Class 50 **rumour**

[CosherB]

Being reported on WNXX this morning that, subject to confirmation or otherwise, it has been indicated that Colas are to 'acquire' 50007, 50017 and 50050 from Boden Rail.

I'd have thought that the likes of Freightliner might have been willing to offer a short term lease for some of their idle Class 66s? Albeit to a competitor .....

I might as well also stoke a rumour of Colas wanting to try to get more Class 60s from DBC!

 

[trainmania100]

Colas certainly have a thing for the older locomotives, 47s, 56s, 37s etc...
Colas are by far my favourite FOC and would love to see some 50s in action

 

[66Yorks]

Big fan of Colas' 66. Their Class 70's however....

 

[Harbornite]

Interesting. If it does happen then it'd be good if Colas could keep thm in their BR liveries, although painting them in colas colours is still better than scrapping them.

 

[physics34]

This would be amazing news!

 

[158722]

Nothing to do with 66s, 70s, etc, but think logically as to why Colas would possibly want a 100mph capable loco? The answer is fairly obvious amongst their current portfolio of workings.

 

[HLE]

50's though? Surely some 67's are lying idle that could be used.

 

[DarloRich]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm - for pulling yellow things?

Colas are by far my favourite FOC and would love to see some 50s in action

How do you have a favorite TOC? On what basis? Gosh they deliver coal on time and in full every time?

 

[Harbornite]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm - for pulling yellow things?




How do you have a favorite TOC? On what basis? Gosh they deliver coal on time and in full every time?

I'm not one for being pedantic, but you should say FOC and not TOC (I'll let you off though) and Colas aren't delivering much coal anymore to say the least...!

In all honesty, I don't see a problem with people having a favourite FOC or TOC (I don't). Each to their own I say, and it's not worth getting worked up over.

 

[DarloRich]

I'm not one for being pedantic, but you should say FOC and not TOC (I'll let you off though) and Colas aren't delivering much coal anymore to say the least...!

In all honesty, I don't see a problem with people having a favourite FOC or TOC (I don't). Each to their own I say, and it's not worth getting worked up over.

I am not worked up, more confused. Unless you rely on a FOC ( noted!) to deliver your commodity how do you decide who is the best? Colours? Type of engine?

 

[Harbornite]

I am not worked up, more confused. Unless you rely on a FOC ( noted!) to deliver your commodity how do you decide who is the best? Colours? Type of engine?

Most likely. I suspect that the likes of colas, DRS, GBRF and UKRL are more popular than DBC, FL because they've got more heritage traction on their books.

 

[Deepgreen]

I'm not one for being pedantic, but you should say FOC and not TOC (I'll let you off though) and Colas aren't delivering much coal anymore to say the least...!

In all honesty, I don't see a problem with people having a favourite FOC or TOC (I don't). Each to their own I say, and it's not worth getting worked up over.

Although "TOC" is not incorrect as freight trains are trains (the 'T' in TOC). Perhaps we should have P(assenger)OC and F(reight)OC?

 

[Doctor Fegg]

I can certainly think of some operators who I'd describe as a POC, or a POS even...

 

[Harbornite]

Although "TOC" is not incorrect as freight trains are trains (the 'T' in TOC). Perhaps we should have P(assenger)OC and F(reight)OC?

I am aware that the T in TOC stands for train, I just think we should use the acronyms that the industry uses. As for your idea of POCs and FOCs, there is some merit in the idea but not enough for the idea to be seriously considered because most people manage to grasp the difference between TOC and FOC.

 

[kegdr]

50's though? Surely some 67's are lying idle that could be used.

The 67's RA rating might be restrictive depending on the work that Colas may give to the 50s.

 

[Harbornite]

The 67's RA rating might be restrictive depending on the work that Colas may give to the 50s.

In addition, Colas already have experience of working with 50's, unlike 67's.

 

[59CosG95]

In addition, Colas already have experience of working with 50's, unlike 67's.

Fairly sure a pair of top-and-tailed 67s went down the Heathrow tunnels with MENTOR inbetween them not long after Colas took the test contract from DB.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

When the 50s were in large logo blue livery, did they ever do any freight work or were they exclusively passenger only at that time?

 

[DarloRich]

In addition, Colas already have experience of working with 50's, unlike 67's.

Colas have used 67's on measurement trains but I assume they used hired in DBS drivers.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

When the 50s were in large logo blue livery, did they ever do any freight work or were they exclusively passenger only at that time?

I have seen a few pictures of them on the occasional freight, but I don't think they were diagrammed, it was more a case of ad hoc use if they were all that was available at the time.


Then of course 50 049 became 50 149 for a while and was in theory a dedicated freight locomotive, even being painted in the relevant livery...

 

[Harbornite]

When the 50s were in large logo blue livery, did they ever do any freight work or were they exclusively passenger only at that time?

I have seen images of an NSE 50 on what I think were engineering trains in the West Midlands. I will dig out a link later.


This link has pictures of BR blue 50s on freight and an nse 50 on deparmental work.

bescotplus.co.uk/class50
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Fairly sure a pair of top-and-tailed 67s went down the Heathrow tunnels with MENTOR inbetween them not long after Colas took the test contract from DB.

Do you know if they were being driven by DB men or not?

 

[Bodiddly]

I can certainly think of some operators who I'd describe as a POC, or a POS even...

With the operators penchant for calling passengers customers, they might want to be known as Customer Operating Companies, abbreviated to....... ok, maybe not!

 

[59CosG95]

I have seen images of an NSE 50 on what I think were engineering trains in the West Midlands. I will dig out a link later.


This link has pictures of BR blue 50s on freight and an nse 50 on deparmental work.

bescotplus.co.uk/class50
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Do you know if they were being driven by DB men or not?

Can't remember sadly, though it probably was DB men in the hot seat.

 

[matt]

When Colas won the Test Train contract the drivers who previously worked for DB would have been TUPED over to Colas in the same way they did when Serco was the operator.

 

[Harbornite]

When Colas won the Test Train contract the drivers who previously worked for DB would have been TUPED over to Colas in the same way they did when Serco was the operator.

Just OOI, when did Serco lose the contract? Was it around 2010?

 

[randyrippley]

When the 50s were in large logo blue livery, did they ever do any freight work or were they exclusively passenger only at that time?

they were used on freights before the rebuild, but not after - partly due to the removal of slow speed control and rheostatic brakes. The rebuild turned them into dedicated passenger locos.......however....
in the last few years of their lives a few were allocated to infrastructure/engineering duties even though they weren't really suitable. This was either because they were the only locomotives going spare...or because it was a way of keeping a reserve fleet available "off the books" to back up the increasingly unreliable Waterloo-Exeter fleet. Choose your own theory

 

[randyrippley]

Something to think about is that if Colas get the 50's then they'll get used hard and flogged to death.......they won't be headed down the preservation route.
Also they'd make a nice source of spare parts for class 37's