Innehållsförteckning för June 2018 från Rail Express

GREAT Western Railway has become the third train operating company to take on a fleet of Class 769 units, the former Class 319 EMUs fitted with diesel engines to enable them to operate over non-electrified lines. Unlike the planned Northern and Arriva Trains Wales sets, which will operate in 25 kV AC overhead mode as well as under diesel power, the GWR units will also run on 750V DC third-rail lines, making them the first ‘tri-mode’ sets. The ‘769s’ will release further Class 165/166 ‘Turbo’ DMUs for transfer to St Philip’s Marsh to provide additional capacity for services in the Bristol area. Prior to their move west, it is likely that some of the released ‘Turbos’ will return to Thames Valley services for a short period in advance of the…

THE development of Blackpool as a town goes hand in hand with the railways serving it, as the tourism that began in the late-1700s as a trickle (of stagecoaches) turned into a flood after the first railway to the coast opened in the 1840s. A line from Preston to Fleetwood had opened in 1840 for ferry passengers and fish traffic, with ‘branches’ from Kirkham to Lytham (later extended to Blackpool South and Central) and Poulton to Blackpool (North) following six years later. Blackpool boomed as a resort, not least as a holiday destination for workers in the industrial towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire, which led to a new line being built from Kirkham to Blackpool South/Central in 1903 along with acres of sidings to cope with the literally hundreds of…

50 YEARS AGO... JUNE 1968 ■ TRIAL BORINGS IN MANCHESTER: In connection with the Manchester rapid transit study, trial borings started on June 17 to test the strength and depth of sandstone under the city centre. A total of 20 trial borings were made on sites between Oxford Road and Victoria stations. Alderman Harry Sharp, chairman of Manchester Corporation Transport Department, cut the first sod. The so-called ‘Picc-Vic’ idea would have linked the city’s two main stations by underground main line railway, allowing through journeys between the north and south suburbs. The idea was abandoned in 1977, but the idea of joining up the city was recycled in 1992 with the opening of the Metrolink tram system. The opening of the Ordsall Chord this year now also allows through rail…

THE well-established West Coast Railways’ Carnforth/Preston-York/ Scarborough ‘Scarborough Spa Express’ trips have increasingly enticed the locomotive aficionado with its heritage traction – including a Colas Class 56 and last year’s use of the CFPS’ No. 40145. This year there is also something special planned in the form of a Colas Class 70 machine, which will head the SSE to York on June 7, although it has only been announced on WCR’s Facebook page. This is a significant event because of its rarity, and there have only been three railtours using Class 70 power since the class was introduced in 2009. All three were run by Pathfinder Tours: ‘The Yorkshire Dalesman’ on April 17, 2010 with 70003; ‘The Scenic Settler’ on March 23, 2013 with 70004; and ‘The Scenic Settler’ on…

SUNDAY, August 5, will see another GBRf charity tour running from Birmingham International. ‘Dub & Grub’ is a lunchtime circular trip in association with the Class 50 Alliance, featuring two of its ‘Hoovers’. It starts at midday and takes in Stechford, Aston, Soho, Kidderminster, Ledbury, Hereford, Maindee, Severn Tunnel, Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Lickey Incline, Longbridge, University, and into Birmingham New Street around 16.00. The train will then go forward with unspecified traction from Birmingham New Street to Birmingham International (set down around 16.30), Oxford (around 17.30) and Basingstoke (around 18.30). Tickets on the main lunch tour will be valid for the onward stock movement to Basingstoke. The GBRf train namers have had fun with this one – with, presumably, the ‘Dub’ referring to the ‘dub, dub, dub’ of a…

ONE of the 12 locos put up for sale by RMS Locotec in November 2017, No. 31601 Devon Diesel Society has been acquired for preservation by Dave Chambers, owner of classmate No. 31206. The Brush Type 2 moved by road from the Weardale Railway, where it has been located since January following the closure of DCR’s Washwood Heath site, to its new base at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway on April 12. No. 31601 last ran on the main line in December 2015, and had spent the previous few years being used on stock moves for DC Rail. Prior to that, it had been part of the Fragonset fleet, and was one of a pair of Class 31/1s (Nos. 31186/191) that were fitted with through ETS wiring in 1999. This provided…

