‘Euro’ Class 66s experience ups and downs as they enter service
UNVEILED in its Railfreight triplegrey scheme in May, No. 66794 only entered full revenue-earning service in September. The Petroleum sub-sector branded Class 66/7 left Longport after a month of fettling for a shakedown on the arduous duties centred around Liverpool Docks/Tuebrook Sidings and was dragged to Merseyside on the 3rd by Nos. 60002 & 60021.
Initially working the Shap/Tuebrook to Ashton-in-Makerfield loaded stone from the 6th, after a week it stepped up into the big league on the Liverpool Biomass Terminal-Drax biomass circuit, before being redeployed to the Roxby ‘inactive waste’ duties on behalf of Biffa towards the end of the month.
Meanwhile, No. 66796 was outshopped from Eastleigh in a new HS2 environmental colour scheme with The Green Progressor name for an unveiling at Willesden on September 14 (see Headline News page 12). However, it is awaiting final rectification work and was dragged to Longport on the 15th by No. 66764. It arrived just two days after No. 66797 departed, the fellow ex-‘Euro spec’ locomotive being sent into traffic at Merseyside to take up similar duties to No. 66794 earlier in the month.
Sadly, it was only in the area for two days before being declared a failure. It moved to Doncaster Roberts Road for attention on the 15th, tucked inside
No. 66756 working a 6E09 biomass working to Drax, for onward movement by No. 66743. It was back working on the main line by the 19th. Finally, No. 66798 also commenced its employment with GBRf mid-September, the former MRCE machine being recorded on an impressive range of duties all over the country in its first two weeks of service.