Caledonian Sleeper Class 92's

[TimboM]

Another short video of 92028 (and 66717) taken on my way back... again from the window of a passing 350/1, so not the greatest, but train was going slower this time on approach to Crewe so a bit better view of 92028: https://youtu.be/06KOD98vQ6Y

Couple of stills from the video:

https://flic.kr/p/TGxCsU
https://flic.kr/p/UYUtYe

There's been a slight variation to 028's livery from when it was originally repainted shortly after going into Loughborough c.2 years ago, reflecting the fact GBRf are no longer under Europorte ownership.
The more obvious change is the removal of the Europorte-style GB Railfreight 'circle' logos from the cab-sides and front end, with the new simple GB Railfreight logo on the cab-sides and nothing on the front end.

The slightly more subtle change is on the 'curves' behind the cabs - the bottom halves used to be red echoing the Europorte symbol, but they've now been repainted blue matching the top half.

66717 has now left and moved to Tuebrook sidings, which clears the way for 92028 to get out on some test runs - expect there'll be some in the coming days.

In other news - also saw 92014 on the Garston-Dagenham car empties having recently taken over that working from 92018.

 

[CosherB]

The radical new GBRf livery is as radical as the logo redesign!

 

[TimboM]

The radical new GBRf livery is as radical as the logo redesign!

Yep - you can see them looking at it not wanting to repaint it all again saying "peel the Europorte-esque vinyls off and use a bit of the left-over blue paint to cover that red half-curve up - there we go - job done!"

Will be interesting to see if 92043 is in the same livery when it comes out (assuming they've completely repainted it) or something a bit more radical (Hector Rail?) ...or just left in triple grey with the faded outlines of where they've peeled the Europorte2 logos off!

 

[TimboM]

STPs have gone in for next week which are likely to be paths for possible test runs for 92028.

First up on Monday is a return light loco run from Crewe Holding Sidings up to Tebay and back in the afternoon:
0Z93: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R00653/2017/05/22/advanced
0Z94: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R00656/2017/05/22/advanced

On every other weekday next week (Tuesday-Friday), there's then paths for a light loco scenic tour of the WCML... Crewe Holding Sidings-Rugby Trent Valley Jnc-Carnforth Goods Loop-Crewe Holding Sidings. Tuesday's as an example (others are same):
0Z23: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R00654/2017/05/23/advanced
0Z24: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R00657/2017/05/23/advanced
0Z33: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R00655/2017/05/23/advanced

 

[Sarahs_Railway]

CS liveried 92 010 was again in the spare platform next to Thunderbird DBS 67014 today at Edinburgh Waverley. Head on shot as I have done other pics from the side before

https://www.flickr.com/photos/149563882@N07/

 

[TimboM]

CS liveried 92 010 was again in the spare platform next to Thunderbird DBS 67014 today at Edinburgh Waverley. Head on shot as I have done other pics from the side before

https://www.flickr.com/photos/149563882@N07/

Good shot! 92010 worked 1S25 (Northbound Highlander) from Euston to Edinburgh last night (Friday night) and will most probably stay in Waverley now until working the sleeper back to London on Sunday night.

 

[Sarahs_Railway]

Good shot! 92010 worked 1S25 (Northbound Highlander) from Euston to Edinburgh last night (Friday night) and will most probably stay in Waverley now until working the sleeper back to London on Sunday night.

Thanks Timbo. Looks like one GBRf 92 stays in Edinburgh over the weekend with the other doing the ECS working. Have to work out how to stop myself finding 92010! May take a walk down to local station tomorrow night to see what pulls the Up Aberdeen section given that 73 967 conked out at Arbroath last week - or has the old lady been fixed?

 

[TimboM]

Thanks Timbo. Looks like one GBRf 92 stays in Edinburgh over the weekend with the other doing the ECS working. Have to work out how to stop myself finding 92010!

