Down to the final 15 Class 60's

And soon to be 14, with 60011 due to join recently stored 60048 & 60074. Certainly looks like there time ( with DB ) is almost up, end of march we expect. Time to step up the preservation effort!

 

What happened to 60031? I saw it around Stirling a lot when EWS were doing driver training to Longannet on the SAK line.

 

Still nice and active, for now. Seen it monday - wednesday so far this week through Netherfield Jnc ( Notts )

 

appears all remaining 60's are now in store due to lack of work

 

No they are very much still up and fighting!

60026 is back from store today
Got 60031 again today and also 60010 on video

 

i think u will find that alot of 60's r being overhauled . and now DBS put loco's in to store if they are having repair's or exam's

 

60085 still working 6B13 Robeston - Westerleigh and return albeit reduced loadings but is still a regular Tug working but for how much longer is another question!

30 were earmarked for overhaul back last year, work commencing sometime Spring 2009 however most of the locos are in store mainly due to the economic climate and struggling market conditions. There's simply no work for them at the present time, Steel being one of the main markets has been hit hard with reductions in production and the decision of TATA/Corus to mothball plants and lay off workers.
As many of us know, its a knock on effect and in time the markets will start to pick up but untill then and on reliability percentages, most of the workings carried out by DBS will no doubt be hauled by a Class 66.

 

Let's hope we see them back in traffic soon. It gets every boring just seeing class 66s and 67s on the main line. Most of the other class still left on the main line are getting few and far between.

 

Looks like they're being mothballed until demand picks up.

None have been scrapped yet have they?

The minor freight operators would surely snap one up if it went for disposal. Saw an unfamiliar set of lights approaching a couple of nights ago, and a 56 went past on a container train. The next night, one went past again, about the same time. The 1970's machines aren't finished yet, so I'm sure the 1980's ones are far from it.

 

60's may be getting stored left right and centre but that's more due to the downturn in freight work, they'll be back when things pick up i believe as they are decent modern machines, not clapped out (37's) or unreliable (56's, 58's).

Seemingly when you only need so many loco's for work it's better to have a uniform fleet, sadly that means bloody Sheds!.

 

nowt wrong with 58's my godfarther was the cheif designer on them all crews i have spoke to said they were great

 

60026 today Monday 16th Feb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4ZwClAjDsQ

 

Sorry to point out the obvious, but they are being stored. There is not enough demand for class 60's and class 66's to be out, so the 60's are stored.

Why I hear you ask?

Well, the class 66's are leased so are paid for whether they are being used or not. The 60's are only technically costing anything when they are used. So it makes more financial sense to store the 60's and use the 66's.

 

but not much good if 66s struggle a lot to lift the load

 

Not sure it really works like that unless DB are daft enough to depreciate them based n running hours rather than elapsed life.

 

Might be why a few 60's seem to be hanging on, DB maybe are fully aware the heaviest loads can be a bit of a struggle for 66's, unlike 37's which can be hired in from DRS when you have an RA5 job, what other class realistically has a 60's tractive effort ?.

On a similar subject, are there still 90's & 92's sitting around doing sweet FA, or are they making better uses of resources for trains under the wires ?.

 

Well i'm sure we'll find out in the coming weeks,i have no arguements with DBS ridding themselves of the 37's or 47's,31's,33's but its the 56's and 58's especially i don't understand,they were extremley powerful although i suppose that the 66's can do anything they can.....I heard something about a 66 working to Peak Forest the other day,is this a sign of things to come? If the 60's should hold on anywhere its the Ore's.......

 

60065 trundled through Barnes, ahead of 'Clan Line' this afternoon. No idea what it was working as I was visiting from 'oopp North.'

 

There was one in Tavvy Junction yard this afternoon, didn't have time to see which one though.

 

Trouble with 90's is that NR imposes penalty charges for locos that run under 125 on the ecml, else they, and some redundant Mk3 stock would have a use. The daft bit is, put a 90 on an all stns Kx - Lds, and it won't loose any time, due to higher gearing than a 91, plus you'll hardly touch 125 anyway.

There's plenty of surplus Mk 3 stock + DVT's lying about; the criminal factor is the shortage of locos to pull it.

As to freight engines - I've never heard a bad word about 56's, apart from the Rumanian ones leaking around the windscreens; hardly surprising, since they are in many ways the same machine as a Valentta HST!