GBRf Class 99 - 30 locomotives now ordered

[800001]

I’ve just seen this photo on Facebook of what looks to be 99001 being unloaded from a ship:

View attachment 181441

getting loaded onto a ship. Wnxx website dates arrival in uk at Portbury on 11th June. Then transfer to Leicester on 17th June.

 

[ExRes]

getting loaded onto a ship. Wnxx website dates arrival in uk at Portbury on 11th June. Then transfer to Leicester on 17th June.

It will be interesting to see if RailAdventure are contracted to deliver through to Leicester, it would seem a little odd if GBRf don't haul their own sparkling new locos

 

[Class15]

It will be interesting to see if RailAdventure are contracted to deliver through to Leicester, it would seem a little odd if GBRf don't haul their own sparkling new locos

Does anyone know what route is likely to be used? Either GWML - Acton - Dudding Hill - MML - Leicester or Bristol Parkway - Cheltenham - Birmingham - Nuneaton - Leicester I would have thought?

 

[Spartacus]

Does anyone know what route is likely to be used? Either GWML - Acton - Dudding Hill - MML - Leicester or Bristol Parkway - Cheltenham - Birmingham - Nuneaton - Leicester I would have thought?

M5, M42, M6, M69

 

[Bertie the bus]

It will be interesting to see if RailAdventure are contracted to deliver through to Leicester, it would seem a little odd if GBRf don't haul their own sparkling new locos

They won't be GBRf's until they have accepted them so the move is probably being arranged by Stadler. One off moves are frequently strange. The ex-GWR parcel 769s at Leicester are apparently GBRf's but when one moved to Crewe Electric the move was done by Europhoenix, using a 57 hired in from GBRf!

 

[ExRes]

Does anyone know what route is likely to be used? Either GWML - Acton - Dudding Hill - MML - Leicester or Bristol Parkway - Cheltenham - Birmingham - Nuneaton - Leicester I would have thought?

It would seem logical to go via Nuneaton which would be handy for passing Kings Norton allowing for any RA staff changeovers etc

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jun 2025 ==

They won't be GBRf's until they have accepted them so the move is probably being arranged by Stadler

Good point, the Stadler / RA relationship could have had a hand in the choice of haulier

 

[Rail Quest]

getting loaded onto a ship. Wnxx website dates arrival in uk at Portbury on 11th June. Then transfer to Leicester on 17th June.

Looks like they arrived today and have been transferred onto low loaders:

[URL directs to YouTube video with pictures of 99001/002 at Portbury]

 

[Wyrleybart]

Thanks for the vid.
It gets real from here on !!!!

Has the shed at Leicester been kitted out now ?

 

[xotGD]

Coming to a diesel gala soon!

 

[Trainman40083]

Coming to a diesel gala soon!

Or The Greatest Gathering

 

[800001]

Looks like they arrived today and have been transferred onto low loaders:

[URL directs to YouTube video with pictures of 99001/002 at Portbury]

Low loaders to move them to Avonmouth, where they will depart at 15:53 on 17th June.

 

[zwk500]

Low loaders to move them to Avonmouth, where they will depart at 15:53 on 17th June.

Depart by rail from Avonmouth? Why not directly haul them away from Portbury, or road them to Leicester?

 

[800001]

Depart by rail from Avonmouth? Why not directly haul them away from Portbury, or road them to Leicester?

Just what I’ve been told, how true that is I don’t know.
Unless they actually mean Portbury baring in mind they are right next to each other.

Either way 15:53 on Tuesday!

 

[themiller]

Just what I’ve been told, how true that is I don’t know.
Unless they actually mean Portbury baring in mind they are right next to each other.

Either way 15:53 on Tuesday!

Possibly a decision to get them out of the docks at Portbury to avoid peak traffic times. There’s Gordano services with a lorry park with easy access to the M5 very close to the docks and could be called Avonmouth by the haulage company.

 

[Wyrleybart]

Depart by rail from Avonmouth? Why not directly haul them away from Portbury, or road them to Leicester?

