G-exam gees up GWR’s nocturnal ‘57/6s’

Great Western Railway HST & Locomotive Fleet Engineer Karl Atkinson talks exclusively to David Clough about the Class 57/6 Night Riviera locomotives’ ‘G’ exam programme.

Great Western Railway’s four Class 57/6s are nocturnal, going efficiently about their business six nights a week hauling the Night Riviera Sleeper service between Paddington and Penzance.

Routine servicing and maintenance is carried out at either the home depot at Penzance T&RS TD (generally referred to as Long Rock) or at Reading Traincare depot, where the trainsets stable during the day.

These four locomotives were converted from redundant Class 47s 20 years ago, when they were already nearly 40 years old.

Last year GWR, in conjunction with the locomotives’ owner Porterbrook, decided to put the fleet through a ‘G’ exam programme - the most extensive level of work carried out on a locomotive.

Want to read more? Subscribe today and never miss an issue of RAIL. With a Print + Digital subscription, you’ll get each issue delivered to your door for FREE (UK only). Plus, enjoy an exclusive monthly e-newsletter from the Editor, rewards, discounts and prizes, AND full access to the latest and previous issues via the app.