86501 to be re-geared as a standard 86

[GM228]

I've read that 86501 is to be re-geared back to a standard 86 and regain its old identity?

Surely after so much time the re-gearing has proved a success? Why go back to the old way now and surely this is actually limiting Freightliner's resources as it will once again require a partner on liners rather than running singly?

What I was wondering is that the fact it is non-standard does this actually have any bearing on maintenance etc as it is simply a gearing issue that is non-standard rather than a complete stand alone loco which requires its own set of spare parts.

 

[455driver]

Its just the gearing.

 

[GM228]

Its just the gearing.

Indeed that's what I thought so I can't understand why they would revert back to original spec and increase their loco requirement as a result unless the single working of it has been put down as a factor in it's many major failures?

 

[Domh245]

It might be that it's gearing has been worn down to the point of needing replacement, and so rather than getting the right gears made up again, they just nicked the gearing out of a demic unit they had laying around and put it back into 501

 

[XCTurbostar]

my guess is the same as above, the experiment was presumably a success but ultimately probably not fesible to obtain different gears which are not the same as the majority of the fleet. It's a lot easier to just use a standard type which is lying around rather than get a custom part made for just one loco.

Thanks,
Ross