British Rail Class 57
British Rail Class 57 | |
---|---|
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | |
Length | 19.38 metres (63 ft 7 in) |
Width | 2.79 metres (9 ft 2 in) |
Loco weight |
|
Fuel type | Diesel |
Fuel capacity |
|
Prime mover |
|
Engine type | |
Displacement | 10.57 L (645 in3) per cylinder |
Cylinders | 12 |
MU working | Yes |
Train heating |
|
Loco brake | Air |
Performance figures | |
---|---|
Maximum speed |
|
Power output |
|
Brakeforce |
|
Career | |
---|---|
Operators | |
Number in class | 33 |
Numbers |
|
Nicknames | Thunderbirds Bodysnatchers[1][2] Zombies[3][4] |
First run | 1999 |
The British Rail Class 57 is a type of diesel locomotive that was remanufactured from Class 47s by Brush Traction of Loughborough between 1998 and 2004.
The Class 57 was produced in response to an order placed in November 1997 by the recently privatised freight operator Freightliner. The company sought to have its ageing Class 47s rebuilt, some of which had become increasingly unreliable and uncompetitive in comparison to new-build counterparts. Accordingly, redundant locomotives were handed over to Brush, where they were fitted with re-conditioned Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) engines and the same model of traction alternator as that fitted to the Class 56 heavy freight locomotive. As a result of this scheme, improved reliability and performance was recorded; Freightliner placed multiple follow-on orders for more to be rebuilt, as would other operators. However, Freightliner abandoned its long term plans to acquire 25 further Class 57 locomotives in favour of new-built Class 66 locomotives instead.
There are three variants of the Class 57, one designed for freight traffic (57/0) and two to perform passenger operations. During April 2002,
Background
The Class 57 is a re-engineered diesel locomotive that was rebuilt from redundant Class 47 locomotives by Brush Traction at their Loughborough facility. The locomotives are fitted with a refurbished Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) engine and a re-conditioned alternator, improving reliability and performance.[5] There are three variants of the Class 57, one designed for freight traffic (57/0) and two to perform passenger operations. Each locomotive reportedly cost £300,000, about one-third that of a new-build locomotive.[6][7]
The origins of the Class 57 can be traced back to an order placed in November 1997 by the recently
Current operators
Direct Rail Services
The mixed-traffic operator
GB Railfreight
In June 2023, GB Railfreight began leases on 57301, 57303, 57305, 57306 and 57310.[14]
Great Western Railway
During 2000, the rail leasing company Porterbrook placed an order for a prototype passenger locomotive fitted with electric train heating.[10] During June 2001, this locomotive, 57601, was leased to the passenger train operator First Great Western,[15][16] At the time, First Great Western were reportedly searching for a suitable replacement for its elderly Class 47 locomotives. 57601 hauled Mark 2 stock on day services from London Paddington to Plymouth and Penzance—until these services ceased in September 2002—and on the Night Riviera sleeper service. After an evaluation period, First Great Western agreed to lease three production Class 57/6s from Porterbrook in May 2002,[17][18] the first of which being delivered during November 2003.[19] As the prototype locomotive was non-standard, it was decided to order a fourth Class 57/6 in 2003 and return 57601 to Porterbrook; this occurred in December 2003 after the first production Class 57/6 was delivered, after which 57601 was sold by Porterbrook to the spot-hire company West Coast Railways.[20] In mid-2015, First Great Western stated it had plans to obtain one more Class 57, but that the sub-class and number of which had not yet been confirmed.[21]
The First Great Western fleet were originally painted green with a gold bodyside band to match the Night Riviera stock, with cast name and numberplates. All four locomotives were named after castles in Devon and Cornwall,[22] and operate mainly on the Night Riviera sleeper service, with the occasional stock move. From March 2008, the fleet started to receive First Great Western blue livery, with 57605 the first repainted. During June 2010, 57604 received a repaint into lined Brunswick green livery, to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Great Western Railway.[23][24] Between December 2009 and July 2010, the rail freight operator First GBRf hired several Class 57/3s from Virgin Trains to operate in top-and-tail formation with Mark 2 stock on a First Great Western Taunton - Cardiff diagram; primarily due to unreliability, the Class 57/3s were replaced by Class 67 locomotives.[25][26]
Locomotive Services Limited
In December 2021, the train operating company Locomotive Services Limited purchased 57302 and 57311 from Direct Rail Services.[27].Also acquired in 2022 was 57004; this was subsequently sold to Great Western Railway as a source of spares for their Class 57 fleet. 57004 was stripped of recoverable components by GWR engineers at LSL’s Crewe depot in October 2022.[28] Locomotive Services Limited also obtained 57003 directly from DRS, and 57007 from Harry Needle Railroad Company in 2022.[citation needed]