Not quite (re the ECS)... there's some variations when they need to switch locos around or due to engineering, but the usual pattern for the electrics (92s/90s) is:

Night 1:
Loco A works Highlander from Euston to Edinburgh (1S25)
Loco B works Lowlander from Euston to Glasgow (1S26)
Loco C works the Edinburgh portion of the Lowlander - this involves (a) bringing the ECS into Waverley from Polmadie depot in the evening; (b) working the portion (now with passengers) back to Carstairs where the coaches are attached to the back of the Glasgow portion and Loco C comes off the train and waits overnight in Carstairs... It then does the reverse the following morning, i.e. takes the Edinburgh portion to Waverley from Carstairs (once the "combined" train has reached Carstairs from Euston), then works the ECS back to Polmadie once passengers have disembarked).
(There's also two other locos working the southbound Highlander (1M16) and Lowlander (1M11) in the other direction of course...)

Following Day...
Loco A remains stabled in Edinburgh (note there's no Highlander ECS to remove from Waverley as it's split its 3 different ways and the coaches are in Inverness/Aberdeen/Fort William during the day)
Loco B is taken back to Polmadie on the back of the ECS working (usually hauled by 86401 which comes in to Glasgow Central from Polmadie in the morning and attaches to south end of the train)
Loco C is back at Polmadie having taken the Lowlander Edinburgh portion ECS back from Waverley.

Night 2:
Loco A - already stabled in Waverley - works Highlander from Edinburgh to Euston (once the three portions have arrived and been shunted together).
Loco B is brought into Glasgow from Polmaide on the ECS working and then works Lowlander from Glasgow to London (picking up Edinburgh portion at Carstairs).
Loco C works the Edinburgh portion of the Lowlander as per the previous night.

Whilst there are some differences (e.g. last night Colas 47749 worked the "Edinburgh portion" due to engineering works) typically one of the Freightliner Class 90s has worked the Edinburgh portion ("Loco C") over the past few months and the main runs (Locos "A" and "B" and the ones in the opposite direction) are done by a mix of approx. 75% GBRf 92s and 25% hired-in Freightliner 90s. It's obviously "A" (normally a 92, sometimes a 90) and possibly "C" (usually a 90, sometimes a 92 or diesel) that you're getting to see at Waverley.

The reason you keep seeing the same one is they'll generally work a pattern for a few days where the same two locos do the Highlander back and forth (it's 92010 and 92033 at the moment) and two do the Lowlander. That said, they do change quite regularly due to operational requirements, routine maintenance, repairs etc. - for example 92038 and 92010 switched around on Wed and Thurs night this week (038 on Highlander and 010 on Lowlander), but then they switched back on Friday night.

That said, they do change them around quite regularly and on top of that the 90s on-hire from Freightliner get swapped approx. every month and GBRf also rotate their 92s with other non-sleeper workings (e.g. the Dagenham-Garston cars); so if you keep visiting Waverley you'll no doubt see a good mix before too long.

92010 did spend best part of 2 weeks in Willesden TMD recently (for repair I think), so you've been a bit unlucky to keep seeing it!

Bit of an essay(!) but hope it makes some sense...

 

[TimboM]

May take a walk down to local station tomorrow night to see what pulls the Up Aberdeen section given that 73 967 conked out at Arbroath last week - or has the old lady been fixed?

73967 moved from Arbroath to Craigentinny on Friday and has been there since. Not sure what the fault was or how long it'll take to fix.

73968 worked the service up to Aberdeen in the early hours of Saturday, so will be working the service back tomorrow (Sun) night unless something untoward occurs.

73966 is in Fort William having worked the service up there Sat am, so will be bring that portion down.

67013 will most probably continue on the Inverness portion.

73970 has been in Craigentinny the past week (routine maintenance/repair possibly?)

73969/971 are in Loughborough works.

The 73/9s are of course old ladies on the outside, but a lot of their "innards" are new.

 

[SC318250]

67013 will most probably continue on the Inverness portion.

67013 due a c exam at end of next week at Crewe

 

[TimboM]

67013 due a c exam at end of next week at Crewe

Presumably it'll get swapped for another one as there's still 2x 73/9s in Loughborough (including 73969 which the 67 is the 'courtesy loco' for).

bet they'll be sorry to lose 67013 as it's been pretty reliable AFAIK.

 

[childwallblues]

Presumably it'll get swapped for another one as there's still 2x 73/9s in Loughborough (including 73969 which the 67 is the 'courtesy loco' for).

bet they'll be sorry to lose 67013 as it's been pretty reliable AFAIK.

Good loco. One that is used by Arriva Trains Wales regularly.

 

[CosherB]

This is a 92 thread .....

