Sleeper traction
GB Railfreight Class 73/9s will haul the Sleepers away from electrified routes.
Six locomotives are in the fleet, with 73966-969/971 all fitted with Dellner couplings for the new carriages, while 73970 was at Wabtec Rail’s Brush Traction, Loughborough for the modifications and due to be released after this issue of RAIL went to press.
It will follow 73969, which returned to Scotland in late January after being out of traffic for more than a year following a cab rebuild (it was involved in a shunting accident at Craigentinny in December 2016).
Approval was granted last May for repairs which involved substantial rebuilding.
Caledonian Sleeper will also use Class 92s provided by GBRf, with 92038 the first to be modified with Dellners for the Mk 5s.
Once reliability and coupling modifications are completed on the GBRf electrics, CS will cease using Class 90s it currently hires.
86101, 86401 and 87002 will also not be fitted with Dellners, and GBRf will no longer supply the three preserved electrics to CS.
On January 23, GBRf had 92010/014/018/023/028/032/033/ 038/043/044 all allocated to either the GBSL or GBST pools, both of which are for Sleeper duties. It is expected that 92006 will be added to this fleet.
Meanwhile, GBRf has added 47727 to the CS fleet. Recently bought from Colas Railfreight, the ‘47/7’ is being repainted into CS livery. Its primary use will be to haul Mk 2 and Mk 3 coaches to and from Brodie’s in Kilmarnock as they undergo maintenance, but it will be used for diversions away from the wires. A final decision regarding whether it will be fitted with Dellner couplings has still to be made.