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Under utilised class 67s

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Murray J

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I believe there are 5 allocated to TfW, 2 for the royal train, 2 are with colas rail operating NR test trains while the rest occasionally operate charter trains or the caledonian sleeper , mostly sitting around wherever they're stored (not an expert on where trains are stored but from what's above i'd say toton and crewe.)
 
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I believe there are 5 allocated to TfW, 2 for the royal train, 2 are with colas rail operating NR test trains while the rest occasionally operate charter trains or the caledonian sleeper , mostly sitting around wherever they're stored (not an expert on where trains are stored but from what's above i'd say toton and crewe.)
You’ve missed the East Coast thunderbirds.
 

ExRes

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What are/were their failings?

Now where do I start? they are bog ugly, tinny, uncomfortable and noisy, the controls were badly placed, heating/cooling was rubbish, they are pathetically underpowered for shunting and buffering up, to buffer up required around half power against initial on a 47, they were delivered totally unable to operate anywhere near their specification, the couplers didn't work so we had to use emergency screw couplings causing complaint after complaint of snatching from the Postal staff, the ETS/ETH/HEP was so loud we were banned from using it in stations and at the PRDC, oh yes, did I mention they are uglier than the winner of an ugly train competition? rumour has it that they were rejected by the VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau quality control department on aesthetic grounds

Shortly after I went to MML a story started doing the rounds that a single cab version was being considered as a replacement for the 43, I immediately started polishing up the cv but luckily it was just one of those stories meant to terrorise people ........ :s
 

Cowley

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Now where do I start? they are bog ugly, tinny, uncomfortable and noisy, the controls were badly placed, heating/cooling was rubbish, they are pathetically underpowered for shunting and buffering up, to buffer up required around half power against initial on a 47, they were delivered totally unable to operate anywhere near their specification, the couplers didn't work so we had to use emergency screw couplings causing complaint after complaint of snatching from the Postal staff, the ETS/ETH/HEP was so loud we were banned from using it in stations and at the PRDC, oh yes, did I mention they are uglier than the winner of an ugly train competition? rumour has it that they were rejected by the VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau quality control department on aesthetic grounds

Shortly after I went to MML a story started doing the rounds that a single cab version was being considered as a replacement for the 43, I immediately started polishing up the cv but luckily it was just one of those stories meant to terrorise people ........ :s
They do look good sitting on top of an MGR though...
298BADD6-B25C-49BD-AD04-66802E4B5103.jpeg
Not my mistake (or photo)
 

Merle Haggard

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There seems to be quite a 67 fan club going on here /s
To carry on with the general mood;
I'm not sure how track access charges work now - happily, I've been retired for quite a while; but, when the first charges for 67s came back from Railtrack they reflected the high axle loading and speed (how many 125 mph Bo Bo diesel designs are there out there?) and were extremely high. In those days, these high tonne-mile tolls applied not just to the loco but to the whole train.
As is well known, they were out of gauge as delivered, and I am hazy about the restrictions on 125 mph running, but they certainly were some.
Mr Burkhardt regarded all ex BR managers as incompetent; all the details for these locos were masterminded by Mr B and Mr Fisk and, as was company practice, any advice from beneath was regarded as from negative minded dinosaurs who didn't accept change.
Someone produced a satire of a Thomas the Tank Engine story to include the above events and circulated by the then newly-available e-mail,. Sadly, the Americans didn't have a sense of humour in this case (...) about it, and were after blood!
 

Cowley

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It's amazing how closely related the 67 and the coal wagon look though .......
It’s a lovely fit. Reminds me of what you’d start doing on your train set once you started getting bored. :lol:
 

JohnMcL7

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I reckon their best use is cases where there are tiny loco hauled trains that they could work on
DRS Nuclear trains spring to mind
NR stuff
possibly snowplow/leaf mulch stuff etc.
Bear in mind, I'm assuming they use less fuel than something like a 37 or 66 which I gather is a big assumption to make.
Or we could do a typical pro BR rant and say they should be stationed all over the place and just used for thunderbird duties

Wouldn't their RA8 be an issue given it's higher than even the 66's and a lot higher than the 37's?
 

ac6000cw

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Yes, because their engine is derived from a 50-year-old basic two-stroke design.

