59s "Daddy Yings"

[Jord]

I was just wondering as to how many class 59s there are the UK, i heard 12, 13 and 15 according to Wikipedia, but i believe there's one abroad? so that would mean 14.

Also which are the ones with the fancy Head/Tail lights? not really seen many of them but intend to next year, a few hours in Westbury/Eastleigh/Didcot a few new places i've never tried anyway.

 

[matt]

There are 14 59s in the UK and 1 in Germany (59003) (data from wnxx.com)

 

[Julian G]

You will find some at Acton as well

59003 is the locomotive that is in Germany, it tends to appear on TOPs frequently

 

[mawallace]

As you will see on my website (link below) the ones with the funny headlights are the 59/0's!

http://markwallace.fotopic.net/c1134594.html

 

[Coxster]

As you will see on my website (link below) the ones with the funny headlights are the 59/0's!

http://markwallace.fotopic.net/c1134594.html

"Fly like you've never flown before, fellas!"

 

[Jord]

so are all the 59/0s in this livery 'Foster Yeoman' - http://markwallace.fotopic.net/p43347906.html
All the 59/1s in 'Hanson' - http://markwallace.fotopic.net/p47060384.html
All the 52/2s in 'EWS' - Red/Gold obviously

 

[thefab444]

That's right, although 59002 carried Mendip Rail green livery for a time before returning to Yeoman and there are plans to paint a 59 (either a /0 or /1) into Days Aggregates livery.

Worth noting the EWS livery 59/2s wear is different to that of the 66s, its just a straight gold bar, not the funky Z shape.

Also, on 59/0s, 59/1s if you look above the coupling you will see a number of small stars painted on the warning panel, these are very useful in identifying which locomotive it is, as the numbers are cast plates and only on the sides. For example if the loco has four stars on the front and has the funky headlights you know it must be 59004. 59/2s don't have this feature, but they have numbers on the front anyway.

You've also got bits of trivia, like the Bell End on 59001 (someone stole 59201's bell!).

 

[Jord]

Ah how long ago was the Green one painted into Blue?

I must admit they have been in a few striking liveries and i like them all, Green, Silver, Blue and Yellow.

Why does 59201/59001 have a bell?

 

[thefab444]

It was back in Autumn of last year I believe.

The bell was something to do with the handover from GM to the relavant company (Yeoman with 59001 and National Power with 59201).

You're right about the liveries, as far as I know they've worn:

Early Yeoman (mostly silver)
Revised Yeoman (more blue - very similar to Hanson)
Mendip Rail (green)
DB (blue and red - applies to 59003 only)
ARC (mustard yellow)
Hanson (blue)
National Power (bright blue with white underframes!)
EWS (maroon)

Anyway, best spot for copping 59s has got to be Westbury (though that will mostly be /0s and /1s), Clapham Junction is quite good for the /2s as they generally(!) stick to the London workings, but are not uncommon around Westbury by any means.

Eastleigh is fair for 59s, mid-week you might see one or two on the Hamworthy, Fareham and Eastleigh stone services.

Didcot isn't that brilliant for 59s, you might get one per day.

 

[Jord]

That was it, National Power, White underframes! bloody hell, but yes i was thinking Westbury/Eastleigh as they both look good freight wise according to Freightmaster, but Westbury better for the 59s.

About the Green 59, i must have pasted it i can remember seeing it as it past me while on a HST on the GWML, but now if it's back in Blue wish i could see all them liveries these days!

 

[Turbostar]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I've got the impression, having been to Westbury a few times, the best time to see 59s there is mid to late afternoon, when all the various empties start returning to base, so to speak. I presume, not having been there first thing, is the crack of dawn another best time as well, seeing the trains leaving for their various destinations. One thing I was impressed, having visited Westbury a few weeks ago late afternoon, talk about mega trains! They are long! When I saw them, I assume you've got about 3-4 trains combined into 1 mega train? I was well impressed.

Mart

 

[O L Leigh]

We get one train a day at Harlow Mill yard with a Cl59 "Proto-Shed" in charge. Usually it's a Mendip Rail loco in silver and blue, but every now and then we get an EWS livery one.

Harlow Mill isn't a bad spot for "Sheds". There's the Mendip Rail movement coming down from the London direction for the Yeomans depot together with a Freightliner train for Bardon Aggregates coming in from the Midlands. There's also the EWS/Lafarge stone train to Broxbourne that passes through, and a daily CargoWaggon train that sometimes brings a "Skip" onto the WA. Additionals like the renewals trains we've been getting in conjunction with the Liv St blockade make it a busy spot, even bringing the odd "Doughnut" out.

