Freight locos return as traffic picks up
WITH the country beginning to reopen, it is pleasing to record a more positive month for DB’s UK fleet with the number of locomotives returning to service significantly outnumbering those being stopped.
The reactivation of No. 66006 reported last month has been confirmed, the Class 66 rejoining the WBAR pool, as has classmate
No. 66068.
Other returnees from the WFMS holding pool include Nos. 66011, 66053, 66092 and 66158 (all from Toton to WBAE), No. 66113 (now with branding commemorating Covid-19 ‘key workers’) from Toton to WBBE, Nos. 67001 and 67007 from Crewe EMD to WAAC (the latter via ‘super shunter’ duties at Doncaster), and Nos. 90026, 90028, 90029, 90036 and 90037 from Crewe EMD to WEDC.
Moving in the opposite direction were Nos. 66009, 66035, 66096, 66142 and 66168, which are all now WFMS at Toton, plus No. 90037 at Crewe EMD (after being reinstated for just three days to the WEDC pool), and Nos. 67021, 90019 and 90034.
GRAND CENTRAL ‘90S’
The reactivation of Nos. 90026 and 90029, both in Grand Central livery, has allowed our first look at these locomotives atop their matching coaches as the black and orange duo were tasked with delivering a pair of newly refurbished Mk.4 sets from
Alstom, Widnes to Wembley on
June 26 (as 5Z90). The third repainted GC Class 90 also debuted in June with the release of No. 90020 from Toton, and this has now moved to Crewe EMD for final adjustments.
It was nearly all one-way traffic in Freightliner’s fleet in June, with nine locomotives put back at work and just three stopped. The stored DHLT pool was noticeably lighter by the end of the month, with No. 66420 returned to the DFIN pool,
Nos. 66510-66512, 66518, 66528, 66533, 66540 back in DFIM, and
No. 66621 in DFFH.
Sadly, the three locomotives placed in store were all members of the venerable and vulnerable Class 86/6 fleet, with Nos. 86605, 86612, 86627 all being allocated DHLT at Crewe Basford Hall, joining No. 86610 that was stored in January with scrap wheelsets. Whether this is the start of a cull of the classic English Electric machines or just a temporary measure is not yet known. There was movement with their expected replacements in June as No. 66543 dragged former Greater Anglia machine No. 90014 from Crewe Basford Hall to Toton for repainting on the 22nd.
Meanwhile, another relatively new member of the FL fraternity, exFoster Yeoman/Aggregates Industries No. 59002, visited Leeds Midland
Road in the first half of the month for tyre turning.