GBRF confirms conversion of Class 56s to Class 69s

[ABB125]

I'm not entirely convinced by the whiskers being red, but I'm not sure what other colour they could be... Maybe matching the grey?
Looks good overall

 

[contrex]

If we're going to be pedantic then an alternator is an AC generator.

I thought I'd implied that! Sorry. An AC generator can be also be called an alternator, and a DC generator can also be called a dynamo. If the type of electricity is irrelevant for a given context, the 'generator' will do for either.

 

[AlterEgo]

The whiskers look horrid.

 

[The_Train]

The livery itself looks superb. But it is slightly ruined by the "whisker" thing across the front of the cab

 

[Wyrleybart]

What’s wrong with painting the loco in authentic red stripe Railfreight? But no, GBRf have to adorn it with GBRf fripperies.

I actually really like RSRF but, if you’re going to do it, do it properly.

Erm. Because it is GBRf - simples. If you owned a chain of hotels or clubs, you would want to add your brand name to the enterprise someehere, no matter how retro it was.

This is not the late 1980s, so move on and at leasdt be happy that GBRf have created sixteen "new" individual locos which are all different.

Next, You will be demanding Bob Tiller refits the standard curved roof of the class 56 because the 69 roof just doesnt look right !!!

 

[Class15]

Hmm not a massive fan of this if I'm honest. Missing the arrows and definitely not a fan of the nose art

I'm not entirely convinced by the whiskers being red, but I'm not sure what other colour they could be... Maybe matching the grey?
Looks good overall

The whiskers look horrid.

The livery itself looks superb. But it is slightly ruined by the "whisker" thing across the front of the cab

I agree with this about the whiskers. Did it have to have whiskers at all?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Conversely, I think the yellow fronted 69s  without whiskers look very slab fronted. I think the adornment gives a visual break, avoiding that "slab" look.
A similar effect with US EMD/GE hood locos, where a single unbroken colour front is a visual jarring to my eyes.

I think the livery homage is a nice touch; it takes me back to my active years from the 1980s to the mid 1990s.

 

[Trainman40083]

At the end of the day, the people paying for the repaint can repaint it how they like

 

[The_Train]

At the end of the day, the people paying for the repaint can repaint it how they like

And at the end of the day, people looking at it can have an opinion about it

 

[ac6000cw]

Conversely, I think the yellow fronted 69s  without whiskers look very slab fronted. I think the adornment gives a visual break, avoiding that "slab" look.

I agree - I regard the whiskers as a nice 'fun' addition to the livery. I'd have put the red 'GB Railfreight' labels on both sides of the cabs and left off the 56009 numbers, because I don't think the numbers add anything aesthetically and detract from the symmetry of the cab front, but that's just my personal preference.

 

[Carnforth_24]

Erm. Because it is GBRf - simples. If you owned a chain of hotels or clubs, you would want to add your brand name to the enterprise someehere, no matter how retro it was.

This is not the late 1980s, so move on and at leasdt be happy that GBRf have created sixteen "new" individual locos which are all different.

Next, You will be demanding Bob Tiller refits the standard curved roof of the class 56 because the 69 roof just doesnt look right !!!

I suggested nothing of the sort, and attributing comments that I never made does you no credit.

How are the 69s “all different”?

 

[RUK]

Conversely, I think the yellow fronted 69s  without whiskers look very slab fronted.

I saw an image of a Class 69 once and it reminded me of a Class 50 for some reason, with that flat front.

 

[D365]

How are the 69s “all different”?

Try undertaking electrical/pneumatic surveys of ex-British Rail diesel locomotives and telling me that they are not all different

 

[Nym]

Try undertaking electrical/pneumatic surveys of ex-British Rail locomotives and telling me that they are not all different

The cab gate wiring of 57313-57316 is all the same.

That’s all I can think of. Sorry

 

[trainmania100]

0Z69 tomorrow I assume this is 69015

Plenty of stops along the way, for photos etc convenient

Train R10048 On Is No Longer Valid

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[Wyrleybart]

I suggested nothing of the sort, and attributing comments that I never made does you no credit.

How are the 69s “all different”?

Some are ex Romanian cabs with different quarterlights, and is there an ex Crewe built cab amongst them too ? Others I think the guttering is slightly different around the cab rooflines.

I suggested nothing of the sort, and attributing comments that I never made does you no credit.

