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GBRf 66737 and 66779

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CosherB

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WNXX reporting 66737 and 66779 transfer from Doncaster Roberts Road to the National Railway Museum.

66779 looks great in BR green, however, spoilt with the usual huge GBRf logo emblazoned down the sides.

66737 looks very odd with red-edged wheels! :o
 
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fgwrich

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WNXX reporting 66737 and 66779 transfer from Doncaster Roberts Road to the National Railway Museum.

66779 looks great in BR green, however, spoilt with the usual huge GBRf logo emblazoned down the sides.

66737 looks very odd with red-edged wheels! :o

Noticed the picture on Flickr last night, the green 66 looks a little cluttered - if it was more restrained like 57604 I'd think it'd look better - remove the extra lining around the cab sides and the GBRf logo (put BR logo here!) it would look a lot better.

As for 737 with its Red lined wheels, I rate that! Must be a GTI 66 (VW fans will get that connection!). Breaks with tradition and looks quite nice.
 

Iskra

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Noticed the picture on Flickr last night, the green 66 looks a little cluttered - if it was more restrained like 57604 I'd think it'd look better - remove the extra lining around the cab sides and the GBRf logo (put BR logo here!) it would look a lot better.

As for 737 with its Red lined wheels, I rate that! Must be a GTI 66 (VW fans will get that connection!). Breaks with tradition and looks quite nice.

Can you provide a link please
 

DEAN MURPHY

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Is it only at the museum for today only?
Thinking of going tomorrow
Any ideas?
Thanks guys
Dean
 

8A Rail

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Just put 66779 GBRf in the Flickr search engine, a few nice images come up. Now having seen the livery, two things that need to change, remove the lining below each of the cab sides, as it stands it dont look right, so better to keep it plain. Likewise, "GBRf" should at least be in their normal colour (yellow / orange) rather than white. Yes I will photograph it but there too much on the loco with all the signs etc - mmmm dare I say "a pigs arse" of it! Sorry GBRf - good and worthwhile intentions but not quite come off.
 

AnthonyRail

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Don't understand the need for it to arrive under wrap if they have uncovered it now. could have kept it wrapped until it was in NRM.

the pictures I've seen, I don't like it. green doesn't suit 66`s.
 

61653 HTAFC

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That weirdly shaped warning panel doesn't look right to me. I know that newer stuff won't necessarily need any yellow at all, but those vehicles that do would look better with a solid block than with bits cut away for light clusters etc.
 

CosherB

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From the GBRf Facebook page:

Historic moment for the UK Rail Industry as GB Railfreight names last ever Class 66 “Evening Star”
Today (10th May), during a ceremony at the National Railway Museum in York, GB Railfreight unveiled the name and livery of locomotive 66779, the last Class 66 to be built for the UK and European markets.
GBRf has named locomotive 66779 “Evening Star” and it has been liveried in lined passenger express ‘brunswick green’, in commemoration of the last steam locomotive of the same name to have been built by Swindon Works for British Railways in 1960.
This is a significant moment for the industry. The Class 66s have made a major contribution to UK rail freight, transforming reliability since their introduction in 1998. In recognition of these achievements, GBRf has promised to donate 66779 to the National Railway Museum National Heritage Committee at the end of its working life, to be preserved for the benefit of the public.
The event is also a celebration of 15 years of operations for GBRf. Starting off with just two employees and an infrastructure contract with Railtrack in 2001, the freight operator now employs over 650 staff, operates over 1,000 train loads each week for clients across the energy, aggregates, intermodal and infrastructure markets, and generates annual turnover in excess of £130m.
We've been joined by over 200 guests from across industry, government and the media for the ceremony. GBRf Managing Director John Smith and Progress Rail Services and Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) CEO Billy Ainsworth delivered speeches before 66779 was unveiled.
66779 is the last of seven locomotives (66773 – 66779) that were procured from EMD and that arrived in the UK in February of this year. In addition to the 21 Class 66s that arrived in the UK last year, they bring the operator’s Class 66 fleet to 78 locomotives. Given their heavy freight capabilities, the 28 locomotives will be used to support operations across various GBRf market portfolios.
 

43096

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What's the significance of the large '37' in 66 737's number?
66737 is named "Lesia" after GBRf MD John Smith's wife. The explanation I heard was that there is a family running joke that she always claims to be 37 when asked her age. So in keeping with that 66737 was picked for the naming and given the extra large "37" to keep the joke running.
 

Spartacus

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I don't think it's such a bad recreation really, considering it's a steam livery on a strangely proportioned diesel loco. It's better than I expected anyway.

The styling cues are clearly taken from 92207, with the lining under the cabs including WR embellishments. As a 66 lack boiler bands they've chosen to style the main body after 92207's tender, which looks a tad strange with a bright white GBRf, maybe gold would have worked better? I think they've missed a trick though, 92207's cylinders have plain red lining, I think they fuel tank would have looked good with that, breaking up the black underside a bit.

Basing the livery on 92207 means quite a few compromises, not helped by the shape of a 66, or any non-steam loco. It's clear why BR decided to tweak the style for early diesels such as the LMS twins: maybe 66779 would have looked a little better in that style?
 

Bald Rick

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66737 is named "Lesia" after GBRf MD John Smith's wife. The explanation I heard was that there is a family running joke that she always claims to be 37 when asked her age. So in keeping with that 66737 was picked for the naming and given the extra large "37" to keep the joke running.

She never did that when I worked with her. Although to be fair, she was only about 27 then.
 

Harbon 1

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I do like it how some of the first comments I saw were 'hmm wrong shade of green' :roll:

Personally, I think it looks fantastic, and whilst I'm not a fan of the LU twins (don't know which numbers (specifically the white one!)), I think its brilliant that in today's world of brands and corporate image, a company can paint/vinyl a locomotive in something completely different to their colour scheme for a specific reason, and using a scheme that was first around over 50 years ago and has nothing to do with the company or the locomotives, to celebrate something that no one outside the industry knows or cares about!

Fair play to GBRF, a splendid job. Must give the management, depot staff and drivers a tremendous amount of pride. I look forward to seeing it in person! :)

Edit: Just noticed the bell at the No.1 end, fantastic!
 
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Ianigsy

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As I said before on the Royal Scotsman 66, I do like the way GBRf go out of their way to give their 66s some individuality. In fact it's given me the germ of a small modelling project...
 

Harbornite

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"This image by Stuart Cronin shows GBRf 66779 "running under its own power on June the 9th working 0Z79 17:54 York NRM to Doncaster Down Decoy. She has since returned to the stored status at Roberts Road." After being named 'Evening Star' on May 10 at the National Railway Museum, the loco remained on display at the museum for several weeks."

progressrail_20148150007_61.jpg


http://mainlinediesels.net/index.php?nav=1000001&lang=en&id=8984&action=shownews
 
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