GBRf keeps stored ‘56s’ primed for new work

Four stored GB Railfreight Class 56s have been moved to Castle Donington freight terminal for further storage, pending developments.

56081/098, 56104 and 56312 were moved from UK Rail Leasing’s Leicester depot on August 8, with Rail Operations Group 37601 Perseus carrying out the move.

The first three ‘56s’ were all operational on the main line during their UK Rail Leasing career, while the latter was operational with DCRail until March 2017. It was bought privately before being resold to GBRf.

The operator now intends to assess the ‘56s’, with a re-engining programme planned. ElectroMotive is understood to be fitting new engines to the locomotives to improve reliability, in a similar project to that with GBRf Class 73/9s. When confirming the purchase of the ‘56s’ in June ( RAIL 856), GBRf said that some could re-enter service before being rebuilt.

GBRf has 56009/031/032/037/ 069 at EMD’s Longport facility for assessment, while 56007/018/038/ 060/065/077, 56106 remain at UKRL. The latter is donating components to classmates to enable them to move by rail, and has already had a cab removed for export to Hungary.

Another locomotive (56128), stored since July 1999 and currently at CF Booth’s yard in Rotherham, is also understood to be have been bought by GBRf.

The ‘56s’ were bought for future contracts. They will be used for aggregates trains and possibly HS2-related deals should the company be successful tendering.