Dellner work continues for ‘73/9s’ as GBRf to reactivate ‘92s’

Dellner modifications continue on GB Railfreight Class 73/9s for Caledonian Sleeper.

The latest to move to Wabtec Rail’s Brush Traction Loughborough facility is 73968. This is the fourth to be fitted with Dellner coupling, enabling the locomotives to haul the CAF Mk 5s that are due to enter traffic next year.

Treated so far have been 73971, 73967 and 73966, with the latter at Loughborough for finishing off before returning north. Also at Loughborough is 73969, which has received a new fabricated cab front after it was involved in a shunting accident at Craigentinny earlier this year.

Meanwhile, both Caledonian Sleeper and GB Railfreight have confirmed that a plan to send a Class 73 to the Velim test track in the Czech Republic, to test the coaching stock, has been shelved. Instead, it is more likely that a Mk 5 will move to Loughborough for compatibility testing. No date has been set.

GBRf Managing Director John Smith also explained that the company must maintain the operational capabilities of the existing fleet, in order to operate CS’ legacy fleet before it is completely replaced (expected in 2019).

Also at Loughborough for Dellner modifications is 92038, which will be the first of the GBRf fleet to be modified to haul the Mk 5s. It is also planned that all of GBRf’s operational Class 92s will be modified, despite not all being allocated to CS duties. This will improve operational flexibility, and enable GBRf to cease the hire of two Class 86s and an ‘87’ for empty coaching stock moves.

With this in mind, GBRf plans to reactivate four of its six longstored Class 92s, with 92006 Louis Armand and 92020 Milton already at Loughborough. These are set to be joined by 92045 Chaucer and 92046 Sweelinck, both of which are in a derelict state at Loughborough.

This would leave 92021 and 92040. Smith has previously said that two of the stored ‘92s’ were “too far gone” to be resurrected.