Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2022 i Rail Express

England, birthplace of the railway, has its fair share of railway anomalies, and the south east’s third rail DC electric network is certainly one of them. Nowhere else on the planet has such a dense proliferation of third rail electrified tracks for both suburban and long distance services, in contrast to most other countries, where third rails are most commonly employed on metro networks, rather than the main line. Hard to believe that when the Channel Tunnel opened in 1994 Eurostars streaked across northern France and dashed through the Chunnel itself under 25kV overhead wires before rapidly slowing to deploy conductor shoes to allow them to crawl (or so it felt), along the third rail to Waterloo. Incredibly, this situation persisted, albeit with a partial cut-off when the first part…

THE growth of railfreight, despite the challenges thrown up by Covid, has been a notable plus point over the last year. Underlining this positive movement is the introduction of a new DB Cargo-led international railfreight service between the UK and mainland Europe, conveying complete Toyota cars. Following a series of successful trial runs, fully loaded trains carrying approximately 260 cars are now operating twice a week between a new, £2.6 million, 4.25acre, automotive transfer facility at DB Cargo UK’s Toton depot and Valenciennes in Northern France. Distributor Groupe CAT has invested £3 million in refurbishing 40 TALT8000 (60m) and TALT489 (30m) car carrier wagons which had been standing out of use. Over 800 metres of new track, split into two dedicated un/ loading roads, has been laid alongside the extensive…

THE Abellio franchise for the operation of ScotRail services is to end on March 31, with rail services being taken over by the Scottish Government. The mechanism is that a newly formed publicly owned company will act as the operator of last resort, which can be justified as the terms of the contract with Abellio cannot be met as a result of reduced revenue following the Covid pandemic. Originally a seven-year contract was agreed that commenced in 2015, with the option of a three-year extension if both parties agreed. Abellio had expected that this extension would take place with the continuation of the current Emergency Measures Agreement or a direct award, as has occurred for a number of franchises in England. The Caledonian Sleeper franchise which is held by Serco…

COMPARED with some forms of new traction technology, the concept behind Porterbrook’s Hybridflex, as implemented on Chiltern Railways’ Class 168 No. 168329, is delightfully simple. A large battery pack, developed by Rolls-Royce, sits underneath the two-car former diesel-only multiple unit, and takes over traction duties when arriving/departing stations and when stabled in areas where idling diesel engines aren’t welcome (such as termini and depots close to housing). Otherwise, the unit works in normal diesel mode and so retains its 100mph maximum speed capability. Internally, nothing is changed. The project teams claim CO2 emissions can be cut by 25% on every journey, with nitrogen oxide and pollutants reduced by 70% and 90% respectively, while noise can be dropped by up to 75% in and around stations and urban areas. There are,…

TRANSPORT FOR WALES MK.4 LATEST HAVING undergone work at Eastleigh TMD to enable Driving Van Trailer (DVT)/Class 67 operation, former Grand Central set GC03 (comprising Nos. 12222/461/323, 10330, 11321 and 82227) was moved to Arriva Traincare, Crewe by Nos. 20007/142 on February 15. Six days later, No. 57310 arrived at Eastleigh from Wabtec, Doncaster with the former set GC04 (made up of Nos. 12210/452/316, 10301, 11322 and 82230) in tow. RIVIERA UPDATE UPDATING the list in last month’s issue, Mk.1 BG/generator van No. 6310 has returned to Burton from the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway, where it was used to heat Mk.3 stock on Polar Express trains. It is now back in main line use on charter trains. Two Mk.1 coaches still at Arlington, Eastleigh, TSO No. 4959 and BCK No.…

