PTXX allocated class 92s

[western Champion]

WNXX shows 92006/014/018/020/021/023/033 and 040 all PTXX allocated as being at Cheriton. Some of these locos have not worked for over ten years and must require a works overhaul. can anybody say what is happening with them please ?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

All of the former SNCF and EPS 92s were bought by Europorte (GBRf) IIRC and most are being overhauled, a few may be scraped.

 

[Hydro]

a few may be scraped.

The very notion of this, no matter how true it is, makes my head hurt.

 

[The Planner]

92s are so under utilised, with the FOCs constantly moaning that they want to run longer and heavier trains these beasts will pull huge weights without breaking into a sweat.

 

[Hydro]

Damn straight, awesome locos. Unfortunately owned by their parent FOC's and not leased, so no chance of being handed back and re-leased to someone else. Any spare locos will sit and rot rather than being used. Doesn't help that the Channel Tunnel isn't living up to it's promises of freight usage. I'm in at Dollands for a few weeks now, and it's the same trains every time in the yard at night. The 92's are also fairly limited as to which routes they can use as they have such large power demands. I did see a pair in multi waiting to go into the Tunnel last night at the CTRL/ET boundary on a steel working, now that's sheer power.

 

[37402]

Damn straight, awesome locos. Unfortunately owned by their parent FOC's and not leased, so no chance of being handed back and re-leased to someone else. Any spare locos will sit and rot rather than being used. Doesn't help that the Channel Tunnel isn't living up to it's promises of freight usage. I'm in at Dollands for a few weeks now, and it's the same trains every time in the yard at night. The 92's are also fairly limited as to which routes they can use as they have such large power demands. I did see a pair in multi waiting to go into the Tunnel last night at the CTRL/ET boundary on a steel working, now that's sheer power.

DBS 92s are owned by HSBC.

 

[captainbigun]

Or Eversholt as they are again this week.

 

[electra27000]

I did see a pair in multi waiting to go into the Tunnel last night at the CTRL/ET boundary on a steel working, now that's sheer power.

Not really. A 92 working in multiple with a sister loco only has half the normal amount of power, apparently, to prevent them overloading the OHLE supply.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

DBS 92s are owned by HSBC.

When were they sold to HSBC/Eversholt?

 

[Hydro]

I never knew that, you learn something everyday. Any idea what the reason for this is? Are they the only "inherited" DBS stock that is owned by a leasing company?

I'm surprised they're limited on multi when working on CTRL/ET, would have thought the power supply infrastructure would be pretty beefy, especially at night with nothing else cutting around.

 

[Boothby97]

A horrid site is to see the 92s rotting away at Crewe Electric, these machines and I love them (you may guess from my picture). It really would be nice to see this doing more jobs. As for the PTXX allocated locos I believe that they are to be examined and some will be scrapped with the chance of some being reused. Halifax do own DBS 92s and Eurotunnel own the rest.

 

[g4mby]

DBS 92s are owned by HSBC.

According to my records, the Ian Allan Rail Guide, Platform 5 and the ABRail website, they're owned by Halifax. Are we all wrong?

 

[Phil6219]

It's a travesty that they are rotting away, and an even bigger one that they are considering scrapping even one of these locomotives.

It's situations like this where I wish that all locomotives were on a "use them or loose them" policy, as has been pointed out FOCs are complaining about lack of suitable locomotives and yet one will sit on dozens rotting away purely so the competition don't get them. Just look at the class 60 for instance, EWS won't sell them on as they don't want the competition to get them.

Perhaps if all locomotives were leased from a single government owned company then none (or just a few) will be left rotting away and all put to good use, though there may be a slight issue with regard to DRS being government owned (it is I think) but perhaps if they kept them as a totally separate company it could work.

 

[cj_1985]

the issue (AIUI) with the class 92s.. is that they were operated in a multi user pool ie. RfD/EWS and SNCF (E* were meant to have used them .. but we all know what happened there)...

but iirc SNCF were not happy that their locos were apparently being used more than the EWS owned locos...

the locos were all meant to be maintained at Crewe IEMD... so any spares, would have been kept there...

and based on what i have read over the last few months.. when E* and SNCF sold their locos to Europorte/Eurotunnel DBS blocked access to the spares.

so Europorte may have to strip some of their newly purchased ex SNCF of parts that would cost too much and take to much time to get manufactured.

it has been suggested that Europorte may decide to scrap some of their class 92s... but then again as has been suggested elsewhere they could just as easily go the other way and pay a whole lotta money to get new parts manifactured and put the locos through a full overhaul...

but i dont think anyone knows for sure what is going to happen... and all we can do is wait and see what happens...

one thing that is on the class 92s side is that they are currently the only locos (apart from the shuttle locos, and rescue/maintenance locos operated by Eurotunnel) certified for operation through the tunnel...
while other modern locomotive designs could in theory be certified... they are not certified yet, and unless someone places and order for a channel tunnel compatible TRAXX, Prima, or Vectron.. there is probably no reason to expect the designs to get certification...

 

[western Champion]

and based on what i have read over the last few months.. when E* and SNCF sold their locos to Europorte/Eurotunnel DBS blocked access to the spares.

What a nice pleasant joined up railway we have these days. NOT !

Meanwhile expensive virtually unused assets have to be scrapped to provide a pool of spare parts.

 

[cj_1985]

What a nice pleasant joined up railway we have these days. NOT !

Meanwhile expensive virtually unused assets have to be scrapped to provide a pool of spare parts.

germany vs france aint it...
understandably DBS probably wouldnt want to give a competitor access to anything that can be used against them...

if Europorte manage to justify the overhaul of a good number of the class 92s they have bought from E* and SNCF... then they have a bargaining chip when bidding for work.. rather than relying on DBS operated tunnel services, since the Europorte examples are not expected to operate solely on Channel tunnel/HS1 services.. ie. the Daventry GBRf/Europorte service and the expected interhubGB services

and since only DBS and Europorte have access to class 92s... they are the only operators (for now atleast) that can operate through trains... either complete end to end... or just frethun to dolands moor for pick up by colas for example, not to mention the operation ov freight over HS1 using modified/equipped class 92s

I would like to think that even if Europorte do have to heavilly strip some of their class 92s, that they would not scrap them... but keep then untill there is an increase in tunnel freight (as seems to be expected) to justify the restoration to operational condition...

either that or we are actually looking at operators like GBRf/Europorte, DBS, Colas .. ordering Channel Tunnel compliant Traxx or Vectron Locos

 

[NightatLaira]

I have always thought 92s would make good locos for the Caledonian Sleeper - but then again, I don't really want to see 90s being scrapped prematurely.