International Railroad Discussion > English Electric classics on the main line UK

The first scene ......at Llandudno Junction   in North Wales   of a sandite special ,coats the rails with a sticky substance to assist adhesion in the fall ,  with two class 97 ,formerly 37 class ,heading back to Crewe

the second scene..at Barrow in Furness   taking a train that originated in Carlisle earlier that morning, back into the yard for stabling for a few hours



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/16 23:53 by bakersfielddave.

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November  evening at Askam, a small  station near Barrow,  on the Cumbrian Coast   with a push pull service from Carlisle

and later  at Carlisle  with empty stock returning to the depot at Kingmoor for servicing  overnight

i found standing next to one of these locos on the platform the incredibly loud  idling noise, the engine radiant  heat, and the  rather noxious taste from the  exhaust stacks even when in idle,.......cough...!

but for an enthusiast its a sight and sound to relish and i know as  i saw many others around recording and riding these trains and thourougly enjoying themselves

this loco would be now about 55 or so years old

(and turn your volume controls up a bit to hear these dinosaurs go)

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Great videos. You can't have too much class 37 music!!  Chris uk.

They're not called Tractors for nothing!

i also traveled to Norwich to see them on the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft lines as welll

will post some more tomorrow

Great stuff that I know nothing about. But they sound very much like the sound of American Baldwin Road Switchers.

Regards, Jim Evans

FiveChime Wrote:
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> Great stuff that I know nothing about. But they
> sound very much like the sound of American Baldwin
> Road Switchers.
>
> Regards, Jim Evans

Great stuff . I had the oportunity to ride them last month

Very neat videos. Thanks for posting.

Class 37s are great especially in action!  Thanks for posting.
ALLEN

some from the Norwich area

first scene arriving at Norwich station from Lowestoft

then at Oulton Broad Street

and a few scenes back at Norwich



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/16 18:37 by bakersfielddave.

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scenes at Brundall station and Acle station

Brundall still worked by a signal box and hand operated crossing gates



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/16 18:20 by bakersfielddave.

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Acle station heading towards the coast ,and later this windy damp  afternooon a train for Norwich, arriving at the junction station of Brundall

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Interesting videos. Good that you are catching some of the associated operations on video (signals, hand operated crossing gates) in addition to these awesome locomotives. Is Direct Rail an equipment leasing company? Is this the usual equipment in this service? Thanks for posting.

King_Coal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting videos. Good that you are catching
> some of the associated operations on video
> (signals, hand operated crossing gates) in
> addition to these awesome locomotives. Is Direct
> Rail an equipment leasing company? Is this the
> usual equipment in this service? Thanks for
> posting.

i am reasonably sure they are and the services still operate as the same to this day but with newer type 68 series diesels the english electric units being replaced this year

the service between Norwich and Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft is quite intensive and sometimes a booked DMU can be worked with Locomotives and Coaches and the other way around as well,  it can be hit and miss to see these trains on occasions



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/13/16 00:11 by bakersfielddave.

King_Coal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is Direct Rail an equipment leasing company? Is this the
> usual equipment in this service? Thanks for
> posting.

DRS is a Freight Operating Company; it operates nuclear waste trains too and from the re-processing centre at Sellafield in NW England, intermodal trains between a number of centres in England, Wales and Scotland and engineering trains on behalf of Network Rail. But they've also a lucrative sideline in leasing locos to passenger operators; currently AGA (the operator in the video), Scotrail and Chiltern are all users of DRS locomotives.

In the case of Scotrail and AGA it's down to shortages of DMUs, the former's use will probably come to an end when Edinburgh to Glasgow electrification is complete whilst AGA's is dependent on the return of DMUs being repaired, last autumn almost 50% of their fleet were out of service, mainly for wheelset problems caused by the leaf fall season. Chiltern use four loco hauled sets permanently and have three of the 68s in their two tone grey livery, the fourth is in DRS Compass Blue.

Same locomotive type that was robbed in the Great Train Robbery of the early 1960"s?

Cool videos

Nearly but not quite. Same bonnet shape, but the robbery one was (or rather later became) Class 40. A bit more powerful 2000hp vs 1750hp and a 1Co-Co1 wheel arrangement rather than the 37s Co-Co. Class 40s were a bit older and were withdrawn from ordinary traffic in the 1980s.