Class 68 Progress, what's the latest?

[Beveridges]

The 68 sounds so much better than the 66, lets hope the thrash police don't request bigger silencers before it ships to the UK

 

[Class 92]

66s mosty only sound good when idling or accelerating from a stand.

 

[Photohunter71]

I doubt there will be any "Thrash Police" to see to the 68 when I still hear the odd 37 as I have just now (work near the Edinburgh sub loop) The 70 has a great noise and hasn't been captured by the thrash police (only because they're on fire most of the time!) So we can still enjoy thrash from loco's for a few years to come!

 

[Sunbird24]

I visited the Industrial estate again today, no sign of the 68, all doors shut, just trams and an Israeli Euro3200 in the yard. Also checked the test track from the level crossing, there are indeed 4 rails, providing Broad gauge, Standard gauge, Metre gauge and possibly Cape gauge, (+ two outer ones which would equal perhaps 250mm and 450mm). There is also a multi-gauge point by the level crossing, I have a photo if anyone is interested in such things.

 

[Loki]

...I have a photo if anyone is interested in such things.

Yes, please. And thanks for the efforts to visit the plant.

 

[Beveridges]

66s mosty only sound good when idling or accelerating from a stand.

66s only sound good when accelerating because it makes everyone think " its going and I don't have to listen to that annoying yinging anymore"

 

[Yew]

66s only sound good when accelerating because it makes everyone think " its going and I don't have to listen to that annoying yinging anymore"

Having lived by a signal where 66's idle, for a year, I agree. Ther percussive sound of a 60 is much better.


For the record now I live by the MML, and occasionally hear HSt's if my window is open

 

[Sunbird24]

Here is my pic of the multigauge pointwork:
The 2 outer rails are Broad gauge, the left and second from right are Standard gauge, as deduced from the fact that they are still shiny from the recent tests. The others may not have been used for some time. Since I did not measure them precisely my thinking is that if the two inside rails are metre gauge (for the Valencia metro trams they have been building) then the right and second left could be Cape gauge - 3' 6" / 1067mm. This could be useful for the huge South African order they have recently received.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Impressive bit of trackwork that. That is going to send chills down the spine of any permanent way folks on here !. Hope your right about which one is standard gauge otherwise would be fun with third rail power supply . Hopeless with metre gauge.

 

[Sunbird24]

One correction to my assumption above on the gauges, I did some rough measurements on the photo, the Broad, Standard and Metre are as I stated but the one I suggested as Cape actually calculates to be about 1200-1220 mm, so about 4' and not 3' 6". So it looks to be designed for Metre, Standard and Broad gauges only.
Incidentally Spanish Broad gauge is 1668 mm while Portuguese is 1674 mm but most trains seem to run freely between the two.
Not sure about the electric side, they used to build electric locomotives there but not for perhaps 20-30 years. The trams for Valencia were all OHV but not sure about the others. I doubt if that part of the track is electrified in any way, but there are some overhead wires strung from one side only, like the old Spanish system and that still used on the metro. Most electrical testing is probably done internally, by that I mean inside the workshop compound.
The test track runs alongside the Industrial Estate beside an irrigation canal which separates the Industrial estate from the adjacent farmland. There are no fences and virtually no obstructions to photography from a footpath beside the canal, which even has concrete seats under the odd trees. No idea how often it is used for testing though.

 

[Photohunter71]

There are 15 of the class on order,but how many potentially could we see on UK tracks? I think Scotrail should order a batch of 68's as well as 88's.

 

[ainsworth74]

And do what with them?

 

[captainbigun]

There are 15 of the class on order,but how many potentially could we see on UK tracks? I think Scotrail should order a batch of 68's as well as 88's.

For?

Sleepers are out to tender.

 

[Photohunter71]

That's one thing that came to mind,the other potential use by Scotrail would be the Fife circular which has been 67 hauled in recent times.

 

[jopsuk]

Scotrail only run the peak Fife Circle with loco hauled because they lack DMUs, and with elctrification coming a new order was not financially viable, thus hiring in locos- if the "spot hire" 170s were still available (rather than having been put on permanent lease) they'd have had them.

