Class 66 refuelling query
 

My home backs on to the Blackburn Hellifield line and when our grandsons come to visit they look in awe at the Class 66 locos which pull the heavy Castle Cement and coal trains. This weekend, Harry, my eldest grandson, asked when he saw one of these locos run off light engine for servicing where it had gone? And I could not give the answer as I'm a novice concerning modern diesel workings.
So, can any of you more experienced diesel types out there please answer a few questions regarding the 66s and diesel locos in general regarding refuelling:
1. Where do the Castle Cement coal train locos go for refuelling?
2. What's the capacity of a 66 class fuel tank?
3. What's the range and the mpg of a class 66?
4. What kind of fuel does a class 66 use, is it similar to what we get in petrol stations?
5. Has a diesel loco ever run out of fuel on the mainline and, if so, how would it be refuelled? Would it be pulled to the nearest depot or refuelled with a tanker?
Thanks for your help in answering the questions of a 6 year old and a not so young 58 year old.
David.

OK simple the info you need is here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_66

and yes loco's do run out of fuel on the mainline nowadays simply because companies try to get as much MPG as they can and run them to dry before filling up would you like a fuel tank that holds 6400 litres - For me it's bad enough having to find cash for 70 litres

HTH

It's no more expensive to fill up when half full, unless visits to the fuel pump make life difficult operational wise. Do diesel stabling points not have fuel facilities.

Do diesel locos run on normal diesel fuel, or do they use red diesel. I bet their price per litre is a hell of a lot less than we pay, bloody tax.:mad:

Whenever I see photos of steam locos there always seems to be a big enough pile of coal, or is it just me ?

AFAIK not all stable points have fuelling lines and a loco on depot isn't earning it's keep. I saw a 66 the other day and then watched it get reported on UK-RAIL it went from Leeds -- Southampton -- Carlisle --and the last I heard it was on it's way to Cornwall via Wales

Also now fuelling is made more difficult as they can't fill up a GDRf loco at a DBS or Freightliner depot either so depot location plays a big problem at times

and I'm not sure of what they run them on I do not know of a "Railway" diesel as a-kin to the farm or boat diesels (Red or Blue) that gets less tax

The OFFICIAL GBRf 'depot' at Eastleigh are the lines adjacent to the station - and there's nothing remotely resembling a fuelling point there whatsoever. The DBS/EWS locos refuel at the TMD, and the Railfreight locos use Southampton Maritime, but as for the GBRf locos....? I think the nearest facility might be at St Leonards, but I could be wrong.
An odd thing is that XC Voyagers can be found at Eastleigh TMD, so I'm not quite sure how THAT works....:confused:

That driver must have a large route card.:D

....and pyjamas... :D

A GBRf driver I met a few weeks ago told me they often fill up from bowsers. Never actually seen it myself, but then they're usually working when most wise mortals are in bed, and often sat out in possessions in the middle of nowhere.

I think the EVR pay about 70p per litre for diesel at present. It is used in all our rail and road rail vehicles. Last weekend the Class 31 used 150 gallons of Fuel for 5 return trips, Wirksworth to Duffield, about 85 miles in total. Also included quite a period of time on tickover.

All the vehicles are refilled from a very old road garage style pump supplied from a tank.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

That's 1.76 gallons per mile and £477.33

Sounds a lot, but I would imagine the newer diesel locos were more fuel efficient.

Class 31 are not noted for their Fuel efficiency! I agree with you figures! Still cheaper than Steam. The Class 2 used about 3 tons of coal at about £180 per ton on the same roster.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

thanks for the info lads, it's really interesting. 1.76 gallons per mile? Sounds like my wife has been moonlighting as a loco driver!
This all begs the question, are drivers taught fuel conservation driving measures or, is it a question of, get your foot down and get it all delivered as fast as you can?

On DBS our 66/67 have been fitted with a restrictor to stop us using notch 8 (full power). The aim fuel conservation and its called 'Fuel Efficient Driving' We can go to notch 8 if the train is late or due to the weight etc it is required for time keeping

The loco's run on red,yellow,green,blue or whatever colour the fuel depot decides to make it and whats the cheapest at the time of ordering.

A loco of a compeditor must be given access to yards and facilities of another company under the access agreements therefore if a Gbrf loco requires juice and the only place available is a DBS fuel point we must if we have fuel avail refuel that loco and raise a bill for the juice.

Hope this helps.

Miles Per Gallon
 

When i worked on the railways we once worked out the mpg for a class 47 from Springs Branch to Carlisle and return on a 1200t freightliner turn and after refiling with fuel worked out at approx 1mpg

Bet that's still a lot better than the equivalent number of lorries might use (in total) to move the same tonnage.

I have seen EWS locos fueled at Rylstone Quarry,out of a road tanker. but this was before they mended the Service Shed at HM.
They spent thousands of £s mendeding the shed then a couple of years ago they shut it.
Supose thats progress.

No, it's yet another example of hasty short-term thinking. :mad:

Just bought a copy of Railway Magazine because I'm on holiday and it's raining stair rods. :rolleyes:

In the September issue on page 20 is a pic of GBRf "66715 at Barking waiting to be refuelled by a road tanker before working back to Trafford Park."