66058 a night on the Lickey Banker
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- čas přidán 16. 04. 2012
- One night back in 2003 66058 one of the five dedicated Banking class 66s was sent from Saltley to do a regular nights work at Bromsgrove. This video shows how the driver buffers up and lets the freight go at Blackwell summit. As its night most of the video is filmed in the dark and if you listen you can hear the drivers use of the loco air brake and the notching up and down the class 66 power handle to get the right amount of power for banking then letting go at the top. The freights we pushed that night were 66028 loaded ballast, 66196 loaded ballast, 66072 covered steel, 66042 steel coil and 60028 covered steel. All in a nights banking on the Lickey. I havent filmed all the way up as it would have been pretty boring so i just got the buffer ups and drop offs enjoy.
Excellent video and explanation of the all process. 66s on its maximum power and blowers on full motion is simply music for my ears.
Take care and thank you for sharing.
66058 is no longer an DB/EWS loco, I think GBRF have it and it is running around as the "Biffa" loco 66783, as it still has the banking equipment fitted to it.
As far as I am aware the Class 66s 66055 - 66059 were fitted with banking equipment, but could be incorrect on this info.
A hellfire video of the modern railway at work.
Excellent, love the point where you let the train go at the summit !
very informative - you can learn a lot just by watching.
thanks
Thanks, the gradient is 1 in 37.7 and it is 2 miles long, the weight of the freight varys between 1000 - 3300 tons, and the class 66s are 3250 horse power.
Fantastic video mate.
Great video!
Really interesting. Thanks.
nice one mate, thanks for that
Many thanks
Cheers for that
Thank you
The front driver knows when we are ready to push as the banker driver has to press a button at track level which activates a light on a small gantry level with the front locos window, when the front driver presses his button it informs the signal box that we are both ready to go and if nothing else is coming he will set the points and let us go (after a 4 min wait to make sure the banker driver is back in the cab). We don't actually couple up when pushing most freights just buffer to buffer.
Nice practical video of banking a goods train is like. Nice to still see this. I wonder if future electrification (for rail freight) reduces this activity?
Thank you, yes its something a little different i thought, would love to see your footage that would be great
Hi there, theres a little A just underneath the SY 21 showing SY 21A the depot code for Saltley, im not aware of having the signal number written anywhere in the cab as most drivers know the incline very well, we normally just ease off as you see the houses on the left at Blackwell and that gives you enough time to stop just past the crossover.
Interesting video. What sort of distance do they get banked for and whats the gradient ?
Great vid! I also have some videos made in my class 66 at night, at that time it's just me and the engine :-)
Thats a pretty steep grade. Whats the maximum allowable tonnage for a Class 66 on it ? Around 1000 t ?
Thanks
Bromsgrove has substantially changed since then.
Great one but how did you get the cab ride
I have quite a few vids to upload but its going to take time as ive moved house and lost the software but will get round to it eventually, there is a few more vids posted by my brother, the user name is lickeyincline if you fancy some more, thanks for watching.
Is SY21 written on the loco cab wall a reminder for which signal to stop pushing at?
Thank you for the replies. The 60 was a good loco shame about them now. Will you be doing any more video's?
The TPWS is isolated when banking up coal as the buck eyes are connected making it one train, anything else is just pushing buffer to buffer TPWS just pings at you when you pass the pegs as normal cuz the signal is still green till the banker passes the peg. No im not driving any more but have class 66, 60, 56 and 37 training.
Interested to know how the TPWS is affected by having both class 66's on the same length of track. Again sooty for all the questions
Heaviest ive pushed up was 2100 tons with a class 66 on the front and class 66 banking 8mph all the way up notch 8. The rule states that anthing over 1000t should require a banker, class 66s can haul around 1100t without the banker but most drivers will stop for assistance. A Freighliner trial with a class 70 managed 2000t a few years ago loaded coal without banker while the record for a class 60 is around 2200t without a banker back in 1993 (loaded steel) im not sure what the class 66 record is
I'm a bit of a train enthusiast so sorry for all the questions. Are you still driving? And what sort of traction are you qualified in?
How do you automatically uncouple from the in front wagons?
Staltwitch Junction they don't couple it's buffer to buffer
how does the front driver know when youre hitched on and good to go and whats the point of hitching on anyway?
So you don't couple the banking engine to the train? 😮
As a matter of interest, how do you turn back at Blackwell Summit return back to Bromsgrove? Assume you stop in section, and gain the signallers authority to crossover and return?
Yes pretty much as you say drop off at Blackwell bit of brake till you pass the crossover then stop change lights and tail lights Re engage TPWS if you have banked a buck eye fitted freight then change ends and wait for the ground signal into the middle road (by the time you have changed ends Gloucester panel have normally given you the peg into the middle as they don't want the up main blocked too long) then provided nothings due south straight back out onto the down main until Finstal crossing where you cross over onto the up main (still going south) then either down the up goods back to the banking spur or if something else is waiting to be banked down the main to the crossover at the bottom of the loop.
50046ajax Thanks for the reply, interesting to know, I imagine there sectional appendix has some interesting notes about banking too.
Should have been sorry.