Freightliner Class 70 Storage

[DBS92042]

012 is - famously - not part of the Freightliner fleet. It was dropped while being lifted off the ship during delivery and badly damaged. It was returned to GE. All Freightliner 70s are currently stored.

Of note, 70012 has since been repaired but hasn't returned to the UK for use over here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/d863/albums/72157664955849611 (not my photos)

 

[50039]

Oops, forgot that one! Thanks!

 

[ExRes]

was just about to ask would it not be easier to list the active ones!

You're probably right but I don't think the forum allows you to make a blank posting

 

[furnessvale]

All this begs the question as to why this GE loco seems so unsuccessful in the UK, when the same company in the US has taken so much market share from EMD?

 

[cj_1985]

All this begs the question as to why this GE loco seems so unsuccessful in the UK, when the same company in the US has taken so much market share from EMD?

BUT the GE locos for the USA don't use a variant of the class 70s engine, instead being fitted with the GE Evo

 

[50039]

Colas seem to use theirs ok?

 

[furnessvale]

BUT the GE locos for the USA don't use a variant of the class 70s engine, instead being fitted with the GE Evo

I think GE were taking market share long before the Evo came along.

 

[43096]

I think GE were taking market share long before the Evo came along.

They’d been gaining since the 70s, and particularly after GM’s GP50/SD50 seemed to be a mis-step with GE’s Dash 7 line becoming more popular. Add in the reliability of the 7FDL engine and it’s easy to see why GE gained ground.

 

[hwl]

Colas seem to use theirs ok?

They don't have much choice!
Freightliner have more choice

 

[hwl]

All this begs the question as to why this GE loco seems so unsuccessful in the UK, when the same company in the US has taken so much market share from EMD?

Cost of spares and lead time for spares would be a good starting point.

 

[furnessvale]

Cost of spares and lead time for spares would be a good starting point.

Thank you, which begins to answer my question.

Perhaps GE are just not interested in a small non standard market?

 

[Speed43125]

Perhaps GE are just not interested in a small non standard market?

To be honest who is? so many makers avoid the UK for locomotives.

 

[ExRes]

Reported on WNXX, including one of the longest stored 70s, 016 & 017 have been reinstated and released to traffic, the remainder of the fleet remain stored

 

[Ciderking]

70016 on the 4M61 13:00 Southampton Maritime to Trafford Park today.

 

[Murray J]

66539 Micheldever 13/07/20 4O14 Crewe to Southampton with 70017 and 70016

I have been interested in Trains for over 50 years and following the demise of Fotopic I am slowly putting back some of my photos on here. In the meantime, a big thank you to all those that regularly post gen and please feel free to leave any comments if you wish.

sisuktrainpix.smugmug.com

70016 and 017 were both transported to Southampton yesterday behind 66539 as 4O14.

 

[XAM2175]

Perhaps GE are just not interested in a small non standard market?

Exactly that - the domestic market in North America is vast in comparison to any potential export business they might drum up, and that's even before you account for variations in track and loading gauges and all the myriad regulatory differences. Obviously they'll come up with something if asked (as the Class 70s prove, and also the 66s from EMD) but there's little value in fighting for a slice of a market that also has the likes of Bombardier, Siemens, Stadler, and Voith competing.

Even for the Australian market the vast majority of GE and EMD hardware is in the form of powertrains put into bodies built locally by licensees such as Clyde and Goninan, rather than direct finished-product sales.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

70 016 worked a Southampton to Manchester Trafford Park service this afternoon. The 4M61, I believe, which is a 13.00 departure.

I haven't seen anything for 70 017 today, so I presume it's still at Southampton - I wonder if it might be doing the same working tomorrow, with 70 016 working back in the opposite direction, meaning someone in the right place might get a passing shot of both?

 

[palmersears]

70017 is still at Southampton. Nothing allocated to it yet either. 016 is on 4O22 back from Trafford Park.

 

[gsnedders]

Exactly that - the domestic market in North America is vast in comparison to any potential export business they might drum up, and that's even before you account for variations in track and loading gauges and all the myriad regulatory differences. Obviously they'll come up with something if asked (as the Class 70s prove, and also the 66s from EMD) but there's little value in fighting for a slice of a market that also has the likes of Bombardier, Siemens, Stadler, and Voith competing.

Even for the Australian market the vast majority of GE and EMD hardware is in the form of powertrains put into bodies built locally by licensees such as Clyde and Goninan, rather than direct finished-product sales.

Yeah, the market is just too small, especially with all the Class 66s which nobody has any desire to replace in the fleets. I can imagine EMD might be interested at the point that the 66s start getting replaced en-masse, but until then the market is just far too small. GE Rail when it was still an independent company had a fair number of individual models that sold more in the US market per year than the UK market has bought diesel locos in total over the past decade.

It's also worthwhile remembering why EMD got a foot in in the first place: Foster Yeoman had a tender that had a qualifying clause requiring prior high-reliability locomotives which excluded all those in the UK. Within the Class 59 having happened, one can well imagine EMD wouldn't have got the hundreds of orders that ultimately went to the 66.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Just seen a report on a groups.io group that 70 017 and 70 016 are both on 4M61, the 14.30 from Southampton to Manchester Trafford Park.

Not sure if both are powering or if 70 016 is dead in tow.

 

[50039]

Apparently 70001 is in action today on 4M58 Southampton to Garston...

 

[hwl]

Just seen a report on a groups.io group that 70 017 and 70 016 are both on 4M61, the 14.30 from Southampton to Manchester Trafford Park.

Not sure if both are powering or if 70 016 is dead in tow.

The siding modifications at Southampton have recently been completed hence it is much easier to run 775m container trains now (up from typically 600m) hence they may need a bit more power to get the longer trains up to speed in the same time.

 

[marsker]

70 010 was being exercised on 09:48 Teesport to Boulby Mine this morning.

 

[Gerry McCant]

70003 was on the 627R 1330 Runcorn Folly Lane (Flhh) to Northenden R.T.S. bin-liner

Been a 70 on it last few days as I can hear them wining up the hill from Alty to Hale

 

[DB]

Of note, 70012 has since been repaired but hasn't returned to the UK for use over here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/d863/albums/72157664955849611 (not my photos)

My understanding as regards that one is that it was repaired to a level where it can be used as a testbed within the works, but not to a level where it could be sold as a functional locomotive.

 

[Gerry McCant]

627R is a solid 70 working now, been 017 on it for the last few days; seem to change weekly and then run all working week same loco

 

[Domf]

Today there is only 3 70's on line 1 at Leeds Midland Road, the lowest number I've seen on line 1 in over a year
The loco's on line are 70013, 70018 and 70019

 

[Chorley Cake]

5, 4, 14 and 6 were all at Crewe last week. The latter three were all looking out of service and were stabled next to some of the ex Anglia 90s.

 

[ExRes]

Availability update from WNXX today now that 002 has been reinstated

Available - 001/002/003/005/007/008/010/015/016/017/020

Stored Crewe - 004/006/014

Stored Leeds - 009/011/013/018/019

 

[ExRes]

Further reinstatements have brought the 70s available to 15

Available - 001/002/003/005/006/007/008/010/011/014/015/016/017/019/020

Stored Crewe - 004

Stored Leeds - 009/013/018