66248

[GearJammer]

Hi all, ive just watched a short video on the WNXX site of 66248 in Poland carrying its new DB Schenker livery (and very smart it looks to). Obviously i could'nt help but notice that it does'nt have any yellow paint on the front, it also looks to have diffrent lights on the front, does this mean the 66's that get sent to Poland are not going to return the UK?
Also noticed there appears in the clip to be 'things' sticking out the roof, what are they?

 

[43067]

any chance you could put up the link to the video so we can help you out with the 'things' sticking out of the roof, plus its always good to watch a vid

 

[33056]

Can't work out how to embed videos on here (if you can?), but the YouTube link is HERE .

PS: Most European countries don't do yellow paint on the front which is possible why the lights look a little different (more powerful), no idea what the thing on the roof is for - possibly a PKP radio system?

 

[cj_1985]

the light units are different to the UK style that the 66/0s were delivered with...
just like any of the Freightliner 66/5 or 66/6 that get shipped to poland have had new style european spec light units fitted.


without having watched all of the video... could the thing on the roof be the GPS Antenna that EWS were reported as having had their locos fitted with so that they (or their customers) could track where locos/services were

 

[56006]

So can the European Spec Light units be used over here?

Another thing, is it just me or is the grey band along the lower side of the body thinner than the one on 66152?
In my opinion, 66248 looks better in the DB livery than what 66152 does, possibly due to the thinner band...

 

[cj_1985]

the grey band does look smaller... or atleast not as far up the bodyside...
as for the lights...

in theory i suppose they could be used... i mean basically they should operate on the same principal to meet EEC/EC/EU standards ie. the 3 light "pyramid" format...
but whether they could run in service over here with the EU style light clusters is another matter... i mean if it was actually possible or permitted, then why would the later batches of the UK spec 66s be delivered with the late model non EU style light clusters...

if you dont understand what i mean by the type of light clusters...
compare -for example-
GBRf 66701-66707 = same style light clusters as fitted to 6601-66250 at delivery
GBRf 66708-66727 = Larger "Bug Eye" light units
GBRf 66728-66732 = same shape as the originals but High intensity
GBRf 66733-66746 = have the "Bug Eye" light clusters (these locos being 66401-66405, 66578-66581, and soon 66841-66845)

obviously Freightliner, DRS, Fastline locos also have/had a mix of the headlight styles... i only used GBRf as an example as they have all 3 types of UK spec headlights and are more or less all numerical (as opposed to Freightliner with 66/5s, 66/6s and 66/9s) , however Freightliner also have the 3 styles

the european locos have a mix of lights too...
the EWS/DBS 66s in use with ECR all had the older style headlight clusters...
with the Poland locos (same with the Freightliner UK exports) recieving a hybrid style that looks like a mix between the earliest style and the standard EU 66 style... while the rest of the EU spec 66s have receieved a "Twin pot" style cluster format (both lights on each cluster being the same size) Although the "hybrid" style i refer to.. could just seem different due to the frame/shell the lights are mounted in/on

i also seem to recall reading (i think it was on the wnxx forum a few months ago) that in theory (acording to an EEC/EC/EU rule) if your loco is fitted with the HID style light clusters in theory (atleast) you could avoid having to have the yellow warning panel... although as we have all seen the yellow panels remain, so whether no one has actually tried to avoid applying the yellow panels i dont know... although IMHO if it was possible to avoid applying the yellow to a cab front, i think it would make a lot of locos and liveries look just a bit to weird... much like 66248 looks now