Chasewater hosts Clayton hybrid testing
THE first loco of two hybrid shunting locomotives, ordered for use at the
Sellafield Ltd nuclear site on the Cumbrian coast, went on test at the Chasewater Railway, Brownhills, Staffordshire, at the end of March. The first loco arrived on March 29, and was running two days later.
The CBD80 is a switcherstyle design, built by Clayton Equipment in Burton-upon-Trent, and is part of a family of designs aimed primarily at industrial shunting applications where emissionfree operation is a priority.
The loco is similar to the seven CBD90 versions it has supplied to Tata Steel at Port Talbot, which can haul loads in excess of 2000 tonnes. Beacon Rail has ordered 15 CBD90s for as yet undisclosed locations.
Paces
Weighing in at 80 tonnes, the Bo-Bo loco is powered by more than 250 individual batteries connected together, which are charged by an onboard Deutz diesel engine meeting EU Stage V emissions, or from a three-phase shore supply.
At the Chasewater, the loco has been put through its paces by hauling wagons from the National Wagon preservation group, including three MGR wagons (one loaded), a VCA van, plus a fitted four-wheel wheel van and a riding van from the railway. The second loco was due to arrive for testing during April.