WORKING prototypes of ‘OO’ gauge Brush Type 2 models were revealed by Accurascale in February, making it the third diesel and electric locomotive type to be added to its range. It has chosen to cover the Brush Type 2 family of locomotives from introduction with the 20 pilot scheme Class 30 ‘Toffee Apples’ through to late condition Class 31/1s and Class 31/4s ‘Goyles’ and ‘Peds’ in exquisite detail. It is a tough class of locomotives to cover comprehensively and Accurascale has risen to the challenge with in-depth research, surveys and three-dimensional scanning, to produce a comprehensive bank of tools which will, in combination with modular tooling design, allow the modelling of almost any Class 30 and Class 31 locomotive, including both disc and four character headcode box styles; the huge…

When it was first released, Hornby’s four-wheel Sentinel industrial proved to be a very popular model, making the latest issue of the ‘London Carriers International’ blue version (R30009) with original solid side rails and a modern version with open side-rails as Hitachi Chiaki Ueda (R30010) welcome additions to the Hornby catalogue. The latter model is technically new because the side-rail version has new tooling to allow the Hitachi locomotive to be modelled. It also incorporates cosmetic Dellner coupling details which may be plugged into the NEM coupling pockets instead of the tension lock couplings. Chassis Weight has been cunningly concealed within the chassis, bringing its weight up to 110g which is pretty good for a model which is a touch less than 100mm in length over the buffers. The mechanism…

REVOLUTION TRAINS developed an ‘N’ gauge model of the IWA ‘Holdall’ Sfins2 ferry vans in parallel with the ‘OO’ gauge model reviewed in the last issue. The ‘N’ gauge model twin-pack arrived with customers shortly after the ‘OO’ gauge one and it definitely lives up to the expectations set by its larger sibling. The models under review are finished in Cargowaggon livery with number and data in black on white panels. There is no CT logo for Channel Tunnel clearance applied, which dates them to the late 1980s and the first part of the 1990s. Cargowaggon IWAs are popular, but not just because of their attractive livery. Unlike the ISIS Link and Norsk Hydro versions of the model, the Cargowaggon IWAs could be found on almost any traffic, being available…

Express Mailbag Your letters, emails, feedback and other comments are always welcome. Contact us at Rail Express, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR; or email: railexpresseditor@mortons.co.uk. The editor reserves the right to edit all letters, and the views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine. TEMPERED NAMING I do not know if it has come to your attention, but while I was waiting at Barnham Station in Sussex back on January 19, parked in the engineering sidings behind the station was this tamper which had been named by a child at the Rockcliffe Primary School. Colin Smith By email WHERE THERE’S A WILL… LEADING rail charities Railway Benefit Fund (RBF) and Railway Mission (RM) have come together to provide…

TRIALS continue to take place to demonstrate that battery and hydrogen technology can replace the use of fossil fuels for routes that are not electrified. A new initiative by Great Western Railway, supported by Network Rail, is to enter into an agreement with Vivarail to trial battery-charging technology for use with Class 230 rolling stock. The aim of the project is to demonstrate fast charging equipment in a real-time operating environment for services using the Greenford branch (see news story, p10). Chiltern Railways commenced operations in February with a converted Class 168 unit described as a ‘HybridFLEX’ after modification supported by the rolling stock leasing company Porterbrook and Rolls-Royce, which enables the train to operate as both a diesel and battery powered set. An MTU power pack has been fitted…

NR CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT A NETWORK Rail report outlining the risks to Britain’s railways posed by climate change and the measures required to improve resilience has been published in partnership with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The impact of the changing climate has been increasingly evident in recent years, with the railways suffering more frequent and more severe extreme weather events. This third ‘Adaption Report’ sets out the progress made from 2016 to 2021 on climate change and resilience, and identifies further actions. It also provides a comprehensive quantitative risk assessment of assets and climate change risks. CAMBRIAN HERITAGE RAILWAYS EXTENDS CAMBRIAN Heritage Railways’ two-mile extension from Oswestry to Weston Wharf (on the southern edge of Oswestry) will be celebrated by a grand opening on April 2/3.…