You are criticising GBRf for painting their loco in their livery. It was never intended to a faithful, authentic red stripe recreation

 

[Richard Scott]

Some are ex Romanian cabs with different quarterlights, and is there an ex Crewe built cab amongst them too ?

69006 was originally 56128, so a Crewe built loco.

 

[Sun Chariot]

0Z69 tomorrow I assume this is 69015

Plenty of stops along the way, for photos etc convenient

Train R10048 On Is No Longer Valid

Live Train Times for Train to departing on | Rail Record

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Nice one. Realtime Trains shows 69015.
I hope this intermittent rain will hold out in my locality, at the crucial photo moment!

EDIT: totally OT but attached shows I look into the future!

 

[Wyrleybart]

69006 was originally 56128, so a Crewe built loco.

Thanks Richard. I thought there was at least one.

 

[Sun Chariot]

69015 nears the Hampshire / West Sussex border, en route from Eastleigh works to Tonbridge GBRf today. Really looks fabulous in the late summer sunny spell.

 

[Trainman40083]

Severn Valley Railway gala beckons

 

[m79900]

69015 nears the Hampshire / West Sussex border, en route from Eastleigh works to Tonbridge GBRf today. Really looks fabulous in the late summer sunny spell.

It's growing on me to be honest, even the whiskers. It looks like how AI would draw a loco in railfreight grey.

 

[Sun Chariot]

It looks like how AI would draw a loco in railfreight grey.

Ironically, I have unsuccessfully run nearly 500 cycles to try generating an AI image of a Railfreight Red Stripe 31 / 37 / 47 / 56. Google Gemini's algorithms don't want to know!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Aug 2025 ==

I am surprised to see the former TOPS number on the cab ends, rather than 69015 (e.g. so it wears 56009 number on driver cabsides only)

 

[Roger B]

I am surprised to see the former TOPS number on the cab ends, rather than 69015 (e.g. so it wears 56009 number on driver cabsides only)

Yes, that does look very odd at first glance. But then again, I guess it's not that much different to what several locos in classes 37 / 47 / 50 / 55 (and perhaps others) have done - carrying their TOPS numbers and their Dxxxx numbers.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Yes, that does look very odd at first glance. But then again, I guess it's not that much different to what several locos in classes 37 / 47 / 50 / 55 (and perhaps others) have done - carrying their TOPS numbers and their Dxxxx numbers.

I was thinking ease of identification by GBRf employee when - for example - being rostered onto 69015 but not seeing that number when looking across fronts of locos in the yard.
I guess its livery will ease its identification.

 

[RUK]

I was thinking ease of identification by GBRf employee when - for example - being rostered onto 69015 but not seeing that number when looking across fronts of locos in the yard.
I guess its livery will ease its identification.

I don’t think GBRf have any working Class 56s that haven’t been converted into Class 69s. Would the Class 69s ever be stabled in the same place where Colas and DCRail have their Class 56s?

 

[Sun Chariot]

I don’t think GBRf have any working Class 56s that haven’t been converted into Class 69s. Would the Class 69s ever be stabled in the same place where Colas and DCRail have their Class 56s?

My mused scenario - GBRf crew, rostered to 69015 that shift, walk toward where the 69s are stabled, looking on cab fronts for number 69015- but ignoring 69015 that's actually marked 56009.
I appreciate a rare scenario; and is mitigated with the correct TOPS number on its bodyside.

A 56 and 69 at the same location, stabled? Unsure. Here is a 69 passing a 56 at Eastleigh; courtesy of a chap I know (and who shot 69015 half a mile down-line from me)

Hey, I used to be one of those.....

69004 working the 6V41 Eastleigh East yard to Westbury down TC passes 56051 in the Colas refuelling sidings. 70802 is receiving some engine attention. A decent consist for 6V41 with the FEA from the Clapham job the previous weekend with scrap rail for the recycling facility at Westbury, one...

www.flickr.com

 

[Spaceship323]

Would the Class 69s ever be stabled in the same place where DCRail have their Class 56s?

Happens all the time at Leicester

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Aug 2025 ==

I don’t think GBRf have any working Class 56s that haven’t been converted into Class 69s.

56098?

 

[D365]

56098?

Out of hours, last time I checked.

 

[Spaceship323]

Out of hours, last time I checked.

It is still being used though - at Asfordby - maybe they're just using it as a shunter