GBRF confirms conversion of Class 56s to Class 69s

[Class15]

How did 009 survive for so long without getting scrapped?

I think Brush had it in Loughborough for some reason.

 

[ExRes]

How did 009 survive for so long without getting scrapped?

Having a quick trawl through WNXX records it looks as though 009 was a test bed at Loughborough under the occasional alias of 56201, it changed hands a couple of times in 2013, Booths Rotherham and HNRC being mentioned, it's shown as stored at Battlefield Line in 2015 and then moved to Longport in June 2018 and is always described as 'stripped', elsewhere there is the suggestion its test bed status was for testing Paxman engines that were refurbished at Loughborough

 

[Wyrleybart]

How did 009 survive for so long without getting scrapped?

IIRC it was obtained by Brush to test the class 56 power units when they had a spell of overhauling the locos. It was based in the works at Loughborough and I think was painted a non standard blue colour. Not sure if it was ever officially renumbered but I am sure I read somewhere that it might be renumbered to 562xx, but as it was a privately owned asset not venturing onto the national railway, there wasn't any point.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/37190-dalzell/15966219845

 

[fgwrich]

IIRC it was obtained by Brush to test the class 56 power units when they had a spell of overhauling the locos. It was based in the works at Loughborough and I think was painted a non standard blue colour. Not sure if it was ever officially renumbered but I am sure I read somewhere that it might be renumbered to 562xx, but as it was a privately owned asset not venturing onto the national railway, there wasn't any point.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/37190-dalzell/15966219845

It carries the unofficial number of 56201 under one of the cab windows, with a small brush plate fitted as well. The Blue Paint is believed to be left over British Steel Blue from when Brush carried out the repaint of the two Class 60s.

 

[Roger B]

69001 has now been released from Longport. It was on Peterborough GBRF depot this morning.

 

[dan4291]

69001 has now been released from Longport. It was on Peterborough GBRF depot this morning.

Was there all day yesterday too.

 

[60159]

Was there all day yesterday too.

It was there on 1st April then went to Doncaster I believe.
Yesterday’s tops showed 2 at Bescot and another 2 at Doncaster Wood Yard so only 3 at Longport.

 

[Jacob Porrett]

69003/006 should be at Bescot as they did a route knowledge/driver training on 0Z69 from Bescot to Bescot via the Salop Line to Shrewsbury and back. First time the Class 69 has ventured onto the Salop Line. Good to see two of them as well. My photos from Telford Central.

I think the pair a doing something in the week but I'm not sure what exactly. Mat have to have a look and find out.

 

[ExRes]

69008 out today on 1101 0Z07 Longport FD to Stoke Marcroft Engineering with 69002 and 1211 4Z08 with one wagon and 69002 to Doncaster Roberts Road Shed

 

[dan4291]

Are there any more special liveries planned or are the rest just being shopped out in standard GBRf livery?

 

[XCTurbostar]

69008 out today on 1101 0Z07 Longport FD to Stoke Marcroft Engineering with 69002 and 1211 4Z08 with one wagon and 69002 to Doncaster Roberts Road Shed

It appears that 69008 has an additional Orange ETH box?

 

[superalbs]

69003/006 should be at Bescot as they did a route knowledge/driver training on 0Z69 from Bescot to Bescot via the Salop Line to Shrewsbury and back. First time the Class 69 has ventured onto the Salop Line. Good to see two of them as well. My photos from Telford Central.

I think the pair a doing something in the week but I'm not sure what exactly. Mat have to have a look and find out.

Is it just me, or does something there look a bit wonky?

 

[43096]

It appears that 69008 has an additional Orange ETH box?

It’s not an ETH box. More like a jumper socket for use when on stock moves, much like the GBRf 47s have.

 

[northernbelle]

Is it just me, or does something there look a bit wonky?

To be fair, it looks like that grille was wonky when it was 56128...

Photo of 56128 in Railfreight Coal livery

 

[ExRes]

It appears that 69008 has an additional Orange ETH box?

Yes, there will be three? fitted with these control systems to replace the 47s currently used for unit drags

 

[Wyrleybart]

Think I read somewhere that 69008-69014 will be the specimens fitted with the additional orange socket for hauling units around.

 

[The Ghoul]

Interesting news about 303, I tried to find it recently but couldn’t see it anywhere, I suppose you really have to know precisely where it is.

Any idea when it’s on the move?

Willesden F Sidings, but not viewable from a public right of way, and unlikely to move anytime soon, its blocked in by tons of rubble.

 

[50002Superb]

Willesden F Sidings, but not viewable from a public right of way, and unlikely to move anytime soon, its blocked in by tons of rubble.

I wasn’t sure if you could see it from a passing train?

 

[fgwrich]

I wasn’t sure if you could see it from a passing train?

You may be able to see it on an LNW service - more likely to pass it on a Caledonian Sleeper on diversion.

I took these photos of it back in 2018 - drooping damaged cab visibly on show.

 

[50002Superb]

You may be able to see it on an LNW service - more likely to pass it on a Caledonian Sleeper on diversion.

I took these photos of it back in 2018 - drooping damaged cab visibly on show.

Is it still where you photted it? Have been by a few times in the past few months

 

[87015]

Is it still where you photted it? Have been by a few times in the past few months

Its at the North Circular end of the back road at F Sdgs, visible from fast lines at least. Hasn't moved in years.

 

[Class15]

Is it still where you photted it? Have been by a few times in the past few months

Found it on google maps:

 

[50002Superb]

Found it on google maps:

Thanks, I don’t know the area brilliantly but isn’t this a different place to where fgwrich photted it?

 

[Class15]

Thanks, I don’t know the area brilliantly but isn’t this a different place to where fgwrich photted it?

It is a different area - FGWRich’s photo showed a 92 and overhead lines while the F sidings are unwired so it was presumably stored in the main sidings and then moved to the F sidings

 

[zwk500]

It is a different area - FGWRich’s photo showed a 92 and overhead lines while the F sidings are unwired so it was presumably stored in the main sidings and then moved to the F sidings

@fgwrich's photo shows the loco in the Wembley Yard Loco Holding Sidings, between the main WEFOC sidings 1-7 and Wembley Yard South Jn, on the north side of the WCML so it must have been moved over at some point.

 

[156444]

@fgwrich's photo shows the loco in the Wembley Yard Loco Holding Sidings, between the main WEFOC sidings 1-7 and Wembley Yard South Jn, on the north side of the WCML so it must have been moved over at some point.

There's a picture of it on Flickr from last year: https://flic.kr/p/2ossCd2.

 

[fgwrich]

Thanks both, I hadn’t realised it had moved across from Wembley. Interestingly I note in the Flickr photo, it has moved to the Cappagh sidings, so it’s still a Cappagh / DCR asset (or until very recently at least). I can’t see it coming back and likely to be used for spares in the 69 program.

 

[50002Superb]

There's a picture of it on Flickr from last year: https://flic.kr/p/2ossCd2.

Looks pretty well hidden and unlikely to be able to see it from a passing train

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Apr 2023 ==

As a point of reference now looking o. google maps it looks like its pretty much level with the end of the post office building

 

[D365]

I can’t see it coming back and likely to be used for spares in the 69 program.

DCR certainly doesn’t see 303 as a runner.

 

[ExRes]

DCR certainly doesn’t see 303 as a runner.

It would be interesting to know who actually makes or has made decisions on 303, the loco is not owned by DCR as regularly claimed but was leased by them, I believe the actual owner is UKRL