Innehållsförteckning för July 2017 från Rail Express

WELL Brussels, at least. Eurostar has introduced its Class 374 ‘Velaro’ sets to its London-Brussels route, 18 months after they started on the Paris run. These Siemens-built sets can carry 20% more passengers than the original Class 373s for roughly the same length of train, which they do by having a distributed underfloor traction system rather than using end power cars, thus freeing up two vehicles for extra seats. And this extra capacity naturally meant they were first introduced onto the busier of Eurostar’s two main routes. Now, however, the ‘374s’ are running to Brussels as a prequel to pushing on into The Netherlands to reach Rotterdam and Amsterdam, which will be the company’s first timetabled trains outside of the UK, Belgium and France since it first started running in…

Like us on facebook facebook.com/RailExpressMag THE Severn Valley Railway’s diesel gala on May 18-20 once again proved to a highlight on the heritage calendar. No less than 17 visiting locos joined half a dozen from the home fleet, the event marking 30 years since the line held its first dedicated diesel gala in 1987. The star attraction was virtually brand new No. 88003 from Direct Rail Services, the dual-mode machine working on the first two days, but crewing issues meant it spent the third day on shed at Kidderminster (May 20 also clashing with the main line tour with No. 88002, see pages 80 and 89). Other highlights included redliveried No. 60100 from DB Cargo, one of the last Class 66s No. 66771 from GBRf, the launch of No. 47828…

Like us on facebook facebook.com/RailExpressMag GWR SUMMER LOCO-HAULED RETURNS: The first Saturday of the summer timetable saw the return of Great Western Railway’s loco-hauled diagram, which this year starts at St Erth as the 10.28 to Plymouth, then the 13.35 Plymouth-Exeter St Davids and 17.50 Exeter St Davids-Penzance. The latter working on the first day is pictured crossing Forder Viaduct, near Saltash, behind No. 57603. It is rumoured this could be the final year for this popular (with enthusiasts) service. Ron Westwater THE future of overnight passenger services, including those in the UK, has been looked at by the European Parliament following the withdrawal of many operations due to competition from daytime services, budget airlines and deregulated coach services. Changing social norms also mean that passengers nowgenerally decline to share…

RAIB RELEASES REPORT INTO BALHAM FATALITY THE Rail Accident Investigation Branch has concluded its report into the accident near Balham on August 7, 2016, when a passenger was killed after putting his head out of the window of a moving train and hitting a signal gantry. The train was a Gatwick Express service formed of a Class 442 EMU, which has an opening window in the guard’s compartment, and was travelling at more than 60mph when the accident occurred. RAIB concluded there was nothing to prevent passengers from putting their head out of the opened window and that there was less than the normal standard clearance between the train and the signal gantry. Although the clearance was compliant with standards for existing structures, it was less than an industry recommended…

Follow us on twitter @railexpress GA GETS REGEN ‘321’: Greater Anglia has received its third Class 321 refurbished by Wabtec, Doncaster under the ‘Renatus’ programme – No. 321321 also being the first to feature a new regenerative braking system. The unit features AC motors instead of DC versions, which act as generators during braking to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy that can be stored in a battery and used later to power the train. This is claimed to cut the overall energy use by 18% plus a further 8% due to the more efficient AC drive motor. The unit is pictured being commissioned at Ilford depot, East London, before returning to service. The ‘321s’, however, are due to be replaced by new Stadler-built EMUs from 2019. Greater Anglia STAKEHOLDERS…

Follow us on twitter @railexpress EUROSTAR has introduced its Class 374 ‘Velaro’ sets to the St Pancras to Brussels Midi route, the first working being the 08.04 from St Pancras and 18.56 return on May 23 formed of half-sets Nos. 4026+4025. The Siemens-built ‘Velaros’ started running on the St Pancras to Paris route at the end of 2015, but running to Brussels is the first stage of the company’s goal of reaching Amsterdam via Rotterdam. Eurostar’s original Class 373 fleet cannot operate on the 1.5kV DC electrification used in the Netherlands and do not have the necessary ERTMS signalling system. The ‘373s’ also cannot work under the 15kV AC used in Germany, with Cologne and Frankfurt being other destinations planned for the future. The ‘Velaros’ can also carry 20% more…

CLASS 20 SURVIVORS (Full list) THIS month sees a remarkable milestone in modern traction history, because 60 years ago on June 18, 1957, the first English Electric Type 1 (Class 20) No. D8000 was accepted into service by British Railways. Some six decades on, members of the class are still going strong on the main line, a testament to their successful design and usefulness. The ‘20s’ were a result of British Railways’ 1955 Modernisation Plan, which was designed to take the railways out of the steam age. The locos were EE’s entry in the Type 1 power category (engines in the range 800-1000 horsepower) and proved far more reliable than rival offerings from British Thomson- Houston (Class 15), North British Locomotive Co. (Class 16) and Clayton/ Beyer, Peacock & Co.…