 

[TimboM]

The planned workings from Crewe to Tebay (0Z93) and back (0Z94) today which was most likely a test run for 92028 were cancelled ("at customer request").

There were, however, VSTP moves to take 92014 from Garston (where it'd brought the cars up from Dagenham overnight) to Willesden TMD (via Crewe). Freightliner 90016 has then headed in the other direction. 66742 went to Garston to work the car train empties back to Dagenham this evening.

Interesting switch as 92014 only replaced 92018 on car duties on Thurs night/Fri morning - and not sure whether they'll put the 90 on it (not had one on the GBRf cars for a long time - usually a 92, or if not a 66) or the 90 is going back to Freightliner.

May also be why 92028's test run didn't happen if driver(s) were needed instead for the 92014/90016 switch, although could of course be completely unrelated...

 

[leomartin125]

The planned workings from Crewe to Tebay (0Z93) and back (0Z94) today which was most likely a test run for 92028 were cancelled ("at customer request").

There were, however, VSTP moves to take 92014 from Garston (where it'd brought the cars up from Dagenham overnight) to Willesden TMD (via Crewe). Freightliner 90016 has then headed in the other direction. 66742 went to Garston to work the car train empties back to Dagenham this evening.

Interesting switch as 92014 only replaced 92018 on car duties on Thurs night/Fri morning - and not sure whether they'll put the 90 on it (not had one on the GBRf cars for a long time - usually a 92, or if not a 66) or the 90 is going back to Freightliner.

May also be why 92028's test run didn't happen if driver(s) were needed instead for the 92014/90016 switch, although could of course be completely unrelated...

You will like to hear this Timbo!

92028 is on it's first mainline test run today, to Rugby:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R00654/2017/05/23/advanced

Let's hope it doesn't fail.

 

[TimboM]

You will like to hear this Timbo!

92028 is on it's first mainline test run today, to Rugby:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R00654/2017/05/23/advanced

Let's hope it doesn't fail.

Indeed ...I'd seen it was actually on the move (unlike yesterday). I might just pop down to see it later when it heads back up North (assuming it does the Crewe-Carnforth-Crewe leg of the trip today).

You'd hope after 2 years in the works it would be in working order!?

 

[leomartin125]

Indeed ...I'd seen it was actually on the move (unlike yesterday). I might just pop down to see it later when it heads back up North (assuming it does the Crewe-Carnforth-Crewe leg of the trip today).

You'd hope after 2 years in the works it would be in working order!?

I know from working for GWR, that no matter how many years you spend fixing a train, some will just stay in their ways. I am of course referring to our fleet of super relaible 180's

So, if anything does happen today to 92028, don't say I didn't tell you so!

 

[TimboM]

After 90016 was taken up to Crewe yesterday afternoon (swapped for 92014 which went pretty much straight onto the northbound Highlander [1S25]), it appears 90047 was relegated to Polmadie-Glasgow ECS duties last night and 86401 hauled 1M11 south.

Beginning of the end for the hired-in 90s maybe?

 

[TimboM]

I know from working for GWR, that no matter how many years you spend fixing a train, some will just stay in their ways. I am of course referring to our fleet of super relaible 180's

So, if anything does happen today to 92028, don't say I didn't tell you so!

Erm.... it appears to have just been cancelled at Stafford due to "...loco failure/defect/attention: traction" !!

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R00654/2017/05/23/advanced

 

[leomartin125]

Erm.... it appears to have just been cancelled at Stafford due to "...loco failure/defect/attention: traction" !!

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R00654/2017/05/23/advanced

What did I say? You can't fix a broken loco. Similarly to how we can't fix our broken 180's. Just replace them.

 

[TimboM]

What did I say? You can't fix a broken loco. Similarly to how we can't fix our broken 180's. Just replace them.

Could be any number of reasons minor or major. Doesn't seem too clever though...!

Now where is 043...!? hock:

 

[CosherB]

What did I say? You can't fix a broken loco. Similarly to how we can't fix our broken 180's. Just replace them.

What a load of clap-trap. :roll: Wabtec and GBRf have proved so far that the modifications to the 92s are working, once the locos are back in service and have bedded-in (pardon the pun!).

 

[TimboM]

What a load of clap-trap. :roll: Wabtec and GBRf have proved so far that the modifications to the 92s are working, once the locos are back in service and have bedded-in (pardon the pun!).