It's actually over 80 years since GM-EMD introduced it's first locomotive diesel engine, the 567 series in 1938. Followed by the 645 series in 1965 and the 710 in 1985. Those mechanically simple, generally very reliable and long-lasting engine families have always been one of EMD's core strengths - it isn't accidental that we have hundreds of cl.66 in the UK (and yes I know this thread is about 67s - I think they count as an aberration, really).
 

GrahamD83

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Off topic question but what's a thunderbird? I have noticed there is always a 67 at Newcastle and wondered why?
 

JohnMcL7

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DarloRich

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A Thunderbird is a locomotive designated for rescue duties. As far as I'm aware the name came from the fleet of 57/3's Virgin used for rescuing Pendolinos which were named after characters from the Thunderbird TV series:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_57#Virgin_Trains_West_Coast

It was in use as a term well before virgin used the Thunderbird names on locomotives. I suspect that's when It came to prominence with the enthusiast community mind.
 

Roger100

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67s were used for route learning purposes around these parts (Durham Coast) until sometime last year. They still pop up now and then, here's the Royal Train pair running a Grand Central football special at the end of March this year.

67005-67006.jpg
 

fgwrich

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He didn't do a proper job though, they were able to rebuild both it and him :D

It's amazing how closely related the 67 and the coal wagon look though .......

It was quite the Special Delivery that, although not one many had in mind for the class! I hear that one is now riddled with issues as a result of it's trip and now not particularly well liked - issues have included the engine room door opening itself whenever it feels like it and entertaining the driver with the sound of it's bag o' nails engine. I'm led to believe @ExRes that the Cabs were never the most waterproof and leaks were common too? Certainly one I looked around when it came into our yard a few years ago had a number of leaks - clearly that one was designed with the Spanish heat a little too much in mind!
 

sprinterguy

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A Thunderbird is a locomotive designated for rescue duties. As far as I'm aware the name came from the fleet of 57/3's Virgin used for rescuing Pendolinos which were named after characters from the Thunderbird TV series:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_57#Virgin_Trains_West_Coast
As DarloRich points out, it's the other way around: The Thunderbird names on the Virgin 57s were inspired by the longstanding nickname for rescue locomotives: ECML rescue locos have been "Thunderbirds" for about as long as the route's been electrified.
 

ExRes

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It was quite the Special Delivery that, although not one many had in mind for the class! I hear that one is now riddled with issues as a result of it's trip and now not particularly well liked - issues have included the engine room door opening itself whenever it feels like it and entertaining the driver with the sound of it's bag o' nails engine. I'm led to believe @ExRes that the Cabs were never the most waterproof and leaks were common too? Certainly one I looked around when it came into our yard a few years ago had a number of leaks - clearly that one was designed with the Spanish heat a little too much in mind!

I'm not sure about leaks, luckily I only had about a year with them from brand new before I escaped from Stalag EWS, I am a tad surprised at that because I've never had a tin of sardines that leaked and I believe the 67 shares the same design ;)
 

ExRes

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I reckon their best use is cases where there are tiny loco hauled trains that they could work on
DRS Nuclear trains spring to mind
NR stuff
possibly snowplow/leaf mulch stuff etc.
Bear in mind, I'm assuming they use less fuel than something like a 37 or 66 which I gather is a big assumption to make.
Or we could do a typical pro BR rant and say they should be stationed all over the place and just used for thunderbird duties

I can't see that DRS would be interested for one second, why would they want a 20 year old type that's thirsty on fuel and RA8? I'm not sure NR would want them, with all those spare HSTs around if they needed extra high speed kit surely that's the best choice, if RHTT use was the only option short of scrapping then fair enough, but an alleged 125mph loco on RHTT work? on the fuel question I believe you have it the wrong way round, to my limited knowledge the 67 is by far the most thirsty, as for Thunderbird use, that's good but do DBC charge a rate which TOCs would be prepared to pay? if they were cheap then their best use would be at places like Worksop and Ely warming stock, as long as there aren't any houses within a mile or so that is or they'd probably get noise pollution bans on the first day
 

Townsend Hook

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Surely the ultimate reason behind the under-utilisation of the 67s is that the postal traffic they were built for completely dried up within a couple of years of them being built, and as such EWS/DB have been having to find work to suit them ever since.
 
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