Colas Trials (56 & 86) 24.10.12

60163 · 23 Oct 2012

From WNXX:

WNXX said:
56094 (COLO) and 86701 (ETLO) have run from Washwood Heath to Rugby this morning. There is a trial run, top and tail, scheduled to run tomorrow between Rugby and Milton Keynes.

4Z56 Rugby to Milton Keynes
Colas Rugby 1015
Rugby 1024-1036
Long Buckby 1049
Northampton 1100
Hanslope Junction 1109
Milton Keynes 1115

4Z86 Milton Keynes to Rugby
Milton Keynes 1139
Hanslope Junction 1146
Northampton 1157-1220
Long Buckby 1231
Rugby 1243-1247
Colas Rugby 1300

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sprinterguy · 25 Oct 2012

I presume that the trial run did indeed take place yesterday, as 86701 was standing alongside the station at Rugby today at the head of the rake of six former FGW motorail vans. Good to see that those vans are getting the opportunity to stretch their legs again finally!

Phil6219 · 25 Oct 2012

sprinterguy said:
I presume that the trial run did indeed take place yesterday, as 86701 was standing alongside the station at Rugby today at the head of the rake of six former FGW motorail vans. Good to see that those vans are getting the opportunity to stretch their legs again finally!

Yep it sure did, here's a video of them in action

Linky

Phil 8-)

Drimnagh Road · 25 Oct 2012

So would i be correct in saying then that the colas 66s are concentrated on the Carlisle-Chirk workings, 47s on Boston steel, 56s on new timber flows from Devon and South Wales? What are the plans for the 86?

fgwrich · 26 Oct 2012

Drimnagh Road said:
So would i be correct in saying then that the colas 66s are concentrated on the Carlisle-Chirk workings, 47s on Boston steel, 56s on new timber flows from Devon and South Wales? What are the plans for the 86?

The 86 would be working on this Daventry (&Anywhere else) to London Euston service, hopefully for either Tesco or Asda.

It's abit difficult to work out what's working what with Colas, as the Boston Steels mostly have been in the hands of 57087, whilst the Airshire tanks / Aircraft Fuel services and any Network Rail Engineering Jobs have been in the hands of the 66s, with the Log Traffic using both 56094 & the 66s.

As for the 47s, they now seem to be used on anything really.

RichmondCommu · 26 Oct 2012

fgwrich said:
The 86 would be working on this Daventry (&Anywhere else) to London Euston service, hopefully for either Tesco or Asda.

I'd assumed that this was a 'definite' and not a "hmmm, maybe", until the '86 goes bang and everything reverts back to road haulage!

captainbigun · 26 Oct 2012

Why would the 86 go bang?

RichmondCommu · 26 Oct 2012

captainbigun said:
Why would the 86 go bang?

Because its old and it wouldn't be the first to catch fire in recent times. Tesco rely on 'just in time' and a reliable Class 66 would have been a much better choice. There's nothing to stop a diesel running into Euston.

sprinterguy · 26 Oct 2012

RichmondCommu said:
Because its old and it wouldn't be the first to catch fire in recent times. Tesco rely on 'just in time' and a reliable Class 66 would have been a much better choice. There's nothing to stop a diesel running into Euston.

The 86s are getting on for fifty years old and are still performing reliably for Freightliner day in, day out without need for comment. The occasional fires have been the exception rather than the rule. Wherever possible, electric locomotives should be used on services running under the wires, rather than gaining even less utility from our existing infrastructure and using those infernal 66s where they are not needed in the first place. Plus, the two Colas 86/7s have been refurbished to a high standard. I would expect that they are in an even better mechanical condition than the Freightliner examples, which continue to prove their worth despite being half a century old!

RichmondCommu · 26 Oct 2012

sprinterguy said:
The 86s are getting on for fifty years old and are still performing reliably for Freightliner day in, day out without need for comment. The occasional fires have been the exception rather than the rule. Wherever possible, electric locomotives should be used on services running under the wires, rather than gaining even less utility from our existing infrastructure and using those infernal 66s where they are not needed in the first place. Plus, the two Colas 86/7s have been refurbished to a high standard. I would expect that they are in an even better mechanical condition than the Freightliner examples, which continue to prove their worth despite being half a century old!

The fires may only be occasional but lets remember the fleet isn't that big which rather increases the probability of another fire. I agree that we should use electric loco's as much as possible but at the same time we need to focus on reliability when trying to win new contracts. And thats why I suggested (without access to any figures) that a class 66 might be a safer bet. Surely the securing of a long term contract outways what type of traction is used?

captainbigun · 27 Oct 2012

RichmondCommu said:
Because its old and it wouldn't be the first to catch fire in recent times. Tesco rely on 'just in time' and a reliable Class 66 would have been a much better choice. There's nothing to stop a diesel running into Euston.

I'm afraid you're a bit clueless. How many fires have been down to vehicle and how many poor maintenance. There is nothing on an AC loco that cannot be refurbished to as new condition, unlike a 66.

The 66 does a job but isn't much good on 90mph train.

Some facts, using AC over diesel saves considerable CO2 and is cheaper to boot.

D365 · 27 Oct 2012

And if you don't like 86s, there's plenty of 90s and two-in-one 92s kicking around!

Colas Trials (56 & 86) 24.10.12

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