West Coast Railways
During April 2003, 57601 was sold to West Coast Railways (WCRC), but it remained in traffic with First Great Western for a few months. WCRC's managing director stated that the first action taken upon taking control of the locomotive was to pass it through his paint shop to apply the house colours in the original diesel style.[29]
In January 2011, WCRC purchased 57001 from Porterbrook as well as 57005 from Advenza Freight,[30] followed in April 2011 by 57006 from Advenza,[31] with 57001 and 57006 returned to service and 57005 stored at Carnforth. During January 2013, 57313-316 were purchased from Porterbrook, a move which made WCRC the only company to operate all three of the Class 57 sub-classes.[32][33] Following the sales of DRS's Heritage Fleet in 2022, West Coast Railway obtained ownership of 57009/010 directly from DRS; they also obtained 57008/011/012 from the original buyer, Ron Hull Limited.[citation needed]
Former operators
Advenza Freight
During January 2008, the fright haulage company Advenza Freight purchased 57005 and 57006 from Porterbrook to use on a number of freight flows that had been recently won by the company.[34][35] After Advenza ceased operations in 2009, 57005 was sold to West Coast Railways in January 2011, as was 57006 in April 2011.[30][31]
Arriva Trains Wales
Between January and July 2006, passenger service operator
During December 2008, Arriva Trains Wales commenced operation of the daily Premier Service between Holyhead and Cardiff with Mark 2 carriages. To provide the motive power for this train, ATW contracted Virgin Trains to provide Class 57/3 locomotives; these were initially operated in a top and tail formation, but later on their own.[36] Four were repainted at Cardiff Canton, 57314 and 57315 receiving ATW livery, 57313 and 57316 plain blue with no signwriting.[37] In March 2012, Class 67 locomotives took over the duties from the Class 57/3s.[38]
Colas Rail
From the start of 2007 until 31 October 2009, the freight haulage company Colas Rail hired Class 57/3 locos from Virgin Trains to haul its timber trains.[39] Starting in August 2009, a Class 57/0 was hired from Direct Rail Services on a trial basis for one or two days each week. Unlike the Virgin Trains Class 57/3s, all sixteen of which were variously used on the timber trains, Direct Rail Services specifically allocated 57002 to the Colas workings with 57008 as standby when 57002 was undergoing maintenance.
Freightliner
During 1997, the recently
During 2007, Freightliner started to replace its Class 57/0s with new Class 66 locomotives. Initially six Class 57/0s (the second batch) were returned to Porterbrook, and leased to Direct Rail Services in July 2007.[44] Of the original six, three also went to Direct Rail Services and two to Advenza Freight in January 2008.[30][31][45] The remaining Class 57/0 was sold to West Coast Railways in January 2011.
All were named:[46]
- 57001 Freightliner Pioneer
- 57002 Freightliner Phoenix
- 57003 Freightliner Evolution
- 57004 Freightliner Quality
- 57005 Freightliner Excellence
- 57006 Freightliner Reliance
- 57007 Freightliner Bond
- 57008 Freightliner Explorer
- 57009 Freightliner Venturer
- 57010 Freightliner Crusader
- 57011 Freightliner Challenger
- 57012 Freightliner Envoy
Network Rail
During September 2011, Network Rail leased six Class 57/3s from Porterbrook, which were initially intended for use on test trains and the company's deicing trains.[47][48]
Network Rail's Class 57 fleet was also expected to occasionally operate with 171, 350, 375, 376, 377, 444 and 450s in response to emergencies, their primary operational area was the Southern Region. During early 2013, the organisation openly stated its target for emergency rescue operations in the region was to keep five Class 57s continuously available to respond; of these, two were fitted with tightlock couplings while three featured Dellner couplings instead.[49] Typically, rescued trains would be hauled onto the nearest convenient station, but the Class 57 had sufficient capabilities to haul most trains through their original schedule if desired. To achieve the necessary compatibilities to work with various EMUs, the locomotives were outfitted with multiple types of adapter cables, pressure switches, and pickups to convey electricity and other services, such as pressurised air, to the rescued train.[48] In July 2014, the leases were transferred to Direct Rail Services.[12][13][50]
Rail Operations Group
During October 2018, the Rail Operations Group (ROG) confirmed a long term lease for two Class 57 owned by Direct Rail Services.[51] In October 2019, it was confirmed that ROG would lease a third Class 57/3 from Direct Rail Services.[52] In March 2022, it was announced that the lease of the four Class 57s would be terminated and the locomotives returned to Direct Rail Services.[53]
