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Update 20/12/2018
56301 suffered a general fault this evening while the driver was changing ends to propel back into the quarry sidings. After running throught the fault diagnostic process UKRL were contacted and will attend site tomorrow morning to rectify the fault, which is suspected to be a sticking traction motor contactor
UKRL’s response time was impressive this evening. This is the first significant fault on 56301 after around 10 week at Peak Forest.
Update 29/11/2018
56312 has arrived at Peak Forest and put to work. 56301 received an A exam.
Update 24/11/2018 – 56301 continues on shunting duties at Peak Forest. As was known before making the decision to hire 56301 to GBRf, the duties at Peak Forest are arduous but we’re pleased to report that so far the 56 has performed well and UKRL have attended the loco very promptly for the few problems which have arisen. These include clearing out damp sand from the sand boxes at No. 1 end (the end which really needs sand when the loco is shoving 24 boxes up the incline towards the Cemex loader) and repair of the DSD pedal at No. 1 end, after it became stiff due to ingress of quarry dust.
56312 is expected to join 56301 at some point and it is unclear whether the locos will be used individually as was previously the case with the DRS 37 and the Colas 56, or whether 56301 will return to Leicester after the 60 day hire finishes on 9th December.
It is thought that 56312 does not have operational multiple working equipment so the possibility of a pair of 56s working at Peak Forest seems unlikely, unless UKRL restore the equipment on 56312.
Attached is a photograph showing 56301 at 7am on Thursday 22/11/2018 – and yes, it was as cold as it looks on the picture!
24th November 2018
Friday 16th November 2018
Colas ‘Grid’ visits CLC line: With the exception of test trains and MPVs during RHTT season, there is no booked freight along the CLC line from west of Trafford Park to Liverpool South Parkway, with the staple diet being units from Northern Rail and East Midlands Trains. Freight along this line is very rare and are normally only seen during the early hours of the morning. It is strongly believed that a class 56 hasn’t visited this line since their days of operation with EWS, as such despite the challenging lighting conditions one of our site visitors, Tom Swift, recorded the rare passing. In the above image, 56094 is seen at Padgate (near Warrington) on 11th November, working the 6C92 Crewe Basford Hall – Liverpool South Parkway. 37099 ‘Merl Evans 1947-2016’ was on the rear. Photo copyright: Tom Swift.
Stay of execution for 56303: Damaged during a shunting related incident at Wembley earlier in the year, 56303 has now been moved to Willesden F Sidings to allow basic repairs to be done to it. This, in turn, should enable the locomotive to be towed to Leicester or Eastleigh at a later date, so that more extensive repairs can be undertaken. Speculation several months ago was rife that the loco, then facing a more uncertain future, could be sold to GB Railfreight for use as part of their Class 56 re-engineering project.
EMDC occupants: 56018, 098 & 104 remain at Castle Donington EMDC with the former EPS ‘Night Star’ generator coach vehicle and did not move on 13th November, as was originally planned. 47815 worked 5Z59 with just two blue barrier vehicle coaches instead. Also, DC Rail’s 56103 has now returned to Willesden after moving 33053 from Knighton Junction to Leicester on 12th November with 50008.
16th November 2018
The Rail Operations Group should be collecting the stored GBRf class 56s and stock from Castle Donington EMDC on Tuesday (13/11), returning them to Leicester Depot.
Timings:
0Z56
Leicester L.I.P. 0944
Leicester 0947-0952
Leicester North Jn. 0953
Syston South Jn 0958
Sileby Jn 1001
Loughborough 1005
Trent South Jn 1012
Sheet Stores Jn 1014
Castle Donington 1021
Castle Donington EMDC 1027
5Z59
Castle Donington EMDC 1213
Castle Donington 1219
Sheet Stores Jn 1229
Trent South Jn 1231
Ratcliffe Jn 1233
Loughborough 1245
Sileby Jn 1252
Syston North Jn 1257
Syston South Jn 1259
Leicester 1310-1315
Leicester L.I.P. 1319
Also, DC Rail’s currently sole operational class 56, 56103, is planned to return from Willesden to Leicester tomorrow. It is to be engaged in the collection of preserved 33053 from Knighton Junction (Leicester), which is to be tripped across to Leicester Depot tomorrow evening as 8Z58.
11th November 2018
A working day is planned for the above date. If anyone would like to come a long and help , or perhaps just see what we do before they get involved please get in touch via the e-mail address in the contacts section of the website – please use the e.mail starting chair@…….
The next dates are set as
Sunday 24th February
Sunday 31st March
and we hope to establish the last Sunday in the month as the regular working party date so people can plan ahead.
