northwichcat
Veteran Member
I've noticed that diesel locos are being used on freight to and from Trafford Park despite being electrified. Is this a common occurrence or are the diesels just filling in for a temporary shortage.
It is usually considered uneconomical to change from diesel to electric locos on route given there is often no speed difference, so those freight trains that have even a small portion of diesel running are usually diesel throughout.
I'm sure some come up from Soton Maritime.
True that, but electrics can accelerate faster than diesels, and thus keep up a higher average speed, clearing sections quicker. I think it's more that there aren't very many electrics around now, it's easier to keep the diesel on rather than fanny about changing engines.
Let's change that then. Not enough useable electrics.
Most of DB's spare Skodas are knackered. Go up Crewe Electric and see the 90's and stored 92's with bushes growing through them, and robbed for parts. The 86's are dwindling, most (if not all) of the 87's outside of preservation are in Eastern Europe, same for a lot of the stored 86's.
FL's 90's and 86's that are in service seem to be pretty busy on their current work rather than being available for use elsewhere.
The hope is that DB dig deep and get some more 92's on the road, or even get scrape together a few more useable 90's from the scrap pile. I've not seen a DB 90 on work outside of the sleepers for a while now, though there was one knocking around the GE, possible as a spare for NXEA. GB's 92's could be a new saviour, but I would think they'd be primarily for GB jobs than for hire.
I'd love to see more AC's at work. From the outside, maybe DB are looking at using more of the assets they own rather than the ones they lease (i.e. 66's), from the 60 overhaul programme and rumours of 66's going abroad.
the other point that i dont think has been made yet...
is that the likes of intermodals from Soton... would require 1 or 2 loco changes if you want to avoid using a diesel loco... since -for example- freightliner cant very well operate an intermodal train from Soton all the way to Manchester using a class 86 or 90...
DBS however -in theory- could operate the train throughout (i dont know about whether class 92s are cleared for use on the sections of track with 3rd rail that their intermodal operates over) apart from the short stretch that a shunter (class 08 or 09) would haul the wagons due to (AIUI from an article in magazines) a weak bridge that couldnt handle a mainline loco
Let's change that then. Not enough useable electrics....