WITH the conclusion of winter de-icing operations, mid-April saw GB Railfreight place the majority of its unmodified Class 73 fleet into stored serviceable status at Tonbridge West Yard. Those affected encompassed Nos. 73109, 73119, 73136, 73141, 73212 and 73213 with the six electro-diesels spending the rest of the month stabled in the Kent yard. Early on April 13, Nos. 73107 and 73128 were used to power a 4O66/01.30 Dollands Moor-Tonbridge West Yard working conveying 26 new IIA biomass hoppers but, following this exertion, they too remained out of use at Tonbridge for the rest of the month, albeit not officially stored. Completing the fleet, No. 73201 was stopped at St Leonards throughout April for maintenance. The decision to officially remove the Class 73s from traffic is not hugely surprising as,…

THINGS are starting to speed up in DB Cargo’s programme to cut-down HTA coal wagons to make more efficient HRA aggregate hoppers. There were many comings and goings between DB’s workshops at Stoke-on-Trent and WH Davis’ site at Langwith Junction, Nottinghamshire, which are summarised as follows: ■ April 11 Inbound: Nos. 310930/3/61, 311055/72 (arrived behind No. 66129). Outbound: Nos. 311014 (for conversion at WH Davis, later spotted on its own the next day behind No. 66082 working a 4Z31 Bescot-Toton). ■ April 13 Outbound: Nos. 311110 (for conversion at WH Davis, departed behind No. 66109). ■ April 18 Outbound: Nos. 310360 (also wears No. 41 70 6723 011-6), 311116 (both for conversion at WH Davis, departed behind No. 66164). ■ April 20 Inbound: Nos. 310920/9/59, 311027/96 (arrived behind No. 66177).…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: GM No. 085 hauled the Sperry train from Dublin to the Infrastructure yard at Portlaoise on March 26. It is reported that the Limerick Junction to Waterford line reopened to traffic in late March after flood water near Clonmel had subsided. On March 27, GM No. 087 was noted hauling sister loco No. 088 to Inchicore for attention after the latter had failed at a location on the Cherryville Junction-Waterford line. The Dublin to Cork main line was severed during the Easter period near Sallins to install a new road underbridge. Heuston/Cork services started from/terminated at Newbridge, with replacement buses to and from Dublin. Limerick, Galway and Westport services used Kildare, while buses were used throughout for Waterford line passengers as a signalling upgrade was undertaken…

EARLY May saw Hornby make an unusual mid-year announcement of additional ‘OO’ gauge models, these seeing new versions of several popular recent releases added to the catalogue. In the case of D&E era models, this was very much focussed on new supplies of vehicles in the current Great Western Railway green livery with both an additional HST set and Hitachi Class 800 announced. The IET is perhaps the most interesting as it will depict five-car set No. 800010, which was named after Paddington Bear and his creator Michael Bond back on January 10. For the ceremony, different images of the popular character were added to many of the unit’s doors and remain in place today. These graphics will be faithfully re-created on the new model, which is scheduled to arrive…

AS this decade began, Network Rail and its partners were well on the way to developing a new method of carrying out track inspections. Dubbed plain line pattern recognition (PLPR), the system utilised an array of cameras mounted beneath a coach to produce high definition images of continuously-welded plain track in different planes at speeds up to 125mph. These images were then processed by pattern recognition software to identify missing, misaligned or damaged track components, such as Pandrol clips. Any defects would be flagged for correction with their location pinpointed using a mix of systems, including global positioning satellite co-ordinates and tachographs. The idea of PLPR was to significantly improve the quality of track inspection work while largely removing the need for the time-honoured method of staff carrying out lineside…

AN investigation by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) into elements of rail franchising found that the performance of the Department for Transport has been completely inadequate. The all-party PAC investigates Government spending and policy so that conclusions can be drawn on the effectiveness of its decisions. The PAC looked into the operation of the Thameslink Southern & Great Northern (TSGN) and InterCity East Coast franchises in terms of what the train operating companies were required to deliver in the franchise contract. It found the DfT can be blamed for much that has gone wrong with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates the TSGN franchise. “The truth is that concessions to the union demands were difficult to make” THAMESLINK TROUBLE A central point of the TSGN contract was to support…

