GBRf Class 99 - 30 locomotives now ordered

[99009]

Tonight there is a 6Z24 1929 Tuebrook Sidings to Drax running via Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge. According to RTT it has a trailing load of 800 tonnes, much less than the normal trainload.
As 99006 is still at Tuebrook could this be a test up Miles Platting?

There's then an 0Z24 Healey Mills - Tuebrook after. So if 6Z24 runs (and this is just me offering a guess so please don't shoot the messenger) then I expect it to be 99006 as far as at least Healey Mills.

In case anyone is interested, subject to the usual caveats of it they will run etc, these are the possible workings for 99006 today:

6Z24 Tuebrook - Drax PS:

Realtime Trains | 6Z24 1929 Tuebrook Sdgs Gbrf to Drax Aes (Gbrf) | 01/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 6Z24 1929 departure from Tuebrook Sdgs Gbrf to Drax Aes (Gbrf) on 01/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

0Z24 Healey Mills - Tuebrook:

Realtime Trains | 0Z24 2223 Healey Mills S.S. to Tuebrook Sdgs Gbrf | 01/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 0Z24 2223 departure from Healey Mills S.S. to Tuebrook Sdgs Gbrf on 01/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

99004+99005 should be about to work this, 6E75 March - Peterborough:

Realtime Trains | 6E75 1138 March Up Yard Gbrf to P'boro Westwood Sdgs Gbrf | 01/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 6E75 1138 departure from March Up Yard Gbrf to P'boro Westwood Sdgs Gbrf on 01/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Rail Quest]

Tonight there is a 6Z24 1929 Tuebrook Sidings to Drax running via Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge. According to RTT it has a trailing load of 800 tonnes, much less than the normal trainload.
As 99006 is still at Tuebrook could this be a test up Miles Platting?

I note that the timings change to 2400 tonnes from Stalybridge where the wires end so I imagine, if it runs, it'll be with a full load and that the first set of timings just reflects the high electric performance. The power output of the 99 on electric should be roughly three times that of a 66 (at rail) and I note that 800 is one third of 2400 so perhaps the weight timings reflect an expected 3x performance gain beyond initial acceleration.

 

[j37401]

It will have to stop to put the pan up somewhere. Possibly during it's stop at Eccles loop? It has 1 min at Olive Mount, which it could possibly do there once it's on the mainline. Although i haven't looked at the rest of the timetabled services to see if there would be enough margin to do that.

 

[Trainbike46]

It will have to stop to put the pan up somewhere. Possibly during it's stop at Eccles loop? It has 1 min at Olive Mount, which it could possibly do there once it's on the mainline. Although i haven't looked at the rest of the timetabled services to see if there would be enough margin to do that.

Lots of trains, including 80x, raise and lower the pantograph on the move, and this section of OHLE should be designed to enable raising/lowering on the move, so there shouldn't be any need for any train to stop to raise the pantograph.

 

[j37401]

Lots of trains, including 80x, raise and lower the pantograph on the move, and this section of OHLE should be designed to enable raising/lowering on the move, so there shouldn't be any need for any train to stop to raise the pantograph.

I don't see a need to stop either, but i thought electric locomotives weren't allowed to do it on the move? The CL 93 trial earlier this year wasn't. It had to stop between St Helens and Garswood.

 

[Wavertreelad]

I don't see a need to stop either, but i thought electric locomotives weren't allowed to do it on the move? The CL 93 trial earlier this year wasn't. It had to stop between St Helens and Garswood.

Looks like it's well on it's way.

 

[Geeves]

Passed through Victoria earlier very quiet compared to the usual 66. Looked to be pretty much a full size rake and it flew up the bank!

 

[Rail Quest]

Passed through Victoria earlier very quiet compared to the usual 66. Looked to be pretty much a full size rake and it flew up the bank!

Looks like its been getting progressively later after Victoria. Has it been stuck behind other services?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Looks like its been getting progressively later after Victoria. Has it been stuck behind other services?

There is certainly some delays going on around Stalybridge and Piccadilly, but I can't narrow down any specific delay it got caught in.

 

[MDB1images]

It will have to stop to put the pan up somewhere. Possibly during it's stop at Eccles loop? It has 1 min at Olive Mount, which it could possibly do there once it's on the mainline. Although i haven't looked at the rest of the timetabled services to see if there would be enough margin to do that.

