Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2024 i Railways Illustrated

In early December I attended the annual National Railway Heritage Awards in London, where restoration and conservation projects from across the national rail network – also in preservation and even on closed routes and stations – are celebrated. You can read about the worthy winners on pages 16/17. This is the second time I have been invited to this fantastic celebration of our rich railway heritage and it is clear that all of the entries – both winners and those shortlisted – were fantastic examples of what can be done with time, effort, money, and the will to make something better. Across the railway and on former railway routes that have long since closed are structures and buildings lying out of use, decaying, or abandoned, and every year numerous restoration…

THE RAIL industry came together on December 12 to remember those who died in the Clapham Junction station crash 35 years earlier. On December 12, 1988, at 08.10, three trains were involved in a collision caused by faulty wiring in the signalling system, killing 35 people and injuring many more. A service takes place annually at the Spencer Park memorial site in Battersea and was attended by relatives of those who died in the accident, as well as representatives from Network Rail, South Western Rail, ASLEF and other members of the rail industry. Other events have also been organised, including a ‘lessons learnt’ talk hosted by Network Rail and Siemens Mobility. Representatives from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and the Rail Safety and Standards Boards were also in attendance to…

TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS unveiled a train wrap on the driving cab ends of Class 185 diesel multiple unit 185111 in advance of International Men’s Day on November 19 to promote the valuable work of men’s suicide prevention charity Andy’s Man Club and raise awareness of men’s mental health. Andy’s Man Club was founded by Luke Ambler and Elaine Roberts following the death of Elaine’s son, Andrew Roberts, who took his life aged 23 in 2016. The charity now has more than 120 free support groups nationwide, at which men can open up about issues affecting them in a safe, judgement-free, and non-clinical environment. The clubs are designed to be free from pressure, and there is no obligation for men to speak if they don’t want to, but they are able to…

A CELEBRATION event and plaque unveiling were held on December 8 to mark the completion of the four-year restoration project on the iconic 770-metre Grade-II listed Barmouth Viaduct on the Cambrian Coast line. UK Government Wales Office minister Fay Jones unveiled a plaque in front of Network Rail representatives and rail industry partners, along with members of the local council and community. The line was fully reopened to train services on December 2 following completion of a 13-week closure to allow teams from Network Rail and contractor Griffiths to complete the final stages of the restoration of the viaduct, which began in 2020. Barmouth Viaduct was built in 1867 by the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway and is the longest in Wales and the longest wooden railway bridge in Britain. When…

JUST 10 days short of the first anniversary of the withdrawal of services on the Bedford to Bletchley Marston Vale line, passengers were finally able to travel on the route again. Train services along the 16-mile line have been reintroduced by London Northwestern Railway on a limited morning and afternoon peak time weekday basis, pending the introduction of a full timetable on the route in the New Year, following completion of driver training on the Class 150/1 diesel multiple units that have been cascaded to LNR from Northern and are now being used on the line. The three trains have been rebranded into a metallic green Marston Vale line version of LNR’s livery, but the interiors are as they were when operated by Northern, which has sub-leased 150137/139/141 to LNR.…

A COMMUNITY celebration marked the second anniversary of the reopening of the Dartmoor Line on November 20. The revived route between Exeter and Okehampton has proved to be a great success since reopening in 2021, attracting more than 550,000 passenger journeys – far greater than originally predicted. Train operator Great Western Railway, support group Okerail, and the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership held an event at Okehampton station to celebrate the positive impact the reopening has had on the local community. In attendance was the Mayor of Okehampton, Coun Allenton Fisher; the Mayor of West Devon, Coun Lynn Daniels; representatives from OkeRail; the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership; the Dartmoor Railway Association; GWR; Network Rail; and other partners involved in reopening the line. The route was closed in 1972 in…

Four Castle Class high speed train sets will continue to operate until at least December 2024, Great Western Railway managing director Mark Hopwood has confirmed. In an interview with Railways Illustrated’s sister title, Rail Express, he said that although the HSTs had been due for withdrawal by the end of 2023, that deadline has now been extended. He said: “The financial challenges for the industry led us to have a serious look at where we were, because we knew we didn’t have enough funding to keep all the fleet going, so we took the difficult decision to not put the Castles through their next heavy overhaul. “However, we have some sets that were put through that programme just before we took the decision and so rather than withdraw them prematurely,…

