The thing is if they use the 67's only on the Inverness part there won't be a problem with route availability, leaving the 73\9's to do the other 2 portions
Quick history lesson
But it isn't a 'very heavy' Bo-Bo, it's around the typical weight for a modern mainline Bo-Bo. The cl. 68 and 88 are only a bit lighter (about 21.5t axle load versus about 22-22.5t for the 67), and a cl. 90 is about 21t axle load. Also all of those (67, 68, 88, 90) have frame-mounted traction motors, reducing the unsprung mass and track forces at speed.
If you were willing to hand over enough money, I suspect Stadler would build you one e.g. a lighter, lower-powered cl. 68, but the cost per loco for just a handful would probably be quite high - and this would be to haul trains that only run at all because of large subsidies per passenger...
Indeed - the only way in which I can see new Highlands locos appearing (at least in the immediate future) would be as an add-on to a 37 replacement.
See class 950.
That’s my point - any replacement for a Class 37 would need to be some sort of lightweight hybrid. There’s enough edge cases to demonstrate why the EMD classes never saw them off entirely.
It’s a topic for a different thread, but there is (somewhere) a proposal to do just that.
Not even that - a concept has been mooted to replace the English Electric diesel with a hybrid diesel/electric.
This concept maybe from Meteor Power/Motive Zero : https://www.railfreight.com/technol...locomotive-into-a-2060s-motive-power-pioneer/
That’s the one. Thanks for the link. It’s one for a speculative thread, but a hybridised DRS 37/4 could be useful on the Highland sleepers.
But DRS don't have the contract until at least 2030 when it's next for up for grabs, and there isd no need for a class 37 replacement. What is needed is a "self powered" loco capable of coupling to and supplying power via dellners to the CS stock. Class 66 cannot do it directly but that is what GBRf own most of.
Wasn't that actually built for purpose, and not re-purposed?
Yes, purpose-built track assessment unit, using Cl.150 mechanical portion as a basis.
Specially ordered as an add on to the fifty 150/1s, so some would regard it as 150151 even though it never was and never planned to be.
It appears CS do not have access to shore supplies in Inverness - presumably all used by ScotRail plus the LNER set - and this is their means of avoiding the cost and inconvenience experienced last year when during the Christmas shutdown when internal water pipes in stock froze then burst when thawing out taking the full set out of service for repairs.
Very interesting, the ERS site gives no indication of what is intended. Do we know if GBRf or CS themselves have leased (?) this unit?
Simply this. The problem is, the shore supplies are located within the station or depot confines. GBRf / Caley Sleeper can't leave the Sleeper stock in the station for the duration of the shutdown, while the depot will be busy with the ScotRail fleet. So this will be able to provide ETS to the stock while stabled elsewhere in the depot - it WONT be running to Edinburgh or replacing any of the 67/73s etc!
Hired. Still owned by ERS.
So to clarify this definitely isn't another GBRf contingency to keeping the service running, its CS themselves who have decided they need ETS supply while the train is sat idle without a loco. Is that right?
Not a service related contingency at all, but yes it is GB / CS hiring it to keep the ETS supplied while a loco can be elsewhere. I'm not sure how long ERS are hiring it out for - thats a question for them.
