Bye Bye EWS 37's

[Phoenix]

Apprently (according to WNXX) Ews have decided to put a stop to the recent 37/4 developments and the current bunch 401,417 and 422 are to be put into warm store and only used for railtours.
Yes this may not be true like most news but it is definatly something to take heed of.
Obviously this is quite a snap shot decision seen as though 417 has been around Bescot this week and the same for 401 last week so I do not see why this decision has been made.

 

[nath9425]

Last I heard they are off out of EH to Wembley...DIT Of Course!

 

[djw1981]

How will they cope come Leaffall/sandite season, and Snowplough season?

 

[nath9425]

66's...Plenty of them about.

Not as if they don't have enough

They were never planned for 37 haulage anyway.

 

[5872]

66's...Plenty of them about.

Not as if they don't have enough

They were never planned for 37 haulage anyway.

Only get 37s if your on the North Wales Coast or if your in the AG way, DRS 37s.

Or Shrewsbury *cough Dave cough*

 

[djw1981]

Hmmm a cl66 vs a snowdrift - my money is on the snowdrift! Or they could have the cl67 from the WHL sleeper, and we could have a cl37 back ...wishful thinking!

 

[matt]

Hmmm a cl66 vs a snowdrift - my money is on the snowdrift! Or they could have the cl67 from the WHL sleeper, and we could have a cl37 back ...wishful thinking!

Could be WCRC locos on snowplough duties maybe.

 

[djw1981]

I though EWS and DRS had the main contracts up here... not sure about the English ones....

IIRC the DRS loco which hit the potato lorry last christmas/january was on snow 'patrol' duties though without a plough.

 

[Phoenix]

Well they seem to lose enough contracts why not lose more.
I think what we have seen in recent weeks with all the different 37/4 workings is an assement to see whether it's actually worth using them for a long term basis.
I think whatever workings they have previously mooted for will be covered by another EWS machine and if not then well they screwed.
Honestly I think they have enough money flying out of their pockets with the overhauls of 30 class 60 in the next financial year followed by another 30 in the next finacial year after that.

 

[alex57601]

IIRC the DRS loco which hit the potato lorry last christmas/january was on snow 'patrol' duties though without a plough.

Said loco was actually on a LE movement to commence snowplough duties after being fitted with OTMR.

As for the recent developments, I am told that they are being placed into 'warm store' and will be reinstated as and when required for duties such as railtours etc.

I wouldn't hold your breath though for any future railtours being advertised for EWS 37/4s as I have a feeling that this move has come about because of railtours being the primary use for these locos (with North West freight jobs such as Dowlow's and Folly Lane's being in-fills off Warrington), and it doesn't make good business sense. And as for other roles (such as Oban and RA5 jobs) it isn't as though other companies can't provide 37s for such jobs.

 

[class 313]

66's...Plenty of them about.

Not as if they don't have enough

They were never planned for 37 haulage anyway.

No but the 37s did what 66s did in some areas. That's why 37s started doing Darlow runs cos 60s went off to do engineering jobs.

 

[Donny Dave]

Basically, it's because EWS don't want to spend money on refurbishing the 37s (which they need), so they are being kept for railtours only for a while (next 12 months I've heard). After that, they are probably going for good. Cambrian duties will be in the hands of the NR 37s.

the overhauls of 30 class 60 in the next financial year followed by another 30 in the next finacial year after that.

When was that confirmed? AFAIK, nothing has been decided yet.

 

[Phoenix]

When was that confirmed? AFAIK, nothing has been decided yet.

Yeah nothing has been confirmed but for the last few weeks there has been a sizeable amount of talk by EWS so It isn't definate but likely.

 

[Donny Dave]

EWS have been discussing what's going to happen with the 60s for years now, not just the last few weeks.

 

[P156KWJ]

Could be WCRC locos on snowplough duties maybe.

this'd be the first major working of WCRC locos on freight wouldn't it? Cos they've had a license since 2006 IIRC

 

[class 313]

this'd be the first major working of WCRC locos on freight wouldn't it? Cos they've had a license since 2006 IIRC

They did a bit of snowplough duties last year did they not?

 

[matt]

Snowplough duties isnt freight as they use the snowploughs on the locos. I don't know who has the Scottish snowplough contract anyway.

 

[37402]

EWS have been discussing what's going to happen with the 60s for years now, not just the last few weeks.

Obviously, working for EWS, you have been party to these discussions then and know the in's and out's of it all then. :roll:

 

[djw1981]

I like the way that they had to pull some RETB 37's back out of store within 48hrs for teh Cambrian line this weekend - planning anyone?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Obviously, working for EWS, you have been party to these discussions then and know the in's and out's of it all then. :roll:

Given the following wikipaedia quotes .....

Reliability problems have persisted with the Class 60, especially when contrasted with the Class 66s; although the Class 60s retain the advantage of being more powerful against even latest developments of the Class 66.

In light of the introduction of more Class 66s and EWS drive to standardise operations around the EMD locomotives, from 2003 EWS began to store Class 60s due for expensive heavy overhauls.....In September 2004 as traffic levels began to increase for the winter months, locomotives were put back into service.This "stored in summer, traffic in winter" cycle was the EWS standard deployment of the Class 60 fleet, as the heavy oil traffic reduces in summer; while the annual autumn programme of railhead treatment trains increase fleet requirements in the winter. The cycle was repeated in both 2005 and 2006, with monthly adjustments of the deployed fleet as well as locomotives swapped in and out of active pools. At its height, the fleet in three years of this usage has had 85 members available, with up to 50 deployed; while at its low in summer, less than 25 locomotives are active.

However, 2007 has seen a change in the cycle. Due to EWS' expanded European operations the Class 60 active fleet strength was set at 60 at the end of May 2007. This is expected to rise throughout the year. Due to its heavy haulage capability beyond that of the Class 66, EWS stills consider the Class 60s as an integral part of the locomotive fleet

This implies a certain amount of logical, but (by appearance) rotational use of the cl60's.

 

[37402]

Given the following wikipaedia quotes .....

The inclusion of wikipedia does nothing to help! I don't understand why people regard what is written on there as gospel. There are inaccuracies that I can see in what you quoted for a start.

 

[djw1981]

well go on and correct them then.

The initial choices by EWS were clearly when they decide to go for class 66 instead of a new build of class 60's. This may have been for all the sound business reasons that they did not need such a powerful loco for their projected future work, but still indicates that they decided that from that point the majority of their fleet would be of a different type. That is just common sense.

 

[EE Type 3]

I though EWS and DRS had the main contracts up here... not sure about the English ones....

IIRC the DRS loco which hit the potato lorry last christmas/january was on snow 'patrol' duties though without a plough.

37515 did have a plough.

AIUI 37417 is being binned, contaminated oil and it's ropey. 401 and 406 to be used for tours and work as and when required, when they are not working they'll be at Eastleigh in store.

I've had enough phots of /4s to last me a lifetime Fred
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
To add to djw1981's post, the only reason the 60s have had appalling reliability is because they are put in and out of store faster than you can say Mirless!

Then forced to work heavy trains over demanding routes, you can see why DB are having to invest in the class now.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

They did a bit of snowplough duties last year did they not?

37248 was based at Inverness IIRC.

They also have 33025, 029, 207, 47245 and 854 with snowploughs, so are more than capable of handling the snowplough duties in Scotland and Northern England.