New wagons A further 10 FEA-G twinsets were delivered to GB Railfreight on November 13, 66304 working the 4Z66 05.15 Dollands Moor to Peterborough with 81 70 4663 241 to 260. Hawk conversions Network Rail has now received more than 200 JNA Hawk ballast wagons from Loram as the programme to rebuild MRA side-tippers begins to reach a conclusion. The latest wagons to emerge from Derby were once again delivered to Toton by 37418; November 20 saw 81 70 5831 192-198 conveyed, followed by 81 70 5831 199-201 nine days later. In return, the Type 3 took MRAs 501006/066/128/129/136 to Derby from Toton on November 21 and then 501003/062/124/132/138 on the 29th. CDAs moved Nine of the CDA china clay hoppers saved for preservation were transferred the short distance from…

As is usually the case in the run-up to the festive period, it has been relatively quiet for locomotive and unit namings, with just three to report this issue. On November 16, 2023, Transport for Wales’ 197049 was named Castell Caeriw Cyflym/Carew Castle Express in a ceremony held at Carmarthen station. The CAF-built two-car diesel multiple unit was named as part of TfW’s Magnificent Train Journey competition, with the name Carew Castle Express chosen by year five pupil Rhys Protheroe, from Johnstown Primary School, Carmarthen. The Class 197s have recently been introduced between Swansea and Carmarthen as part of the roll-out of the new TfW fleet. 197049 is the second of the type to receive a name, following 197007, which was named Happy Valley at Llandudno on January 26, 2023…

PRIVATELY-OWNED AC electric locomotive 86259 Les Ross/Peter Pan has moved to Nemesis Rail at Burton for scheduled maintenance ahead of the start of its 2024 main line operating season, which begins on January 27. Owned by West Midlands broadcaster Les Ross MBE, 86259 is currently undergoing a C-exam and other maintenance work, which will include some corrosion repairs and welding. Mr Ross told Railways Illustrated that he is keen to get the locomotive repainted while it is out of service, as one side of the Class 86 in particular is showing signs of weathering to its paintwork, which was last applied by Boden Rail Engineering in early 2012. It is planned to retain the electric blue livery it has carried since first returning to main line use in private ownership…

THE LONG-RUNNING restoration of the Pioneer Diesels Locomotive Group’s Class 45/1 Peak 45105 at Barrow Hill Round House took an important step forward on November 15 when the locomotive’s rebuilt power unit was re-started for the first time in preservation. 45105 was withdrawn by BR in May 1987 and spent several years awaiting disposal alongside numerous other Class 45s at March, in Cambridgeshire. It was purchased for preservation by the PDLG in 1993 and moved to its then-base at the former goods shed alongside Matlock station at Peak Rail, where the rest of its collection of locomotives were based at the time. It moved again in 1999, when it and the other PDLG locomotives arrived at Barrow Hill following the group’s relocation to the Derbyshire Round House. Restoration work on…

THE SOUTHERN Electric Traction Group has launched a fundraising appeal with a target of £50,000 as it moves towards its goal of recertifying preserved Class 423 4VEP electric multiple unit 3417 Gordon Pettitt to main line passenger service under its own power. The four-coach EMU – which is owned by the Bluebell Railway and in the custodianship of the SETG – has been undergoing a comprehensive overhaul and restoration at Strawberry Hill depot. Work on its internal restoration has now reached an advanced stage, with some rewiring of one vehicle and completion of one of the driving cabs the main outstanding tasks. The 4VEP is formed of driving trailer composite standard open lavatory (DTCsoL) vehicles 76262 and 76263, motor brake standard open (MBSO) 62236 and trailer standard open 70797. This…

FOLLOWING THE announcement in the autumn that expressions of interest were being sought in the preservation of pioneer Merseyrail Class 507 electric multiple unit 507001 (Railways Illustrated issue 250), an inaugural meeting was held in November 2023 to further discuss the project and appoint a committee for the newly-formed Class 507 Preservation Society. The proposals to preserve 507001 were announced in October by established preservationist Robert Hampton, who was one of the founding members of the Friends of the 502 Group, which rescued the ex-LMS Merseyside Class 502 EMU when it was threatened with scrapping in 2007. The first meeting of the Class 507 Preservation Society took place on November 19, with 26 people attending to hear more about the proposals to save the three-car EMU when it is withdrawn…

