SAMSUNG GALAXY:
HAVING just put two of its three former Swedish Class 66s into service after modifications at EMD Longport, Nos. 66790 and 66791 (see last issue), it has been reported that GB Railfreight has agreed a deal with Beacon Rail to acquire a further five locomotives that are surplus to requirements in Germany.
To be numbered Nos. 6679366797, this will take the operator's fleet of the ubiquitous GM-EMD/ Progress Rail Type 5s up to 96
examples, and will include its first ‘heavy duty' versions.
Since the first deliveries of its five Class 66/7 ‘Bluebirds' in March 2001 (Nos. 66701-66705), GBRf has steadily increased its fleet by purchasing new locomotives direct from EMD and also picking up second-hand machines from a number of British sources (including
DB Cargo, Colas Rail/Advenza, Direct Rail Services and Freightliner), as well as via a partnership with Beacon Rail Leasing that has seen eight former European locomotives from a range of operators modified for use in the UK (Nos. 66747-66751 in 2013 and 6679066792 in 2020).
No official announcement has been
made about which five locomotives will be chosen for a new life working for GBRf, but two of them are expected to be the ‘heavy duty' variant with lower speed gearing.
All five newly-registered numbers have been allocated to the MBDL pool ready for the arrival of the first examples before the end of the year.
E
FREIGHTLINER'S G&W orange-liveried
No. 90014 was returned to service on August 5, and it plus Nos. 90003, 90006, 90007, 90010 and 90011 were all transferred to the active DFLC pool following completion of modifications, despite all still wearing their former Greater Anglia white and dark grey scheme.
Three of the five ex-GA machines saw gainful employment in August for their new operator, with just Nos. 90003 and 90011 still to depart Basford Hall as August ticked over to September.
No. 90047's orange repaint was also completed at Toton, although it was still at the Nottinghamshire ‘super depot' at the end of the month. It will be interesting to see if its G&W logo will be in the same offset position as No. 90014's, or in a central position as per No. 90044.
CLASS 150 ‘SPRINTER'
AFTER a short spell in store at Blackburn King Street, No. 150001 returned to Newton Heath on
August 4. It then moved to Crewe for refurbishment, during which it will lose its GWR colours in favour of Northern
livery. No. 150002, which had been at Crewe since July 25, returned to Newton Heath accompanied by
No. 150214, which has received new seat covers, on August 15.
CLASS 159
TO promote the proposed reopening of the line to passenger trains,
No. 159015 worked a special train
from Southampton to Marchwood/ Fawley on July 28.
CLASS 170 ‘TURBOSTAR'
IN preparation for its transfer to CrossCountry, the centre car from
No. 170635 (MS No. 56635) has been removed from the set and, on August 24, left Tyseley by road bound for Bristol Barton Hill where it will be
refurbished. It is the first of six vehicles to be treated – Nos. 56630-35 will, in due course, join the CrossCountry fleet and be added to Nos. 170518-523 to bring them up to three-car formation.
With No. 170635 now a two-car set, it has become No. 170535. The unit, along with the other sets being reduced to two vehicles (Nos. 170630-634) and Nos. 170501-517, will move to East Midlands Railway after the introduction of the Class 196 ‘Civity' fleet in the
West Midlands.
CLASS 195 ‘CIVITY'
ENTERING revenue-earning traffic on August 14 was No. 195023, with
No. 195022 following 10 days later.
Delivered to Edge Hill in late July, No. 195132 began test running during August. Its arrival left just one member of the Class (No. 195133) still to emerge from CAF's Newport factory. No. 195021 is also at Newport, having returned after a derailment at Edge Hill in January.
CLASS 196 ‘CIVITY'
NEW West Midlands Railway set
No. 196101 undertook training/test runs from Tyseley to Stratford upon Avon on several occasions during August.
CLASS 315
THE introduction to service of more Class 710 units has resulted in London Overground removing more of its ‘315s' from traffic.
Three pairs of units ran from
Ilford to Northampton for warm storage, namely Nos. 315812/825 (August 4), 315803/831 (August 15) and 315808/822 (August 18). Nos. 315812/825 subsequently returned to Ilford temporarily on August 18, before heading for Northampton again three days later, this time hauled by
No. 37884 rather that under their own power.
Still in traffic with London Overground in late August were
Nos. 315801/802/805/807/810/ 811/815/824/ 830/833/859.
CLASS 317
ANOTHER two Greater Anglia ‘317s' have been handed back to Angel Trains and placed in store. Nos. 317660/668 were taken away on August 14, No. 37884 Cerpheus being provided as power for the 5E46/10.59 Ilford-Ely Papworth. Their arrival at Ely means there are now 13 Class 317s stored at the site, Nos. 317659/660/ 662/663/668/ 669/671/722/887889/891/892. Several other sets
(Nos. 317708-710/ 714/719/723/ 729/732/890) are stored at
Wembley Yard.
CLASS 322
ON August 24, No. 37800 Cassiopeia took Nos. 322481/482 from Doncaster Belmont Yard to Clacton, where they will be prepared for service with Greater Anglia. Their movement means all eight former West Yorkshire Class 321 and 322 units have been sent south for further use.
CLASS 323
RELEASED from its refurbishment on August 22, No. 323231 formed the 5Q37/10.47 Wolverton-Allerton.
Heading the opposite direction two days later was No. 323224, leaving just one unrefurbished set, No. 323223, in traffic.
The last of West Midlands
Railway's Class 323s to undergo PRM (persons with reduced mobility) work,
Dennis Clarke