I'm a big fan of the GBRf 92s (if you hadn't noticed ) and I agree the modifications have made them much more reliable than they were - and that there's no reason any loco (with reason) shouldn't be able to be 'fixed'. But I don't think they're completely out of the woods yet.

In recent weeks, 92010 was pulled from a sleeper service pretty much last minute (2 May) and was then in Willesden for best of 2 weeks before working a service again.

92023 last worked a service on night of 20th April, then spent a month in Willesden before being moved to Crewe last week (and possibly on to Loughborough). Not sure why. 023 had a couple of failures prior to that too, plus a return visit to Brush a couple of months back.

92018 was out of action in early May for 2 weeks - tried a 'comeback' after c.10 days in Willesden with a test run to Northampton prior to resuming on the sleeper, but I believe was then failed at Wembley and a F/L 90 took over the duties. It was then put on the cars a couple of days later until finally moving back on to the sleepers end of last week.

Although not modified 92032 has also failed a couple of times and 92038 too (although that was a relatively minor fault).

And then there's 92028 today which got as far as Stafford (from Crewe) and failed for some reason.

Of the modified 92s, I think only 92014 and 033 have been in the 'very well behaved' category (and even then 033 needed a few reboots on the ECML the other weekend).

There could be a whole number of reasons for these stoppages, including routine maintenance/exams etc. - and I appreciate all locos have issues for a vast variety of reasons - but I don't think it's all quite rosy in the GBRf 92 garden just yet. As BR would say, getting there, though...

 

[TimboM]

Fri 21st April was the last southbound one I definitely remember seeing run, I think. I too wondered if there was a factory shutdown or similar.

92032 has headed down from Willesden to Dollands Moor this afternoon - probably to assist 92044 bringing the China Clays through the tunnel, so looks like the China Clay run is back on tonight/tomorrow.

 

[TimboM]

What did I say? You can't fix a broken loco. Similarly to how we can't fix our broken 180's. Just replace them.

Could be any number of reasons minor or major. Doesn't seem too clever though...!

Seems 028 wasn't all that 'failed' after all. May even had been pre-planned for its first 'outing'. Either way, it somehow got back to Crewe* then ran up to Warrington Bank Quay and back this afternoon on VSTPs.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O98873/2017/05/23/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O98877/2017/05/23/advanced

92028 was accompanied by 66703. 66703 lead to Warrington Bank Quay, then 92028 lead on the return to Crewe Holding Sidings.

EDIT: *66703 was moved to Crewe Basford Hall yesterday and was in Stafford earlier, so it either went to rescue 028, or it was with 028 all day and going only as far as Stafford was the plan all along?

 

[TimboM]

I've put this on the Sleeper thread too, but it's potentially a fairly momentous step towards the 92s being in full swing on the Sleeper.

I may be wrong, but looks like there are no longer any Freightliner 90s on hire...! 90016 and 90047 both went back to Freightliner over the past 48 hours (via Crewe and Mossend) and there don't appear to be any replacements going the other way (which usually happens when they have the periodic rotation).

Will explain why 92014 went down yesterday to work the Sleepers (and a 66 now on the cars) and might also explain why a few of the 92s have had time in Willesden recently (potentially getting any exams/issues sorted prior to being without the 90s).

Also may be the reason 86401 came down last night to provide some cover and ECS workings at the Wembley/Willesden/Euston end along with 87002 (particularly with 92032 heading off this pm to Dollands Moor).

 

[captainbigun]

90047 was failed on departure. It got the train to Clydesdale loop where 401 ran around. It was not a scheduled move south.

 

[TimboM]

90047 was failed on departure. It got the train to Clydesdale loop where 401 ran around. It was not a scheduled move south.

Ah ok - thanks for the info.

Do you know if the 90s have gone off hire all the same, though? - both 90047/016 appear to have gone back to F/Liner today and none coming the other way (yet).

 

[SC318250]

90042 at Crewe for GB

 

[leomartin125]

92032 has headed down from Willesden to Dollands Moor this afternoon - probably to assist 92044 bringing the China Clays through the tunnel, so looks like the China Clay run is back on tonight/tomorrow.

Todays 6S94 was operated by 92032 on front with 66740 tucked inside for insurance. Don't know what's happened with 92044.