As this issue of Railways Illustrated went to press, there were only a few days remaining of 2023 for which South Western Railway Class 701s could carry passengers. The electric multiple units, of which there are 90 on order, were due to enter traffic from 2019, but various delays for a whole host of reasons means there is every chance that by the time this issue is published in early January 2024, the Class 701s still won’t have carried a passenger. Throughout most of 2023, SWR said that the EMUs would enter service by the end of that year, although there has never been a confirmed date, nor has there been conformation as to whether this would be the five-coach sets, 10-coach sets, or both. By late November, SWR had…

When it comes to photography, I’m always on the look-out for a composition that takes me back to when I was a young spotter, particularly the early 1980s. I like to challenge myself to capture an image that looks almost like it could have been taken back then. That can be hard because modern details often creep into the scene. It requires a suitable subject, an appropriate backdrop, often some tight composition to exclude modernity, and some compromises. It’s rarely going to be a perfect recreation of the past – though photo charters can come close – but it is great fun trying to be disciplined to avoid modern giveaways. The one thing that’s harder to arrange is the cleanliness and upkeep of preserved locomotives, which are always much cleaner…

DECEMBER SAW the opening of two brand-new stations on the national network. Brent Cross West and East Linton stations were brought into use within a few days of each other, while in Yorkshire a second platform has been opened at Castleford station, unlocking additional capacity and opening new services for passengers. Brent Cross West Brent Cross West was the first to officially open in a ceremony by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on December 10, 2023. Situated on the Midland Main Line between Hendon and Cricklewood, it is served by Thameslink services and managed by Govia Thameslink Railway and is the first new main line station to be opened in London for more than a decade. The impressive large station features four platforms and has been built with future…

A LACK of new orders and no confirmed work beyond the first quarter of 2024 has seen train builder Alstom look to significantly scale back its workforce at Litchurch Lane in Derby, with a period of collective consultation for redundancies now underway. The company has been busy in recent years completing various contracts, its most recent work including the Class 701 electric multiple units for South Western Railway, Class 720 EMUs for Greater Anglia and c2c and the Class 730 EMU fleet for West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway. However, construction of these trains is now nearing completion and the firm is now facing the prospect of having to significantly reduce its workforce at the Derby facility. Alstom is due to partner with Hitachi on the construction of the new…

A LIMITED shuttle rail service to and from Ayr station was introduced by ScotRail from December 4, 10 weeks after a devastating fire destroyed the adjacent Station Hotel and caused a suspension of services while the building was made safe (Railways Illustrated issue 250). A safety exclusion zone was enforced around the building following the fire on September 25, preventing ScotRail from operating trains through the station. The zone is still in place, meaning a full reintroduction of services through the station is not possible; instead, a half-hourly shuttle service is now operating between Platform 4 at Ayr and Prestwick Town, which will connect with existing services to and from Glasgow Central. ScotRail service delivery director David Simpson said: “The devastating fire has had a significant impact on ScotRail services…

TO HELP facilitate the withdrawal of its remaining Class 319s, Northern commenced a redistribution of the Class 331 fleet from late November. This should see all 12 four-car Class 331/1s move across the Pennines to the North West, with nine three-car Class 331/0s heading in the opposite direction to West Yorkshire. In both cases, it represents a drop in capacity, but this will be most keenly felt in the east, where platform lengthening work has yet to be completed in order to allow six-car formations to operate. Between November 20 and December 1, 37611 took 331102/103/104/109/110 from Skipton to Allerton and hauled 331001/002/006/008/009 in the opposite direction. From December 4, 37601 took over, with 331105/111 and 331003/004 swapping routes over the next three days before 37601 powered 5Q17, the 07.34…

DB CARGO has clarified its position in relation to the continued operation of charter services, with the operator concentrating on existing contracts. At one time DB Cargo was a significant operator within the rail charter market, both on steam and diesel railtours, but its level of involvement in the sector has decreased over a number of years with the advent of several other operators entering the market. A spokesman for the company said: “DB Cargo UK is not withdrawing from the charter train sector, but at the present time we are simply concentrating on our contractual business with the likes of Belmond rather than ad hoc requests to run services. “The nature of DB’s charter business has shifted from regular itineraries to highly complex operations which absorb an increasing amount…

