Class 69 - Return of the body snatchers?

[newbryford]

4 hours ago, phil-b259 said:

 

Trick of the light and perspective!

 

If you carefully look at the GBRf liveried 66 then it will appear as if the G is larger than the R

 

So lets wait until we get proper photos of the thing in close up before passing judgement, not pics shot from a distance - which, however good digital cameras are at picking up details, will always be distorted simply by perspective and viewing angle.

 

11 minutes ago, Ncarter2 said:

I was actually looking at how the depth of the stripe changes as it runs under the far body side grill, it appears to become a thinner band as it runs towards the cab. Having seen a close up shot of the cab end, I stand by my opinion, and it is just that, an opinion. 

 

 

Perspective or not, something isn't level/parallel!

Snip is from https://www.47soton.co.uk/ as mentioned a couple of pages back.

 

I was taught by my art teacher that letters with rounded top (or bottom) - such as C, G and O had to be drawn larger to look "right" when viewed directly.

Note how the tail of the G is level with the bottom of the B.

Numbers are the same - the 6/9/0 are all higher at the top than the 5.

 

[decauville1126]

Watched it at Ford earlier today. The leading end seemed nice and straight but the rear end looks like it's drooping at the corner. Possibly a trick of the light with the tapering of the cab ends?

 

Anyways, thanks to the poster who put up the Realtime link. 

[37114]

I am not sure which class 56 was made into 69005 but it is possible it was involved in a prang in earlier life hence the droopy cab/wonky stripes.

[newbryford]

21 minutes ago, 37114 said:

I am not sure which class 56 was made into 69005 but it is possible it was involved in a prang in earlier life hence the droopy cab/wonky stripes.

 

56007

 

[4630]

Here are a few more of 69005 when it left Eastleigh on 3rd May 2022, working as 0Y69, 10.29 Eastleigh East Yard to Tonbridge West Yard*.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not the brightest morning in Eastleigh unfortunately, but hopefully these will give more food for thought/discussion.

 

* Not sure if 69005 has a problem, or if there might be another operating issue that's affected its routing as it would appear to have passed Three Bridges at 13.45 (-2), but then made no further progress and subsequently appeared berthed in a siding at Gatwick Airport.  I notice that it seems to have left there around 17.25.

Update 04/05/2022.  Mentioned elsewhere that 69005 was short of fuel, hence its unscheduled stabling at Gatwick presumably until it could be rescued. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by 4630
To provide an update

[6990WitherslackHall]

I noticed in the pics you took that the stripe was parallel even though some suggested it wasn't in earlier photos.

 

A trick of the light perhaps?

[kev]

Now your model looks like the real thing

Edited May 3, 2022 by kev
Spelling

[Grizz]

Sadly 69005 was delayed at Gatwick for 105 minutes today and was then 'joined' by 73962 for the rest of its journey to Tonbridge Yard.....according to Realtime and a friend who took a photo from a passing train. Hope that it was nothing too serious as I am looking forward to seeing it floating around the Southeast. 

[97406]

11 hours ago, Gilbert said:

In both cases some one has tried to make the most of an old, battered and abused body.........enough said....do they ache I wonder?

I can certainly relate to that! :D

[Ncarter2]

3 hours ago, 4630 said:

Here are a few more of 69005 when it left Eastleigh on 3rd May 2022, working as 0Y69, 10.29 Eastleigh East Yard to Tonbridge West Yard*.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not the brightest morning in Eastleigh unfortunately, but hopefully these will give more food for thought/discussion.

 

* Not sure if 69005 has a problem, or if there might be another operating issue that's affected its routing as it would appear to have passed Three Bridges at 13.45 (-2), but then made no further progress and subsequently appeared berthed in a siding at Gatwick Airport.  I notice that it seems to have left there around 17.25.

