Page 78 - Rail Express - September 2019

POWER BY THE HOUR Gareth Bayer

LNER stands down first Class 91

Having travelled almost eight million miles in its three decades of service, No. 91108 has become the first
of the GEC/BREL-built 'Electra' locomotives to be retiredfromEast Coast duties.

HAVING spread their wings onto Anglo-
Scottish services from August 1, the
continuing roll out of the Hitachi-built
‘Azuma’IETshas allowedLNER to
withdraw the first of its 31-strong
Class 91 fleet, the unnamed No. 91108.
The electric loco wascompleted
at BREL CreweWorksfor BR’s InterCity
sector in July1988 as No. 91008,
being renumbered into the Class
91/1 series in November 2001 after
‘Project Mallard’ refurbishment and
reliability modifications by Bombardier
at Doncaster Works. Like the rest of the
fleet, it has been owned by Eversholt
Leasingsince the rollingstock
companies(ROSCOs)wereprivatisedin
November 1994.
Due an expensiveGexam,
No. 91108 drew the short straw and
will become asparesdonor to assist in
keeping the rest of the fleet running.

Stayofexecution
Originallyexpected to be stopped on
July22, the loco worked its planned
final threeservices between London
andEdinburgh Waverleyonthat day,
which included the 1E01/05.40 up No. 91108 passes Helpston, north of Peterborough on July23asthe 0X91/11.55 Bounds Green-Doncaster.This should have been
‘Flying Scotsman’, beforerunning light its last dayintraffic, but it wasreprievedand carried on untilthe month end. It is nowatWabtec, Doncaster forcomponent recovery
engine to Doncaster on the 23rd. It beforethe remainsare scrapped. Murray Brown
wasthen scheduled to work astock
transfer back to Bounds Green depot, areturn to action and what would couple of days beforeworking its In another changeofplan, the loco
whereitwould be stripped of urgently become afinal three-dayfling after very last train, the 1D28/18.33King’s will no longer move to BoundsGreen
needed parts, after which it would classmate No. 91129 failed on the Cross-BradfordForster Squareand butwillbestripped of all usefulparts
return to Wabtec Doncasterfor full 1Y38/14.20 Newcastle-King’s Cross 5D28/21.50 empty stock move to Leeds at Doncaster beforegoing forscrap.
component removal. on July28. Starting the train from Neville Hill on July30. The next daysaw More withdrawals areexpected soon,
Before thiscould takeplace, York afterworkinglight engine from it run light engine as the 0Z12/11.17 butnolocomotives have been publicly
however, it wascommandeered for Doncaster,itwas busy forthe next Neville Hill-DoncasterWest Yard. identified yet.

‘TUG’ DEPARTS CREWE: It is reported the swap of No. 60038 forNo. 60029 in the Class 60 upgrade programme, currentlyunderway at DB Cargo’sworkshops at Toton, has
nowbeen cancelled, despite the former arriving at the Nottinghamshiredepot on June 11. No. 60029 wastaken by road from Crewe IEMD (pictured readytodepart) to Toton to
takeits place in the programme. Bob Pain
78 RAIL EXPRESS September 2019