Class 73 50th Anniversary

[Whistler40145]

It's hard to believe that Class 73 has reached 50 years old this year.

Does anyone wish to share memories of this unique locomotive? Be it your favourite class member to haulage off the juice.


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[37372]

I too was surprised when I realised they turned 50 this year!

73204 struggling away from Neasden Jn was quite amusing...

 

[Electrostar]

I loved seeing large logo blue EDs hauling the original liveried Gatwick Express stock. Preferred the IC with full yellow wrap around ends as worn by 73 123 "Gatwick Express" over the later style which had grey window surrounds. Wasn't a fan of the two NSE blue-only versions or the unbranded mainline livery that adorned Post Haste.

I also clearly remember as a kid opening Railway Modeller and discovering Lima had made a 73 (and wanting one) and the envy I felt seeing people had modelled GatEx stock.

 

[Whistler40145]

One memory I fondly have is a pair of EWS 73/1s working on Diesel banking a Pathfinder Tour out of Tonbridge towards Hastings, making a hell of a racket, covering the area in thick whitish grey clag, just wonderful.


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[Whistler40145]

What has been the best Railtour so far using Class 73s on Diesel?


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[theblackwatch]

What has been the best Railtour so far using Class 73s on Diesel?

The Jolly JAs - Class 73s along the North Wales Coast. You can't get much more outrageous!

 

[Whistler40145]

I remember fondly the Jolly JAs, unique locos well off the beaten track.


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[Ministry]

Does anyone know how the re-engineering programme is going? All seems to be very quiet on that front since it was originally announced last year:

http://www.rail.co/2011/07/06/railway-vehicle-engineering-ltd-to-rebuild-class-73/

 

[route:oxford]

Does anyone know how the re-engineering programme is going? All seems to be very quiet on that front since it was originally announced last year:

http://www.rail.co/2011/07/06/railway-vehicle-engineering-ltd-to-rebuild-class-73/

Looking forward to seeing the outcome of this. Two cummins QSK19s will deliver around 1500hp - around the same as power as delivered using 3rd rail.

Now...

Any chance of running 3rd rail and diesel together? 3000hp?

 

[Whistler40145]

Not sure that's possible.


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[Hydro]

Work to convert 2 x Class 73 for around 2013 has been approved on paper. They will replace Class 31.

 

[Minilad]

The Jolly JAs - Class 73s along the North Wales Coast. You can't get much more outrageous!

Pathfinder Tours Birthday Bash was fun
73128 and 131 Watford Junc - Birmingham New St up the WCML and then on to Redditch

 

[Smudger105e]

Going home (SL - BI) in the back cab (electric end) of 73101 after the Stewarts Lane 76 tonne crane broke the motion bevel gearbox. I was fast asleep, and as we went through Three Bridges (the 2 doglegs there have since been straightened I think). I banged my head on the drop light, which woke me up and the speedo was reading 105 mph. I didn't sleep for the rest of the trip home!!

 

[Hydro]

73107 in multiple with 31465, push pull load 5. 107 leading on the juice, 465 idling. Goes through Redbridge on the down, ready to go up the Test Valley to Salisbury on diesel with the 31. Changeover occurs, 73 takes power - nothing from the 31. Soldier on regardless, ED powers on dragging five coaches and a dead 31. It was the height of summer, temperature high 20's to low 30's and this little ED is thrashing its nuts off at about 20mph. Makes it all the way to Salisbury before giving up the ghost with a empty radiator, steam and boiling coolant everywhere and fire alarms in every coach sounding right in the middle of Salisbury station.

They are wonderful little engines, I hope they're around for a good while yet.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Eek, they're the same age as me!
When growing up in Kent, they were practically part of the furniture. Always good for sparks off under-used bits of conductor rail.
Best trip: the 3ish-in-the-morning Victoria-Ramsgate newspaper train, 73+vans including a dimly lit BSK for the general public, arriving in Ramsgate at dawn.
Second-best: the Clapham Junction-Kensington Olympia shuttle with 2 Mk1s.
Equal second: the Waterloo-Weymouth boat trains (only as far as Bournemouth) - single 73 with 9 or 10 coaches I think.
Oddest sighting: 4-TC unit + multi-wired Mk1 buffet + 4-TC unit + 73 propelling, on a railtour through Kent late 70s.