NOTTINGHAM EXPRESS Transit began a high-profile zero tolerance campaign against fare evasion in December to reduce the number of passengers using the tram network without a valid ticket or pass. The campaign is part of ongoing efforts by the tramway to clamp down on fare evasion, with passengers required to either purchase a ticket from a vending machine on a tram stop before they board, be travelling with a valid pass, or have tapped-in a payment bank card prior to starting a journey. From December 4, any passenger caught travelling without a valid ticket or pass will be issued with a ‘no questions asked’ £70 penalty fare notice (PFN), which if not paid within stipulated timeframes could become liable for prosecution, resulting in a further fine of up to £1000…

DB Cargo has confirmed that it is planning to withdraw its remaining operational Class 60s over the coming months in favour of a fleet of 10 re-geared Class 66s. By mid-December just three DB Cargo Class 60s were still in service with the operator, these being 60024 Clitheroe Castle, 60062 Sonia and 60074 Luke. The operator had previously placed eight of the locomotives into store in October, with 60015 following in November after suffering an exhaust fire at Lincoln (Railways Illustrated issue 251). The latest member of the fleet to be stood down from service has been 60040 The Territorial Army Centenary, which was stopped on December 8 due to it reaching its maximum engine hours before an overhaul is required. With a significantly reduced number of Class 60s now…

The three Class 73s offered for sale by Network Rail have all found new owners, with 73138 bought by GB Railfreight and 73951/73952 secured by Harry Needle Railroad Company. 73138 was taken out of service by Network Rail in April 2017 and initially stored at Loram UK’s base at Derby, prior to moving to Rowsley South on Peak Rail in 2021 for continued storage. The Class 73 was moved to from Peak Rail to UK Rail Leasing’s facility at Loughborough in the early hours of November 22, 2023, with GBRf’s 69001 Mayflower employed to move it to the former Brush Works. GBRf has Class 73s 73107/109/119/128/136/141,73201/202/212/213/235 and 73961-73971 in its operational pools, with 73101/110/139 also owned by the freight operator and in store at Arlington Fleet Group’s Eastleigh Works for…

West Coast expansion for Aventras By December 10, 10 Class 730s had been recorded in traffic with London Northwestern on services out of Euston following the debut of 730007 and 730010 on November 13. This inaugural diagram was handled by 730006 and 730011 on November 14-17, with a second set of workings commencing from the 20th. November 21 saw 730016 and 730021 take their bow with 2K45, the 16.39 Euston-Milton Keynes, while 730018 slipped into traffic two days later, partnered with 730007. The 06.56 Bletchley to Euston on November 28 brought the first appearance of 730012 and 730013, while two days later 730014 worked the same service, becoming the first solo set to carry passengers. November 16 found 37510 hauling 730103 from Asfordby to Oxley, before repeating the move with…

Just one locomotive repaint took place during the period under review, with Freightliner-owned 59101 emerging from Eastleigh Works on December 5 finished in an all-green customer livery for Heidelberg Materials. This is the new image for Hanson, which adopted the name of its German parent company back in October. There was more activity on the multiple unit front, with 507001 released from Birkenhead North restored to BR blue/grey as a farewell tribute to the Class 507s and 508s on Merseyrail. Meanwhile, 777013 has also reverted to its standard Merseyrail yellow and grey colours at the depot following the removal of its Eurovision vinyls. The three former Southern ‘Turbostars’ in use with East Midlands Railway have begun to receive the company’s purple livery with the completion of 170422 and 170423, while…

THE CLASS 56 Group has announced that it will sell its main line-registered 56301 at the end of its current hire period to the Cappagh-owned freight operator DC Rail – in order to concentrate its efforts and manpower on the group’s East Lancashire Railway-based preserved locomotive, the sole-surviving Romanian-built 56006. 56301 was bought by the C56G in 2011 following the collapse of Jarvis-backed Fastline Freight, which had owned and operated the former 56045, and it has remained a main line-registered locomotive, being hired to freight operators since then, principally working for DC Rail. The locomotive is managed by the C56G’s operating company, Class 56 Locomotives Ltd, and was primarily bought as a commercial operating locomotive to earn money for the owning group’s ongoing preservation efforts. The locomotive has been hired…

