Motherwell
Motherwell shed has survived the rationalisation of locomotive maintenance
facilities thanks to its proximity to Mossend
Yard. The shed was for a while split between locomotive servicing and
repair of Freightliner vehicles but now has returned to locomotives only.
The allocation has seen major changes in the past decade, in 1990 the allocation
was mainly class 37's and 08 shunters, with visiting locomotives being
classes 20, 25, 26, 27, 40 and 47. The order of the day now is still
includes classes 37 and 47 but the visitors are now classes 56, 60, and
the new 66's. With EWS now supplying motive power for postal services
it is now normal to find a rake of vans, including a class 86 stabled in
the yard.
Long before the class 66's arrived in the country, 59104 was sent to Mossend
on a test train to assess the haulage capabilities over the Northern banks.
The original date for the trial had been given in Rail magazine, and a
large group, (including yours truly), assembled at Mossend to photograph
the locomotive. Unfortunately, as we found out to our dismay, the
trial had been postponed due to technical problems with the locomotive,
and no rescheduled date was announced. By pure luck my friend Gregor
McFarlane, of whom a full web site could be written*, was passing the shed
late on the Saturday evening, spotted the engine and phoned me with the
info. I went to the shed on the Sunday morning and, thanks to a sympathetic
B.R. employee, took these shots. He told me that I was lucky, as
they were just about to park the locomotive out of sight inside the shed.
Apart from one photograph in the following month's edition of Rail
Magazine of the loco leaving Mossend with the test train, I have never
seen any other shots published of this loco North of the Border.
*provided you give it an Adult-Check protection!!
A trio of class 47's at Motherwell, with 47711 "Haymarket" in Notwork
Southeast Livery.
I don't think I could have had this one posed better if I het set
it up myself!
Class 47 in Res livery, class 56 in Railfreight and class
37 in large logo blue