Leicester Type 3 overhaul compete NEWS ROUND-UP
UKRL's Leicester depot has completed a major overhaul of
No. 37611, including cab repairs, refurbished bogies and a full engine rebuild. It was undergoing testing and a spell on the load bank in the first half of January, before heading out on the main line on the 25th (with No. 37601 as insurance) to collect 37800 from Crewe.
The following day
(January 26) the former No. D6871/37171/37690 – an alumni of English Electric's Vulcan Foundry and 58 years old in September – was again partnered with No. 37601 (the former No. D6705/37005/37501, which celebrated its 60th birthday on January 12), for a test run to collect a colleague. The pair worked from Leicester to Gascoigne Wood, returning with No. 37510.
Continuing the Class 37 theme, No. 37901 was undergoing a cab refit in January, with plans to return it to service later in the year.
COLAS RAIL
FORMER EMT HST power car No. 43045 has been extracted from Nemesis Rail at Burton-upon-Trent for a new life as Network Rail test train power under the Colas banner. Already branded with this operator’s ‘diamonds’, it made several trips from Leicester to Derby RTC in January partnered with No. 43060 for work connected with its new duties.
DB CARGO
THE six locomotives that make up DBC’s HS1 Class 92 pool (Nos. 92011, 92015, 92019, 92036, 92041 and 92042) are receiving upgrades to their fire suppression equipment, resulting in a trip to Crewe EMD.
All but Nos. 92015 and 92041 were at the Cheshire facility in early January, these two being reported at Dollands Moor in Kent. However, No. 92042 returned south on the 6th, forming the fourth locomotive in a five unit light engine move that was led by Nos. 90019, 66118 and 67016. Bringing up the rear of this 0A06 Crewe-Wembley transfer was ‘Euroshed’ No. 66211, which was returning to France to take up its duties with Euro Cargo Rail.
Finally, the WBRT railhead treatment train pool has almost been mothballed again with all but No. 66155 being transferred back to their usual pools.
DIRECT RAIL SERVICES
THERE was no substantial locomotive news during the period under review for DRS, but there were some notable livery alterations to record on the company’s fleet.
Crewe Gresty Bridge staff finally reunited No. 37425 with its Regional Railways lettering, complete with small BR double arrows. This Class 37/4 worked east to Norwich on January 28 (as an 0Z37 light engine move) with
No. 37422, which has also received a number of embellishments to its debranded DRS blue livery, including a ‘Victorious’ nameplate on one side.
No. 66126, one of five such long-term hire machines from DB Cargo, has been outshopped in DRS blue, the second example to be so treated after No. 66091.
EASTERN RAIL SERVICES
FORMER DC Rail Class 31 No. 31452 at the Dartmoor Railway is the first main line locomotive to join the new ERSL pool (for Eastern Rail Services Locos). It was previously HTLX (BARS Locos).
EUROPHOENIX
‘Euro 91s’ Nos. 91117 and 91120, outbased at Doncaster Belmont since November, were transferred back to Leicester on January 29, as plans to move at least one to Mainland Europe by the end of 2020 did not come to fruition.
FREIGHTLINER
WHILE the Class 86/6s are being wound down (see separate story), Freightliner’s operational diesel fleet increased by two in January with the reactivation of No. 66604 to the DFHH pool and No. 70004 to the DFGI pool, both ex-DHLT. This means that just one UK-based FL Class 66 and three Class 70s are currently out of action – Nos. 66589, 70009, 70013 and 70018 – all at Leeds Midland Road depot.
NETWORK RAIL
PREVIOUSLY stalwarts of the East Coast Main Line route, Nos. 43290 and 43299 could be making a return to service after being selected for attention at Derby RTC, possibly as cover for Network Rail’s three NMT power cars. The pair were removed from store at Burton Nemesis Rail, having only arrived there from Neville Hill in November and December 2020.