Virgin Trains West Coast
During April 2002,
After it was announced by the
From spring 2005, Class 57/3s were used to haul two daily Virgin services from Crewe to Holyhead, complementing the Class 221 Super Voyagers that covered the other North Wales services.[62] The downside of this arrangement was that whilst the Class 390 Pendolino sets are longer and have the added advantage of running off OHLE south of Crewe, coupling and uncoupling at Crewe added to the journey time. From December 2008, all North Wales Coast services were operated by Super Voyagers, except for one Saturday service formed of a Class 57/3 and Class 390 Pendolino set. However, this too was converted to Voyager operation in November 2012.[63]
As a nod to their purpose as rescue engines, Virgin named the engines after characters and vehicles from Thunderbirds. In keeping with this theme, the engines also bore special plates with the International Rescue logo above their regular nameplates including:
All were named:[46]
- 57301 Scott Tracy
- 57302 Virgil Tracy
- 57303 Alan Tracy
- 57304 Gordon Tracy
- 57305 John Tracy
- 57306 Jeff Tracy
- 57307 Lady Penelope
- 57308 Tin Tin
- 57309 Brains
- 57310 Kyrano
- 57311 Parker
- 57312 The Hood
- 57313 Tracy Island
- 57314 Firefly
- 57315 The Mole
- 57316 FAB 1
After the completion of the West Coast Main Line upgrade in 2008, Virgin's requirement for Class 57/3s decreased. The sixteen strong fleet found other work with both Arriva Trains Wales and Colas Rail. During September 2010, six were placed in warm storage at Eastleigh Works[64][65] before being returned to Porterbrook and leased to Network Rail in September 2011.[66][67][68]
In December 2012, the remaining seven Class 57/3s were returned, three of which were leased to Direct Rail Services while the remaining four sold to West Coast Railways.[32][33][69]
Fleet details
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2022) |
Subclass | Qty. | Number range | Operators | Loco nos. | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
57/0 | 11 | 57001-57003, 57005–57012 | Direct Rail Services | 57002 | 1 |
Locomotive Services Limited | 57003,57007 | 2 | |||
West Coast Railways | 57001, 57005-57006, 57008-57012 | 8 | |||
57/3 | 16 | 57301–57316 | Direct Rail Services | 57301, 57304, 57307–57309 | 5 |
GB Railfreight[14] | 57303, 57305-306, 57310 | 4 | |||
Great Western Railway[14] | 57312 | 1 | |||
Locomotive Services Limited[27] | 57302, 57311 | 2 | |||
West Coast Railways | 57313–57316 | 4 | |||
57/6 | 5 | 57601–57605 | Great Western Railway | 57602–57605 | 4 |
West Coast Railways | 57601 | 1 |
Number | Rebuilt from | Named Locos[70] | Livery | Operator |
---|---|---|---|---|
57001 | 47356 | - | West Coast Railways Maroon | West Coast Railways |
57002 | 47322 | Rail Express
|
DRS Flash Blue/Green | Direct Rail Services |
57003 | 47317 | - | Locomotive Services Limited | |
57004 | 47347 | - | DRS Blue | Stripped as a source for spares at Crewe Diesel TMD for GWR Class 57 fleet October 2022.[71] Scrapped July 2023 at J Watson & Sons, Stafford [72] |
57005 | 47350 | - | Advenza Freight Blue | West Coast Railways |
57006 | 47187 | - | West Coast Railways Maroon | |
57007 | 47332 | John Scott 12.5.45 - 22.5.12 | DRS Compass Blue | Locomotive Services Limited |
57008 | 47060 | - | Direct Rail Services | |
57009 | 47079 | - | ||
57010 | 47231 | - | DRS Flash Blue/Green | |
57011 | 47329 | - | DRS Compass Blue | |
57012 | 47388 | - | ||
57301 | 47845 | Goliath | DRS Flash Blue/Green | Direct Rail Services |
57302 | 47827 | Chad Varah | DRS Compass Blue | Locomotive Services Limited |
57303 | 47705 | Pride of Carlisle | DRS Flash Blue/Green | GB Railfreight[14] |
57304 | 47807 | Pride of Cheshire | DRS Flash Blue/Green | Direct Rail Services |
57305 | 47822 | Northern Princess | Rail Operations Group blue[73] | GB Railfreight[14] |
57306 | 47814 | Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate 175
|
DRS Flash Blue/Green | GB Railfreight[14] |
57307 | 47225 | Lady Penelope | DRS "20 Years of Direct Rail Services" Vinyl Blue | Direct Rail Services |
57308 | 47846 | Jamie Ferguson | DRS Flash Blue/Green | |
57309 | 47806 | Pride of Crewe | ||
57310 | 47831 | GB Railfreight[citation needed] | GB Railfreight[14] | |
57311 | 47817 | Lined Black[74] | Locomotive Services Limited | |
57312 | 47330 | - | Rail Operations Group blue | Great Western Railway[14] |
57313 | 47371 | Scarborough Castle | West Coast Pullman livery | West Coast Railways |
57314 | 47372 | - | West Coast Railways Maroon | |
57315 | 47234 | - | ||
57316 | 47290 | - | ||
57601 | 47825 | Windsor Castle | West Coast Pullman livery | |
57602 | 47337 | Restormel Castle | Great Western Railway Green | Great Western Railway |
57603 | 47349 | Tintagel Castle | ||
57604 | 47209 | Pendennis Castle | Brunswick Green[23]
| |
57605 | 47206 | Totnes Castle | Great Western Railway Green |
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{{cite magazine}}
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