Class 60s

[JohnM]

Hi all

Do any of you know whether EWS is intending to return all of this class to traffic at any point or are they earmarked for rundown and withdrawal / redeployment overseas?

Ta!

[Ringoosmeg]

Freightliner are buying them!........lol

[steve p]

i dont think EWS has made up there minds yet, i think they want to go all American with the 66 and 67s, but the British 60s are just to good to throw away. they had better make there minds up soon, the storing and reinstating must not be doing the fleet much good.

[Trev]

Seems to me that getting rid of the Class 60's would be similar to the way that the 9F's were wasted. In other words, criminal!

[Trev]

Hows this for coincidence?

I saw a Class 60 on the Saltend branch in Hull for the first time ever today. 60025 'Caledonian Paper' running light towards Saltend. It made my day!

[GWR9600]

Also getting rid of th Class 58s after less than 2o years service.

[Soo6617]

Originally Posted by Trev

Seems to me that getting rid of the Class 60's would be similar to the way that the 9F's were wasted. In other words, criminal!

The problem I have heard is that they are all coming due for major overhauls.( E exams?) Because the Mirlees diesel is not a very common locomotive motor, and is no longer supported by its manufacturer, the parts needed for the overhaul are very expensive. EWS has also looked at repowering with EMD, Cat, and MTU. That would be more expensive yet, and the result would be uncertain. So what EWS is doing is squeezing out as much use a possible from the locomotives, carefully. Many are over the normal amount of hours before overhaul but as long as they are running ok, they continue to operate them. EWS is not sentimental,
when the numbers turn against the Class 66s, as someday they will, they will go just as assuredly.

[swisstrains]

Originally Posted by Soo6617

....................... EWS is not sentimental,
when the numbers turn against the Class 66s, as someday they will, they will go just as assuredly.

Can't wait

[Shed Cat]

Obviously we need to form a Class 66 Preservation Society and save some to run on short lengths of track giving brake van rides

[James60059]

Originally Posted by steve p

i dont think EWS has made up there minds yet, i think they want to go all American with the 66 and 67s, but the British 60s are just to good to throw away.

The 56's and 58's were too good to get rid of as well, more so the 58's as they were built after I was born (April 1982). Although didn't EWS say last year that they were commited to the Class 60's?

Cheers

James