Preface | Technical | Operational | Names | Historical
Older locomotives are slowly disappearing from the UK
railway scene, and the 30 Class 67s are the only 'modern' diesels with
the necessary electrical train supply equipment to work passenger
trains. At the time of creating this page (May 2008) they are very much
in the North Wales news as they are the chosen motive power for the new
Wrexham - London service, it seems useful to include some details here.Technical
Class 67 is a Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive with a General Motors / Electro Motive Diesel 12N-710G3B-EC twelve-cylinder (V12) turbocharged 2-stroke engine with a rated power of 3200 HP (nominally 2.5 MW) at 900 rpm driving a GM alternator which powers four GM traction motors, one per axle, and also supplied up to 300 hp for train heating and air-conditioning as required.As delivered, their maximum speed is 125 mph (200 km/h), although they seldom, if ever, run at this speed. Owned by Angel Trains, all 30 are leased to English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS.) The engine is the same as that of the 250 Class 66 freight locomotives in the EWS fleet.
Some other data: Length 19.71 m,Width 2.71 m; Height 3.93 m Weight 90 tonnes; Route Availability 8.
As built, 67s are fitted with cables to allow two locos coupled together to be driven by one driver (multiple working) but the type of wiring is not compatible with that provided in any passenger coaches, or the Driving Van Trailers (DVTs) built for 'push-pull' working on InterCity services. The vehicles used with 67 029 have been modified, and Wrexham and Shropshire's coaches and ex-Virgin DVTs are being modified during their refurbishment.
Operational
Class 67s are the normal power for:
- Charter trains run by the EWS/Riviera alliance, the 'Northern Belle' services of the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express organisation,and any other charters worked by EWS;
- First Scotrail's 'Caledonian Sleeper' trains when on non-electrified routes north of Edinburgh;
- Wrexham and Shropshire (WSMR) trains between Wrexham
and London Marylebone. This 'open-access' operation began public
service on 28 April 2008, and four 67s have been painted in a special
livery;
- The EWS 'corporate' or 'executive' train, a short
rake of Mk3 coaches and driving van trailer used by EWS management for
special duties. Normally 67 029, which has a special silver livery;
- The Royal Train. Usually 005 and 006 which have 'royal' livery;
- 'Thunderbird' standby duty - to rescue any failed
trains on the East Coast Main Line.
Names
Names have been applied to Class 67s at various times for various reasons, starting with a few postal-related ones (004, 005) from the days when they were on their intended mail trains. It was said that the locomotive width was such that the normal type of nameplate would make them too wide, and special 'thin' ones were fitted at the cab ends, although there may also have been concern about the fitting of plates to the corrugated sides of the 67. The two Royal engines, which took over from 47 798 and 799, were given suitably Royal names (from ye olde stagecoaches?).67 010 Unicorn was named in 2001 at Bristol Barton Hill depot after the depot's logo. Others, sometimes celebrating various events and partnerships have gained names revived from Britannia class steam locomotives with the equivalent numbers, e.g. 67 027 Rising Star was previously steam loco 70027. 67 018 became Rapid, which is a warship name - perhaps Flying Dutchman, the name of 70018, was not approved of!
The naming of 67 029 as Royal Diamond at Rugeley Trent Valley station on Friday 12 October 2007 commemorated the diamond wedding anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. At this stage, the idea of non-standard nameplates was forgotten, and a nameplate in the usual locomotive position was provided, and this policy was followed again when 67 015 was named David J.Lloyd at Gobowen on 16 May 2008. By July 2008 the other three W&S-liveried locos had also received names, from of a competition organised among primary schools in Wrexham and Shropshire.
Historical
The origin of the Class 67 fleet lies in the takeover in 1996 of the Rail express systems (Res) sector of British Rail by US company Wisconsin Central, who merged it into EWS. Res principally operated trains for Royal Mail, and it was thought that a high-speed locomotive was required for the faster operation of such trains in the future.The Class 66 design, with its three-axle bogies, was unsuitable, and a new locomotive type was created, sharing the engine and other components of the 66 but with a european-style body, to be built at Alstom's factory in Valencia, Spain (since bought by Vossloh) and bearing a family resemblance to the GM-engined JT42BW 'Prima' series locos being built at the same works at the time of the order. Their shape, which is said to resemble the eponymous item, has led to their nickname of 'skips' in some railfan quarters; nobody could call them beautiful, but at least they do have something of the classic British loco about them, and there's no doubt that their workings are interesting.
The locos were delivered from 1999, and worked on the mail trains as intended. Unfortunately, in 2003 EWS lost their contract with Royal Mail, and ran their last mail trains in early 2004. Since then, EWS have been doing their best to fund uses for them, with some degree of success, although their high axle-loading is a problem. For example, they are not allowed on the Cambrian Coast line north of Machynlleth.
It is unlikely that any more 67s will be built, although at one time it was apparently planned so build a fleet of single-cab versions for Virgin Cross Country, which would have worked 5-coach push-pull trains. For some reason, this plan was cancelled and replaced by a larger order for 'Voyager' diesel railcars.
Class 67 fleet list
See below for codes
67 001 EWS
67 002 EWS Special Delivery
67 003 EWS
67 004 EWS Post Haste (R)
67 005 ROY Queen's Messenger
67 006 ROY Royal Sovereign
67 007 EWS (R)
67 008 EWS
67 009 EWS (R)
67 010 EWS Unicorn
67 011 EWS (R)
67 012 WSR A Shropshire Lad
67 013 WSR Dyfrbont
Pontcysyllte
67 014 WSR Thomas Telford
67 015 WSR David J. Lloyd
67 016 EWS
67 017 EWS Arrow
67 018 EWS Rapid
67 019 EWS
67 020 EWS
67 021 EWS
67 022 EWS
67 023 EWS
67 024 EWS
67 025 EWS Western Star
67 026 EWS
67 027 EWS Rising Star
67 028 EWS
67 029 EWX Royal Diamond
67 030 EWS (R)
Livery codes:
EWS: EWS maroon/gold
ROY: Royal claret
WSR: Wrexham and Shropshire
Grey and silver
EWX: EWS executive silver
(R) indicates a loco fitted with radio signalling equipment for use on the West Highland line