Repurposing the Class 60s (or others?)

[Nova Scotian]

Ended up down a rabbit hole on the new Clayton Class 18 hybrids and got me thinking about the class 69s, and the various classes laid up in storage, particularly those 60s whose engines will likely never run again!

 

The Class 18 is stated to have 524kwh of lead acid batteries - 90 tonnes in a bo-bo package, with a small JCB ~70hp "range extender". Articles on this class state the lead acid were chosen for cost, durability, cycles, replaceability, cost etc - all makes sense.

So it got me thinking about some of the stored classes, and again particularly the class 60s, and the duty cycles that exist on the railway that are likely sub-optimal for the current class employed. One was the class 66 bankers on the Lickey, another was the 66s (and similar) on RHTT.

 

With some back of the napkin calculations I reckoned you could pull the old Mirrlees out of a 60, and replace with approx 786kwh of lead acid (useable) capacity, plus a ~700hp range extender (Cummins QSK19 for simplicity's sake in my calculations).

Alternatively, LiFEPO4 batteries are approximately twice as energy dense, though more expensive. I believe these are the battery technology for the planned Class 93? I reckoned again you could easily get 1048kwh of these into a class 60 + range extender, and possibly as high as 1572kwh.

 

So - would it be useful on the railway? Using the power output of the current class 60 and then tracked against the battery depletion rate (+plus 500kw approx from range extender) gave me the length of time the loco could feasibly operate at full power until the battery is depleted. For 786kwh it would be about 25 minutes, for 1048 it would be 34 minutes, and for 1572kwh it would be 52 minutes (the larger battery capacity gives much longer for the output of the range extender).

 

Running a heavy container train from Fleixstowe at high speed is going to deplete that battery + extender very quickly, but for applications where full power (or close to it) is required for a short time, or where there are periods of idling the battery plus range extender would likely be more than enough.

 

So once again I come back to bankers (not many, very niche), permanent way maintenance, and RHTT. 

 

Two options for the range extenders - if there's no use for the withdrawn Voyagers, then you're reusing an older engine under a different emissions regime, and the engine hours are going to be limited (plug-in hybrid, right?!), plus the cycles are hopefully going to be easier on the engine (having the engine running at a set, more efficient output rather than constantly cycling up and down with all the thermal shock that brings). Alternatively you drop a new euro 5 engine in.

 

Or, after all this bother, is it less useful than the new class 93s with battery, electric and higher diesel output?

Or could this be a way of extending the life of some useful engines, reducing carbon emissions, and particularly reducing particulate + CO + NOx + SOx in those locations that wouldn't look kindly on the 66s and equivalents idling? Battery lifecycle cost would be a concern, and I can't imagine there'd be enough demand to convert more than 15-20 across the network. Given you'd also have to create brand new software to control the energy flow (how does the loco know you're just going up the bank then rolling back down under regenerative braking, versus a 60 mile start-stop drag where you need the range extender running) - and how is that cost effective for a small run?

Edited November 8, 2022 by Nova Scotian
Fat fingers

[black and decker boy]

Rumour is the class 18 isn’t proving a success / viable concept. Most are in store at Wolverton.

 

im not sure there is a need for low power, low duration freight locos of the type you suggest. What TOCs seem to like / need is a common but versatile fleet with very high reliability. 
 

The real question should be what will replace the class 66 as they are now heading for 25years old.

[Nova Scotian]

2 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

Rumour is the class 18 isn’t proving a success / viable concept. Most are in store at Wolverton.

 

im not sure there is a need for low power, low duration freight locos of the type you suggest. What TOCs seem to like / need is a common but versatile fleet with very high reliability. 
 

The real question should be what will replace the class 66 as they are now heading for 25years old.

Well they wouldn’t be low power, they’d be capable of 2300kw when needed, but obviously only for a short time. 
 

you’re definitely right they seem to favour flexiblity - and someone like DRS prioritizing new and reliable. Some of the smaller freight and spot hire, and even gbrf, have more diversity in their fleets. 
 

 

[Artless Bodger]

Wasn't the progenitor of the class 18 a loco specifically for steel works use? I seem to recall a Modern Railways article on a couple of locos, using lead acid batteries for cheapness and adhesive weight, a small diesel gen set for recharging. The main use was for short distance grunt to move loaded torpedo wagons etc around a steelworks. So short term mortgage the batteries followed by long fallow periods to achieve recharge.

[Nova Scotian]

4 minutes ago, Artless Bodger said:

Wasn't the progenitor of the class 18 a loco specifically for steel works use? I seem to recall a Modern Railways article on a couple of locos, using lead acid batteries for cheapness and adhesive weight, a small diesel gen set for recharging. The main use was for short distance grunt to move loaded torpedo wagons etc around a steelworks. So short term mortgage the batteries followed by long fallow periods to achieve recharge.

According to online articles - yes, but they're now getting interest from elsewhere and are positioning it as a shunting replacement for the 08s. Recharging also by plugging in, not just the small gen set.

 

My question/suggestion above isn't too disimilar - looking at similar use cases on the mainline where high outputs of power aren't required for a long period - only for a short period.

 

With genset on a class 18 running flat out, with a fully charged (new) battery you'd be fully depleted at 67 minutes at full power (416kw). Not dropping below 20% brings that to about 54 minutes. Of course as you deplete a battery you mildly impinge its ability to deliver full power, especially if that's over an extended time period and you're generating heat in the cells, but I've avoided that complication as my napkin doesn't have room!

 

Of course shunting isn't extended periods of full power - it's high power to get it moving, then relatively low power to sustain the movement, followed by the ability to brake (regenerative) to slow it down.

[Revolution Ben]

7 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

Rumour is the class 18 isn’t proving a success / viable concept. Most are in store at Wolverton.

 

My understanding is that the Class 18s are at Wolverton awaiting certification, which is taking longer than expected due to the need for them to 'touch' the network from time to time; they aren't going to be solely used in industrial private sidings.

 

Those trialled by GBRf and in use with Tata have proved to be very successful, and I believe the first two from Wolverton will be entering service later this month.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[Rich_F]

Just for context, DCRail have bought 14 of the non-running Class 60s. From well informed sources on other forums majority of those are likely to be refurbed & returned to the rails. So some will be coming back in their diesel form. 

[black and decker boy]

40 minutes ago, Revolution Ben said:

 

My understanding is that the Class 18s are at Wolverton awaiting certification, which is taking longer than expected due to the need for them to 'touch' the network from time to time; they aren't going to be solely used in industrial private sidings.

 

Those trialled by GBRf and in use with Tata have proved to be very successful, and I believe the first two from Wolverton will be entering service later this month.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

That’s great to hear.

[woodenhead]

8 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

The real question should be what will replace the class 66 as they are now heading for 25years old.

Not a class 60 or a 69.