Pan was already up as it approached Wavertree Technology Park

 

[Rail Quest]

A note on RailCam suggests that, following a bridge strike in the Yorkshire area, the full loaded train returned to Tuebrook via Calder Valley which should be some new track for the class.

 

[ac6000cw]

As RTT says, "This service was cancelled between Bradley Jn and Drax Aes (Gbrf) due to a bridge strike (XP)." Taking the curve from Bradley Jn to Bradley Wood Jn and the Calder Valley route avoids having to run around the train.

 

[Wavertreelad]

Pan was already up as it approached Wavertree Technology Park

There is an image of the train with 99006 leading approaching Newton Le Willows on the Railways in and Around Merseyside. FB page.

 

[BRX]

99007 apparently heading to Tonbridge today:

Realtime Trains | 0O65 0924 Peterboro Maint Shed Gbrf to Tonbridge West Yard Gbrf | 02/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 0O65 0924 departure from Peterboro Maint Shed Gbrf to Tonbridge West Yard Gbrf on 02/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Spartacus]

As RTT says, "This service was cancelled between Bradley Jn and Drax Aes (Gbrf) due to a bridge strike (XP)." Taking the curve from Bradley Jn to Bradley Wood Jn and the Calder Valley route avoids having to run around the train.

Usual RTT; it'd be quite something for someone to hit the bridge in question, it was over a canal!

 

[Sheldonian]

Hi,
Apologies if I have missed something. Is there any date rough date or vague idea yet for the next new deliveries.

 

[JKF]

A summary of deliveries so far:

Avonmouth Docks:

99001/99002 17 June 25 (Hauled by 66307)

Portbury Docks:

99003/99004 30 November 2025 (Hauled by 47749)

99005/99006 25 February 20 26 (Hauled by 57305)

99007 30 April 2026 (Hauled by 57305)

99008/99009 20 May 26 (Hauled by 99004)

I’ve seen all of these moves apart from 99005/006, I was just about to leave work for that one and someone pulled the dryer off the wall in one of the toilets, by the time I’d made it safe and left the consist was already at Parson St! It also departed quite a bit earlier than scheduled, timings are always quite sketchy on these sorts of trains.

Does anyone have an idea when the next arrival in the country will be? The recent pattern seems to be approx every two months, with 99008 missing the fourth delivery and coming a month later with 99009 - I’m interpreting that as one loco built roughly every month, so would put the next batch as mid to end of July.

 

[BRX]

99007 apparently heading to Tonbridge today:

Realtime Trains | 0O65 0924 Peterboro Maint Shed Gbrf to Tonbridge West Yard Gbrf | 02/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 0O65 0924 departure from Peterboro Maint Shed Gbrf to Tonbridge West Yard Gbrf on 02/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Here it is in south london

 

[Class73Electro]

Here it is in south london

Now that would have been something to see! Shame I missed it!

 

[Rail Quest]

There's what looks to be another test with 006 tomorrow, this time scheduled to go via Calder Valley. I note that the timings change at Eccles, which makes sense given, for Calder, the wires end at the top of Miles Platting. However, that means they're presumably thinking of running the 99 on diesel up Miles Platting! That'll be some test!

RTT link: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R47209/2026-06-03/detailed
[URL directs to realtime trains page for potential class 99 test run]

 

[99009]

There's what looks to be another test with 006 tomorrow, this time scheduled to go via Calder Valley. I note that the timings change at Eccles, which makes sense given, for Calder, the wires end at the top of Miles Platting. However, that means they're presumably thinking of running the 99 on diesel up Miles Platting! That'll be some test!

RTT link: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R47209/2026-06-03/detailed
[URL directs to realtime trains page for potential class 99 test run]

And it also seems from the link above that this time 99006 will be going all the way to Drax PS tomorrow and not returning to Tuebrook, as there's an 0D59 Drax PS - Doncaster Decoy after.

0D59 Drax PS - Doncaster Decoy:

Realtime Trains | 0D59 1730 Drax Aes (Gbrf) to Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf | 03/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 0D59 1730 departure from Drax Aes (Gbrf) to Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf on 03/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Also, for anyone who missed 99007 today you have another chance. It's going to return to Peterborough.

