Class 66 trains - Modern day antiques?

This train is a year old but looking at the bodyshell you would expect it be from the early 60's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:66573_at_Ipswich.jpg

Notice one of the light clusters is made from LEDs. Is this just an old design that has been rebuilt? My inititial thought was when I first saw one of these is I didn't think they had cameras that detailed in the 60's!

Edit just found out they are based on a mid 80's class 59, and I assume they were a bit lazy in designing the body then, which would explain why they look 40 years old.

 

No, the design is modern, but locomotive design does not move quickly.

The closely related class 59 was originally bought by Yeoman and then by several other companies (ARC, national power) after BR's locomotives were found to be inadequate for hauling aggregates and coal. Class 66 was a more recent version bought en masse by EWS to replace a large number of older freight loco classes (eg 37, 56 and for some purposes 47).

The class 59 and 66 were unusual for locomotives in this country in that the locomotive is built around a central I-beam chassis with body panels hung over it. The traditional british method of diesel locomotive construction is to have a large load-bearing body, as seen in so many classic british diesels (Deltic, 37, 47, etc). The class 59 and 66 are built in Canada by General Motors.

The class 66 has given birth to the class 67, which runs on essentially the same engine and running gear, but in place of the I-beam chassis is a partially aerodynamicised load-bearing body, and an increased top speed to 125 mph. However, the locomotive suffers a significant design flaw in that it uses 2 axles per bogey when its speed and axle loading really demands 3. The result is that Railtrack as was, Network Rail as is have nicknamed it "The Jackhammer" for what it does to the track. As a result it is largely relegated to pulling lightweight loads, such as the mail.

 

I suppose with freight trains the design of the body dosn't matter one bit, but for passenger trains it does as they have to look 'modern'.

I just hope the train I get tomorrow is not a class 43 with EWS written on the engine car like it was on Monday, I don't fancy breaking down again.

You know a lot about trains Isaac you kept that quiet

 

Trainspotter Alert!!! :WMarrives

 

I like things with lots of power. Fast cars, fast boats, aircraft, and even trains. But still not buses.

It's from an engineering interest point of view also.

So far, however, I have not ridden a train in the UK that betters the class 442. Perfect ride, absolutely silent (unlike all these bloody DMUs like the voyagers), fast...

 

I am detecting a sad amount of train spotting here.

Don't try dressing it up Isaac, those ones hanging about at heathrow to look at planes are no better.

 

The other career path I was looking at was working on avionics... Is it still sad if it pays the bills doing something you love?

 

Tartan flask?

 

Isaac I get the impression you dont like General Motors. What about there Detroit engine ok pumps out lots of smoke but what an engine.

 

Due to constant reliability problems with the Pendolinos Virgin Trains have decided to introduce a replacement, a super modern class 55 Deltic

 

For the record,66's are shite.

 

People who use trains regularly seem to pick up an awful lot of info about them (it's worrying, but hey ho!).

I'd like to see that APT outside Crewe move again one day, personally

OH - you mean the Heathrow Express? They cost more per mile than Concorde...

 

I didn't know the APT still existed I thought it was scrapped. It might be worth getting a train down to Crewe just to see that.

I am hoping that Virgin have scrapped their MK2 Fs now after last weeks fiasco.

 

2 of them were - the third was rescued for the Crewe "Heritage Centre" - which seemed to be a euphemism for "left to rot in a siding". Dunno if its still there or if they put it somewhere a bit more dignified eventually.

The Virgin Deltic's cool - what's the story there?

 

Nope, it's still there; I see it every time I go up to Liverpool; the thing's looking pretty poor, but then after 20 years in the wild with no real maintenance...

I bet if they'd upgraded it with digital electronics for the hydraulics, it'd be more reliable than a Pendalino though...

 

Found this picture on the web:


The poor thing doesn't look well at all

 

choo choo!

 

Is that the APT? I know one still stands in Crewe so I am asuming that is it

It seems backward that train was a failure yet the 390 Pendolino is based on much of it which is a complete sucess in my opinion.

 

THe 442's are still quite good, but trounced by the new Desiro 444's (with the possible exception of the noisy aircon fans!).

And no, i'm not a trainspotter/anorak, i just spent the last 2 years commuting to London daily, so gained considerable experience of South West Trains' finest!

 

That's not the version that went into service - its the APT-E - a sort of technology test bed, they used before the service version, which looked like this: