Never Say Never Again
This may be my last ever photograph of 92044 hauling a sleeper train... but then again it might not. [EDIT: It wasn't!]
Class 92, 92 044 "Couperin" was built in 1995 as one of the seven engines allocated to European Passenger Services for Nightstar European sleeper operations. After that project was cancelled, it took until April 2015 for 044 to work a sleeper service after its current owners, GB Railfreight, won the Caledonian Sleeper traction contract.
Since then, the last remaining Triple Grey 92 on active on Network Rail metals has regularly provided support to the core sleeper fleet and has amassed over 165 Class 1 turns on the Caledonian Sleeper.
As it stands, 044 is not receiving the CAF mods which would enable it to operate the new Mk5 Sleeper stock, which has already been rolled out on the Lowlander services and is due to be rolled out on the Highlander from 2nd June.
Photographed here hauling the Down Highlander (1S25) through Hartford just after midnight on Friday 26th April, 044 would then return via the ECML on 1M16 the following Sunday night. After that she was moved to Crewe ETD for some routine repairs, with hired-in Class 90s set to work the old stock on the Highlander for the remainder of its long tenure.
Consequently, there is a chance that 92044 will not return to Sleeper duties before the Mk5s come out and, with not being able to haul Mk5s, this may be her last ever Sleeper working. That said, she may get one last swansong on the Mk3s/Mk2s before the month is out. Noting she is still due her major overhaul and reliability mods, there's also always the chance that operational requirements ultimately mean she does get the additional adornments to her buffer beam and other modifications that would enable her to haul Mk5s.
Never Say Never Again
This may be my last ever photograph of 92044 hauling a sleeper train... but then again it might not. [EDIT: It wasn't!]
Class 92, 92 044 "Couperin" was built in 1995 as one of the seven engines allocated to European Passenger Services for Nightstar European sleeper operations. After that project was cancelled, it took until April 2015 for 044 to work a sleeper service after its current owners, GB Railfreight, won the Caledonian Sleeper traction contract.
Since then, the last remaining Triple Grey 92 on active on Network Rail metals has regularly provided support to the core sleeper fleet and has amassed over 165 Class 1 turns on the Caledonian Sleeper.
As it stands, 044 is not receiving the CAF mods which would enable it to operate the new Mk5 Sleeper stock, which has already been rolled out on the Lowlander services and is due to be rolled out on the Highlander from 2nd June.
Photographed here hauling the Down Highlander (1S25) through Hartford just after midnight on Friday 26th April, 044 would then return via the ECML on 1M16 the following Sunday night. After that she was moved to Crewe ETD for some routine repairs, with hired-in Class 90s set to work the old stock on the Highlander for the remainder of its long tenure.
Consequently, there is a chance that 92044 will not return to Sleeper duties before the Mk5s come out and, with not being able to haul Mk5s, this may be her last ever Sleeper working. That said, she may get one last swansong on the Mk3s/Mk2s before the month is out. Noting she is still due her major overhaul and reliability mods, there's also always the chance that operational requirements ultimately mean she does get the additional adornments to her buffer beam and other modifications that would enable her to haul Mk5s.