Pretty sure they cannot be roaded into Leicester. I understand anything that needs to be moved in ir out of the depot needs to be put on or off rails at Braunstone, therefore needed to reverse at Knighton Jn.

 

[Nym]

Nothing's impossible, but it's extremely challenging to road into Leicester, when the 67s were moved around that was an extremely complex movement hence moving a short distance by rail.

 

[800001]

Depart by rail from Avonmouth? Why not directly haul them away from Portbury, or road them to Leicester?

I think there is confusion over where they arrived as Today’s Railway Magazine have tweeted a picture stating they arrived at Avonmouth, where as YouTube video states Portbury.
Attached is twitter image below

 

[RUK]

I’m not a fan of the GBRf livery - I wonder what these would look like in the First GBRf Barbie livery?

 

[Bob figgis]

Somebody has posted times on East Midlands Gen group for an 0Q66 13:53 Avonmouth Hansons to Leicester next Tuesday the 17th. I cannot see anything on RTT or Freightlocate currently.

 

[Class15]

Somebody has posted times on East Midlands Gen group for an 0Q66 13:53 Avonmouth Hansons to Leicester next Tuesday the 17th. I cannot see anything on RTT or Freightlocate currently.

The headcode is a big giveaway to what is hauling it.

 

[JKF]

I think there is confusion over where they arrived as Today’s Railway Magazine have tweeted a picture stating they arrived at Avonmouth, where as YouTube video states Portbury.
Attached is twitter image below

I’m 90% certain the old grain silo in the background of that picture was demolished last year, with a bit of fuss. So either someone is generating photos with AI or I’m getting mixed up with a similar building which may be still standing further into the docks. I may have to pop up that way tomorrow to check I’m not going crazy!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Jun 2025 ==

Edit: a quick check of Google Earth proves I’m wrong, that building is still there and isn’t the one I was thinking of. Loco is being unloaded in the westernmost dock which is roughly parallel to the River Avon.

 

[Incogcyclist79]

Can confirm they're in Bennets/Hanson sidings, both visible from the footbridge at St Andrews Road station.

 

[JKF]

Offloading point looks to be around 51°30’55”N 2°41’50”W on Google maps (same line that 66740 can be seen on in Google Maps). Tanks in the background and edging wall give it away. Might be visible from the bridge further down.

 

[SW Rover]

Video of testing at Velim on diesel & AC with unloading at Avonmouth.

Rob Tiller - GBRf Class 99 Arrive in the UK and ready for testing

The comments indicate why using the tunnel was not possible and future delivery options.

Unfortunately this could not be arranged with the French Authorities in the timescale we had and costs. It remains an option if viable. 99003 onwards comes via Portbury Roll on Roll off, they came Avonmouth as Lift on Lift off via Bremen not Valencia. There is always method to what sees either madness or sensible.

 

[The_Train]

Do we know of any additional locos that are complete at the factory?

 

[Rail Quest]

Video of testing at Velim on diesel & AC with unloading at Avonmouth.

Very interesting, is that the first clip on YouTube of an engine start for the class? It sounds like, after the engine starts, the RPM increases after a few seconds of idling, as heard in clips from both 001 and 002.

As for the engines themselves, it sounds like there's a lot of deadening in place, as to be expected. It will be interesting to see how they sound under load soon!

 

[800001]

Do we know of any additional locos that are complete at the factory?

I’m sure there is a large gap now. There was some flooding at the factory when there was the terrible storms a few months ago. Am sure I read that one cab or loco was damaged

 

[themiller]

Do we know of any additional locos that are complete at the factory?

I believe that 003 was completed before the floods. Components for further locos were damaged by the water so there will be a delay after 003.

 

[The_Train]

I’m sure there is a large gap now. There was some flooding at the factory when there was the terrible storms a few months ago. Am sure I read that one cab or loco was damaged

I believe that 003 was completed before the floods. Components for further locos were damaged by the water so there will be a delay after 003.

Oh, didn't realise they'd had flooding issues there! Thanks for the info

 

[Wyrleybart]

It is interesting to see 001 and 002 of the class delivered first. Apart from 93001 and 93002 when did that last happen for a British traction !!