Got something to review? Send any books, DVDs or other items to the editor at: Rail Express, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR Class 40 Country: London Midland Region By Steve Morris Published by Ty Mawr for the CFPS www.cfps.co.uk 96 pages, colour, 240x170mm, softback. £14.95+P&P THIS is the second volume written by the author for theClass Forty Preservation Society, following on from the one covering Wales that was released in 2015 –with all profits from their sales going towards the upkeep of the CFPS’ three locomotives. The London MidlandRegion was a stronghold for the ‘40s’ from the late 1950s until the end in the 1980s, and as such were put toworkonawide rangeof freight and passenger duties. The North Wales Coast, trans-Pennine routes, the Settle&Carlisle Line, and the…

WITH work well underway on several projects, Revolution Trains has announced the subject of its next proposed ‘N’ gauge wagon. The choice is again an interesting one, being the Cargowaggon IZA ‘twin’ vans that were introduced between 1986 and1991. These wagons were unusually configured as two four-wheel vans semipermanently coupled together, giving rise to the ‘twin’ name. Featuring Cargowaggon’s usual full-height sliding doors, 200 examples were built with many still in service today. Over the years, commodities carried have included mineral water, whisky, newsprint, petfood, bagged clay and cement, and many others fromall corners of the UK to the continent. The readyto- run models will be produced with the co-operation of Touax the current owner of the IZAfleet a of GE Rail Servic Touax, after its acquisition ces. Recognising ‘twins’…

Although not on public view at Showcase, an opportunity was afforded to view the first tooling sample of Dapol’s forthcoming Class 68 in ‘N’ gauge. This still requires some adjustments but good progress is being made with the scaled down version of the DRS locos with an early 2018 release currently projected. The specification is much the same as the 4mm model, apart from the loss of the ‘halo’ lighting function due to the smaller size of the model. Initial liveries will duplicate those seen in ‘OO’, namely Nos. 68002/05 in DRS, ScotRail’s Nos. 68006/07 and Nos. 68010/14 in Chiltern colours Also available for inspection were decorated samples of Dapol’s Class 121 ‘bubble cars’, these being the standard release versions that will be available from all Dapol stockists. All four…

RECENT years have seen KernowModel Rail Centre build up an impressive range of exclusivemodels, both in terms of new tooling and reliveries, with a number of these having a Cornish connection. Among the models have been the current Imerys high-capacity JIA china clay hoppers, as introduced from 2000. For its latest ‘OO’ gaugewagon release, Kernowhas now turned its attention to the forerunners of these wagons, the PBA ‘Clay Tigers’. Introduced in 1982, the wagons were originally owned by Tiger Rail, which leased them to English China Clays. As detailed in the preceding feature, these saw use around theWest Country, South Coast, West Midlands and central Scotland in their first decade of service, making them a good choice on a geographic basis. They also lasted long enough to work alongside the…

THE Class 66 fleets belonging to the various freight operators continue to offer rich pickings for Bachmann with the appearance of a new livery every now and then. This is most evident at GB Railfreight, where the colourful one-off liveries are particularly desirable for those wishing to stay as up-to-date as possible with the current day locomotive scene. Bachmann has now added another member of the Class 66/7 fleet to its ‘OO’ range with the appearance of No. 66711 in its Aggregate Industries colours. This was unveiled in March 2015 with the customer livery marking the award of a five-year haulage contract to GBRf. The venture was further cemented four months later when the GM was named Sence in a ceremony at Bardon Hill, this being the name of the…

Follow us on twitter @railexpress THROUGH trains between Wareham and the Swanage Railway were scheduled to begin on June 13, (just after this issue went to press), more than 45 years since the line was closed by British Railways in January 1972. Services began despite delays in the completion of the ‘Heritage’ DMUs that are being specially overhauled at Eastleigh Works for use on these services. For the 2017 season, West Coast Railways will be operating loco-hauled trains on the line, using London Underground’s 4-TC set ‘top and tailed’ by Class 33/47 locos. These will probably include the 71A Group’s No. D6593 (33012) Lt Jenny Lewis RN, which is main line certified and based at the Swanage Railway, as well as West Coast’s own motive power. Four return trips will…

MINI-TOUR TARGETS GREAT CENTRAL LINES THE Branch Line Society and the Preserved Locomotive Enthusiasts’ Group have teamed up to run ‘The Rothley Rodder’ on July 22, at the Great Central Railway. This will cover rare lines in the Swithland and Loughborough areas, and visit the full length of the Mountsorrel branch – including the associated connection. Haulage include three Class 08 locomotives, with Nos. 08907 and 08528 ‘top and tailing’ loco-hauled stock from Loughborough to Rothley, a DMU running Rothley to Mountsorrel and return, then No. 08694 hauling the coaching stock back to Loughborough. Tickets start at £20 for members and are available through the BLS. FURTHER DELAY FOR SCOTRAIL ELECTRIFICATION PLANS to speed up journeys by electrifying the main Edinburgh-Glasgow rail line have been delayed again. Network Rail had…

