DBC has 10 Class 66s available for sale

[gazthomas]

See https://twitter.com/GBRailfreight for more pictures

 

[HainultLoop]

Now that is a surprise livery! Looks fantastic I think. Maybe we'll get a charter soon with 'Evening Star' 66779 and 66789 double heading...that would be one great photo...

 

[thetangoman]

Suits it very well. I like it. Oh what could have been LOL

 

[Juniper Driver]

I see the ScotRail HST Thunderbird brigade or the 442 fantasists haven't discovered this thread yet

How much did DBS punt their 67s off to Colas for - I'd imagine the asking price would be fairly similar, if they are that desperate that is?

Hello.

 

[alexl92]

GBRf commemorating 70 years since BR by repainting a member of their ugliest, most disliked class of loco, designed and built in the US? Makes sense.

 

[gazthomas]

GBRf commemorating 70 years since BR by repainting a member of their ugliest, most disliked class of loco, designed and built in the US? Makes sense.

But these locos only exist because of BR's failure to meet Foster Yeoman's availability requirements back in the early 1980's. If UK PLC had produced world class products they probably wouldn't have existed.

 

[43096]

GBRf commemorating 70 years since BR by repainting a member of their ugliest, most disliked class of loco, designed and built in the US? Makes sense.

You really shouldn't over-think this, you know!

To a company 66s are tools to do a job. Which they do very well, hence why GBRf keep acquiring more of them.

 

[pdeaves]

designed and built in the US

Styled in the UK. Take away the pointy cab roof and it's very close to the 58. The 59 cab was designed with a lot of UK driver representation.

 

[Harbornite]

Styled in the UK. Take away the pointy cab roof and it's very close to the 58. The 59 cab was designed with a lot of UK driver representation.

Apparently the 59 cab design was inspired by the Westerns...

 

[pdeaves]

Apparently the 59 cab design was inspired by the Westerns...

That may or may not be true. Personally, I don't see the resemblance but more 'traction savvy' people may see more similarities than I do.

Here's some similar angle views for comparison.

58:

59:

52:

 

[ac6000cw]

GBRf commemorating 70 years since BR by repainting a member of their ugliest, most disliked class of loco, designed and built in the US? Makes sense.

Most of them were actually built in Canada (in London, Ontario), a country we share a monarch with.

 

[Non Multi]

Surprised it wasn't applied to a class 92, BR's final loco.

If privatisation hadn't happened, I doubt it would have been in any way politically acceptable for BR to order 250+ North American built diesel locos over an a UK built design from Brush or Alstom.

 

[goblinuser]

Surprised it wasn't applied to a class 92, BR's final loco.

If privatisation hadn't happened, I doubt it would have been in any way politically acceptable for BR to order 250+ North American built diesel locos over an a UK built design from Brush or Alstom.

But it was ok for EWS, naturally of course owned by a Canadian rail company.

 

[xc170]

GBRf commemorating 70 years since BR by repainting a member of their ugliest, most disliked class of loco, designed and built in the US? Makes sense.

Disliked by who? Enthusiasts?

 

[richieb1971]

66, s are fine work horses. But they are not the most appropriate loco to represent 70 years of BR.

 

[Ash Bridge]

If the class 60 and a similar mixed traffic variant had hit the rails around five years earlier than it did then quite possibly the class 59/66 wouldn't have seen the light of day.

 

[Blaahh]

though its a good point that a 66 doesn't represent BR; they are i) 90% of the diesel traction around now and ii) 66789 will be about all over the country showing off, which is more than can be said for sticking it on one of the 47s or 20s - as 90% of the time they are stored!! Does look good though.

 

[Cowley]

Apparently the 59 cab design was inspired by the Westerns...

I think that’s right. Foster Yeoman owned D1010 Western Campaigner in the early 1980s and renumbered and named it to D1035 Western Yeoman as an exhibit/pet.
The Westerns were highly thought of by Foster Yeoman due to their ability to move very heavy stone trains in the 70s.
When the 59s were designed they were given the peak over the cab windows and also names in the diesel hydraulic style (Yeoman Challenger etc), as well as cast number plates.
These things weren’t accidental.

 

[ac6000cw]

But it was ok for EWS, naturally of course owned by a Canadian rail company.

EWS didn't become Canadian-owned (by CN) until October 2001 - most of the initial 250 class 66's had been delivered by then (and were ordered years before).

 

[59CosG95]

EWS didn't become Canadian-owned (by CN) until October 2001 - most of the initial 250 class 66's had been delivered by then (and were ordered years before).

Indeed, it was pure coincidence that American company Wisconsin Central Ltd., who created EWS, ordered 250 66s from EMD, who built them at their Canadian plant in London, Ontario. The London plant closed in 2011, so EMD had to turn to one of their American plants in Muncie, Indiana for 66752-779.

 

[goblinuser]

EWS didn't become Canadian-owned (by CN) until October 2001 - most of the initial 250 class 66's had been delivered by then (and were ordered years before).

Ah, I did not know this.

 

[GB]

GBRf commemorating 70 years since BR by repainting a member of their ugliest, most disliked class of loco, designed and built in the US? Makes sense.

Typical spotter wibble. The livery is a homage, nothing more, and certainly not intended to be a homage to rail enthusiasts.

 

[goblinuser]

GBRf commemorating 70 years since BR by repainting a member of their ugliest, most disliked class of loco, designed and built in the US? Makes sense.

It works well being part of a newer mode of traction, they are paying tribute to BR, not emulating it by painting an actual BR loco in its old scheme.

 

[GB]

Exactly. Its a lot more interesting in my opinion to see a modern loco in BR livery than an old BR loco that has had that livery for years with a million photos and videos of it.

 

[Harbornite]

Typical spotter wibble. The livery is a homage, nothing more, and certainly not intended to be a homage to rail enthusiasts.

Indeed.

 

[CosherB]

Maybe Virgin will livery a Pendolino in Inter City Swallow.

 

[dp21]

Was there this much aggro when they painted the final 66 in Br Lined Green? All seems a bit ridiculous.

 

[hwl]

That may or may not be true. Personally, I don't see the resemblance but more 'traction savvy' people may see more similarities than I do.

As the Cl 59 cab interior was modeled on the 58 cab interior, it is probably much more likely that the exterior followed suite too...

 

[jopsuk]

this is after all not the first 66 GBRf have painted in a British Rail livery

 

[furnessvale]

Was there this much aggro when they painted the final 66 in Br Lined Green? All seems a bit ridiculous.

Paint keeps rust from getting at the steel. Other than that, what is behind the loco earning money is far more important.