Alstom, Derby (yet to be released) – 720101-144/587-589. Alstom, Derby (returned from Old Dalby/Worksop) – 720501/506/513/514/520/523/526/528/534. Stored at Worksop – 720502-505/507-510/512/524/533/541/544/555/582/583. Undergoing testing at Old Dalby – 720518/519. Undergoing mileage accumulation on WCML (based Oxley) – 720527/529/585. Undergoing fault-free running in at Ilford – 720572/579/586. Testing (based Wembley) – 720516. In service – 720511/515/517/521/522/525/530-532/535-540/542/543/545-554/556-571/573-578/580/581/584.…

■ DB CARGO: The final pair of converted BYA slab carriers departed Stoke-on-Trent on February 2, on the Arpley ‘tripper’. Nos. 966002/100 had both arrived on site on November 11 and they will join the other 27 wagons working out of Margam. Also moving swiftly through the former Marcroft Engineering site were WIA car carriers Nos. 85 70 4971 009-1 and 85 70 4971 029-9. The former arrived on January 28 and departed on February 11, while the latter arrived on January 14 and departed on the 28th. ■ GB RAILFREIGHT: While 2021 saw a regular drip feed of VGA/VKA vans by GB Railfreight to DBC’s Stoke-on-Trent wagon works for attention, this has turned into a flood in 2022, with several moves to and from DM Kineton in Warwickshire in…

Correct to February 19, 2022 Off Registration The following are now off registration, having been sent for scrap over the past two years: 40424/26/33, 40703/16/18/21/22/33/37/42/52/57, 41044/66/90/97/98, 41102/10/32/38/51/52/64, 42006/25/28/31/39-41/43/61-65/67/68/70/79/80/83/89/98, 42104/06/22/26/27/34/61/71/72/80-82/88/90/96, 42216/19/21/36/40/60/72/83, 42332/46/48/54,42501/09/10/12-14/17/56/60,44009/13/18/26/28/31/38/45/49/56/93, 46002-05/15 For sale: 4959, 21245 Formations HA05: 40605+42345+42034+ 42184+42029 HA06: 40606+42206+42581+ 42208+42033 Stored/stopped locations Crewe CS: 10330, 11321, 12222, 12323, 12461, 82227 Old Dalby: 96602/03/05/07…

‘08’ TO GO ON LOAN TO BODMIN AFTER a short spell at the Avon Valley Railway, No. 08359 was due to move to the Bodmin & Wenford Railway in early March, where it will provide cover for No. 08444, which has been stopped for attention. ‘GOYLE’ BODYWORK PROGRESS RECENT repairs to No. 31255 have concentrated on the loco’s bufferbeams, while other areas of corroded bodywork have been removed for replacement. ‘CROMPTON’ NEARS COMPLETION BODYWORK repairs to the 71A Locomotive Group’s No. D6515 (33012) are nearing completion at Arlington, Eastleigh. The Class 33 retains its BR green livery with small yellow warning panels. 125 GROUP POWER CARS IN ACTION THE 125 Group’s Nos. 43048/89 were used for a DATS stock move on February 5, running from the Midland Railway-Butterley to Leicester,…

POWER CAR ARRIVES AT GWILI DONATED to the Welsh Railways Trust by Porterbrook, No. 43056 arrived at the Gwili Railway from Laira on February 16. WESTERN QUEEN TO BE RE-CREATED IN recognition of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, the Western Locomotive Association’s No. D1062 Western Courier is to assume the identity of No. D1040 Western Queen for the 2022 operating season on the Severn Valley Railway. No. D1040 was scrapped in August 1976.…

■ TRAFFIC & TRACTION: GM No. 231 hauled Mk.3 generator van No. 9604 from Belfast York Road to Dublin on January 26. The vehicle was to receive attention at Inchicore works. The latest 4000 Class DMU to be extended to six cars, No. 4014, was undertaking mileage accumulation runs between Belfast, Carrickfergus and Newry in late January. On February 3, De Dietrich/ Mk.3 train (DBFO No. 9002) powered by GM No. 207 worked the 20.05 Belfast Lanyon Place to Dublin Connolly as far as Portadown. The 19.00 ex-Dublin Connolly worked by GM No. 227 and DD/Mk.3 train (DBFO No. 9003) also ran as far as Portadown. The passengers of each train then transferred to the other one. The 20.05 ex-Lanyon Place returned to Lanyon Place and the 19.00 ex-Connolly returned…