Update Nov 2018
A working day is being planned on 56006 to tackle a range of work on the locomotive. This will range from repairs to known faults, preventative maintenance jobs and checks, to painting and general housekeeping work.
There are therefore opportunities for all C56G members to get involved with this work regardless of skills or abilities. All work will be supervised and any members who have not attended the ELR as a working volunteer will be able to try it and see whats involved and hopefully become part of the regular band of volunteers we hope to grow.
If any C56G members are interested and would like to find out more please get in touch via the e-mail address – chair@class56group.co.uk
20th October 2018
The image below depicts 56301’s engine running, about to couple up to a rake of 24 MMA wagons behind it. Our loco then drew these down to the exchange siding where 66136 coupled onto the rear of the rake, ready to form the 1156 departure to Peterborough West Yard (eventually bound for Brandon). 56301 was then run back onto the other rake visible in the picture and shut down ready for another week’s work at Peak Forest.
14th October 2018
The Class 56 Group’s mainline registered locomotive, 56301, has started a period of hire to GB Railfreight/ VICTA Rail. The locomotive will be used at the CEMEX quarry site in Dove Holes, Derbyshire and duties will include preparing and loading trains ready for dispatch to locations such as Dallam, Attercliffe, Ripple Lane etc.
The hire period should be for 60 to 90 days and as part of the hire arrangement 56301 will receive a replacement set of bogies. These replacement bogies will be to mainline standards and will replace the set currently under 56301, which have wheelsets with tyres at near scrap size.
This arrangement will allow 56301 to continue to work on the national network, as and when required for spot or medium term hire work. This agreement will also allow 56006 to retain a good set of bogies.
The Class 56 Group had previously considered swapping bogies between 56006 with 56301. The drawback to that plan was that 56006 would then be sitting on near scrap tyres and vulnerable to a wheel slide. This could render the wheelsets unrecoverable and the loco laid up awaiting a purchase of replacement wheelsets, which the group would be unlikely to be able to fund.
The Class 56 Group are pleased to be entering into this agreement with GB Railfreight and we look forward to building a good relationship with the freight operating company during the course of the hire period and beyond.
The Class 56 Group would like to remind group members and other general railway enthusiasts that the CEMEX site is not open to public access. We’d like to point out that anyone wishing to view the locomotive stabled or working can do so quite easily, safely and legally from the overbridge near the entrance to the DB Cargo facility. Parking is not easy in the area and we’d ask any visitors to be both safety minded and considerate of the local community and railway / quarry staff when in the area.
The Class 56 Group
11th October 2018
11th October 2018
Wednesday 10th October 2018
56301 heads north – 56301 made its way from Leicester to Peak Forest yesterday afternoon, in readiness for a spell on the Peak Forest shunting duty. This will involve the loco loading aggregate trains in the Dove Holes quarry and then drawing them into the exchange sidings, or propelling them back into the adjacent holding sidings. The loco should be on site for at least two months.
More ‘Grids’ to Longport? – A schedule is in place for the movement of yet more GBRf class 56s from Leicester to EMD Longport tomorrow, for re-engineering. A GBRf class 66/7 from Bardon Hill should be undertaking the move, timings as follows:
Thursday 11/10.
0Z55
Bardon Hill 1208
Bagworth Jn 1216
Knighton Jn 1235-1244
Leicester South Jn. 1245
Leicester 1248
Leicester L.I.P. 1250
0Z56
Leicester L.I.P. 1325
Leicester 1328
Leicester South Jn. 1331
Wigston North Jn 1334
Croft 1340
Hinckley 1346
Nuneaton 1357
Nuneaton Midland Yard Jn 1359
Canal Farm Junction 1401
Amington Junction 1411
Lichfield North Jn (LL) 1423
Rugeley North Jn 1430
Colwich 1434
Milford And Brocton 1437
Stafford Trent Valley Jn 1444
Stafford 1445
Searchlight Lane Jn 1451
Madeley 1503
Crewe Basford Hall Jn 1510
Crewe 1513-1534
Crewe South Junction NSJ 1539
Barthomley Jn 1542
Alsager 1545
Kidsgrove 1550-1609
Bradwell Junction 1614
Longport Jn 1617-1617
Longport F.D. 1620
10th October 2018
Saturday 6th October 2018
56301, which has been held in secure storage at Castle Donington EMDC for a number of weeks, was returned to Leicester today along with several classmates from the GBRf fleet. DC Rail’s 56103 worked the 0Z56 0810 Leicester LIP – Castle Donington EMDC, arriving 11 early at 0900. It then hauled 56312, 56081 & 56301 on the 0Z57 1156 return, arriving back at Leicester Depot at 1318.
