Jump to content
 

Next batch of Class 70's


Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

Nice video but is that clicking noise coming from the loco, your camera shutter or some kind of demented beetle?

 

Has anyone managed to capture the class 70 on video yet where it isn't coasting or slowing down for a signal or such? ie does anyone have a video of it with the engine actually under load?

 

 

There were a lot of people on the bridge photographing it ! - the camera shutters weren't as overpowering as I had feared.

 

70001 hasn't worked a train yet and is restricted to 40mph at the moment.

70002 worked an infrastructure last week (also restricted to 40mph), video on YouTube I believe.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Had some feedback via one of our shunters yesterday who was speaking to a fitter who had started training on them... (nowt to do with their looks but interesting stuff nonetheless)...

 

When idling they run on only four cylinders (clever stuff!),

 

The batteries are accessed from inside the cabs and are placed high up making them hard to, er...access!

 

There is no way of climbing onto the cab fronts to change the windscreen wiper!

 

Fitters may have to wear a supporting harness when working on the engine and ancilleries!

 

wink.gif

 

Still waiting to clap eyes on one yet.... hopefully when all the light engine running is finished with we'll be getting them on the jobs they'll be most suited to - our 2,500 ton aggregates trains thrashing up and down the Midland, as the gradients south of Leicester are deceptively steep!

 

Cheers,

Nidge

Link to post
Share on other sites

There were a lot of people on the bridge photographing it ! - the camera shutters weren't as overpowering as I had feared.

 

70001 hasn't worked a train yet and is restricted to 40mph at the moment.

70002 worked an infrastructure last week (also restricted to 40mph), video on YouTube I believe.

 

I've seen the u-tube video but the train is coasting or breaking - the loco makes less noise than the wagons!

Link to post
Share on other sites

70002 at Stoke Gifford was idling while we were there today. It sounds remarkably like an MTU engine, with a bit more of a 60 style chuggy-ness. Every now and then, it got louder with a rather healthy belch of clag, presumably as some change happened in the engine, whether it was picking up more cylinders for a bit, or changing the 4 that it was idling on. Suffice to say, it was next to a pair of 66s, both yinging away to themselves. The external noise level at idle of the 70 is similar I reckon to the sheds, but it doesn't travel anywhere near as far, or as easily, due to the different noise.

 

cheers

 

jo

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Fwiw,

now I've seen them on film and actually in motion, yes they are an ugly duckling and the nest must have been right at the top of the ugly tree, but they have got a certain presence. To my mind, the Bob masterman clip at night showed a pretty impressive freight machine hardly stretching its legs.Not much chance of healthy claggy noise I fear with any new machine these days, oh to have been watching in the days when tractors were 10 a pennysad.gif .

Welcome to the UK for better or worse.(and much needed variety)

Cheers, matt

Link to post
Share on other sites

On the GE website, they have some info about the Class 70 - and many videos.

 

Amoung the videos are runs of the loco without some of the skins, wooden handrails/decks on the side, and no paint. Quite a different beast that way! :blink:

 

GE Reports on 1st Powerhaul Locomotives ship to UK

 

I think that they will grow on you. I like them.

 

Gil B)

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Indeed they are. I was wondering what sort of tonnage trains these are intended for? Will, with their 3,700 hp, they be the most powerfull locos to grace uk rails and thus be able to out tug a tug?

Theres already a loco here that does that anyway, its called a class 59.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Theres already a loco here that does that anyway, its called a class 59.

 

Trouble with the 59 is that it can be a bit on the slow side. While I hardly expect to see the 70s romping about with 5,000 tonnes hanging on the back it will be interesting to see if they can get out the speed as well as the sheer grunt needed to shift tonnage.

Link to post
Share on other sites

be thankful that there is still investment in railways and railfreight, unlike other countries like Ireland!

 

In the last decade or so most of the train fleet in Ireland has been replaced, along with a large slice of the signalling. Dublin has got two tram routes, both are being extended, and still to come is the first stretch of quadruple track and a heavy rail tunnel under the city, not to mention a Metro for good measure. All this still seems to be on despite the economic situation which has hit Ireland worse than most.

 

So while I grant you freight is almost non-existent (the country is just too small with no international rail connections) you can't really level a charge of lack of investment.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Brilliant high peak !!

I am definately liking 'frightliner' as the best nickname so far. Or we could pinch BUFF from the US air force ?

 

At the end of the day it is encouraging to see this investment I bet these things don't come cheap, I am sure nidge will fill us in eventually on what they are like to drive.

 

Lets hope the cabin environment is better for the drivers than the sheds.

Link to post
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...