A limited edition triple pack of Mk.2b coaches finished in Railway Preservation Society of Ireland green livery is launched by Irish Railway Models (IRM) to assist it to raise funds for its preservation efforts. The pack will represent coaches from its railtour coaching stock rake and has been made possible through the development of new models of NIR ‘Enterprise’ Mk.2b stock by IRM. The three coaches making up the pack include grill/bar car No. 547; First Corridor (FK) No. 181 and Second Open (SO) No. 300. The models will go well with the Mk.2a models the society commissioned in the past. The new models will assist the society with fundraising to help it recover from the economic effect of Covid19 restrictions which cut off its income from main line railtours.…

THE VEA van is a modernised version of the vacuum-braked BR 12t ‘Vanwide’ vans originally constructed at Wolverton and Derby in 1962. Modernisation of 550 ‘Vanwides’ with airbrakes and updated suspension, creating the VEA-type, commenced in the late 1970s. The MoD was the main user of VEA vans, which could negotiate the sharp curves found in Army bases better than more modern air-braked vans. When withdrawn in the 1990s, a number were sold for use as internal user wagons in MoD sites while others became departmental wagons. Bachmann offers four different VEA vans in its 2022 catalogue, including two finished in Railfreight red and grey (38-881 and 38-883) and one in BR bauxite with Railfreight markings (38-880). Railfreight Distribution grey with yellow ends (38-882) is applied to the model examined…

The competition was supported this year by: Network Rail, Mortons Media Group (publisher of Rail Express), The National Railway Museum, Silver Link Publishing, Jessops, the Bahamas Locomotive Society, and Bauer Media. See next month’s RE for more photos.…

IT is both fascinating and worrying to see the escalation of prices charged for charter railtours. At the luxury end, operators offer sumptuous travel in glorious vintage Pullmans with prices to match: one trip this April comes in at up to £750 per person, believed to be the highest daily charge for a rail charter yet. At the other end of the scale, the average Standard class fare on most railtours now tops £100. Railtour operators have taken a real battering thanks to the Covid pandemic and are now getting back to normality. Let’s hope punters can dig deep despite pay not keeping pace, and many associated costs (petrol and hotel accommodation, for instance) adding to railtourers’ burdens when considering booking on tours.…

FOLLOWING the unexpected withdrawal of the entire Class 456 fleet in January (see March issue) the first member of the class was sent for scrap on February 28. No. 456005 was one of a trio of units stored at Wimbledon Park that was unfit to move by rail. It was therefore collected by low-loader for transfer to Sims Metals, Newport. As this issue of Rail Express went to press the other two units at Wimbledon – Nos. 456001 and 456017 – were being made ready for a similar journey. The other members of the fleet had already been moved out of London for storage at Long Marston and it is unclear whether any further use is planned. The long-anticipated cull of Class 455 EMUs will start in May, when Southern…

THE Rail Accident Investigation Branch has published an interim report about the cause of a collision between two passenger trains on the outskirts of Salisbury on October 31, 2021. The services concerned were the 1L53 17.20 hours London Waterloo-Honiton and the 1F30 17.08 hours Portsmouth Harbour-Bristol Temple Meads which collided at Salisbury Tunnel Junction where the lines on which they were travelling converged. The route had been set and signals cleared for 1F30, a four-car train made up of two Class 158 units, with the junction being protected by the signalling system controlled from Salisbury Signalbox, but 1L53, a three-car Class 159 set, passed the protecting stop signal SY31 at danger. The on-train data recorder (OTDR) showed that after leaving Andover the train from Waterloo accelerated to the permitted line…