0Z90 Tonbridge - Peterborough (99007):

Realtime Trains | 0Z90 1453 Tonbridge West Yard Gbrf to Peterboro Maint Shed Gbrf | 02/06/2026

Real-time train running information for 0Z90 1453 departure from Tonbridge West Yard Gbrf to Peterboro Maint Shed Gbrf on 02/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[ac6000cw]

There's what looks to be another test with 006 tomorrow, this time scheduled to go via Calder Valley. I note that the timings change at Eccles, which makes sense given, for Calder, the wires end at the top of Miles Platting. However, that means they're presumably thinking of running the 99 on diesel up Miles Platting! That'll be some test!

RTT link: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R47209/2026-06-03/detailed
[URL directs to realtime trains page for potential class 99 test run]

The schedule allows about 20 minutes for the 2.3 miles from Man Vic to Thorpes Bridge Junction, an average speed of about 7 mph. That sounds like a diesel timing allowance to me.

 

[zwk500]

The schedule allows about 20 minutes for the 2.3 miles from Man Vic to Thorpes Bridge Junction, an average speed of about 7 mph. That sounds like a diesel timing allowance to me.

It's timed as a diesel loco throughout but the trailing load changes several times: 2400t from Tuebrook Sidings to Bootle Branch Jn, 600t Bootle Branch to Eccles, 2200t Eccles to Thorpes Bridge Jn, then 2400t from Thorpes Bridge Jn to Drax.

What trailing load would a 66 normally be limited to up Miles Platting Bank?

 

[Mollman]

Usual RTT; it'd be quite something for someone to hit the bridge in question, it was over a canal!

Could it have been this instead?

Description
Disruption caused by an earlier road vehicle colliding with a bridge in the Mirfield area has now ended.

 

[ayubdaud]

It's timed as a diesel loco throughout but the trailing load changes several times: 2400t from Tuebrook Sidings to Bootle Branch Jn, 600t Bootle Branch to Eccles, 2200t Eccles to Thorpes Bridge Jn, then 2400t from Thorpes Bridge Jn to Drax.

What trailing load would a 66 normally be limited to up Miles Platting Bank?

66 appears to be just over 1400t. I can't imagine a 99 being able to do a full load so would be curious.

 

[Rail Quest]

66 appears to be just over 1400t. I can't imagine a 99 being able to do a full load so would be curious.

Perhaps there's two possibilities:
1) the 99 could be working in multiple with the 66 between Eccles and Thorpes Bridge Jn (this could explain the separate timings change that happens there)
2) the 99's enhanced starting tractive effort and wheel slip protection could greatly increase the load NR are willing to give it up the gradient

 

[Spartacus]

Could it have been this instead?

Same thing, it was just the canal bridge between Raventhorpe LNW Jn & Thornhill.

 

[ac6000cw]

It's timed as a diesel loco throughout but the trailing load changes several times: 2400t from Tuebrook Sidings to Bootle Branch Jn, 600t Bootle Branch to Eccles, 2200t Eccles to Thorpes Bridge Jn, then 2400t from Thorpes Bridge Jn to Drax.

Yes, but some of those timing loads (particularly the 600t one over the OHLE section) look like artificial choices, in order to get NR's software to generate actual point to point timings that might match the real/expected performance of a 99.

Perhaps there's two possibilities:
1) the 99 could be working in multiple with the 66 between Eccles and Thorpes Bridge Jn (this could explain the separate timings change that happens there)
2) the 99's enhanced starting tractive effort and wheel slip protection could greatly increase the load NR are willing to give it up the gradient

Up to a point, but 2400 tonnes up a 1 in 50 climb is getting very close to the max tractive effort of a 99 (based on a simplistic calculation of 2400t/50 = 48t force = 470kN, so no account of rolling resistance etc. just the gravity component due to the slope).

 

[zwk500]

Yes, but some of those timing loads (particularly the 600t one over the OHLE section) look like artificial choices, in order to get NR's software to generate actual point to point timings that might match the real/expected performance of a 99.

Oh the absolutely are. Unless there was some rather impressive unloading going on at Bootle Branch Jn!

 

[Rail Quest]

Up to a point, but 2400 tonnes up a 1 in 50 climb is getting very close to the max tractive effort of a 99 (based on a simplistic calculation of 2400t/50 = 48t force = 470kN, so no account of rolling resistance etc. just the gravity component due to the slope).

That's really interesting. Did the 99 definitely run unassisted up the gradient on electric on Monday then? It's probably worth pointing out as well that, if all 24 wagons were loaded on Monday and/or today, the total trailing weight should be more like 2500 tonnes when we factor in the 66, right?