However, you do have to get up early to get the best of it.

one TN

 

[kestrel]

Acton is pretty good saw the whole 59/2 fleet there at the same time earlier in the year.

when the 59's came over in '86 they were like something from another planet all painted silver and sounding like nothing else (at the time just about everything was still in blue) i watched the trials on savernake bank quite incredible just 1 59 hauling nearly double a load a pair of 56's used to haul! only have a few pics of 003 tho before it went to germany.

59002 was on display at the OOC open day in 2000 wearing its mendiprail livery

 

[Jord]

Talking about freight, timetables don't change just because it's Easter does it? it aint nothing special, because it's easter time i'm ging to be going to Eastleigh/Southampton/Westbury

 

[thefab444]

Its reduced service Good Friday - Easter Monday, I think stuff like oil and the main stone flows from Acton to Somerset run. Don't expect any 59s at EH on a Bank Holiday though. Best day down here is probably the Saturday, as most freight runs, plus a few additionals (I know the Avon Binliner runs on Saturdays after a bank holiday).

If its like my school, we have the Easter Weekend, then a week of school, then two normal weeks off.

 

[33056]

59201 with bell when fairly new - doing what it was purchased for, taking limestone from Tunstead to Drax.

 

[P156KWJ]

Don't forget that, ironically, 59s were never owned by BR, just Yeoman and ARC (now Hanson) but were around from 1990 and were driven by BR traincrew on BR metals!

 

[thefab444]

(and National Power)

I think it was because the said stone companies weren't very happy with the performance of the provided BR locos - mostly 56s - so they decided to use their own. Yeoman already had a GM shunter of some kind, so that influenced the decision to buy GM, that and the fact BRUSH et all couldn't deliver the required performance rate.

As mentioned before, the first 59 was built in 1985/6 and that was the first batch of four locos for Yeoman. 59005 was an add-on order due to extra demand, which is rather ironic as they got rid of 59003 in the 1990s!

 

[Jord]

So out of all the liveries then, what do you people prefer most?

For me it will be between National Power/Yeoman (Silver, with the nic lights)/Mendip Rail Green (with the nice lights).

Shame they wern't all in these mixed liveries today, or other than EWS 59s work more Railtours.

 

[Hentis]

You've also got bits of trivia, like the Bell End on 59001

That just sounds so wrong!!! hock:

Hentis :razz:

 

[thefab444]

That just sounds so wrong!!! hock:

That was the intention! And to highlight the number of gen posts you get:

59001 down Bedwyn 09/22 going well with da bell end leadin hellfire. UX on the bash with JZ

 

[Hentis]

Talking about freight, timetables don't change just because it's Easter does it? it aint nothing special, because it's easter time i'm ging to be going to Eastleigh/Southampton/Westbury

I'd stay away from Eastleigh around Easter time m8. Oh no my bad its clapham junction.

Saturday 3rd May -Tuesday 6th May 2008
Engineering work
- Between Basingstoke & Eastleigh East Junction.
- Signalling: Signalling Commissioning BAIU
- Track: Track Renewal EA1023

Will all be diverted over those 3 days.

The 69's designed by the late Kenneth J Painter were supposed to represent a then modern day Class 52. I guess mr Painter was a Western ned.

Look out for the fourthcoming book by Colin J Marsden about the history of the CLASS 59'S JT42CWR & JT42CWRM (66's) including the foreign jobs as well. Its will be a very intresting read.

Cheers

Hentis

 

[thefab444]

Depends really, if thats Basingstoke as in south of Worting then I guess Andover diverts are on. If not, then I presume its Westbury.

Talking of diverted freight on the Andover line, on Saturday 12th, all Freightliners (and the odd EWS modal) should be going via there - as well as Vomiters - due to engineering works at St Denys. That's not happened in a good while.

 

[Jord]

Well if i was going to Eastleigh, it would be sometime in the first week of April, so does anybody know of any engineering works planned for that time?

 

[thefab444]

I don't think so, not if you go on a weekday anyway.

You might even see me there.

 

[Jord]

It will be a weekday yes, looks good on Freightmaster, pretty busy, think i might also go down to Southampton Maritime too!

There's a bridge that you can get decent pictures of the stabled loco's, and passing trains etc?

 

[Jordy]

Jord it may be of benefit for you to ask thefab442 for his MSN addy, he knows all the locations round there

 

[Jord]

Is that a little hint Jordy To stop using the forum as instant messaging type of thing