Looking at the photos of both cabs close up, you can see the stripes sits at a different height, on the right hand cab, the stripe passes below the door handle recess, on the left, it passes through. The side on view of the also shows it narrows in depth as it passes under the grill. Just my opinion of course.
Some very nice pictures you have taken, the livery is really starting to growing on me. 

[big jim]

Looking at the SVR website it says a class 69 is going to be at the diesel gala from the 19th of May until the 22nd if anyone wants to get a bit of haulage behind one 

[4630]

Breaking new ground for the class, 69004 arrives at the Swanage Railway on 5th May 2022, passing through Corfe Castle together with 73136.

 

 

 

 

 

The headboard is a nice touch. 

 

 

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

And here it is about an hour earlier passing Branksome...

[4630]

For those who may be interested, there's a move in the schedule for 69004 to return to Tonbridge West Yard from attending the Swanage Diesel Gala on 9th May as 0Y98, 09.25 Swanage - 15.21 Tonbridge West Yard .  Presumably the working will also include 73136.

 

Details in the schedule of 0Y98 here. 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Here's 69004 (and 73136) returning home today, after a long weekend in Swanage. The pair are crossing Holes Bay, near Poole, on 0Y98 1135 Swanage - Eastleigh.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

A pair of 69s were out and about today on the 4Z69 09:30 Tonbridge West Yard - Acton Lane Sidings.

 

69005 leads 69001 through Wandsworth Common, with the northbound working, running about 90 minutes late at this stage.

 

They were back about an hour later, running light engine.

 

 

69001 takes the lead as the pair pass through Clapham Junction. At the risk of reopening the livery debate, that line looks straight, but the grill in the first photo certainly is crooked. Its like hanging wall paper with vertical stripes and realising your walls aren't straight! I do like the livery though.

[Steadfast]

3 hours ago, Claude_Dreyfus said:

At the risk of reopening the livery debate, that line looks straight, but the grill in the first photo certainly is crooked. Its like hanging wall paper with vertical stripes and realising your walls aren't straight! I do like the livery though.

Looking at photos of 56007 on Flickr,  I don't think that grill was ever level.

Triple grey shows it well, as on this one, linked from Flickr.

You could argue the orange stripe may be at an angle, but funny how it had the same widening gap in RF large logo grey and Fertis livery too.

 

With the build quality issues on these Romanian built machines (candle wax inside, rough burrs on metal conduit with cables inside), I find it quite possible that the holes for the bolts to retain the grill weren't drilled level.

 

However, the angle doesn't seem quite as bad as the stripe on 69005, so maybe both are off level, to different amounts?

 

Jo

Edited May 13, 2022 by Steadfast

[YesTor]

On 03/05/2022 at 13:22, newbryford said:

I was taught by my art teacher that letters with rounded top (or bottom) - such as C, G and O had to be drawn larger to look "right" when viewed directly.

 

Likewise.  And also depending on the font used, a similar rule applied for the 'pointed' letters of the alphabet, eg. A, N, M, V, W.

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by YesTor

[Claude_Dreyfus]

 

69004 forms the 0Z69 08:45 Tonbridge West Yard - Eastleigh East Yard light engine move, approaching Pulborough on 20th July.

[lmsforever]

 Like the liveries well carried out and applied see what people mean the droop  but never mind good to see a company splashing out.

[big jim]

 

oh oh oh oh, camouflage! 

[40F]

69001 in foreign territory working the last 5Q55 Stewarts Lane to Newport Sims with two 455s for scrap nos 455804 and 455 819 on 16.08.2022 at Patchway

Edited August 17, 2022 by 40F
wrong year in date

[Phil Mc]

Tonbridge, 31.8.22

 

 

 

Looks like they missed a bit.....

 

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[letterspider]

Is the RTC variant destined to work exclusively on R&D?

 

[Steadfast]

1 hour ago, Phil Mc said:

Looks like they missed a bit.....

Interesting, looks like a modification to the hinges. Extra detail for Bachmann to look at

https://flic.kr/p/2mMNVb6

 

Jo