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Stored class 90s

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Chris217

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Passing Crewe Electric depot on Friday
I couldn't help but notice lines of stored
Class 90s,some of which were weathered
and some which were surrounded by trees!

Some look like they had been stored there for a very long time.
I also noticed one in DB livery as well as one still in grey livery.

Has the work just dried up for them or are these all just in need of repair...
Probably will do by now!
But such a waste of assets.
A few 67s were there too.
Would be interesting to know the status of the class 90 fleet.
 
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Journeyman

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Passing Crewe Electric depot on Friday
I couldn't help but notice lines of stored
Class 90s,some of which were weathered
and some which were surrounded by trees!

Some look like they had been stored there for a very long time.
I also noticed one in DB livery as well as one still in grey livery.

Has the work just dried up for them or are these all just in need of repair...
Probably will do by now!
But such a waste of assets.
A few 67s were there too.
Would be interesting to know the status of the class 90 fleet.

Class 90s are now 30 or so years old, and many of them were very intensively used for 20+ of those years, so I wouldn't say any of them have been wasted.
 

Chris217

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Tbh,aren't all the stored ones at CE belong to DB.?
Not sure if Freightliner are in a similar position with theirs?
It looks like those ones at Crewe Electric are wasting away now though.
Hard to believe they are 30yrs old already.

Still nice to see pairs of DB 90s on the Daventry-Mossend trains.
 

ExRes

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From what I can tell the following are stored at Crewe EMD

17 / 20-27 / 30-33 / 38-40 all DBC totalling 16 if my maths is correct

plus Freightliner 50 at Basford Hall

Yes they've done a lot of miles but I can't understand why a third of the fleet is unused on a supposedly modern network, if there was any sense in the railway world they should be working for Freightliner instead of the 86s rather than sitting unused by DBC, I know my day at work was far more enjoyable and comfortable with a 90 than an 86
 

Chris217

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From what I can tell the following are stored at Crewe EMD

17 / 20-27 / 30-33 / 38-40 all DBC totalling 16 if my maths is correct

plus Freightliner 50 at Basford Hall

Yes they've done a lot of miles but I can't understand why a third of the fleet is unused on a supposedly modern network, if there was any sense in the railway world they should be working for Freightliner instead of the 86s rather than sitting unused by DBC, I know my day at work was far more enjoyable and comfortable with a 90 than an 86

Many thanks.
I like the 90s but like 86s more tbh.
Just astonishing to see all those 90s just rotting away.
 

HSTEd

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Given the end of loco hauled passenger operations on the WCML and the soon to end passenger operations on the line to Norwich, we have a huge supply of electric locomotives.
Given that electric freight is still a niche operation, there is little chance any of them will ever see productive use again.
 

433N

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Very slightly off topic (soz) : 90034 is on hire to Greater Anglia and has been at Ilford EMUD for some months now.

I read that it was on ETH duties but does anyone know what these duties are specifically.
 

43096

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Very slightly off topic (soz) : 90034 is on hire to Greater Anglia and has been at Ilford EMUD for some months now.

I read that it was on ETH duties but does anyone know what these duties are specifically.
Testing overhauled stock as I understand it.
 

gimmea50anyday

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Allegedly, Technically 90050 is an EWS/DB loco as they botched the maintenance work they carried out on Freightliners behalf and it was toasted, so as a warranty job it was swapped for a good EWS loco which became a freightliner loco in its place.
 

dubscottie

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Allegedly, Technically 90050 is an EWS/DB loco as they botched the maintenance work they carried out on Freightliners behalf and it was toasted, so as a warranty job it was swapped for a good EWS loco which became a freightliner loco in its place.

I always wondered how 90016 became a FL loco.
 

Chris217

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Last time I saw 90050 many moons ago
It was sitting on blocks of sleepers
round the back of Crewe Carriage shed
visible fro the Crewe-Stoke line.
Thinks its stored at Basford Hall now!
 

43096

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Allegedly, Technically 90050 is an EWS/DB loco as they botched the maintenance work they carried out on Freightliners behalf and it was toasted, so as a warranty job it was swapped for a good EWS loco which became a freightliner loco in its place.
That was the case, but it has been sold on once or twice since for spares recovery and is currently owned by Freightliner.
 

sprinterguy

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Class 90s are now 30 or so years old, and many of them were very intensively used for 20+ of those years, so I wouldn't say any of them have been wasted.
Intensively used? With respect, a number of the 90s at Crewe Electric were put into store in 2004 or 2005, as noted in the captions to TimboM's photos: They've spent nearly half their lives to date in store, and little more than fifteen years in active service.
 
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Chris217

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Wow! 2004!
Judging by the condition of some
I could easily believe that!
I wonder what will become of all these.
 

DBS92042

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I also noticed one in DB livery as well as one still in grey livery.
These will be 92016 (in DB livery) and 92035 (in grey). These are just a small sample of the stored 92s also at Crewe IEMD. I believe 92016 was stored in late 2017 with a cracked transformer and 92035 is the earliest stored 92, stored in 2004 IIRC.
Also present are 92004, 92007, 92008, 92009, 92013, 92017 and 92031.
 