HERITAGE RAIL YOUNG PERSONS STUDY THE All-Party Parliamentary Group on Heritage Rail has invited the Heritage Railway Association to participate in a study into the role of young people in railway preservation. There are more than 100 heritage railways in the UK, which employ over 4,000 full-time equivalent staff and almost 20,000 volunteers – most of whom are from older male groups. The objective of the inquiry is to report on measures that will aid heritage railways in engaging and fostering the interests of young people, and offer them opportunities for work experience, training and employment in the wide range of skills needed to operate heritage railways. GREATER ANGLIA EXTRA SEATS GREATER Anglia says it has added more than 100,000 extra seats to its summer timetable, which came into effect…

THE South Staffordshire Railway (SSR) line between Lichfield and Walsall via Brownhills was opened in April 1849, passenger services commencing in the June of that year. The line formed part of the SSR’s principal 23-mile route from the Midland Railway’s Birmingham to Derby main line at Wichnor Junction to the heart of the West Midlands’ industrial Black Country region at Dudley, the final section to Dudley via Wednesbury and Great Bridge opening in March 1850. At Dudley, the SSR line was joined in November 1852 by that of the Oxford Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway (OWWR), which entered the region at Stourbridge, reaching Wolverhampton (Low Level) in April 1854. By the 1970s, the alignments of both the former OWWR and SSR formations would be jointly referred to as the Dudley line…

NYMR MK.1 GOES ON LOAN MK.1 BSO No. 9267 has been placed on loan to the Somerset&Dorset Railway HeritageTrust at Midsomer Norton, and it arrived at the site on May8. The same day sawBSK No. 34527 return to Midsomer Norton afteravisit to Cranmore for refitting of gangways, which it lost upon departmental conversion in the 1970s. CHOPPER STOPPED POWER unit problems have resulted in No. 20020 being stopped at Bo’ness. Its removal fromtraffichas left the line with just twooperational diesels (Nos. 37067 and 47643). As a result, No. 27001, which had been stopped in 2013 for overhaul, is being quickly reactivated to provide additional cover on the railway. STATELYTRAINS SALOON FORWENSLEYDALE LNWR Directors’ Saloon No. 5318 has been moved fromthe Embsay&Bolton Abbey SteamRailway to the Wensleydale Railway, where it is…

SECRETED away at Crewe Diesel TMD, two of the Locomotive Services fleet have received repaints as work continues to return them to traffic. These have seen No. 47805 join stablemate No. 47501 in BR green while, more surprisingly, is the large logo blue garb that now adorns No. 37610. At Toton, Nos. 66020 and 66206 were turned out in DB red either end of May while No. 43016 is the latest HST power car to visit Wabtec, Doncaster, for modifications and a repaint in Great Western green. Classmate No. 43146 LOCOS Additions DRS plain blue: 68028-31 Repaints BR large logo blue: 37610 BR two-tone green: 47805 DB Cargo: 66020, 66206 First Group plain blue: 43146 Great Western Railway green: 43016 DMUs Repaints Great Western Railway green: 150239, 153372/73, 158951, 165109…

Among the latest 4mm scale transfer releases from Railtec Models is a sheet featuring green TOPS numbering for Freightliner locos covering a selection of Class 47s, 57s, 66s, 86s and 90s (1780, £5.50) and a pack containing additional brandings for the same company’s locos, such as the current ‘zero injuries’ legends, the 2005 40th anniversary ‘ruby’ logos and auto-start warnings for Class 66s (1781, £4.90). These logos also feature in a wider pack for Class 66 small details, this additionally containing such things as fuel notices, lifting point symbols and assorted hazard warnings (1067, £6.50). www.railtec-models.com Provincial Wagons is now offering a 4mm scale kit for the Irish Rail sugar beet wagons. Constructed in 1985, this involved welding together two corrugated open wagon bodies, one on top of the other,…

SO, the wait is finally over with May bringing the arrival of DJ Models’ long anticipated and much delayed Southern Class 71 locos in ‘OO’ gauge. First unveiled back in July 2014, competition unfortunately arrived at the end of the same year with Hornby announcing its intention to also produce the DC electrics. So began a head-to-head to see which company could deliver their version first but, ultimately, Hornby easily ran out the winner, releasing its Class 71 just under a year ago. This has left the DJM version in a rather belated second place, at a time when the Hornby models are already getting discounted to clear the remaining stocks. However, with the DJM version having been developed using the crowdfunded technique, this means a large proportion of the…

DUE for release imminently is DJ Models’ first venture into 2mm scale in the form of the ZJO/ZJV ‘Mermaid’ side-tipping ballast wagons. The design was first developed for the Great Western Railway by Metro- Cammell, with a further 639 wagons following for British Railways in batches between 1952 and 1961. Although more complicated to operate than a hopper wagon, the side-tippers remained in use until the mid-1990s. DJM intends to release the four planned liveries in batches with the BR black versions the first to appear, to be followed by Gulf red, olive green and engineers’ grey/yellow. Apart from the short-lived Gulf red, each scheme will feature four different numbers, this example being No. DW100051 (DJM-N-RS-100010D). Although numbered as a GWR example, the tooling is actually for a BR-built wagon…