EARLY DECEMBER saw nine CDA china clay wagons extracted from the storage lines of withdrawn wagons currently being scrapped in Cornwall, with one – 375030 – heading into preservation on the Plym Valley Railway and the other eight being delivered to the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. The CDA 375030 Preservation Group was successful in its bid for one of the wagons and work on its restoration has already begun following its delivery to the PVR on December 8. It is planned that the group will return the wagon to its original ECC blue and silver livery. Meanwhile, the National Wagon Preservation Group has successfully acquired eight CDA china clay hoppers from those stored at St Blazey for preservation at the Bodmin & Wenford Railway in a joint venture with the…

THE RESTORATION of the Bluebell Railway’s Pullman Car No. 54 is now nearing completion following a comprehensive rebuilding project, with the immaculately restored carriage expected to enter service on the railway in the spring. The £600,000 restoration of the 1923-vintage carriage has been underway since 2016. Funding has been provided by the Bluebell Railway Trust, with a grant also awarded towards the restoration by the Department for Transport to enable modifications for wheelchair access. Pullman Car No. 54 was built by Clayton in Lincoln, starting life as a Pullman Kitchen Third before being modified as a Parlour Brake Third in 1937. It was withdrawn by British Rail in 1968 and moved initially to the Dart Valley Railway (now the Dartmouth Steam Railway), before further moves to Birmingham Railway Museum at…

03022 – Cricklade: Although it has been based at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway since November 1983 apart from six years on hire to industry in 1989-95, 03022 has now been acquired by the railway, which is appropriate as it was built in Swindon in 1958. D2578 – Moreton Park: Work on the Class 05’s clutch required the removal of the drive shaft between the clutch and the gearbox to enable the clutch plates to be removed for a thorough examination and assessment on the bench. This proved rather troublesome, as two of the six connecting studs refused to budge and access to them was a little restricted. In the end, with the help of various air tools and a specially manufactured slide hammer, the studs came out and the…

At the beginning of 2020 there were still 16 Class 86/6 electric locomotives remaining in the Freightliner operational fleet – 86604/605/607-610/612-614/622/627/628/632/637-639. However, over the ensuing 14 months, all of these were removed from traffic and stored in Crewe Basford Hall yard pending further developments. The last two locomotives to be taken out of traffic were 86613 and 86632, which were stored in February 2021. Over the next two-and-a-half years the locomotives lay dormant in Basford Hall Yard, although Powerhaul-liveried 86622 spent a period on display at the neighbouring Crewe Heritage Centre between October 2021 and mid-June 2023. As time progressed, the general consensus in the enthusiast world was that the locomotives would not be returned to service with Freightliner and would be heading for scrapping, with storage in the open…

Cranmore Traincare & Maintenance Services (CTMS) is a small railway engineering business specialising mainly in the restoration of heritage railway rolling stock – in particular, former British Railways Mk.1 carriages. It was set up by the East Somerset Railway as a standalone commercial business, but the profits generated by CTMS directly benefit the ongoing preservation of the railway where the company is based. CTMS was originally established by the late Barry Buckfield in 1995 as a support organisation to service and maintain coaches on behalf of main line charter stock provider Riviera Trains, which originally based its carriage fleet in the former tanker sidings at Cranmore, operating its trains on and off the ESR via the main line connection there (which, after several years out of use, is due to…

The past few months have seen Accurascale deliver further batches of its new Class 37 model, but even with 20 or so different locomotives now available it has barely scratched the surface of the number of possible liveries and sub-class options. Having begun with current-day Class 37/4s, the manufacturer has subsequently turned to the Class 37/6 fleet, which has never been accurately modelled in any scale before, and the venerable Class 37/0s to make up the numbers. Unsurprisingly, Direct Rail Services examples feature heavily among the Class 37/6s, finally satisfying a demand that has existed for 25 years, but one that was ignored by all previous manufacturers of the locomotive type. As such, two locomotives have each been produced in DRS’s original blue livery and the revised ‘compass’ scheme, along…

TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS took its locomotive-hauled Mk.5A Nova 3 train fleet out of service, as planned, with the final train running on December 9, 2023, ahead of the winter timetable change the following day. Hundreds of enthusiasts turned out to witness the end of the trains, which were only introduced into service from 2019, with 68030 Black Douglas operating set TP06 as the only Nova 3 train to operate on the final day the trains were in service with TPE. The set worked 5U23, the 05.11 Longsight to Manchester Piccadilly, before leading 1U23, the 05.35 Manchester Piccadilly to Scarborough, then 1U36, the 08.45 Scarborough to Manchester Piccadilly and 1U47, the 11.35 Manchester Piccadilly to Scarborough. As evening approached, 68030 and TP06 worked 1U72, the 17.48 Scarborough to Leeds, before heading 1U75,…

