European Railroad Discussion > Where it all started

59001 was the first EMD road locomotive to be delivered to Britsh quarrying company Foster Yeoman almost 30 years ago, being built at LaGrange in 1985 and arriving in Britain, along with sisters 59002-59004 in January 1986. Today she is still as busy as ever, still moving stone from the quarries in the Mendips 120 miles west of London usually to terminals in and around London and SE England. Yesterday she was on 6L21 the daily Whatley Quarry to Dagenham service, seen here approaching Crouch Hill at just after 7 p.m. Today 59001 wears the livery of Aggregate Industries (part of the Holcim Group) who took over Foster Yeoman.


Incidentally the bell was fitted by EMD to celebrate the delivery of 59001 to their new client, Foster Yeoman. 59201 was similarly treated when it was delivered to National Power in 1994



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/15 14:26 by 86235.

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Were all this class built at La Grange.I seem to remember a photo of one of these parked nose to nose with a new  UP SD90/43 in London,Ontairo.The pic was a great demonstration of the difference in loading gauge,the roof of the British loco was level with the nose of the SD90.
It was a lot of years ago ,so my recolection may be way off regarding location.
Regards,dK

Yeomen has at least one SW1001 also.

DKay Wrote:
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> Were all this class built at La Grange.I seem to
> remember a photo of one of these parked nose to
> nose with a new  UP SD90/43 in London,Ontairo.The
> pic was a great demonstration of the difference in
> loading gauge,the roof of the British loco was
> level with the nose of the SD90.

59201 in 1994 and 59202-206 in 1995 were built at London, followed by hundreds of the similar looking Class 66 from 1998 through 2008.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/15 18:50 by railsmith.

Long live British class 66!

How many in total were manufactured? This definitely seems like one of the most widespread locos in Europe.

Since the model is now discontinued, what are the British operators buying for the time to meet their business needs?

Below one of the CargoLink operated and Beacon Rail owned units in Norway working for Hematite (2 iron atom ore) mine in Mo i Rana. Site is today operated by CargoNet with Euro 4000 locos, still inside very much EMD.  

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Only the 59/0 were built at LaGrange the two other sub classes 59/1 and 59/2 were built in London, Ont.

And the London Ontario plant is now completely closed, and production
moved/returned to the United States. General Motors sold Electro-Motive Diesel,
which is no now a division of Progress Rail
which in turn is part of Caterpillar.

 

McKey Wrote:
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> Long live British class 66!
>
> How many in total were manufactured? This
> definitely seems like one of the most widespread
> locos in Europe.

I come up with 676 built in total, of which 41 are used in Egypt, and 6 in Gabon, leaving 629 in Europe with 2 of those wrecked and scrapped. Two of the Gabon locomotives were delivered to Europe but never used there.