Class 93 Tri-mode Loco

[Wyrleybart]

There seem to be some amazing capabilities being claimed for these locos off-wires. With battery, they're a Type 3. Once the Duracells have gone flat, it's a Type 2. You don't want 1600t intermodals staggering along main lines being hauled by an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping.

You are right. The truth is, until the first one is built then tested here in the UK, on our railway system, we do not know the class 93 capabilities or peccadillos. "tri mode" Flex class 769s were thought to be such a great idea that Porterbrook spent millions on them. Class 442s admittedly were more of a political decision. The fact is introducing complex new technology to our system seems such a terrible struggle, a good example being 230001 in relation to Greenford, or 230006-010 on the Borderlands. Plenty of other examples of course. AFAIK the great new saviour fuel hydrogen only has two trains fitted so far 799001 and 799201.

Personally, i struggle to understand how the ROG class 93s can "wash their face" financially as straight replacements for the Europhoenix 37s, particularly given all the acceptances they will require. But maybe their owner is happy to use them or whatever work is available.

Am I right in thinking the order for 93 is for ten with twenty options ?

 

[Meerkat]

Personally, i struggle to understand how the ROG class 93s can "wash their face" financially as straight replacements for the Europhoenix 37s, particularly given all the acceptances they will require.

Any idea how they are being paid for? I see no mention of a leasing company so presumably ROG are borrowing the money or Stadler are taking payment in instalments?
They may even be getting a good deal to open the order book.

 

[Nottingham59]

There seem to be some amazing capabilities being claimed for these locos off-wires. With battery, they're a Type 3. Once the Duracells have gone flat, it's a Type 2. You don't want 1600t intermodals staggering along main lines being hauled by an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping.

ROG claim they will be capable of hauling 1500T trains off the wires and 2500T on electric. I don't know if that will prove to be true. Certainly 2500T on a 1% gradient needs a tractive effort of 250kN as an absolute minimum, which is getting perilously close to the claimed 280kN of the locomotive.

But for lighter loads, they should be entirely suited to flows which are mostly under the wires and have flat unwired branches to docksides and terminals. For those loads, they should be cheaper and faster than any diesel over the wired section of route, and may be able to find paths over Shap and Beattock that would not be available to a Class 66 or a class 70.

The interesting question to me is whether they will be suited to longer routes off the wires, over flat country such as Peterborough-Lincoln-Doncaster. If the 93s can hold their own on such routes, then the range of potential traffic flows is even wider.

 

[Speed43125]

Any idea how they are being paid for? I see no mention of a leasing company so presumably ROG are borrowing the money or Stadler are taking payment in instalments?
They may even be getting a good deal to open the order book.

They're owned by STAR Capital, a rather large private investment firm, so they have likely provided the capital.

 

[Stigy]

Class 37s what fantastic machines to have lived so long.

Like Trigger’s broom though over so many years I guess?

 

[dgl]

I'm guessing ROG have realised that keeping the 37's going is probably not the best idea in the long run and that there's no other option really than to buy new, re powering them with something new is probably not the most sensible idea on locomotives of their age.
Someone was going to have to bear the cost of 37 replacements at some point and ROG have decided to bite the bullet.

 

[fgwrich]

They're owned by STAR Capital, a rather large private investment firm, so they have likely provided the capital.

Who managed to boost their books, and thus making finance look a lot more attractive, when they took on the 360/2s. Of course, since they were approved, the 360s were dumped and the 93s are one their way.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I'm guessing ROG have realised that keeping the 37's going is probably not the best idea in the long run and that there's no other option really than to buy new, re powering them with something new is probably not the most sensible idea on locomotives of their age.
Someone was going to have to bear the cost of 37 replacements at some point and ROG have decided to bite the bullet.

The class 37 replacement was supposed to be the class 38, my oh my how things have changed !.

 

[Speed43125]

Who managed to boost their books, and thus making finance look a lot more attractive, when they took on the 360/2s. Of course, since they were approved, the 360s were dumped and the 93s are one their way.

Ah that interesting. Method to the madness then!

 

[Class15]

Does anyone know where the 93s are going to be maintained?

 

[MikePJ]

Does anyone know where the 93s are going to be maintained?

Rail Express has an article about them this month, and says the maintenance base has yet to be decided. However, it also says that the initial testing will be on the WCML and that the locos are likely to be based operationally near to Crewe, so it would seem likely that a maintenance site would also be near to Crewe.

 

[Class15]

Rail Express has an article about them this month, and says the maintenance base has yet to be decided. However, it also says that the initial testing will be on the WCML and that the locos are likely to be based operationally near to Crewe, so it would seem likely that a maintenance site would also be near to Crewe.

Thanks MikePJ.

 

[D365]

The class 37 replacement was supposed to be the class 38, my oh my how things have changed !.

OT, but I’m told even EWS was considering the possibility of an EMD ”Class 38”, before politics resulted in a near-ubiquitous Class 66 fleet.

 

[MikePJ]

Thanks MikePJ.