THE FIRST of 17 new Stadler-built trains entered service on Glasgow Subway on December 11, with trains 302 and 306 both in use on the outer circle on the first day of passenger service. The trains were launched into service on the six-and-a-half-mile subway system by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) without any fanfare and follows an extensive period of testing and commissioning by Stadler and SPT following their delivery to Broomloan Depot. The fleet has been custom-built due to the unique size of Glasgow Subway and while they are the same length and size as the Metro-Cammell trains they are replacing, they are four-car sets rather than three. Work continues on the modernisation of the subway, which will also see the signalling and communications system replaced and a new…

GREAT WESTERN Railway managing director Mark Hopwood has said there is an aspiration for new trains to replace the Sprinter fleet used by the operator. Speaking to Railways Illustrated’s sister title, Rail Express, on November 21, he highlighted the age of “quite a lot” of GWR’s fleet. He said: “The 150s are 38 years old now and they are going to get to their 40th birthday and beyond; Turbos – most of them are 32 years old; the 158s are a bit older. We want to have a programme in place to bring some new trains into the business and we are working on that. “Our aspiration is that it’s a fleet of new trains. We want to be able to use battery power, where that works and where it’s…

WHILE THE dispute involving members of the RMT was resolved at the end of November, train driver’s union ASLEF changed its tactics in early December with strikes held across the network but involving different train operating companies on different days – while union members also made themselves unavailable for overtime across all of the TOCs involved in the dispute of December 1-9. In the staged regional walkouts, ASLEF members employed by East Midlands Railway and LNER took strike action on December 2; at Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railway, Great Northern Thameslink and West Midlands Trains on December 3; at c2c and Greater Anglia on December 5; at Southeastern, Southern and Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line, South Western Railway depot drivers, and South Western Railway Island Line on December…

THE LONG reign of the Class 507 electric multiple unit fleet on Merseyrail has been celebrated with the application of a compliant vinyl wrap version of original blue and grey livery to pioneer 507001, with the retro-look EMU making its debut in early December. The livery carried by 507001 – which entered traffic on British Rail in 1978 and is currently the oldest EMU in regular passenger service on the national network – was applied at Birkenhead depot. The main differences between the original and new livery are that the doors are now coloured grey throughout, while the blue tapers around the door surrounds to aid passengers with visual impairments. The EMU also carries ‘Proud to serve the Liverpool City Region for 46 years’ wording on the bodysides, and the…

THE DELIVERY of West Midlands Metro CAF-built Urbos 100 tram 52 to Wednesbury depot on November 22, 2023, has completed the two-and-a-half-year delivery programme for the third-generation tram fleet. The 21 Urbos 100 trams, numbered 38-58, were ordered by Transport for the West Midlands to serve the expanded WMM network. The first Urbos 100s were delivered to Wednesbury in April 2021, with the first examples of the fleet entering service from December 2021. The trams have not been delivered in numerical order from CAF’s factory in Zaragoza in Spain. The Urbos 100s are the third tram fleet to have seen use on the WMM network. When the route between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton St George’s opened in May 1999, it was served by a fleet of 16 Italian-built Ansaldo-Breda…

Locomotive spot hire company Europhoenix has boosted its Class 37 fleet by purchasing three of the five locomotives recently offered for sale by Direct Rail Services. Europhoenix managing director Glenn Edwards confirmed that the company had successfully tendered for 37069, 37218 and 37423, which were offered for sale by DRS in October 2023 (Railways Illustrated issue 250). All three are currently unserviceable, and Mr Edwards said there are currently no set plans for the company’s new acquisitions. Europhoenix has six Class 37s on long-term hire to Rail Operations Group (37510, 37601/608/611, 37800/884), while the company also owns Mirrlees-engine fitted 37901 Mirrlees Pioneer, but this locomotive is not utilised by ROG under normal circumstances and is hired to other operators for use on other workings. While final confirmation had not been…

