DRS adds another ‘Syphon’ to second batch of locomotives for sale
AS mentioned in last issue’s Headline News (p8), Direct Rail Services has released details of its next group of motive power and rolling stock for disposal by tender in February.
The remaining locomotives at MoD Longtown form the main focus of the sale plan and comprise Class 37/6s Nos. 37603, 37604 and 37609, stored in April 2017, October 2017 and February 2018 respectively, and Class 57/0s Nos. 57004, 57008-57012, all stored since December 2015.
The tender also includes a number of spares.
To this list DRS has added Class 37/4 No. 37405, now transferred to the XSDP pool. This was stopped at Gresty Bridge around a year ago in February 2021, and is likely to be the hot ticket item with its ETS capability.
The sale leaves just two Class 37/6s on the books, Nos. 37602 at Eastleigh Works and 37605 at Derby RTC, both removed from traffic in 2019, as well as three Class 57/0s. These are Nos. 57002 Rail Express and 57003, both operational, and No. 57007, which has been stored at Carlisle Kingmoor since September 2019.
January saw the new owners from the first tender take ownership of their new charges and make the DRS XSDP pool 11 members lighter.
On January 28, LS dispatched Nos. 20096 and 20107 north of the border to collect Bo’ness-based Nos. 20302 and 20305 (both now LSLO) and 37703 (now HNRS and renumbered on the side of the locomotive back from 37067), the five machines working back south as a 0Z17 12.42 to Crewe DMD.
No. 37703 made a further move on January 31, hitching a lift behind No. 40013 on a 0Z77 09.36 to Barrow Hill, to collect Nos. 20308, 20309 and 20312, all now HNRS, for onward movement as the 0Z78 13.50 to Worksop for storage.
Other pool code changes include Nos. 20301, 20303 and 20304, also all now HNRS and still at Barrow Hill, while Nos. 57302 and 57311 were redesignated LSLO, although they remain at Eastleigh Works. This leaves No. 37606 at Crewe Gresty Bridge, which has moved from XSDP to COTS. Colas Rail is not the owner, but the non-operational Class 37/6 has been acquired by the owner of long term Colas hiree No. 37418.
In related news, No. 37716 spent several days on hire to Colas in the middle of January, covering for the nonavailability of its own Type 3 motive power. Its duties included working solo on the Network Rail ultrasonic test train with No. 999606, former 4-CIG motor coach No. 62356.