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


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Tonight some recent additions to the Smugmug site, not quite golden oldies but certainly not current! I can't believe September 2008 was over 6 years ago...

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60071 rumbles past Shrivenham working 6B33 Theale - Robeston 2/12/10

 

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60085 approaches the foot crossing in Westerleigh village on 6B13 Robeston - Westerleigh 24/11/09

 

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60009 passes the Roman Road at Farleaze near Hullavington with 6B35 Hayes - Moreton on Lugg  20/11/09

 

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60054 and 60009 shunting the tanks at Westerleigh to form 6E41 back to Lindsey. 60009 had failed overnight on the inward 6V98, with 60054 dispatched as a rescue loco 23/3/10

 

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60039 passes Ram Hill working 6B33 Theale - Robeston. At the time, this looked like possibly being the last time a class 60 would haul this train as DB were running the fleet down, the low point seeing just two or three locos in use. Five years later and there are over twenty active class members with both DB Schenker and Colas 8/12/09

 

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60099 rolls past Westerleigh with the 6E41 empties to Lindsey 11/12/10

 

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60096 passes under Westerleigh Junction with 6B13 Robeston - Westerleigh 16/12/10

 

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60002 passes Hullavington working 6B33 Theale - Margam 27/9/08

 

jo

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Colas has now commenced operating the bitumen tank flow from Lindsey Oil refinery to Preston Docks.  The first loaded (6M32) and empty return (6E32) workings were on 7th January 2015 with 60087 'Clic Sargent'.

 
This is the return working, in light West Yorkshire drizzle, at Hall Royd Junction, Todmorden.
 
 
 
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My lad has just photographed it's brother - 60085 on the Tilbury - Llanwern and I'm awaiting 60065 which should pass me in an hour or so.

 

Be interesting to see how Colas rotate the use of the 60s on their new workings.  I'm guessing that as 6M32/6E32 is an out & back working, then subject to scheduled maintenance, they might keep the same 60 on it for a few days.  No doubt the occasional non-availability will result in something unexpected.

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The second time 6M32/6E32 has run this year has produced a different Colas 60.

 

60076 rushes through Brighouse in steady rain with 6E32, 0925 Preston Docks to Lindsey, on 12th January 2015.

 

 

 

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Some super pictures appearing in this thread! Great to see the Colas 60's are starting to spread their wings.

 

Here's a few from me from the past 8 months. Not been much Tug action in the South in recent months, which is a shame.

 

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First of the first, 60001 thumps through Tamworth working 6E08 Wolverhampton Steel Terminal to Masborough. 30.05.2014

 

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Heading away from Burton-on-Trent, 60063 takes charge of 6E54 Kingsbury to Humber Oil Refinery. 31.05.2014

 

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Making it's first visit to the South, 60087 "CLIC Sargent" & 70807 sit behind Eastleigh station. 05.07.2014

 

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With a shortage of 66's at Eastleigh, 60091 "Barry Needham" was commandeered to work 6M48 Southampton Eastern Docks to Halewood Jaguar empty cars. Seen here heading through Kings Sutton. 16.09.2014

 

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Easing past Millbrook, 60091 works 6X44 Southampton Western Docks to Eastleigh Yard trip working. 18.09.2014

 

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Shunting the virtual quarry next to the Botley line at Eastleigh is 60091. 20.09.2014

 

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Bringing it up to date, 60085 rumbles away from Didcot Parkway with 6V62 Tilbury Riverside to Llanwern Exchange Sidings. 07.01.2015

 

Andy.

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My lad has just photographed it's brother - 60085 on the Tilbury - Llanwern and I'm awaiting 60065 which should pass me in an hour or so.

 

07 January 2015

Eccles Road

60065, Spirit of Jaguar, on 6L47, 08:55, Mountsorrel Sdgs - Trowse Yard Redland Siding (14:55) - loaded stone

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Acton Mainline

60085 on 6V62, 11:23, Tilbury - Llanwern covered steel

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I didn't think 60070 is part of the colas fleet?

If not, does anyone know what's happening with it?

 

Cheers,

Phil.

It isn't, probably being stripped for parts for the Colas overhauls (if there's anything left on it worth taking). Hard to believe this one has been out of service for over 10 years now. On the positive side it's good to see 002 is nearly ready for a return to the mainline.

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Quick detour round via Warrington on the way home from Stafford Ex.

60024 "Clitheroe Castle"

I'm in the middle of completing two of these - one for myself and one as a 60th birthday pressie for my elder trainspotting brother. (We grew up in Clitheroe)

 

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Incidentally, there were three other 60's in the area. 60017/60044 in the south bay at the station and 60100 ready to roll with a rake of HTA's in the yard. That's the most working 60's I've seen together for many a year!

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited by newbryford
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At 1pm today 60002 was stabled at Hexthorpe Bridge, Doncaster, along with 60087 60021 and 47727.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/60628514@N02/16413085645/in/photostream/

 

This is quite a poignant shot IMHO, what with the Colas fleet going strong, but the line of many tugs yet to be resurrected or meet their fate in the background.

 

Thanks,

Jack.

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What is it with the 60? They were never really liked that much and even BR said they had 100's of faults each when built- which it seems has never been backed up by any actual fact or other evidence.

 

We are told that there's a shortage of motive power at the moment with little or no new orders due to the new Franco-Germanic laws on emissions that will shortly be in place here- preserved 1960's locomotives are being purchased/ leased to cover for shortages and yet there's a fair amount of 60's sitting there.

 

Is this just a case that a particular former rail freight operator really didn't look after any of its fleet (which I do not have problems believing) and these 60's are pretty well knackered as a result?

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Once the 60 fleet settled down, they were well liked by the crews. They simply dragged what was hung on the back of them - hence the nickname.

 

Probably an accountant that decided to run the fleet down, but once it was realised that double-heading 66's wasn't a financially attractive proposition on some trains, a few 60's were kept going. DBS certainly weren't going to let other operators have them and preferred to let them rot away in a siding.

Eventually someone at DBS had the bright idea to give them a good sorting out and the "Super 60" program was born. With the traction shortage over the last couple of years or so, it made more sense to repair more of them.

 

AFAIIA, there are no diesel locos out there in the UK that can match the superior fuel consumption of a 60 and only the 70 and 59 are in the same league for haulage capability. (I still haven't found out how a 60 compares to a 70, but the 60/59 is a close run contest for haulage, but certainly not fuel!)

 

The resurgence in other heritage classes (and not 60's) by other operators was down to DBS not letting competitors get their hands on them, thus other operators sought out 37/47/56 etc. However, I think the ORR became involved and Colas have taken on a few. Quite what the deal is regarding competition on freight flows is, I don't know, as a Colas 60 now regularly works the Lindsey-Preston bitumen train that was a regular DBS duty.

 

Cheers,

Mick

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Hello Mick

 

I think surely the problem pre-dates DBS and was inherent with EWS. Indeed, a family member worked as a freelance consultant after the botched privatisation and occasionally worked for EWS... he was not impressed with their business methodology in any respect.

 

Indeed, his comparison between them and 'a green freight operator' was not something I would want to repeat here...

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I was out the other day for a DCR 31 with a Chiltern Mk3 when I got a text from a friend who'd been looking at TOPS. Lucky I didn't drive off as soon as the ped had gone, right place, right time springs to mind!

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60091 passes Callow Hill with 6B49 Llanwern - Swindon Stores, carrying steel for BMW Mini's panel factory in Swindon and running just over two hours late 30/1/15

 

jo

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