Class 08

[badassunicorn]

Firstly, I'd just like to say that I do have a soft spot for 08's, but really they are so outdated. Seeing out the flat end is fine, but going "forward" is a nightmare, having to switch sides constantly. It is loud, cold and uncomfortable to be in for any amount of time. Are there any loco's suitable for the work that 08's do that could realistically replace them? Something a little more crew friendly?

 

[455driver]

So what do you propose the get around the bad view along the nose?

2 cabs? Well that would be brilliant having to change ends every 2 minutes!
A centre cab? not with that engine you cant!


The 08 does what it says on the tin and it does it well (and cheaply), it has done it for well over 50 years and there is no sign of a replacement any time soon so that probably says something!

 

[#1 driver]

I've just had a review of these last week !
To the OP , it makes a nice change to be able to stand up while driving .
If you're cold put a jacket on .

 

[455driver]

Maybe they could look into doing a cab refurb on them to improve the heating, draught proofing etc but bearing in mind how often they are in and out of store which ones would you do?

 

[badassunicorn]

I'm not proposing anything, thats not my job. I'm just thinking surely in this day and age there must be a solution to increase vision/safety and driver comfort? Don't get me wrong they are fantastic work horses but as you say, they are 50 years old and surely modern engineering can come up with a better alternative?

 

[DownSouth]

I can't imagine the BCR of replacement being >1 if they are indeed fantastic workhorses which get the job done as is.

Radio-controlled shunters are used in a number of nations on the European Mainland, but rail carries a far greater share of all freight in those nations, while Britain's freight network has been pared back to small numbers of just unit trains which need minimal marshalling operations.

 

[455driver]

But why spend millions designing and building replacement locos when the 08s are perfectly adequate, if it aint broke dont fix it!

 

[bronzeonion]

Sorry to sound like a bit of a smartarse but when driving a shunt loco isn't leaning out the side the done thing rather than just looking down the nose out of those tiny windows?

 

[david_VI]

You at Ilford or Crown Point badassunicorn?

I would guess the novelty of an 08 trundling along wears off quickly. I also have a soft spot for them since I was a child..

 

[455driver]

Sorry to sound like a bit of a smartarse but when driving a shunt loco isn't leaning out the side the done thing rather than just looking down the nose out of those tiny windows?

Thats only if somebody points a camera at you!

 

[DownSouth]

Thats only if somebody points a camera at you!

I thought it was an emergency measure for use after farting in the cab.

 

[badassunicorn]

Ilford.
Leaning out the window doesn't help much when pushing a 4/8 car unit along through a windy yard filled with other unit movements going on.

 

[455driver]

I thought it was an emergency measure for use after farting in the cab.

Dont tell them the truth!
What about our image?

Note-
I dont drive 08s as I am a unit man.

 

[bigdelboy]

mid/offset CAB designs may have visibilty issues in both directions.

Classes 07 and 14 could arguably be 08 replacements in some circumstances

Perhaps a Eurounnnel could be considered the modern replacement ... though it is a far bigger beast in the 'type 1' power range.

 

[ExRes]

Why the problem with looking out the window ?, don't shunters, or whatever they're called nowadays, still exist. All we ever needed was a shunter and a radio, job done, safely

As for being cold, that's what the hotplate was there for ........

 

[bronzeonion]

Thats only if somebody points a camera at you!

Practical thinking there, show offs can lean out and the shy ones can stay inside when a camera is pointed at them!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Ilford.
Leaning out the window doesn't help much when pushing a 4/8 car unit along through a windy yard filled with other unit movements going on.

Surely you have a shunter on the ground with a radio telling you what to do? Can understand if it's more re-assuring to actually see where you going though...

 

[badassunicorn]

yeah of course we do have somebody on the ground but as you say, it is reassuring to be able to see where you are going

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If the visibility when going nose-first is an issue, wouldn't it be cheaper to fit a camera to the front which displayed on a small LCD display in the cab, rather than building a whole new shunting loco?

 

[D7666]

Are there any loco's suitable for the work that 08's do that could realistically replace them? Something a little more crew friendly?

DBS ?

Think German.

Vossloh G6.

http://www.vossloh-locomotives.com/...ces/diesel-hydraulic_locomotives/g6/g6_1.html

This is a three axle (C) diesel hydraulic that can accept different engines (MTU, Cummins, CAT), different transmissions for 40 km/h shunting or 80 km/h trip work, and different weights.

ISTR when it was launched there was atalk about a diesel electric version (G6ME) but no takers or prototype yet.

Obviously this wouild need to be scaled down for GB load gauge. Vossloh do do small batch jobs so not a problem.

This is the other bit of Vossloh, the German bit ex-MaK, not the Spanish bit ex-Alsthom building the 68/88s.

Further, there is a rival model the Voith 5C, but there are none built yet.

There was also the UK Hunslet DH60C prototype. Is it still at DRIFT or long gone ?

Not sure what has happened to this project. I believe but no proof Hunslet may have started this project for the mainland European with a view to rival what is now the Vossloh G6 as the two projects started about the same time.

--
Nick

 

[321446]

Aah, my old friend 573!

I do take your points, but realistically the Railway & whoever runs ICS this week love saving money, and as others have said there are so many 08s about it's more cost effective to keep them going. At least it's warmer & drier in the draughty cab than doing the ground work on a frosty or moist night!

Give her a pat from me. I still look out for her when I pass by!

 

[KA4C]

Ilford.
Leaning out the window doesn't help much when pushing a 4/8 car unit along through a windy yard filled with other unit movements going on.

Thats why there are shunting staff and back to back radios

 

[matchmaker]

mid/offset CAB designs may have visibilty issues in both directions.

Classes 07 and 14 could arguably be 08 replacements in some circumstances

Perhaps a Eurounnnel could be considered the modern replacement ... though it is a far bigger beast in the 'type 1' power range.

Having been in the cab of a Clayton which was shunting the British Aluminium sidings at Burntisland I can confirm that a centre cab loco has visibility issues in either direction!

 

[WestCountry]

Hunslet's DH60C looks like an ideal 08 replacement - slightly more HP and TE, with much better visibility. The demo is/was at Daventry.

RMWeb has a nice picture (not mine!).

 

[bronzeonion]

Hunslet's DH60C looks like an ideal 08 replacement - slightly more HP and TE, with much better visibility. The demo is/was at Daventry.

RMWeb has a nice picture (not mine!).

Wow that is very nice! Somebody just needs to rotate those light clusters to actually be upright rather than pointlessly angled!

 

[Beveridges]

Hunslet's DH60C looks like an ideal 08 replacement - slightly more HP and TE, with much better visibility. The demo is/was at Daventry.

RMWeb has a nice picture (not mine!).

It's rather characterless compared to the 08. The 08 is a beast!

 

[Juniper Driver]

Never had a problem with 08's when I worked on them.

 

[Harbon 1]

Ilford.
Leaning out the window doesn't help much when pushing a 4/8 car unit along through a windy yard filled with other unit movements going on.

Surely with any replacement the view will be restricted by the units you're pushing?

 

[fraser158]

Only thing I don't enjoy about them is the manual fuel pump...

 

[ExRes]

Only thing I don't enjoy about them is the manual fuel pump...

Ah yes, but if it's an 08 with a particularly cold cab doesn't a manual fuel pump warm you up

 

[GearJammer]

Thing is 08 shunters don't generally owe anyone anything, there paid for. A new shunting locomotive would have to earn its keep to pay off the cost of buying it and its very rare for a shunter to earn revenue.

Why spend hundreds of thousands... or millions of pounds on a new loco when an old one does the job!