NEWS UPDATE
GB RAILFREIGHT
HAVING completed a successful test run in July, No. 69006, the former 56128, worked south unaided as an 0Z69 to Eastleigh Works on August 11 for its new look, courtesy of the Arlington paint shop (see also Powerscene, p22).
Meanwhile, at UKRL Leicester and in a typically outstanding gesture by this operator, No. 56098 has been revealed in a stunning coat of large logo blue, complete with Tinsley-style trimmings such as large repeater numbers under the horn enclosure on the nose and white painted window, light cluster, and grille outlines (see this month’s Front Cover). The loco ran light to Network Rail’s Rail Innovation & Delivery Centre (RIDC Melton), adjacent to the Old Dalby test track, on August 27 to replace No. 56081.
The latter returned to Leicester for its own repaint into BR blue. The pair are being given makeovers ahead of the GBRf ‘Class 56 Farewell’ railtour planned for September 17 (see Railtours, last issue). After this date the pair will head to Longport to join the remaining ‘Grids’ on site, ahead of their planned conversion to Nos. 69015 and 69016.
HNRC
‘SYPHON’ No. 37259, part of the third DRS tender, has now joined the Harry Needle fleet, transferring from LSLO to HNRS in August. The heavily rebuilt Class 37/0 was one of three ‘Tractors’ forming the trailing load behind LS ‘green machine’ No. 37521 on a 0Z37 from Crewe DMD to Worksop on the 4th, along with HNRC’s No. 37038 and LS’ 37409 (see pic above right).
No. 37602 at Eastleigh works will also move to the same company, the only locomotive to be sold from the fourth tender, resulting in HNRC accumulating eight out of the 11 EE Type 3s that completed their sale, the others being Nos. 37405, 37603, 37604, 37609 and 37703. The other pair are No. 37606 (in
the Colas COTS pool, sold to the owner of No. 37418), and spares donor No. 37605 (at the GCR for HTG/Loram use).
Also making their way to Harry Needle’s Worksop storage location during the month were former ROG Class 47/8 Nos. 47843 and 47847, both purchased earlier in the year.
No. 47847 was the first to move, bookended by GBRf’s No. 47727 and 47749 on a 5E20 ex-Leicester on August 8, while an almost identical move took place on the 22nd, but with No. 47843 as the ‘meat’ in the GBRf Class 47 sandwich.
LNER
THE pioneer of the class, No. 91101, has surprisingly lost its ‘Flying Scotsman’ vinyls and gained the new
LNER InterCity-inspired ‘oxblood’ livery courtesy of Wabtec Doncaster. Initially unveiled in May 2011 in a purple ‘Scotsman’ scheme that was a reverse of the then current National Express East Coast corporate image, it was given a Virgin ‘Flying Scotsman’ vinyl makeover in October 2015 and gained cast nameplates with a combined crest that riffed on the classic FS headboard at the same time. Also now in the new livery is No. 91105, which was released into traffic in the first week of August (see photo below).
LOCOMOTIVE SERVICES
HOT on the heels of No. 43047 illustrated in the last issue, No. 43059 has become the fourth LS HST power car to be outshopped in ‘Midland
Pullman’ livery, intriguingly with only ‘Pullman’ branding on the sides. The other three members of this fleet, Nos. 43046, 43047 and 43055, all carried ‘Midland Pullman’ after being repainted by the Arlington team. The former
Rail Charter Services green Class 43 returned to Crewe DMD on August 17 as a 5Z44 10.21 from Eastleigh Works with InterCity-liveried No. 43049. The other ‘Staycation’ power car, No. 43058, remains at Crewe.
NETWORK RAIL
POWER cars Nos. 43013 and 43062, which have been noticeable by their absence from the head of the New Measurement Train since summer
2021, returned from Nemesis Rail, Burton-on-Trent, during the period under review. Having visited RIDC Melton in May to test their new ETCS Level 2 equipment, the pair was moved to Burton for further attention, which has now been completed. They returned to the RIDC on August 25 as a 0Z43 light engine move under their own power. No. 43014 remains at Derby RTC undergoing a similar modification, courtesy of Loram and Thales
Global Transportation.
WEST COAST RAILWAYS
THE Carnforth-based operator has completed repaints on its fleet of four ex-ROG/Riviera Class 47/8s with the release of No. 47812 in maroon during August. The four, which also included Nos. 47813, 47815 and 47848, were acquired in April 2021, with No. 47812 the last to return to service in February this year. Also now in all-over maroon are Nos. 57010 and 57012, the pair of former DRS and Freightliner Class 57/0s having been purchased earlier in the year.