301 has been brought back to Leicester Depot to be prepared for a potential period of hire to a as yet unspecified freight operating company. The contract is still being negotiated but if it goes ahead an update and more details will be posted on this website. 312 & 081 are in a similar boat, with *potential* work on the horizon being touted for the near future.
After splitting from 301 at Leicester, 56103 continued light engine to Westbury Up Yard as the 0Z72 1327 departure from Leicester LIP, running via Nuneaton, Water Orton, Tyseley and Oxford. 56103 should be hauling a KFA Rail Vac vehicle from Westbury to Cardiff Canton tomorrow. It is then scheduled to run light to Eastleigh before continuing to Willesden on Monday. Full timings for these moves are as follows:
Sunday 07/10: 6X73 Westbury Up T.C. 1239 Westbury 1242 Hawkeridge Jn 1244 Bradford Jn 1251 Bathampton Jn 1304 Bath Spa 1307-1309 North Somerset Jn 1322 Dr Day's Jn 1325-1335 Narroways Hill Jn 1340 Filton Abbey Wood 1343-1345 Patchway 1347 Pilning 1351 Severn Tunnel East 1352 Severn Tunnel West 1358 Severn Tunnel Jn 1359 Llanwern West Jn 1410 Maindee West Jn 1415-1437 Newport (South Wales) 1439 Ebbw Jn 1443 Marshfield 1449 Long Dyke Jn 1457 Cardiff Central 1459 Canton Sidings 1513
0Z74 Canton Sidings 1601 Cardiff Central 1606-1612 Long Dyke Jn 1613 Marshfield 1621 Ebbw Jn 1626 Newport (South Wales) 1631 Maindee West Jn 1633 Llanwern West Jn 1637 Severn Tunnel Jn 1653 Severn Tunnel West 1654 Severn Tunnel East 1659 Pilning 1701 Patchway 1707 Filton Abbey Wood 1709-1711 Narroways Hill Jn 1714 Dr Day's Jn 1717 North Somerset Jn 1719-1732 Bath Spa 1745 Bathampton Jn 1748 Bradford Jn 1758 Hawkeridge Jn 1805 Westbury 1811 Warminster 1817 Upton Lovell 1822 Wylye Ahb 1826 Wishford 1829 Wilton Jn 1833 Salisbury 1836-1849 Tunnel Jn. 1851 Dean 1901 Romsey 1915 Eastleigh East Jn 1924 Eastleigh 1925-1930 Eastleigh East Yard 1933-1938 Eastleigh H.S. 1946
Monday 08/10: 0Z75 Eastleigh H.S. 0934 Eastleigh East Yard 0942 Allbrook 0944 Shawford 0948 Winchester 0952 Wallers Ash Loop 0957 Worting Jn 1010 Basingstoke 1013 Farnborough (Main) 1026 Woking Jn 1035 Woking 1036 Byfleet & New Haw 1044 Addlestone Jn 1046 Virginia Water 1057-1107 Staines 1115 Feltham 1121 Feltham Jn 1123 Hounslow 1125 Brentford 1133 Kew East Jn 1136 South Acton Jn 1140 Acton Wells Jn 1148 Acton Canal Wharf 1152 Willesden No. 7 1157 Willesden DC Rail Sidings 1203
6th October 2018
A locomotive is currently at Castle Donington to collect 56301 and return it to Leicester. The return working is 11:56 from Castle Donington, running via Loughborough and arriving at Leicester at 13:05
56301 is being brought back to Leicester to be prepared for a potential period on hire to a (as yet unspecified) Freight Operating Company.
The contract is still being negotiated but if it goes ahead an update and more details will be given on this website.
6th October 2018
56103 made an unusual appearance for the class to the Breckland Line last Wednesday, when it worked the 6Z35 0824 Willesden DC Rail Sidings – Dereham (Mid Norfolk Railway), conveying the twelve PNA wagons previously used by DC Rail which have been sold by the wagon leasing company (VTG). The wagons are to be utilised for the movement of ballast and spoil on the Mid Norfolk Railway, in conjunction with a three-year contract with Greater Anglia for provision of siding space whilst the company undertakes a fleet replacement programme.
Several images taken by Steve Goodrum can be found below. Many thanks to Steve for allowing their use here.
56103 arrives at Wymondham with PNA wagons 3793, 3765, 3776, 3753, 3770, 3752, 3787, 3762, 3761, 3784, 3751 & 3782:
https://flic.kr/p/Pjp44d
56103 in the platform at Wymondham, prior to propelling the wagons onto Mid Norfolk Railway metals:
https://flic.kr/p/MGpA8v
The loco is now adorned with ‘Devon & Cornwall Railway’ stickers at each end:
https://flic.kr/p/MGpzRD
2nd October 2018