Not completely correct sunbird, I can't remember what the restriction steps were now but they were most definitely 90mph restricted after introduction and maybe even lower than that initially, during the latter part of 2000, not long before my farewell to EWS, the restriction was raised to 100mph but they were most certainly not passed for 110mph
Thanks for the correction exRes, I took the speed figures from wikipedia which I know is often incorrect. I have gone back to year 2000 magazines to read about the problems, so far they say 67003 was too heavy on No 1 axle and could only be towed at 30 mph on certain routes to get it from Canton to Derby and that locos 1, 2 and 4-9 were being held at Valencia.
"Dynamic tests were carried out using a rake of 10 110mph modified NIA EWS/Royal Mail vans from November 29th 1999 to December 3rd on various routes between OOC and Plymouth/Taunton/Bristol with speeds in the high 90s being recorded on several occasions." "Some of the speeds on the Berks and Hants line were on a par with an IC125 set."
Following further modification and "weight tweaking" at OOC more tests took place between 21st and 25th January with the loco allowed to travel at 110mph on sections passed for 125mph. It travelled out via Bristol Parkway to Taunton and returned by the Berks and Hants line.
By 9th March 18 locomotives had been delivered and driver training was in progress with speeds limited to 95mph by Railtrack. 67003 was continuing testing with a view to getting the speed limit raised to 110mph.
67003 was commissioned into normal service on May 9th.
67023-67026 were delivered on May 23rd with 67023 assigned to 125mph performance testing. This is scheduled to take place on the GWML using Mk III stock in the 3rd or 4th week of August 2000. 67023 has been fitted with modified bogies for this purpose and the tests will include running at up to 125mph+10%, ie at 137.5mph. At present no plans exist for speeds above 110mph for Royal Mail van operation.
By the end of August this had not happened due to non-availability of Mk III stock and an announcement that testing above 125mph would not be permitted on the GWML.
The tests were finally carried out at 125mph on September 12/13 2000 and after this, following paperwork, the entire class would be approved for 125 mph. However, the speed of the mail trains would continue to be restricted by the speed of the towed vehicles. In most cases this was still 100 mph. Speeds above this can only occur if stock and line speed permit.