 

[TGVDUDE]

Not really from the area or time to remember them really well, but E6001 put on a good show at the 2010 DFR Diesel Gala

 

[Whistler40145]

Another one of my favourites was a mini tour from Euston to Euston with 2 GBrF 73/2s, which traversed the North Downs route. All went well until we passed through Guildford. The Driver attempted to start the Diesel engines whilst on the move, but the rear loco didn't fire up & before we knew it, we were off 3rd rail & traversed the whole length of the North Downs route with one ED under power, sheer magic!


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[Evvy73]

As an 11 year old (27 years ago!), My Cousin and I used to spend days at Gatwick 'spotting' the 73's on the Gatwick Express route. If I remember correctly we used to get seven different ones per day.
The very first time we went to Gatwick it was a really chilly day and fortunately one of the drivers took pity on us and invited us into his cab for a look around and warm up. He then proceeded to show us right through the loco and let us out the back cab - a fantastic, never forgotten 'life event'!

Shame that times have changed and cabs can no longer take place - also, I'm amazed my parents let me catch a train to Gatwick and spend the day at a busy international airport without any adult supervision!hock:
Maybe the world was a safer place in the early 80's!

 

[cj_1985]

i will always remember watching 73204 and 73205 dragging 87012 from Shieldmuir RMT to Craigentinny back in november 2005...

up till then, i would never have thought i would see a class 73 on the mainline in scotland... never mind 2 of them actually working/hauling a train, even if it was only a loco DIT.

 

[Whistler40145]

Did anyone travel on the Gatwick Express during the Battersea area 3rd Rail problems?

Were many trains hauled by pairs of 73s on Diesel?


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[Smudger105e]

Did anyone travel on the Gatwick Express during the Battersea area 3rd Rail problems?

Were many trains hauled by pairs of 73s on Diesel?


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Problem with powering the GatEx stock with the ED on diesel was that the ETH supply came from the GLV, therefore no ETH, no M/As, no heat no light (except emergency) for the passengers...

 

[12CSVT]

What has been the best Railtour so far using Class 73s on Diesel?


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I seem to remember that one of the DC railtours from 1992 used 73002 + 73005 most of the way round the Kingston Loop on diesel

 

[Whistler40145]

Although I setup this thread regarding Class 73s 50th Birthday.

I will slightly side step and ask if any 33/1s worked the Gat Ex during the Battersea area problems?


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[Hydro]

As an interesting note to these venerable 50 year old machines, 2 are getting the re-engineering treatment next year for Network Rail, modern DC control equipment and two Cummins QSK19's for a very useable 1500hp on diesel. A small and nostalgic part of me would like to see these pair as Class 75's, using the spare BR TOPS classification for a then-future "Super Electro Diesel".

 

[Whistler40145]

Hydro, how about a further sub class for a multi voltage class 75, so it can run on 25kV AC, 750v DC & Diesel?


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[12CSVT]

As an interesting note to these venerable 50 year old machines, 2 are getting the re-engineering treatment next year for Network Rail, modern DC control equipment and two Cummins QSK19's for a very useable 1500hp on diesel. A small and nostalgic part of me would like to see these pair as Class 75's, using the spare BR TOPS classification for a then-future "Super Electro Diesel".

If they were to be given a new TOPS class, 36, 38, or 39 would be more appropriate as they are effectively becoming type 3 diesels

 

[Hydro]

If they were to be given a new TOPS class, 36, 38, or 39 would be more appropriate as they are effectively becoming type 3 diesels

But they're still electro-diesels and thus wouldn't change from the "old" TOPS pattern of 7x for electro-diesel and DC locomotives. 75 was reserved for a super-electro diesel that never happened, these would fit nicely into that niche, TOPS allocations allowing.

 

[Smudger105e]

As we're running out of spare TOPS class numbers, wouldn't it be easier to classify them as 73/3's or something similar?

 

[Chris125]

As an interesting note to these venerable 50 year old machines, 2 are getting the re-engineering treatment next year for Network Rail, modern DC control equipment and two Cummins QSK19's for a very useable 1500hp on diesel.

Do we know which two might/will be used for this project?

Chris

 

[Hydro]

No idea. 139 has been at the RTC for a while now though. I saw another one on Monday morning that wasn't there before, can't remember which one. It had IC/Gatex style livery I think; it was dark and early and I wasn't paying much attention.