Class 47s haul diverted Sleepers via Dumfries

CALEDONIAN Sleeper is using Class 47/8s provided by GB Railfreight to haul trains to and from Carlisle via the Glasgow and South Western route through Dumfries, due to the West Coast Main Line being blocked at Lamington ( RAIL 792).

Initially one pair of Class 47s hauled the 2340 Glasgow Central-London Euston as far as Carlisle, returning with the 2350 London Euston-Glasgow Central. A second pair hauled the Highland Sleeper (with portions from Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness) between Edinburgh Waverley and Carlisle, while a third pair of locomotives (a Class 66/7 and ‘67’) were used to haul portions between Edinburgh and Carlisle. This was the portion that would have attached and detached to the Glasgow-London Sleeper.

Used for far have been 47812 and 47847 as one pair, and 47843 Vulcan and 47848 Titan Star as the other. This left 47815 Great Western in Yorkshire, but that is expected to be used on CS trains.

On January 18, 47843/848 ran from Mossend to Doncaster as CS diverted the Highland Sleeper via the East Coast Main Line, meaning they were only needed during Durham Coast diversions at weekends. GBRf continued to supply 47812/847 for the WCML Sleeper.

GBRf has also been supplying 66720 for the Sleepers, paired with 67009, which supplies electric train heating.

Overnight on January 13/14, the ‘66’ was paired with 47848 after 47843 failed.

The Class 47/8s are owned by Riviera Trains. GBRf hires them from Harry Needle Railroad Company, which also provides maintenance for the locomotives.

Meanwhile, GBRf continues to hire ‘90s’ from Freightliner to haul the CS trains while its Class 92s are unavailable. It is expected that the ‘92s’ will return to CS after Easter, once reliability modifications have been carried out on the fleet ( RAIL 791).

Of those allocated to CS work, 92014 and 92023 are at Brush Traction Loughborough for modifications. At 0520 on January 15, the other locomotives were to be found at Polmadie (92010/038), Dagenham (92018), Willesden (92032/043), Mossend (92033) and hauling a train from Dagenham to Garston (92044).

Additionally, 92028 was also at Loughborough. But while that is allocated to the GBSL Sleeper pool, it (like 92032) is likely to be used on cross-channel freight.

On the same morning, GBRf was hiring 90045/046/048/049 for the Sleepers.

TOM MCATEE. Early in the morning of January 15, GB Railfreight 47812 and 47847 stand at Carlisle with the 2350 London EustonGlasgow Central Sleeper. The Class 47/8s had just replaced a Class 90 and hauled the Caledonian Sleeper train to Glasgow via Dumfries. GBRf...