 

[Sunbird24]

One small correction, the test track does have overhead electrification, the wires being supported from posts on one side only in the old Spanish style, so no problems with photography from across the canal. No idea what the supply is.

 

[Photohunter71]

Surely 68 002 is ready for testing too?

 

[Sunbird24]

Still no more sightings for me, I pass by there several times a month, at least once a week, sometimes more. On Wednesday morning one ISR3200 was almost hidden in the yard, otherwise just trams. In the afternoon on my way back ISR1301 and 1315 were inside one of the open sheds and a German? tram unit numbered 601 appeared on the test track and ran up and down a few times before disappearing back inside. Its winter now and very cold winds at times (right now it's 0°C) so the doors stay firmly shut unless something is moving in or out, unlike summer when everything is open. There are also several tram units in the yard which unfortunately make very good screens!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Surely 68 002 is ready for testing too?

It is not even clear which loco was the one photographed on test as it had no ID on it at all. It was not clear whether the photographer was a member of staff who knew some details or a casual passer-by across the narrow canal. Most of the work is carried out inside the buildings but almost completed locos often appear outside appearing to be structurally complete but unpainted and with no visible ID. Occasionally there may be a hand-written placard visible through a cab window, more often on the trams which have large windows, with something like "Tramlink Unidad 3". Where works-plates are fitted and visible they are usually too far away to be read.
It is very rarely possible to get a clear photograph of a complete loco from outside the compound. Some of the security guards say it is OK to take photographs from outside the fences while many are a law unto themselves and some will even try to prevent you from even parking on the road outside even though they have no authority to do so, it being a public road with parking permitted!.

 

[Loki]

No post about this yet?

http://www.railvolution.net/railvolution/hors-doeuvres/drs-uklight-visits-velim

 

[Sunbird24]

Apart from the Vossloh transfers it looks in pretty much the same condition as when it was first seen. Likely transferred by road to Hendaye as per the Eurolight or maybe by road all the way to Velim. The new A23 motorway is still ightly used during the day and almost deserted at night so not much chance of it being seen by anyone in Spain who is interested in such things.. Chances are the others will be completed within a few months and this one will return later for any modifications found necessary and painting. The first ISR 3200, 1301, was back at Vossloh alongside the ultimate 1315 last week.

 

[Willie mcbeath]

http://www.directrailservices.com/news-articles/2013/12/10/exclusive-class-68-in-new-drs-livery/

 

[Monty]

http://www.directrailservices.com/news-articles/2013/12/10/exclusive-class-68-in-new-drs-livery/

Very smart, if I do say so myself.

 

[willc789]

http://www.directrailservices.com/news-articles/2013/12/10/exclusive-class-68-in-new-drs-livery/

Very smart indeed! Will be interesting to see if the rest of the DRS fleet will get a repaint, wonder how a 20 or 37 will look!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Very smart indeed! Will be interesting to see if the rest of the DRS fleet will get a repaint, wonder how a 20 or 37 will look!

A 20 would look terrible in that livery! I have to say I'm more a fan of 'solid' colour liveries for locomotives rather than all these fancy twirly bits, but that 68 looks pretty good.

 

[Oswyntail]

The top picture looks like a guinea pig

 

[themiller]

The top picture looks like a guinea pig

No. It's definitely a locomotive!

 

[WestCountry]

Does anything else in the UK have such long buffers, or oddly-shaped heads on them? :-?

 

[Beveridges]

Looks like a more rounded 67 but without the corrugated sides

Lets hope they are here to mainly replace the 66's and that they don't replace too much of the heritage fleet.

 

[Mintona]

Looks like a more rounded 67 but without the corrugated sides

Lets hope they are here to mainly replace the 66's and that they don't replace too much of the heritage fleet.

No, fingers crossed they clear all the unreliable relics off the modern railway.

Pretty locomotive.

 

[HSTEd]

I much prefer the Cl60's workmanlike box-on-wheels look.

Just like I think the original Class 70 was the best of the electrics lookswise, although the 91 comes a close third (after the 73).