Guest Phil Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 The first of the new batch made it onto my local coal today 02 February 2011 Ellesmere Port 70010 on 6F02, 12:07, Ellesmere Port Manisty Wharf - Fiddlers Ferry Power Station loaded HHAs Ere Beast. Have the local tatters been nicking the juice rail thereabouts ? It seems only to be on the one platform, and ends at the end of it. Presume it is only a cheapo 3rd rail project ? Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted February 3, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2011 Ere Beast. Have the local tatters been nicking the juice rail thereabouts ? It seems only to be on the one platform, and ends at the end of it. Presume it is only a cheapo 3rd rail project ? Cheers Not quite that bad Phil , the station is the limit of the electrification, the 507/508s run into the station, the same way the 70 is going, and terminate there, they then use the trailing crossover and reverse back to the Wirral. The service is 15 minute frequency at it's peak and generally it all works well. The platform I am standing on is used by the services between Helsby and Ellesmere Port, these run very early morning and late afternoon only, a very poor service which is very difficult for anyone to actually use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
6Y99 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Working for FLHH and being fortunate I suppose to work with these loco's they are a very good piece of kit I have only been on the class when they have worked coal trains or being light loco but to compared to a 66 or a 60 these locomotives are in a different league to Haul a 1,900 ton coal train over the S&C and only use a minimum amount of sand is something a class 66 can not do and something 60 would struggle to do. I have never been on freight train that has started away from Birtley Jn (Tyne Yard) and be shutting off power at Chester le Street as the train is up to line speed, on a 66/60 you are lucky if you are around the 35/40mph mark the faults with these locomotives are daft little faults that can only really be sorted with a fitter who has a laptop computer! The high oil temperature fault that was causing the class to fail when they was 1st introduced has been resolved with re positioning of a sensor and better lagging on a pipe and also the disposal procedure of the loco has been revised this to is stopping the flat batteries that was always occurring when a loco was stabled. Comfort wise the class has the best seats that could be fitted to any locomotive there ride is a bit dodgy at times the best way to describe it is bouncy when you hit a wet spot you bounce around for around a mile after but that is something that will be worked on the ride quality saying that is far better than any other class of loco I've worked on, far better than 47/56/58/60 or 66. Stationmaster I do think you are being a bit hard on the class 60s I know you was involved with there introduction on the WR with the stone traffic out of the Mendips but for a loco that designed and built within 13 months and build that rushed I think they have done a sterling job and to be fair with only the 1st member of the class having a no doubt cheap overhaul at Toton as I type this I dn't think they have done that bad a job really. In the Yorkshire/Humber area for instance when they was put on the heaviest trains out of Lindsey and Humber Oil Refinery's in 1990/91 and handled these trains with the greatest of ease Trainload freight increased the weight's to 3,000ton and the only thing that stopped Trainload Freight increasing the loads further was that the terminals could handle the length of the trains, But you are right they are still no match for a 59. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted February 3, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 3, 2011 Mick, why would a 66 need to be compared to a heavy hauler like a 59 or 60? They're different types of freight loco. The 66 is a general workhorse, with a fair amount of grunt to boot, but the 59 & 60 are dedicated heavily haulers designed for particular types of traffic. It's like trying to compare Apples with Oranges. Agreed - that was the point I was trying to make that 66's aren't comparable to a 59 or 60. Now maybe a 70 can be compared to a 59 or 60! Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted February 3, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2011 Stationmaster I do think you are being a bit hard on the class 60s I know you was involved with there introduction on the WR with the stone traffic out of the Mendips but for a loco that designed and built within 13 months and build that rushed I think they have done a sterling job and to be fair with only the 1st member of the class having a no doubt cheap overhaul at Toton as I type this I dn't think they have done that bad a job really. In the Yorkshire/Humber area for instance when they was put on the heaviest trains out of Lindsey and Humber Oil Refinery's in 1990/91 and handled these trains with the greatest of ease Trainload freight increased the weight's to 3,000ton and the only thing that stopped Trainload Freight increasing the loads further was that the terminals could handle the length of the trains, But you are right they are still no match for a 59. I quite agree they've not done too badly over the years but the big problem with them was failure to deliver in their early days and the fact that it took them a long time to become reliable, despite a very cosseted existence back then - and taht did a lot to form my opinion of them. But you're right about Lindsey train from what I know of them (which is from the WR end only) where the only trouble I know of once they had settled down was one running out of fuel (down to the Driver I'm afraid, he reckoned he could manage the job without the booked refuelling but he couldn't, one down to experience after that I'm sure). By way of contrast the 59s worked straight out of the box - far more reliably than the 70s have been so far it would seem - but then they were a much more traditional design of course; the only casualty leading to a delay of more than 10 minutes in the first year of the 59s was down to an AWS fault (in the equipment supplied by BR, oops). And it looks like you and I are in agreement on the haulage abilities of the 59s - what will now be interesting is more detail such as your views on the abilities of the 70s (now where's my old pal who is now a Traction Inspector with Freightliner). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
