First appearance of EWS vinyls on class 60?

[Adrian]

Thanks to the help provided by a couple of contributors on this forum I now have some vinyls ready to fix to my class 60.

I've searched photos and can find plenty of images of these locos, dated in the 2000s, with vinyls applied to TG etc,  but haven't tracked down earlier usage.

Given EWS got going in 1996, I wonder does anyone know when vinyls first appeared on class 60?

A photo reference would be brilliant!

Thanks

Adrian

[Buzzard]

Given EWS got going in 1996, I wonder does anyone know when vinyls first appeared on class 60?

Adrian,

I've found the following in the book "The Power of the 60s" by Brian Morrison.

"After more than 10 years in EWS ownership a number of the operational Class 60s have still not been repainted in EWS livery.  In 2006 the company decided to apply large 'EWS' stickers to non-EWS-liveried locomotives"

Rail Express published an extra book with their normal magazine recently all about the 60s.  It gives a lot of detail about which loco got what livery, but not necessarily with exact dates.  I don't have it to hand at the moment but I suggest you have a go at trying to get hold of a copy, possibly through the back issue service.

Nigel

[Adrian]

Brilliant Nigel - thanks yet again!

That would account for the period 1996 - 2006 ie locos still running with sector markings

Thanks for the note re Rail Express booklet - I know someone who should have a copy

Regards

Adrian

[njee20]

Surely it would have been Loadhaul/Mainline/Transrail logos, rather than sectorisation ones, particularly by 2000 onwards? I imagine a few sectorised 60s could have lasted into the late 90s.

[Buzzard]

Surely it would have been Loadhaul/Mainline/Transrail logos, rather than sectorisation ones, particularly by 2000 onwards?

You are correct but there were also some in triple grey but without any branding.

I imagine a few sectorised 60s could have lasted into the late 90s.

And of course there was 60054 which retained its Petroleum logos from introduction in 1991 through to 2011 when it went into DBS red.

Nigel

[Buzzard]

Thanks for the note re Rail Express booklet - I know someone who should have a copy

Adrian,

If you're into 60s I suggest you get a copy of the Gavin, not Brian, Morrison book I mentioned before.  Amazon have copies starting at £3.20 for used and £6.23 for new, postage in both cases is £2.80.  For those prices it's an absolute steal given the amount of info and the colour photos it contains.

Nigel

[Jim Martin]

Adrian

I've been looking into this too - probably for the same reason as you! I've gone through the rolling stock news pages of Rail Express, which is usually pretty good for this sort of thing. The first locomotives to get beastie vinyls appear to have been 92036 and 92037, which seem to have received them (over European Passenger Services two-tone grey) in July 2005 (reported in the September 2005 issue).

The first reference to a class 60 getting vinyled-up is in the following issue. The first one to get the treatment seems to have been 60086, which had been in triple grey with "Mainline" logos (see https://www.flickr.com/photos/tutenkhamunsleeping/5485808738/). That issue also includes a photo of 60046 carrying the smaller version of the vinyls on triple grey, taken at Washwood Heath on September 1st 2005. 92016 and 92030 are also noted as having vinyls.

The November 2005 issue notes the following as getting vinyls: 60015 / 46 / 60 / 90 / 92 / 95 / 99 (all triple grey); 60078 (Mainline blue); and 90022.

Finally, in December 2005 the magazine noted 60028 (triple grey) getting vinyls.

That's as far as I've gone so far. I'll probably go through the early 2006 issues some time next week.

Jim

[Adam1701D]

That would seem about right to me - I have some pictures of former Sector-liveried 92s and 60s from 2004 without any EWS markings and again in 2006 with the Beastie logos.

These logos were applied fairly late on in EWS ownership before passing to DB Schenker.