TimboM

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These will be 92016 (in DB livery) and 92035 (in grey). These are just a small sample of the stored 92s also at Crewe IEMD. I believe 92016 was stored in late 2017 with a cracked transformer and 92035 is the earliest stored 92, stored in 2004 IIRC.
Also present are 92004, 92007, 92008, 92009, 92013, 92017 and 92031.
...and 029 and 037.

(Plus current visitors 028 and 036)
 

NoMorePacers

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Although it was remarkable that 92020, which had been stored in April 2001, was returned to traffic at the beginning of this year. After nearly 18 years in storage. Amazing.
 

DBS92042

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You mean class 90s?
In those front sidings where you saw all the class 90s stored, there is also two class 92s with them in that siding as well. They are at the end of the siding closest to the depot itself (92016 in DB red & 92035 in BR grey).
Hope this makes more sense now.
 

SC318250

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From WNXX

90030 has been moved out of the storage lines and is outside the shed awaiting entry.
To be returned to service later in the year once repaired after 14 years stored.
Time will tell if any more come back
 

59CosG95

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From WNXX

90030 has been moved out of the storage lines and is outside the shed awaiting entry.
To be returned to service later in the year once repaired after 14 years stored.
Time will tell if any more come back
WNXX also states that its return is to "support additional electric-hauled freight work" - I think it's more likely to be for bolstering the WEAC pool of 90s that aren't fitted with DRA.
Currently, 020, 021, 026 & 029 are in the pool of locos for Grand Central (all in the WEDC pool for DRA-fitted 90s, except for 021, which is in WQAA pending reinstatement); we've yet to see what the other 2 will be.
Other WEDC candidates are 019, 028, 034, 036, 037 and 039.

Of the active locos in the WEAC pool, there are only 2 90s - 035 & 040. Ergo, I think 030 will be resurrected to boost this pool in the short term.
That being said, I wonder what electric freight flows DBC have on the horizon - Daventry-Grangemouth, perhaps?

Stored loco pools:
WQAA (2): 90018, 90021 (for GC)
WQAB (1): 90024
WQBA (10): 90017, 90022, 90023, 90025, 90027, 90030-033, 90038.

Thanks to @43096 for the updates.
 
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43096

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90021 is another for the Grand Central fleet: it’s been “promoted” to the WQAA pool ahead of reinstatement after work on it at Crewe is completed.
 

Serathor

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A quick google image search, shows that they still have their BR Logo's on. Although they may have gone by now.
Either way, it does seem a little sad to see these lovely looking machines rot away as such. And all we have now (more or less) is the unintresting Mulitple Units that grace our tracks today.
 

TimboM

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WNXX also states that its return is to "support additional electric-hauled freight work" - I think it's more likely to be for bolstering the WEAC pool of 90s that aren't fitted with DRA.
Currently, 020, 021, 026 & 029 are in the pool of locos for Grand Central (all in the WEDC pool for DRA-fitted 90s, except for 021, which is in WQAA pending reinstatement); we've yet to see what the other 2 will be.
Other WEDC candidates are 019, 028, 034, 036, 037 and 039.

Of the active locos in the WEAC pool, there are only 2 90s - 035 & 040. Ergo, I think 030 will be resurrected to boost this pool in the short term.
That being said, I wonder what electric freight flows DBC have on the horizon - Daventry-Grangemouth, perhaps?

Stored loco pools:
WQAA (2): 90018, 90021 (for GC)
WQAB (1): 90024
WQBA (10): 90017, 90022, 90023, 90025, 90027, 90030-033, 90038.

Thanks to @43096 for the updates.
There are five Class 90s for Grand Central - the four you've noted plus 039.

There's another couple pencilled in to come back in from the fringes, along with the planned reinstatement of 030, although all this is subject to the usual caveats and the additional caveat of what impact the virus situation may have on even the best laid plans.

The majority of the rest of the WQBA pool are a bit of a state these days, especially 022, 023, 025 and 027. If you fancy a look at recent pics of most of them I've a selection of shots in my Crewe IEMD album on Flickr from 15 March: https://flic.kr/s/aHskuCnaL2
 

SC318250

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I take it the 4 u say are in pretty bad state are

025 - bodywork
027 - robbed internally

although in a bad way if enough work came up to justify spend, then they all could be returned??
Not going to happen tho
 

TimboM

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A quick google image search, shows that they still have their BR Logo's on. Although they may have gone by now.
Either way, it does seem a little sad to see these lovely looking machines rot away as such. And all we have now (more or less) is the unintresting Mulitple Units that grace our tracks today.
Of the ones still in (faded/tatty) Railfreight grey, 025 and 027 still have their BR logos, but 022, 033 and 038 do not.
022 does, however, still have its cast "Freightconnection" nameplates on, as does 027 ("Allerton T&RS Depot").
None have their Crewe IEMD eagle depot plates remaining as far as I can tell.

All the EWS-liveried ones had their BR logos/shed plates removed when they were re-liveried, although 90031 still has its cast "The Railway Children Partnership" nameplates on.
 
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