Here’s the full quote - it’s slightly different from how I remembered it when I posted earlier:

Currently the plan is that the first ’93’ will arrive by ship at Portbury Docks on April 11, and will be moved to the
Rail Innovation and Delivery Centre (RIDC) at Old Dalby by road. After around two weeks of testing at that site it will be moved to the Class 93’s maintenance facility before heading out on test on the WCML. Dave explained that as this issue of Rail Express went to press a decision on what company would undertake the maintenance had yet to be determined. “It’s prudent to check the market. Stadler will provide warranty maintenance and the operator will maintain them. There are a number of companies we are talking to about this,” he said.
No. 93002 will follow shortly afterwards and this will be used for maintenance training at the locomotive’s base before joining its classmate on the national network. Progress-wise it is almost complete, while No. 93003 is not far away from starting testing.
Once No. 93001 begins testing on the WCML it is expected it will stable in the Crewe area between trips. Part of the approvals process has already been started by Stadler and this will continue during testing. Testing is expected to take around 20 weeks, says Dave.

So Crewe will be the test base, rather than the long-term centre of operations.

 

[Class15]

Here’s the full quote - it’s slightly different from how I remembered it when I posted earlier:



So Crewe will be the test base, rather than the long-term centre of operations.

Thanks very much.

 

[Benters]

Currently the plan is that the first ’93’ will arrive by ship at Portbury Docks on April 11, and will be moved to the

Rail Innovation and Delivery Centre (RIDC) at Old Dalby by road

Expect to see it on the next series of Train Truckers (whenever that is)

 

[HamBuoy]

Here’s the full quote - it’s slightly different from how I remembered it when I posted earlier:

Currently the plan is that the first ’93’ will arrive by ship at Portbury Docks on April 11

If that is still the case then it should be on a ship from Sagunto now. Looks like UECC have ship in Portbury 10th and 11th April which has sailed from Sagunto on the 20th March. https://uecc.com/pdfschedule/schedule.pdf page 4.

Have there been any photos of the completed loco?

 

[45076]

Expect to see it on the next series of Train Truckers (whenever that is)

oh no lots of peril and silly animations of "trains" falling off ramps or trailers...

 

[ExRes]

oh no lots of peril and silly animations of "trains" falling off ramps or trailers...

Exactly what I was thinking

 

[D365]

oh no lots of peril and silly animations of "trains" falling off ramps or trailers...

It has happened!

 

[Roger B]

oh no lots of peril and silly animations of "trains" falling off ramps or trailers...

It has happened!

70012!

Wrecked Class 70

Photo and information sourced from Railway magazine. A brand new Class 70 locomotive that has never turned a wheel in revenue-earning service is almost certain to be written off after being dropped from a crane during unloading at Newport docks on January 5th. No.70012 was badly bent in the...

www.flickr.com

 

[45076]

70012!

Wrecked Class 70

Photo and information sourced from Railway magazine. A brand new Class 70 locomotive that has never turned a wheel in revenue-earning service is almost certain to be written off after being dropped from a crane during unloading at Newport docks on January 5th. No.70012 was badly bent in the...

www.flickr.com

its happened more than once but its the added peril and stupid comments that make that programme silly. It's been dumb downed too much

 

[Intercity110]

Where’s the boat coming from?

 

[zwk500]

its happened more than once but its the added peril and stupid comments that make that programme silly. It's been dumb downed too much

The shows are about the drama. At least the UK ones seem to be a bit more reasonable, the US programmes have so many quick cuts they're trying to kid you into thinking it's a Jason Bourne film.

On a related note, wasn't there a Class 66 that got dropped when being craned off as well as the Class 70? It's a shame they couldn't haul later 93s through from Spain and France but the need to run on the Spanish High Speed network or use piggyback wagons would presumably have scuppered that idea.

 

[45076]

The shows are about the drama. At least the UK ones seem to be a bit more reasonable, the US programmes have so many quick cuts they're trying to kid you into thinking it's a Jason Bourne film.

On a related note, wasn't there a Class 66 that got dropped when being craned off as well as the Class 70? It's a shame they couldn't haul later 93s through from Spain and France but the need to run on the Spanish High Speed network or use piggyback wagons would presumably have scuppered that idea.

there is a video on youtube of an EMD GT46C locomotive being dropped

 

[Wyrleybart]

oh no lots of peril and silly animations of "trains" falling off ramps or trailers...

Or the hauliers turning up with the wrong length trailer, when in fact they are extendable. Coincidentally, I think that was at Portbury !!!
That TV show really is ficticious drama.

 

[Richard Scott]

Or the hauliers turning up with the wrong length trailer, when in fact they are extendable. Coincidentally, I think that was at Portbury !!!
That TV show really is ficticious drama.

Know it's going off topic but lots of so called problems are non-events. One was a 47 had life guards left on so fouled trailer. Easy enough to remove but they made a big drama out of it.

 

[RKynaston]

If that is still the case then it should be on a ship from Sagunto now. Looks like UECC have ship in Portbury 10th and 11th April which has sailed from Sagunto on the 20th March. https://uecc.com/pdfschedule/schedule.pdf page 4.

Have there been any photos of the completed loco?

Date hasn't been confirmed yet, and I am told by ROG source it could well be later than 11th April, suggesting the loco isn't on a ship yet.

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

Or the hauliers turning up with the wrong length trailer, when in fact they are extendable. Coincidentally, I think that was at Portbury !!!
That TV show really is ficticious drama.

In my experience, admittedly from a fair few years back, is that the hauliers are pretty well on top of anything that occurs. The silly 'but there's a problem' style voiceover does them no favours at all.
Pat

 

[zwk500]

In my experience, admittedly from a fair few years back, is that the hauliers are pretty well on top of anything that occurs. The silly 'but there's a problem' style voiceover does them no favours at all.
Pat

It's the same with all these programs. They use quick cuts, jump zooms and dramatic narration to try and make you think there's impending peril, because the reality isn't very dramatic at all.