Virgin 57 drivers

[woodenhead]

When Virgin had its 57s, who drove them, were they normal Virgin drivers, were they employed purely to drive the 57 s or did they hire them in from other companies.

 

I ask because I was wondering that if they were manned by normal Virgin drivers did that mean all Virgin drivers had to be signed to drive the diversionary routes and does that mean because now other companies are providing the Thunderbird support Virgin only needs its drivers to sign for the WCML potentially saving a fortune.

[newbryford]

AFAIAA, "normal" VT drivers are used. The lease for the VT 57/3's ended when the franchise for the WCML was due to change last year, but as discussed elsewhere, VT still have the WCML franchise, but they still need 57/3's for Thunderbird duties. So DRS now have the contract to provide locos, but VT drivers still man the locos.

 

Recent route refreshing on the S&C for the current weekend diversions with 221 Voyagers, saw use of DRS 57/3's with VT drivers. At least 57307 (in unbranded DRS blue, but with Lady Penelope nameplaes, before it received it's Cable Thieves logos), 57308 - unbranded VT, 57309 - full DRS compass livery, along with a couple of the Arriva blue 57/3's before they transferred to WCML were all seen on this duty.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[woodenhead]

Thanks, I thought the transfer was a cost reduction and not linked to the end of the franchise as whoever got the franchise would still have needed Thunderbird support.

 

So effectively Virgin is hiring them back but from a manning perspective nothing has changed.

[The Stationmaster]

If the 'thunderbird' contracts work in the original way that we established not long after privytisation Virgin should now be saving money having got the locos off its books.  I only used to charge a standby fee plus an actual use fee for locos in this sort of situation and I know that other hirers our did something similar.  But it's over a decade since I departed the big railway and things change.

[dmustu]

Us XC men used to sign 57s too. They had one down at Plymouth for a while to rescue voyagers stranded by the sea wall when there were issues with the sea water getting into the brake resistors on the roofs causing the voyagers to shut down and become a failure. We also had one at New st. for a short while which was manned by XC, it was commonly used as a route refreshing loco as well as thunderbird duties, but when the franchise changed in 2007, 57s were not part of the safety case for the new franchise so their use by XC stopped.