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GBRF confirms conversion of Class 56s to Class 69s

507 001

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GBRF have today confirmed that they are going to convert sixteen class 56 loco prices into class 69s (chortle) by fitting them with EMD 12-710 engines!

GB Railfreight (GBRf) has confirmed an order for 16 Class 69s that will be converted from Class 56s it bought last year.

The locomotives will be converted by Progress Rail, from which GBRf will also lease the ‘69s'.

Work involves replacing the existing Ruston-Paxman RK3 engines and control gear with EMD 12-710 Series engines rated for EU Stage IIIA emissions certification, and updated electronic controls based upon the Class 66 design. The Class 56s were built between 1976 and 1984.

https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/gbrf-confirms-class-69-conversion

Imagine if this had been published two days earlier!
 
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Roast Veg

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I'd imagine the conversion is much easier, either due to traction motor power requirements or simply in the absence of things like SEPEX.
 

xotGD

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I suppose the 69s will usually be operating top & tail?

Nice to see these locos get a new life. I remember when they were new build.
 

a_c_skinner

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I suppose it does show if you want traction motors that will last you want 1960s Brush - they are originals are they not?
 

Malcmal

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What's SEPEX?

Lifted from Wikipedia:

"In a separately excited (sepex) motor the field coils are supplied from an independent source, such as a motor-generator and the field current is unaffected by changes in the armature current. The sepex system was sometimes used in DC traction motors to facilitate control of wheelslip."

My memory is that this allows a wheelset to be brought to the brink of wheelslip without actually slipping giving maximum possible traction.
 

ac6000cw

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the field current is unaffected by changes in the armature current

To contrast/compare - standard DC traction motors are 'series wound' i.e. the armature coils and the field coils are connected in series, so the current is the same in both (except that sometimes 'field weakening' is used to enable more tractive effort to be generated at higher motor speeds - this diverts some proportion of the current away from the field coils).
 
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a_c_skinner

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Oops. Out by one from 57! Thought it was odd. The thought is right though, some hardworking bits will be jolly old.
 

Ploughman

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Lifted from Wikipedia:

"In a separately excited (sepex) motor the field coils are supplied from an independent source, such as a motor-generator and the field current is unaffected by changes in the armature current. The sepex system was sometimes used in DC traction motors to facilitate control of wheelslip."

My memory is that this allows a wheelset to be brought to the brink of wheelslip without actually slipping giving maximum possible traction.
Thanks
 

edwin_m

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My memory is that this allows a wheelset to be brought to the brink of wheelslip without actually slipping giving maximum possible traction.
That's creep control, where the actual speed is measured by a radar and the wheels are turned ever so slightly faster because maximum adhesion occurs just before they run away into a spin. However I think Sepex may be necessary to achieve this.

As far as I know only one 58 was fitted with Sepex.

Interesting that EMD can now offer an engine that meets latest Euro regulations.
 

43096

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That's creep control, where the actual speed is measured by a radar and the wheels are turned ever so slightly faster because maximum adhesion occurs just before they run away into a spin. However I think Sepex may be necessary to achieve this.

As far as I know only one 58 was fitted with Sepex.

Interesting that EMD can now offer an engine that meets latest Euro regulations.
47543 was the first loco fitted with SEPEX, and 58050 had it from new for trials, though it was later removed. All the Class 60s have it, though.
 

hwl

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That's creep control, where the actual speed is measured by a radar and the wheels are turned ever so slightly faster because maximum adhesion occurs just before they run away into a spin. However I think Sepex may be necessary to achieve this.

As far as I know only one 58 was fitted with Sepex.

Interesting that EMD can now offer an engine that meets latest Euro regulations.
Not the latest regs though, only 3a not 3b/5.

Presumably using the re-engining upgrade emission rule and or 2nd hand blocks.
 

DelW

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Not the latest regs though, only 3a not 3b/5.

Presumably using the re-engining upgrade emission rule and or 2nd hand blocks.
Isn't that about the emissions limit for the 710 series, it is a 2-stroke after all?

AIUI that was the reason that EMD tried to move to the H-engine, which was a 4-stroke and could meet tougher emissions regimes. That wasn't a successful development, but the current US Tier 4 EMD (Progress Rail) locos are powered by a development of it, now known as the 1010 engine (1010 cu in /cyl).
 

hwl

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Isn't that about the emissions limit for the 710 series, it is a 2-stroke after all?

AIUI that was the reason that EMD tried to move to the H-engine, which was a 4-stroke and could meet tougher emissions regimes. That wasn't a successful development, but the current US Tier 4 EMD (Progress Rail) locos are powered by a development of it, now known as the 1010 engine (1010 cu in /cyl).
710 limit: yes - without abatement and/or noticeable reduction in fuel efficiency.
US Tier 4 is much stricter for NOx than EuroIIIB/V (IIIB and V are effectively the same). 3B/V effectively requires SCR/Adblue especially for small/ medium engines as none has gone down the extreme EGR route of GE & EMD 1010.
Tier 4 has effectively killed the new US loco market (as has less coal traffic) for the time being. But lots of upgrades going on e.g. Norfolk Southern doing 1200+ upgrades in the current 3 year plan, on the EMD side effectively taking the old engine and applying the same tech upgrades as the EuroIIIA engine on the 56->69 will get. (And converting some older locos to "Yard" locos removing the V16 710 and fitting an upgraded V12 + DPF in its place to get T4 PM and T3 NOx)
 

Richard Scott

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A class 57 doesn't have a 66 style silencer does it? Unless it's hidden from view under the canopy/roof of the 57? Does anybody have a top shot of a 47 and 57 to see if that is the case?
I wouldn't have thought so as a bit louder, I know it's a 645 and not a 710 engine but does that make much difference? Also had twin exhaust ports of an oval shape (think the 57/3s that were originally with Virgin had this reduced to one?). No obvious signs of a silencer of 66 size in there.
Just out of interest think think the Romanian 60 conversions had the 710 engine (possibly a V8) with no obviously large silencer in them although they don't seem much louder than a 66/67 so must be something tucked away in there?
 

rebmcr

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GBRF have today confirmed that they are going to convert sixteen class 56 loco prices into class 69s

Might I suggest that 'Class 69' be added to the thread title somewhere, so that any future readers have a better chance of finding their way here rather than creating new threads or posting off-topic elsewhere?
 

Mordac

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That's creep control, where the actual speed is measured by a radar and the wheels are turned ever so slightly faster because maximum adhesion occurs just before they run away into a spin. However I think Sepex may be necessary to achieve this.

As far as I know only one 58 was fitted with Sepex.

Interesting that EMD can now offer an engine that meets latest Euro regulations.
How fitting that a Class 69 is going to need creep control.

I wonder if they'll operate any Clitheroe to Penistone services.


I'll show myself out.
 
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