6Y99 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 A Fair point and well made the only dealing that I ever had with class 59's was when I was on the loco desk at EWS looking after the ex National Power locomotives, Us ooop north we was limited as to what trains we could put them on as only Ferrybridge and Knottingley and some not all Doncaster drivers knew the loco's as the 66s came on stream the situation did get better as the 59s are a conversion course off 66 and vice verse. The JMA sets that used to run between Gascoigne Wood carried 130tons more coal than a standard 36HAA set. I had ride out before I came off the loco desk and spent a few day's riding trains around the Aire Valley and there is a short sharp climb from Ferrybridge North to Knottngley West Jn and I was with a Knottingley driver who thought that the these 59s was the muts nuts and showed me how good they was he stopped the train at the point ends of the junction at Ferrybridge it snowing wet an really awful day he blew the brake off and put the loco into notch 1 and left it with 1900 ton on the draw hook the loco pulled the train up the hill without an problem at all, The driver was man of many years experience and told me that he would never had attempted to do that with any other loco. But I do remember that the 59s in Yorkshire was not totally failure free because of the loco's only doing short runs and not hauling as heavy train as there brothers was down south the loco's hydro static oll was not getting to the right temperatures and they often failed with hydro static faults and low oil pressure, I had to arrange assistance for 59206 when it gave up the ghost on the mainline near Ferryhill when it failed with such a fault I nicked a 56 from Tyne Yard and to be fair the 56 did the job it hauled the dead loco and its train through to Gascoigne Wood as the coal was to be blended without any problems and when I was ever short for a 59 on the Wardley job I would always shove a 56 on it. Going back to my day on the loco desk (It must be boring you by now) I agree they often did fail to deliver many times I had to put double headed 56s on the Leeds Tanks when the class was not available for the job and on anglo scottish coal trains many times I had to 56 or 66 out vice a 60 they struggled coming back over the hills with the loaded trains but they got there in the end, But both the class was masters of there work on heavy trains for instance on the short but sharp climb up Appleby bank on a loaded Iron Ore train to be stopped halfway up and start its train without any issues to get hold of the train not shows the expertise of the driver but the engineering of the loco many times 66s have stalled had to be assisted from the front and the rear. Last year DBS did a trial with 2 class 66s in multi on 6N03 Lindsey - Jarrow tanks and the train was stopped halfway up and they could not restart the train admittedly the 2nd loco was dead and when it was fired up it still would not move the 30 TEA tanks up the hill the train was declared a failure and a 3rd 66 came from Scunthorpe all 3 loco's now in mulit and it only just moved the train. But yes lets see how the 70 perform from what I have experienced so far the loco's should in time shut all there critics up and you never know they could get a cult following as they clag a bit. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Cl.70 booked for the 4V50 Soton Maritime - Wentloog and return, today Friday 4th. Feb. 2011. Due Wentloog @ 08:00 and off again by 10:00 Brian R Oops, didn't see post above - but confirmed now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted February 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 4, 2011 Cl.70 booked for the 4V50 Soton Maritime - Wentloog and return, today Friday 4th. Feb. 2011. Due Wentloog @ 08:00 and off again by 10:00 Passed Wotton Basset around 07:00, next working is 4O51, 10:00 off Wentloog. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Here's 70003 crawling past Pig Lane, near Hullavington with today's 4O51 Wentloog - Southampton, the first Southampton based run too see a 70, as mentioned earlier. The reason the train was going so slowly is that it got looped at Hullavington, allowing me to get to Rodbourne just before it passed There's more shots from this week here http://joalder.fotopic.net/c1939053.html Hopefully it'll stick around so we can get it in the sun B) cheers jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phil Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Thanks for your comments about the class 70 6Y99. Although not a fan of modern diesels I really want to see these 70s do well, if for no other reason than to provide some variety. The comments about class 60s in their early days, are repeats of all of BR's previous generations of traction. Poor training for ops and artisan staff, and this was replicated with the class 66. I recall the first 66 coming to Bescot and being stabled "out the way". The first time the trainees took it up the shed for fuel, the maintenance staff had never seen one. Yet there were no plans for the stabled loco to be taken up the shed for the fitters to have a look over, and learn / familiarise. It took ages to get drivers used to the class 60 computer panel - the difference between flashing, and steady illuminated warning lights. GE obviously think they have a worthy piece of kit to have sent it this far. The only thing that puzzles me is the maintenance regime. I'd have thought FLwould have these engines out from 2200 Sunday night till 1200 Saturday lunchtime -ie when there are trains to haul. Then exams and maintenance while the locos are not busy. TOPS suggests an awful lot of midweek shed downtime at the moment. Hope that is just bedding in, as I can't imagine the chief engineer at Whatley being too impressed with a shed full of 59s midweek. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 5, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 5, 2011 I heard 70012 might be off to Leeds for stripping. I heard that 70012 will be returned 'as is' to the USA. The reason being it had not cleared customs at the time of the accident and it would be easier than filling out reams of paperwork! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250BOB Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Well....the Beluga Endurance is finally on its way back to the UK, looks to be heading in the direction of Felixtowe from Rotterdam. Newport after that maybe..............???????? Bob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted February 5, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 5, 2011 Well....the Beluga Endurance is finally on its way back to the UK, looks to be heading in the direction of Felixtowe from Rotterdam. Newport after that maybe..............???????? Bob. Unless the lowloader at Newport makes a quick dash down the M4...... Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Some more info on 70012 from 31 January: http://www.cargolaw.com/2011nightmare_GE.Class70.html including photos and a link to a Youtube video of the loading operations at Port Erie. They were shipped from GE on heavy duty flats.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
6Y99 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Phil, Yeah a T.O.P.S. Enquiry on the locomotives shows a lot of Mid Week down time there is a two main reasons for this GE engineers are carrying out mods and such or the loco could be due and exam even also driver knowledge is a issue at the moment the depot's Bristol, Carlisle, Troon, Mossend and Dunbar and Garston are the only depots on the Heavy Haul side that have 100% on the class other depots have small links of men that know the class. As of yet no major traction training/handling courses have been run and I don't think there will be any till the class is properly bedded in I understand that Intermodal will be the 1st part business to get all its men trained up on the class. Re the class 60s and there computer panel some drivers still struggle with that and steady and flashing fault lights! The training of staff on loco's in my opinion is not the best the loco is new build totally new and the staff should have a full training program not make it a conversion course off a class 66! but EWS did that once 66's arrived for all new drivers the class 66s was classed as basic traction and everything else was a conversion course off it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted February 6, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 6, 2011 couple of piccies from me, nowt special but i need to put them somewhere! 70001 70001 70002 70002 roof detail (also posted in product section) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_l_jones Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Gossip has it that GBRf have ordered five... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
6Y99 Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 I keep hearing this but everyone I know at GBRF say this is utter rubbish if GB have any sense they will wait till the 70s have settled down and all the issues are sorted out Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Simon Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Gossip has it that GBRf have ordered five... Hi, It was reported in the latest issue of the Railway Magazine (Match 2011) that GBRF were thinking of ordering 5, but it was unknown whether they had at the time of publishing (Wednesday 2nd February 2011), so it could be possible, but maybe not DO NOT take this as definate and shall we stop speculating about it until there is an annoucement from GBRF them selves (there also might not be one) Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
big T Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I see 009 is now fixed as its just tanked past me on L92..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted February 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 7, 2011 Hi, It was reported in the latest issue of the Railway Magazine (Match 2011) that GBRF were thinking of ordering 5, but it was unknown whether they had at the time of publishing (Wednesday 2nd February 2011), so it could be possible, but maybe not DO NOT take this as definate and shall we stop speculating about it until there is an annoucement from GBRF them selves (there also might not be one) Simon Very sensible point Simon - I must admit that this different form of 'wish-listing' (i.e not 'what will they make' but 'who will buy it') is rather pointless in my view. The market for locos in this country is fairly limited and fairly small so any wish listing would soon run dry in any case Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted February 8, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 8, 2011 70004 may be worth looking out for from tomorrow (Weds) ...... Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 70003 did the Wentloog liner again today - this time the weather played ball B) Working 4O51 Wentloog - Southampton for the second time, 70003 climbs the bank at Cattybrook If it hadn't been for it running about an hour late, it would have been rather a different scene: http://joalder.fotop.../p68983744.html cheers jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 What caught my eye in Jo's picture (which I've included below) is the signal in the background. Is it usual to have the aspects illuminated for the reversable direction working? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted February 9, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 9, 2011 What caught my eye in Jo's picture (which I've included below) is the signal in the background. Is it usual to have the aspects illuminated for the reversable direction working? Yes, hth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now