CLASS 150 Services resumed between Bedford and Bletchley on November 20 using 150137 and 150139. The third of the transferred units, 150141, made its debut on November 24. CLASS 156 25/11 – 156416 5E12 11.06 Wolverton-Heaton, away since September 5, 2022, undergoing extensive corrosion repairs and then overhaul. Renumbered from 156916 as part of the work and transferred to Northern upon release. CLASS 166 14/11 – 166203 5Q81 09.04 Wolverton-St Philip’s Marsh. 14/11 – 166209 5Q71 14.08 St Philip’s Marsh-Wolverton. 30/11 – 166207 5Q80 09.06 Wolverton-St Philip’s Marsh. 30/11 – 166211 5Q70 15.34 St Philip’s Marsh-Wolverton. CLASS 175 8/12 – 175102 + 175110 5Q42 16.02 Ilford-Chester. CLASS 197 14/11 – 66567 + 197118 6Q97 11.01 Wolverton-Basford Hall. 28/11 – 66566 + 197120 6Q97 10.02 Donnington RFT-Crewe Carriage Sidings. CLASS 317…

Fife Circle Mk.2s for Locomotive Services Locomotive Services has further expanded its coaching stock fleet with the acquisition of five Mk.2f TSOs previously employed by DB Cargo on the Fife Circle locomotive-hauled workings. Last used by passengers in 2015, the vehicles have spent the intervening years stored variously at Mossend, Doncaster, Milford Junction and, most recently, Worksop, where at one point they were sold for scrap. However, November 29 saw a newly-reinstated 37409 haul 5922, 5924, 5959, 6036 and 6152 from Worksop to Crewe, the transfer also featuring 20096, 20107 and 57303. The five Mk.2s were then forwarded to Eastleigh Works on December 6, although the move encountered problems at Stafford after 37521 failed in the station, with 37409 coming from Crewe to take the train forward. At least some…

THE END of November saw 31106 Spalding Town transferred from Nemesis Rail’s depot at Burton for European Metal Recycling at Kingsbury for scrapping after a project to return the Class 31 to traffic by Hanson & Hall Rail Solutions was abandoned in the face of dramatically rising costs. H&H managing director Jason Hall told Railways Illustrated that the decision had not been taken lightly and was made following a changing situation since the company first bought the locomotive with the original intention of returning it to traffic and recertified for use on Network Rail metals. He explained that the key issues surrounded its engine, generator, and wheelsets, which all required extensive attention. H&H had employed contractors to do the necessary work to return the locomotive to service, but a combination of…

THE OWNING group of preserved second-generation Class 142 Pacer diesel multiple unit 142055 is seeking a new home for the two-car unit – after the Foxfield Railway requested that it move the DMU to a different base over the next few months. The DMU is owned by The 142055 Group (T142055G; formerly known as the Pacer Rail Group) and has been based at Foxfield since September 2020. Although it currently has an electrical fault under investigation, the Pacer is operational and has been undergoing regular maintenance and deep cleaning but has yet to work a passenger service in preservation. However, following a change in policy and with little prospect of the DMU getting regular use on the railway, Foxfield has requested that the group finds a new home for the…

AUTHOR: Rob Higgins PUBLISHER: Amberley Publishing ISBN: 978-1-39810-846-2 PRICE: £17.99 WEBSITE: www.amberley-books.com DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY has grown massively in popularity in recent years, with more and more people taking up a hobby that essentially gives the opportunity to take photographs from a bird’s-eye view for a relatively modest outlay. This new book, compiled using the drone photography of Rob Higgins, provides a fantastic compilation of a wide variety of passenger, freight, test train workings and depot views taken from the air. While it concentrates away from station environments, the book still covers a wide area of the country, giving a good overall overview of the modern railway. Usually, I prefer detailed captions on photo books, as they can provide lots of additional information to the reader who may be unfamiliar with the location…

➜ The March issue of Railways Illustrated is a special themed celebration of the English Electric Class 50s, 30 years since the final three locomotives were withdrawn from service in the dying days of British Rail. The locomotives attracted a huge following from enthusiasts during their final years in service on BR and those which survived into preservation remain popular. In our bumper special issue, we take a nostalgic look back at those last years of operations on BR and also at some of the preserved Class 50s. ➜ The rundown of the Class 50s attracted huge levels of attention from enthusiasts, with Laira depot in Plymouth coming up with a number of initiatives to provide a memorable final few years in service for the locomotives. Andy Coward spoke to…