Friday 30 August 2013

A little more green.....

The Works is known for the yellow NR 57s that are based here and also the blue DRS locos that arrive for repairs and repaints on a regular basis and GBRf blue and gold locos being repainted. Now we have Freightliner green machines arriving for repairs, including a class 70. 66556 is ready to depart after repairs and 66587 and 70017, which both arrived on Tuesday, are undergoing repairs.

DRS 57002 is nice and shiny in its new coat of blue (well it would be if there was any sun!), coupled with Mk2 TSO 5810 also looking nice and shiny in Compass livery with Mk2 BSO 9525 in plain blue without the decals. All three are due to depart soon, I'm told.

66716 is the latest GBRf loco in for repaint and it's nearly complete in the Arlington Paintshop.

VSOE Mk2 BSO 9502 has been repainted in the umber and cream livery and looks very nice with the Pullman crests, gold lining and 'Car No. 9502' on the side.

Siemens have begun overhauls on the 450s with 450029 the first in. This involves replacement of the intermediate couplings so the unit is being split up. It also involves bogie overhauls so the vehicles can be seen about the place on yellow accomodation bogies which look quite strange.

Wabtec are working on 455839 which is due out on the 5th September.

508s are getting very thin on the ground now with only 9 vehicles left on site. 71515 (508210), 508202, 64677 (508210), 508205 and 64697 (508203) have all been scrapped by Raxstar in the last two weeks. 71488 (508203) has been shunted into the scrap line this morning and 64654 (508203) is in the shed being stripped of re-usable components.

64664 and 64707 of 508207 have been taken into the main workshops by Arlington and lifted off their bogies ready for work to begin converting them to translator vehicles.

More C Stock due next week.

Monday 12 August 2013

Holiday Time

Well, I'm back from two weeks leave and quite a lot's changed!

57308 has departed with it's fresh coat of DRS blue and new 'County of Staffordshire' nameplates.

66741 has also departed in a new coat of GBRf blue/gold.

47839 has been scrapped between 6th and 8th August...RIP

Also scrapped are the remaining C Stock vehicles; 5708, 5588, 5556, 5528 and 5589...RIP

Today, Raxstar got busy with the 508s again and already 71501 and 71514 have been demolished.

Army Ruston 428 is in the Paintshop being prepared for a repaint now that it's back up and running.

DRS 57002 was on the loadbank this morning.

Siemens 444045 departed this morning and there's nothing more due in for them for a couple of weeks.

Wabtec are working on 455838 which is about half way through.

70017 was in this afternoon with another batch of wagons for repair and departed with those already repaired, back to Maritime.

Until next time.......