GB Railfreight has withdrawn its active fleet of Class 69s from service after the discovery of issues with the six used in revenue-earning traffic so far.
The locomotives are being converted from redundant Class 56s by Progress Rail at its Longport facility. The project involves fitting a General Motors 12N-710G3B-T2 two-stroke power unit, GM alternator and new electrical cubicle. A new cab interior has also been fitted, while the braking system, bogies, wheelsets and traction motors have been retained from the ‘56s’.
A seventh Class 69 (No. 69007 Richard Trevithick) had been released from Eastleigh Works following a naming ceremony on January 10, however this had not entered revenue traffic.
A GBRf spokesperson told on February
