Class 69 No. 69001 for GB Railfreight.

News thanks to Railway-Centre.com. <BJ>

GB Railfreight class 69 No. 69.001 has arrived at Kidderminster, SVR. The pioneer conversion from class 56 No. 56.031, the first of the Doncaster built Class 56s, will see No. 69.001 undertake static and dynamic testing, before being taken to Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh for painting and entry into service.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/149822823@N04/50946335798/in/pool-ukrailways/

I think its Romanian origins are even more visible now it doesn't have the jumpers on the front.

 

Are they ? People forget that the parts were fabricated at Loughborough then exported to Romania for assembly; this was part of a technology transfer project to assist with developing the country's industrial base as it came out of Communism- a much vaunted Labour Party policy IIRC to "export" the UK's knowledge base.

 

Actually they were built in Romania as Brush had not enough capacity. As the order was placed in 1974 and the first Romanian loco was delivered in 1976_ but needed so much remedial work that it didn't enter service until 1977, 12 years before the fall of communism, someone in the Labour party must have had a powerful Crystal ball for your version of the story to be true.

 

Dad sent me this earlier, of 69001 heading towards Northwood photo c/o Jack Boskett Media

 

There is a video as well, strangely looks like a 56 but sounds like a 66.....

 

Yeah Dad sad it was a bit strange when it passed him last night

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/jackboskett/status/1361363480083894274?s=09

Video here

 

They look at lot more like their Electroputure relatives to my eyes (that predate the 56s and were built in conjunction with Sulzer as well as the electric locos they built).

Why they were built in Romania is more to do with the desire of the British government from 1968 onwards (both Tory and Labour) (and also the French, Italian and West German govts) to cultivate Ceaușescu as 'another Tito' (a non-aligned East European communist movement). But that is another story for another day as unfortunately, North Korea was much more seductive.



(From 2.45 on for pure batsh*t insanity)

 

As someone from the Class 56 Group told me, the best way to describe the Romanian versions is each one is individually hand crafted, as no two are alike. Why would you want to deburr the cut edges of conduit for example, before fitting the wiring?

 

Yep: hand built by candle light is a another phrase I have heard.

 

I’ve heard the same, regarding the looks of a 56 though isn’t it a Brush design rather than Electroputre? There’s a some similarity with the 47.

 

Yes it's a brush design, just some were built in Romania due to lack of capacity in the UK as discussed above.

 

Although compare the bogies of a 56 with a CFR class 60 and you can see the Romanian origins there. (Although I think that may well be via Switzerland as the bodywork of the 60 draws on the Ae 6/6 for sure).

This would not shock me as it was quite common things to be bought whole and then re-named - so hence a 1970s Dacia is a Renault. They seemed to basically skip the design and testing stages and just move into production rapidly.

These things were bought from the west with western debt.

Austerity in Romania didn't really kick in until 1981 so the 'made by candlelight' is perhaps a slight blurring of the timelines of things. (Austerity being to pay off the western debt - and it succeeded - in January 1990...)

My assumption is that they are basically Brush design with some stuff from the Romanian end of things. I think (and the files are closed on this issue) is that the contract was a sweetner to get Ceausescu to agree to a state visit in 78.

All I can say is that looking at the 69, it is a bit like looking at someone who has done something to their hair or face and when you see them first they look more like one of their relatives.

 

An update. <BJ>

What next for Class 69 locomotives 69001 and 69002? Mid March stay at the Severn Valley Railway (railadvent.co.uk)

GB Railfreight Class 69, No. 69001, has now arrived at the Severn Valley Railway for testing, and the rail freight operator has told RailAdvent what its plans are for the time it is at the heritage railway.

Whilst at the Severn Valley Railway, light and loaded test runs will be completed. This will allow the computer systems to be set up for the best operational specifications.

69001 will be at the Severn Valley Railway until approximately 12th March 2021. Additionally, some driver training will be completed whilst it is at the railway.
Once the test runs and driver training is complete, the locomotive will head back to Longport for additional testing, before heading for painting in April.

GBRf has also told RailAdvent that it expects the second loco in the Class 69 class, 69002, to head to Eastleigh Arlington for painting in Mid March.

For those that don’t know, Class 69s are converted from Class 56 locomotives with engines similar to those found in Class 66s, with 69001 and 69002 being converted from 56031 and 56311 respectively.

A spokesperson for GBRf told RailAdvent: “69001 will be at the SVR until approximately 12 March. There it will undergo loaded and light engine test runs to enable its computer systems to be evaluated and set up for best operational specifications. Some driver training will also be undertaken during this time. The locomotive will then go back to Longport for some additional tests before going to paint in April. We expect that 69002 will head to Arlington Eastleigh for painting mid-March”.

 

I refer you to Brush Traction - Diesel & Electric Locomotives 1940- 2008 by George Toms. At Page 260 he notes "Brush decided ....sub-contracted this work to Elecroputere ... Most of the components were to be manufactured in Britain and shipped to Romania for installation into the Craiova-built body shells." George also notes that the Class 56 order was placed in September 1974 for 60 locomotives - 30 to be supplied by Brush Traction and 30 to be supplied by BR Doncaster using components supplied by Brush Traction.

 

Are they being re-built to get round the new emissions regs? Like 57s? (IIRC, new locomotives need to meet stringent emissions regs, but re-engineing avoids the regs).

I wonder what else could be re-used? There are lot of deltics and Hoovers knocking about!

 

Peaks? One of those with an American power unit would be interesting!

 

Sacrilege!
The 50 Alliance and DPS’ll have you strung up from the crane at Kidderminster TMD!

 

Not sure how this adds anything to your tale that the Labour party had a powerful Crystal ball.