Class 58 on Ballast Train

[colliecandle]

the P/W guys were friendly! [Im amazed - theyr'e usually miserable buggers!] ONLY KIDDIN' !

[porter6669196327]

BONE! 

[SuperHardTrance]

Yo.

Was it just luck? or do trains regulary stop there bud?

[andersley]

As we did not have trains on a Sunday, as soon as I heard it I grabbed cameras and headed trackside. (Only a few minutes from my house).

[Cazkumali]

what a beast these trains are

[MrJezza31]

fantastic

[neilox1962]

Nice one, just keyed in class 58 and found this in Spalding, I live in Bourne. Thanks for posting

[andersley]

@neilox1962 - pleased you found one so close :)

[MickeyLove01]

Spalding? He must have got lost

[Class60Group]

Excellent very nice

[andersley]

thanks mate :)

[Cazkumali]

@andersley I wonder why the break van is in the middle of the trucks

[andersley]

@Cazkumali - It is a ballast brake and placed in the centre to spread ballast either way

[Cazkumali]

@andersley I wonder what MGR stands for

[andersley]

@Cazkumali

Merry-Go-Round

Non-stop coal loading and unloading on a circuit between mine and power station

[SteffanLlwyd]

@Cazkumali Merry Go Round.... trains which load at a coal mine and discharge at a powerstation without stopping at either location...

[Cazkumali]

@andersley I wonder where these locos are now

[andersley]

@Cazkumali

Several are in France working ballast trains on new High Speed Lines (TGV routes)

[AndreiTupolev]

Of course, EWS have way more 66s than they really need, hence Euro Cargo Rail, which according to my conspiracy theory was set up purely as a way of making some use of them. I think old Ed made an error in ordering so many. Meanwhile, they hold onto all the 58s they don't need, just so that no one else can get hold of them. Sometimes, I think they're the reincarnation of BR of old.

[boomheadshot75]

excellent locos, seemed ludicrous that EWS disposed of em, i mean if they can use them abroad why not here

[andersley]

I absolutely agree. A criminal waste of assets. Crews say they were very reliable and powerful.

[01276]

not a comfy as a 66 though, rather drafty and bumpy

[andersley]

some drivers I know, say the 66's are noisy, vibrate a lot, leak water around windows, seats fall apart, rust in various places, etc. so even the 'modern' locos leave a lot to be desired. ;-)

[beeble2003]

Well, presumably, they don't have the traffic to use them on here. They could make more profit running their business with class 66s than with class 58s, so they did that. And they use them abroad because making some profit using the class 58s there is better than making no profit at all by not running the service.

[PESTinUK]

Excellent footage thanks. I have a couple of 58's and a rake of Seacows on my model layout, so it was good to see the real thing in action.

[andersley]

From my house on a sunday I heard the train and as we did not have any sunday service, went to investigate! The only 58 I caught on video.

[baconsandwich2007]

Is there any particular reason why these don't operate in the UK any more? Can't understand the reasoning behind getting rid of a fairly "new" loco. Or is it just be being and old fart?

[andersley]

When EWS got all the class 66's they decided they did not need any older stuff, like 58's and 56's. They reluctantly kept the 60's as they are the only ones capable of pulling really heavy trains, like the Immingham-Scunthorpe iron ores, and some heavy tank trains. Seems such a waste, as the 56 and 58 classes performed well in France and Spain.

[ZetanCrisp]

Superb film, thanks! Wish there was more 58 footage like this, where you could hear the power unit clearly. Sounded like this one needed a good service :( !

[andersley]

Thanks for the comments. Yes, I agree, the 58's are sadly missed. We should be still using them - if they are good enough for work abroad, they could do the same here.

[Woolybak8]

Can someone tell me if there is at least one still in the country. I know they have gone across Europe but is there one stored somewhere?

[matthewpeter]

theres like Gazillion stored in Eastleigh yard, literally all of them that haven't been sent abroad I think, none of the class to date have been scrapped.

[Woolybak8]

Oh cheers mate! I'd love to go see one, its gotta be about ten years since I last saw one in Preston!

[matthewpeter]

I used to see the occasional one on the Addlestone Branch on freight trains. Not as common as the 47s and 56s we used to see.

But yeah, at Eastleigh you can see them from the train if your on your way to Bournemouth. Literally row upon row of them, some in real good shape, others getting tired cosmetically.

[Woolybak8]

Do you know much about the St. Helens Central-St. Helens Junction old line? There was a lot of freight running down there in the 90's. Nearly everytime I went into town there was always either a Class 37, 47 or a 56 came through, a while before all this Canadian pieces of junk came over and took over everything. Sadly the line has closed down now but there is plans to reopen it...

[matthewpeter]

no sorry never heard of that line.

I do miss the old diesels. Now its 66 this and 66 that.

[Woolybak8]

Yeah, thats what I meant about Canadian junk, we need old heritage diesels back, its the government with the global warming myth thats got train companies employing scrap metal like 66's

[yash421]

'bones' and 'egg-timers'.were rplaced by class 66 most tested and economical units. this is what EWS needed. They are not junk EMD does not make junk. class 58 had slipping problems. You may have to visit the testing ground of class 66 in Colorado..

[Woolybak8]

Class 66s are bollocks to trainspotters, maybe not to TOCs and Freight operators and some other veg, but spotters dont get a choice so we have to take it as it comes.

[nov3019892008]

There are some in the UK but most have been dismantled by EWS.

[Woolybak8]

Yeah someone told me a while ago most were down in Eastleigh?

[HAZZASIB]

great video i enjoy watching it thanks

[highway6]

The clicking is the sound of a metal ball (kinda like a pingpong ball). It's at the end of air pipes. Everytime the ball moves, water is automaticly drained out of the air pipes/reservoirs.

[andersley]

Thank you for the explanation. Thought there must be a good reason for the sound. :)

[cmeonthemove]

What's all the clicking?

[andersley]

Dunno, must be a compressor or something on the loco.

[Sandervg14]

Very nice vid. We also have these locomotives in the Netherlands. *5

[andersley]

Thank you. Yes, that is the only place they are working now unfortunately.

[01276]

well with EWS due to release them for sale this year could be seeing aftew used on charters etc over next few years ;)