Pair of 90s on the ECML?

[sprinterguy]

It is rather a specific query, but over the last couple of weeks I have noticed 90036 and 90018 going around as a "mated pair": Twice in the last fortnight I have been sat in the York Tap on a Thursday afternoon, between 1 and 2pm, and witnessed this pair of locos trundle past on engineers trains that evidently do not require 10,000hp to power them (both locos had their pantographs raised), initially on a track panel train and latterly on a train formed of no more than three big Network Rail bogie box wagons.

Looking at Realtime Trains today this appears to have been a Doncaster Decoy to Tyne Yard working, but I still wonder why this pair of 90s has been deemed necessary for these lightweight formations?

 

[Ash Bridge]

It is rather a specific query, but over the last couple of weeks I have noticed 90036 and 90018 going around as a "mated pair": Twice in the last fortnight I have been sat in the York Tap on a Thursday afternoon, between 1 and 2pm, and witnessed this pair of locos trundle past on engineers trains that evidently do not require 10,000hp to power them (both locos had their pantographs raised), initially on a track panel train and latterly on a train formed of no more than three big Network Rail bogie box wagons.

Looking at Realtime Trains today this appears to have been a Doncaster Decoy to Tyne Yard working, but I still wonder why this pair of 90s has been deemed necessary for these lightweight formations?

Coincidentally I was just looking at a couple of shots of these workings on Railway Herald and one of the captions suggests they are engaged in crew training, if there are a lot of crew to train maybe four cabs are better than two? As you say it does seem like overkill having both loco's powered though.

 

[DarloRich]

It is rather a specific query, but over the last couple of weeks I have noticed 90036 and 90018 going around as a "mated pair": Twice in the last fortnight I have been sat in the York Tap on a Thursday afternoon, between 1 and 2pm, and witnessed this pair of locos trundle past on engineers trains that evidently do not require 10,000hp to power them (both locos had their pantographs raised), initially on a track panel train and latterly on a train formed of no more than three big Network Rail bogie box wagons.

Looking at Realtime Trains today this appears to have been a Doncaster Decoy to Tyne Yard working, but I still wonder why this pair of 90s has been deemed necessary for these lightweight formations?

irc it is something to do with driver training runs ( perhaps performance familiarisation running with 2 electric locos?) so the departmental service offers a chance to cover the training requirement without running a special. The consist depends on operational requirements so there could be 20 wagons the next time you see it

Cant be many electrically hauled engineers trains!

 

[trainplan1]

Cant be many electrically hauled engineers trains!

There were discussions about it in several cases a few years back when planning these.
Certainly using 90's and 92's on HOBC/MOBC/Tracklayer was discussed when on Northern ECML and Southern WCML (how serious though I'm not sure).

Engineering trains probably have had the single most variety of different locos working them in recent years.

 

[sprinterguy]

Thanks for the information folks, it's good to get an answer.

 

[ungreat]

Last few days theres also been an 86,87 (Caledonian Sleeper) and yesterday two class 20s at Kings Cross

 

[ash39]

It was even more lightly loaded when I saw it a couple of weeks ago!


90036 & 90018 York 25/01/2016 by Flash 3939, on Flickr

They've swapped the locos over today, 90024 & 90037 are at Doncaster ready for tomorrow's working.

Does anyone know if the training is with view to a particular working, or just to retain traction knowledge?

 

[66Yorks]

Is this train movement identified on RealTimes website?

 

[DarloRich]

is it not just the standard Doncaster - Tyne engineers working? A 133X off Doncaster?

 

[sprinterguy]

Is this train movement identified on RealTimes website?

is it not just the standard Doncaster - Tyne engineers working? A 133X off Doncaster?

Yes indeed, here's the link to last Thursdays' for info:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H68637/2016/02/04/advanced

 

[Ships]

There were discussions about it in several cases a few years back when planning these.
Certainly using 90's and 92's on HOBC/MOBC/Tracklayer was discussed when on Northern ECML and Southern WCML (how serious though I'm not sure).

Engineering trains probably have had the single most variety of different locos working them in recent years.

Doesn't the high output machines require and isolation to work? I would have thought this would have caused issues with electric traction.