After years of dreaming about a moment like this, I finally ticked a goal off the bucket list: Driving a loco on the main line. “We’re doing a ‘run round’ today,” my mentor peered through his safety glasses at me and smiled. “I did that last week,” my fellow trainee told me. “Bess, you’re going to love it.” He was right. I did. To my absolute joy, a ‘run round’ consists of taking a loco from one end of the terminal, out on to the main line at permissible line speed and back in to the terminal at the other end. Permissible line speed is 20mph on the stretch of track some call ‘The Engine Line’. That’s 15mph more than I’d ever driven before, what with the speed in most…

BESIDES those credited elsewhere, this issue has been made possible by the contributions of the following readers, to whom the editor is most grateful: Andy Mason, Barry Gill, Ben Bucki, Ben Butteriss, Brian Hall, Chris Gee, Chris Newton, Chris Wakeman, Colin Wareing, Craig Munday, Dave Kirwin, Dennis Clarke, Des Harris, Duncan McEvoy, Francois Goulds, Gary S Smith, Greg Mape, Hayden Sheppard, Iain Scotchman, Jack Taylor, James Garthwaite, James Windows, Jamie Perry-Giddins, John Hales, Keith Partlow, Kyle Rushton, Mark Lynam, Martin Cook, Martin Elsey, Martin Turner, Martyn Tattam, Matthew Bull, Matty Walker, Michael Peralta, Michael Wright, Mick Tindall, Mike Cooper, Mike Jackson, Neil Walkling, Nick Green, Nick Sanderson, Paul Clark, Paul Forrest, Pete Slater, Peter Foster, Philip Izzard, Rod Orr, Sam Read, Stephen Ginn, Steve Donald, Steve Sienkiewicz, Steve Stubbs, Stuart…

ANGEL TRAINS A FOURTH MTU-repowered HST power car has gone for scrap with the removal of the shell of No. 43313 from Laira on February 23. Delivered in February 1979 as No. 43113 as part of set No. 254029 (with No. 43112), it was reworked at Brush Traction with an MTU 4000-series power pack in September 2007, gaining its new 433xx series number. It was involved in a shunting accident with No. 08441 at Bounds Green in November 2019, which was not repaired. It was moved to Ely in March 2020 and then to Laira the following October, where it was stripped of its cab and all reusable components. DB CARGO THE third and fourth members of the nine Euro Cargo Rail Class 66s that were returned from France last…

Correct to February 19, 2022 Allocations 197011 newly delivered HQ/HLHQ321331/33/39/40/41/43 IL/EBHQHQ/SAXU365504/12/16/24/30 sent for disposal 456002-04/06/08/10/12/13/15/16/18-23 WD/HYHQ-HQ/SBXH 458534 WD/HYHQ-HQ/SBXH 484005 newly delivered RY/HZHQ701003/40 newly delivered HQ/HYHQ 701511 newly delivered HQ/HYHQ720585/86 newly delivered HQ/EBHQ Off Registration The following are now off registration, having been sent for scrap: 142071, 153366, 317345, 317660/68, 317892 Liveries CityBeam: 707002/07/08/27/28 EMR purple: 360109/14 Swift Express Freight branding: 321334 SWR: 450007/10, 450103/08 Transport for Wales: 150217/35/84, 153972, 175112 Named 323201 Duddeston 323205 Blake Street 323206 Barnt Green 323207 Bournville 323210 Shenstone 323213 Sutton Coldfield 323214 Wylde Green 323222 Redditch 323242 Alvechurch 707005 Remembering Rt. Hon. James Brokenshire MP Old Bexley and Sidcup 800029 Christopher Dando/Evette Wakely Names removed 222003 Tornado 321336 Geoffrey Freeman Allen 321444 Essex Lifeboats Formations 180103: 50912+54903+55906+ 56903+59903 180105: 50905+54905+55905+ 56905+59901 180106: 50906+54906+55903+ 56906+59906 180109:…

