With the class 47 seemingly having had its last hurrah with their withdrawl from the Anglia short set relegating them to charter and spot hire work it got me wondering what future there is for locos of their age? The same goes for the 20s, 31s, and 37s still out there with currently more permanent work.
HNRC's 20s, when the S Stock is delivered what can they do? Once the DMU shortage is dealt with what will the Anglia and Northern 37s have to do? How long can NR afford to run with 31s and 37/97s?
When you are looking at locos which were built before BR stopped building steam engines, 20308 is one I've just checked, built in 1957, 3 years before Evening Star yet still in revenue service with DRS, surely, regardless of how well they are looked after, they must be getting close to life expired.
Or in the irritating manner of the British rail network are they just going to keep getting patched up?
HNRC's 20s, when the S Stock is delivered what can they do? Once the DMU shortage is dealt with what will the Anglia and Northern 37s have to do? How long can NR afford to run with 31s and 37/97s?
When you are looking at locos which were built before BR stopped building steam engines, 20308 is one I've just checked, built in 1957, 3 years before Evening Star yet still in revenue service with DRS, surely, regardless of how well they are looked after, they must be getting close to life expired.
Or in the irritating manner of the British rail network are they just going to keep getting patched up?