 001 in the Wiltshire sunshine a few weeks ago

 

Jo

[Alcanman]

GBrf (ex Colas) Class 60s have been exclusive power on the Port of Tyne - Lynemouth PS biomass trains since inception last year.

 

I have yet to see a 66 on this working. I believe the contract is for 10 years, I wonder if the 60s will last that long. If fact, as I type this another one has just passed by my house.

Edited May 24, 2019 by Alcanman

[TheSignalEngineer]

9 hours ago, Ohmisterporter said:

I must admit that when this topic started as The End of the Tugs?  back in 2009 I never thought it would get to 100 pages and they are still going strong.

Perhaps like the IC125 nobody has bought anything significantly better since they were introduced.

[Jack374]

Another week, another few sixties.

(Follow photo links for more info)

 

Thanks,

Jack.

[Steadfast]

Love the zoomed in shot of 39 rounding the curve Jack!

Here's 001 in the early hours of 1 June 2019 waiting at Westbury with 7V98 Eastleigh - Merehead empties after running round, taken on my phone

 

Jo

[Phil Mc]

60095 trundling through York 22.6.19

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[cheesysmith]

When they say we will never see a loco like the class 60 again, they were not kidding. Built to a quality, not t a price. Excellent fuel economy, that is unmatched due to new emmisions standard. For example, the EMD 710 engine has a SFC (specific fuel consumption) of 206 to 213 grams per Kw hour. Depending on which version and if it has the electronic fuel injectors or not. The engine in the 60 has a SFC of only 189g. These are at full power, but at part load or idle the difference is even worse (the GM 2 strokes have lousy idle fuel consumption).

 

As a extra, the engine in the 59 has a fuel consumption of 246g.

 

Results from a quick online search from the EPA official figures.

Edited June 24, 2019 by cheesysmith
Spelling

[birdseyecircus]

60066 at Hessle Rd Junc Hull with Masbrough to Hull Steel train. 18 June 2019.

 

Regards Paul

[AMJ]

Today I was passing by Great Heck taking a few photos of the Fowler 4220038/1966 and this consist came past a minute or so later

 

66702 "Blue Lightning" hauling this trio of ex Colas 

 

About 15:30 at Great Heck heading south.  Not sure what the trio of 60's are but suspect someone in Donny might have seen them.

 

 

[4630]

With the ongoing upgrade work at Acton Grange Junction on the WCML, amongst the assorted planned freight diversions until 4th August the regular Knowsley Freight Terminal - Wilton EFW Terminal binliners are currently diverted via Manchester Victoria.

 

One result of this is that the contracted freight operator DB Cargo has decided to use class 60 traction rather than the regular booked class 66.   Presumably this is to ensure that the loaded train, it's timed for 1,800 tonnes, can stroll up the 1 in 59, 1 in 47 and 1 in 118 gradients that comprise Miles Platting bank out of Manchester Victoria. 

 

So a bit of traction variety along the Calder Valley on 26th July 2019 as 60092 rumbles slowly through a temporary speed restriction at Brighouse with 6E26, 10.37 Knowsley Freight Terminal to Wilton EFW Terminal...

 

 

...until the driver clears the restriction and applies power.

 

  

[Owd Bob]

Thanks for the info' 4630, i do hope the empties run next week through my local station, it would be nice to see a 60 for a change.

[4630]

On 27/07/2019 at 09:30, Owd Bob said:

Thanks for the info' 4630, i do hope the empties run next week through my local station, it would be nice to see a 60 for a change.

 

Not sure which your local station is Owd Bob, but the 60s do seem to be continuing on the binliners.

 

60039 Dove Holes working 6Z16, 10.02 Tees Yard to Knowsley Freight Terminal, with empty binliner containers approaching Brighouse on 29th July 2019.

[Owd Bob]

22 hours ago, 4630 said:

 

Not sure which your local station is Owd Bob, but the 60s do seem to be continuing on the binliners.

 

They certainly were'nt booked on the 'Realtimetrains' site today 4630 at least on the route through my area which is the Atherton-Daisy Hill- Hindley line from Manchester to Wigan, i heard that this part of the line got flooded at the weekend so it was probably re-routed? I'll try again and keep looking this week and hope i'll see one. Cheers! 

 

Edited July 30, 2019 by Owd Bob

[Owd Bob]

It would seem this train is now using the Manch'-Liv' line as far as Parkside Junc' then going up the WCML to Wigan, whether this is because of the recent flooding or is it that the class 60's are too much loco' for the other usual route to handle 

[newbryford]

Pics starting to appear of 60026 painted in Beacon Rail blue with GBRf branding.

Carries an old style BR "Helvellyn" nameplate.

 

http://www.facebook.com/GBRailfreight/

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited October 2, 2019 by newbryford

[Alcanman]

Class 60s continue to be the dominant power on Port of Tyne - Lynemouth Power Station biomass trains.

 

GBRf 60021 'Penyghent' at Newsham, Northumberland with 6N87 14:34 Lynemouth - Port of Tyne empties.

 

 

[vulcan product fan]

1 hour ago, newbryford said:

Pics starting to appear of 60026 painted in Beacon Rail blue with GBRf branding.

Carries an old style BR "Helvellyn" nameplate.

 

http://www.facebook.com/GBRailfreight/

 

Cheers,

Mick

wow the 60 looks even better than the GBRF livery. 

[big jim]

3 hours ago, newbryford said:

Pics starting to appear of 60026 painted in Beacon Rail blue with GBRf branding.

Carries an old style BR "Helvellyn" nameplate.

 

http://www.facebook.com/GBRailfreight/

 

Cheers,

Mick

I can honestly say I’m not convinced by it, dunno if it’s the white lettering but something isn’t quite right, wonder how it would look with orange numbers etc

 

 

[Phil Mc]

3 hours ago, big jim said:

I can honestly say I’m not convinced by it, dunno if it’s the white lettering but something isn’t quite right, wonder how it would look with orange numbers etc

 

 

 

Or maybe Black doors and window surrounds.

Even a White cab front handrail would help, because that’s a LOT of Blue !!

 

cheers,

Phil.

[Tugs]

Its a properly bright blue, too!

 

You'll need your shades on in a 5 mile radius of it!

[4630]

GBRf operated 60076 heads east along the Calder Valley at Brighouse on 16th October 2019 with 6E09, 07.11 Liverpool Biomass Terminal to Drax Power Station.

 

 

[Jack374]

For people not on WNXX:

 

"60046 (WQAA) is back together at Toton and undergoing load bank tests. This is the first Class 60 resurrected for use by DCR".

(words quoted from WNXX website http://www.wnxx.com/news/index.htm)

 

So we should soon see an increase in the fleet of active class 60s. Photos from a recent 'family & friends' day at Toton on Flickr show a good few 60s in the depot in various states of repair, so more should follow.

 

Will there be a return of patchwork 'tugs' running around like at the start of the 'Super 60' program?

 

Jack.