FIRST offered for sale in mid-2020, ‘Teddy Bear’ No. D9525 has been sold by the Heritage Shunters Trust to the owners of No. D9537, based at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. The Class 14 was moved by road from Rowsley (Peak Rail) to Ecclesbourne on February 18. No. D9525 became part of the Heritage Shunters Trust collection in 2016 after its previous owner, HST volunteer Ian Goddard, sadly passed away. A significant amount of work was undertaken on the loco by the Trust, including a full rewire (as per Swindon Works drawings), a generator rewind and bodywork/cab restoration. However, the Class 14 was regarded as being too large for the collection at Rowsley, so it was put up for sale. Unfortunately, it suffered a power unit failure while being demonstrated to…

March 18-20: Strathspey Railway March 26: Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway April 1-3: Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway April 22-24: Ecclesbourne Valley Railway April 23/24: Dean Forest Railway (DMU) April 23/24: Epping Ongar Railway April 29-May 1: Great Central Railway May 6-8: Swanage Railway May 19-22: Severn Valley Railway May 27-29: Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway June 9-11: West Somerset Railway June 10-12: North Norfolk Railway June 10-12: Keighley & Worth Valley Railway June 18/19: Midland Railway – Butterley (DMU) June 30-July 2: East Lancashire Railway July 15-17: Mid Hants Railway July 29-31: Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway August 5-7: Ecclesbourne Valley Railway August 12-14: Spa Valley Railway August 12-14: Caledonian Railway September 3/4: Llangollen Railway September 10/11: Middleton Railway September 16-18: East Lancashire Railway September 17/18: Dean Forest Railway September 17/18:…

RAISING funds and to publicise the forthcoming 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 2024, Nick Walton and Brad Johnson, both members of the RNLI Skegness crew, took part in a 200-station tube challenge. Dressed in full all-weather lifeboat kit they travelled across all of the Underground’s 10 lines on February 19, also meeting with the River Thames RNLI crew, based adjacent to Tower Bridge. While this was never a world record attempt to visit every station across the network, they still managed to reach 204 of the LU’s 272 stations in just over 17 hours – considering the equipment they were wearing, this was no mean feat.…

THE Class 86/4 sub-class first made its appearance in the mid-1980s when Class 86/0s were gradually fitted with SAB resilient wheels and Flexicoil springs to bring them in line with Class 86/2s used on express passenger services on the West Coast Main Line. The modifications were first made to Class 86s dedicated to passenger traffic in the 1970s to improve the ride and reduce the impact of unsprung weight of axle mounted traction motors on the track when running at high speed. Unmodified Class 86s were restricted to freight and secondary duties where their maximum permitted speed of 80mph would not be a liability. The first modifications made to upgrade Class 86/0s occurred in the early 1980s when part of the fleet received two-piece SAB resilient wheels to form Class…

SIMON Pilkington, who runs 565 Tours, has announced he has had to cancel the three-day tour in June using Class 97/3 locomotives because the operator, DB Cargo, has advised it cannot resource the tours. Despite looking at alternatives, none can be found. The three-day itinerary, using the SRPS set of Mk.1 carriages, entailed bringing the stock south from Scotland on Friday June 24, Crewe to South Wales via the Central Wales Line to Fishguard on the Saturday and a trip from Crewe to Porthmadog on the Cambrian on the Sunday. The stock would not return north as it is booked for further work in England. DB Cargo told Simon they could only undertake the movement of the stock for one day. As a result, he believes he had no alternative…

THE Deltic Preservation Society’s appeal to raise £18,000 to fit GSM-R radio equipment to Deltic No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier has been attained. This is the first part of returning No. 55019 to the main line. The next appeal – Phase 2 – is now in hand to raise £17,000 for updated AWS and TPWS equipment. Already over £5000 has been donated by Deltic supporters – the DPS welcomes any donations to this cause – please see its website for donating details: www.thedps.co.uk Meanwhile, the start-up of No. D9009 Alycidon is now imminent, three years after its disastrous failure when returning from Edinburgh, which damaged six traction motors and one main generator.…