NEWS UPDATE
ANGEL TRAINS
A FOURTH MTU-repowered HST power car has gone for scrap with the removal of the shell of No. 43313 from Laira on February 23. Delivered in February 1979 as No. 43113 as part of set No. 254029 (with No. 43112), it was reworked at Brush Traction with an MTU 4000-series power pack in September 2007, gaining its new 433xx series number. It was involved in a shunting accident with
No. 08441 at Bounds Green in November 2019, which was not repaired. It was moved to Ely in March 2020 and then to Laira the following October, where it was stripped of its cab and all reusable components.
DB CARGO
THE third and fourth members of the nine Euro Cargo Rail Class 66s that were returned from France last year have been outshopped in red, Nos. 66010 (returned in June 2021) and 66073 (returned in July 2021) both receiving the attention of the Toton paintshop in February. Also now in DB house colours is No. 66086, which brings the total number of UK-based Class 66s in the iconic Traffic Red to 58, five of which still wear their obsolete Schenker branding.
No. 66044, which was stopped at Westbury with wheel damage while on RHTT work last December, has been returned to Toton on the back of an Allelys low-loader for attention. Departing on February 20, it finally arrived at the Nottinghamshire ‘super depot’ two days later (22nd). Also moved to this location was No. 67022, which has been in store at Crewe since May 2019, with a brief reinstatement a few weeks later in the June. Now riding on overhauled bogies, it is expected to be deployed on the expanded Transport for Wales Cardiff-Holyhead service once Toton has completed the outstanding work. The Class 67 moved in a huge 0Z54 convoy from Crewe that also comprised Nos. 67005, 67006, 67017 and 67022, with No. 67020 leading.
No. 90035 – the former DATS test locomotive – has returned to general service after being seconded to Great Western and Midland Main Line overhead test train duties since November 2019. Handed back to DB in October 2021, it was back on regular duties on February 1, partnered with No. 90039. It is likely to be followed by No. 90021, the last of three members of the class – the others being Nos. 90019 and 90024 – to wear First ScotRail livery which was applied for Caledonian Sleeper operations in 2006/7. With its ‘Barbie’ scheme incredibly still mostly intact, the long-stored Class 90 was dragged from Crewe to Toton behind Nos. 60044 and 66182 on February 3.
EUROPHOENIX/RAIL OPERATIONS GROUP
THE EPEX and EROG Class 91s were all on the move in February. The colourful Europhoenix pair, Nos. 91117 and 91120, seem not to be destined for the European mainland any longer and were transferred from Leicester to Barrow Hill (0Q91) on the 3rd, with Cappagh Blue No. 60028 providing the motive power. On the 25th, ROG pair Nos. 91122 and 91128 were recovered from Brush Traction, Loughborough, and moved to Crewe South Yard sandwiched between Nos. 57310 and 37611 running under a 0Q42 headcode.
FREIGHTLINER
THE operational Class 70 fleet is back down to 15 examples with the storage of No. 70009 at Leeds Midland Road. Although nominally returned to service in late 2021, it didn’t actually turn a wheel in service. It was originally stopped in August 2016 and placed in the DHLT pool in January 2017. The other four stored GE ‘Powerhauls’ are Nos. 70009, 70013 and 70018, all also stored in 2017, and
No. 70019 in November 2021.
The thirteenth and final ex-Greater Anglia Class 90 in the Freightliner fleet has returned from Wolverton after its Genesee & Wyoming Orange repaint.
No. 90013 returned to Crewe Basford
Hall on February 9, working back north unaided.
HN RAIL
COLAS Rail’s No. 37418 was sent to
Crewe Gresty Bridge on February 22, to retrieve HNRC’s new acquisitions,
Nos. 20303 and 37606, and deliver them to Nemesis Rail at Burton upon Trent. Running under a 8Z38 headcode, the formation ran in the early morning because the Class 20/3 was speed restricted after suffering a wheel flat during the 2019 RHTT season. No. 37606, along with former Bo’ness resident
No. 37607 at Barrow Hill, are likely to return to the main line in 2022, apparently to assist with Colas Rail’s motive power shortage.
WEST COAST RAILWAYS
FOLLOWING the return of No. 47813 in May 2021 and Nos. 47815 and 47848 in August 2021, the fourth and final ex-ROG Class 47 to join the WCRC fleet has returned to service. It was recorded on a 0M50 test run from Carnforth to Hellifield on February 3 with No. 47826 for company and again on a loaded 5M50 trial to the same destination on the 22nd with No. 47815 and 10 ‘Northern Belle’ coaches. Surprisingly it has retained the same overall blue dip paint scheme as
No. 47813.
Just two days later on the 24th and in a very welcome move, two-tone green No. 47815/D1748 was spotted reunited with the Great Western name that it wore between September 2005 and August 2016, and previously worn by Nos. 43185 and 47500.
WCR has purchased Class 57/0s
Nos. 57009 and 57010 – previously
Nos. 47079 and 47231 respectively – from the recent DRS tender. Both have been out of use since December 2015 and hidden away at Longtown. These will join Nos. 57001, 57005 and 57006 on the operator’s roster, although No. 57005 has never worked for its new owner. These were all acquired in the first half of 2011, with No. 57001 coming direct from Freightliner and the other pair salvaged from store after Advenza Freight/Cotswold Rail was forced into administration.