THE Government has added three new overseas rail companies to the list of firms that are authorised to reply to invitations to tender for rail franchises and concessions. The ‘passport’ process establishes that potential franchise holders have sufficient operating expertise and financial resources to apply. The newcomers are Italian open access operator NTV, Spanish National Railway RENFE, and French firm Transdev. It means there are now 18 potential bidders, but only five are British companies – First Group, Go-Ahead, National Express, Stagecoach and Virgin. National Express has already said it will not bid for franchises in the future after selling its interest in Essex Thameslink operations to Trenitalia in 2017. It will instead concentrate on bids to operate regional services in Europe where profit margins are higher than the average…

BEFORE they were transferred to the Western Region in the mid-1970s, we know that Class 50s regularly reached Barrow, working portions to and from Preston and the South, and also worked to Carlisle hauling Anglo-Scottish expresses. But did they ever work between Barrow and Carlisle via the Cumbrian Coast? Research by Rail Express reader Derek Fry confirms that yes, Class 50s did sometimes work round the coastal route – specifically on the 1M43 Huddersfield-Whitehaven postal train, which was usually formed of a Travelling Post Office and one or more vans. The ‘50’ would come on at Preston, with Barrow drivers taking it through to Whitehaven and then on empty to Workington for servicing (Workington drivers never being trained on the class). The train would arrive there…

Think you can do better? If you’ve taken something newsworthy, artistic or technically interesting on a mobile device, send it in to railexpresseditor@mortons.co.uk  and we’ll pay our normal rates for any used in the magazine.…

BARS OUT of service since December 2015, No. 31601 has been sold into preservation. The loco was removed by road from Wolsingham on April 11 and delivered to its new home at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway the next day. COLAS RAIL APRIL saw No. 56049 returned to the COLS stored pool at Nottingham Eastcroft, the ‘Grid’ having yet to turn a wheel under its own power since reinstatement last August. Instead, No, 56090 has notionally taken its place in the operational COFS fleet, this also being on the way back to service after lengthy repairs. The third of the long-stored trio at the relocated Boden Rail depot, No. 56051, was also restarted during the month. DIRECT RAIL SERVICES A FURTHER Class 57/3 has been removed from service in the form…

THE 2018 programme of the Belmond Grand Hibernian (BGH) tourist train started on April 10 and is planned to run until October 20. This year’s programme of tours, the third season, continues to follow the pattern that was used last year and, as previously, the luxury train is composed of the 10 ex-Irish Rail Mk.3s that were converted for their new role. Dublin Heuston is the start point (Tuesdays) and finish point (Mondays). The itinerary is as follows. Tuesday: Heuston-Cork-Charleville. Wednesday: Charleville-Mallow-Cork-Killarney. Thursday: Killarney-Portarlington-Galway-Athlone. Friday: Athlone-Westport-Roscommon. Saturday: Roscommon-Heuston-Connolly-Belfast-Dundalk. Sunday: Dundalk-Connolly-Waterford-Bagenalstown. Monday: Bagenalstown-Heuston. For the initial part of the first tour, April 10 to 14, ‘Common user’-liveried GM No. 231 was the traction, as dedicated loco No. 216 was unavailable. No. 231 was replaced by GM No. 082 on the 14th…

SO far in my project to create a Glasgow Queen Street-Aberdeen push-pull set, I have covered how I went about respraying and detailing No. 47701 St Andrew along with creating the Mk.2f DBSO (REM No. 154 February 2017). Prior to that article, I described the improvements made to a Hornby Mk.2e First Open that forms part of the rake (REM No. 137 September 2015). In this concluding part, I will do my best to convey how I went about modelling the standard class Mk.2 coaches that complete the set. As I touched on in the previous instalment, there are several ways in which a prototypical rake of Mk.2 coaches can be achieved. It does all depend on how far you want to take it but, having decided that alot of…

RECENTLY added to Kernow Model Rail Centre’s ever increasing line-up of limited editions is the Hornby Mk.3b Driving Van Trailer in Network Rail yellow (R4869). The ‘OO’ gauge model is finished as No. 82124 and marks a welcome return for the rather underutilised tooling. As is to be expected, no alterations have been made to the model to represent the various modifications carried out on the test train quartet so items such as the cab front camera, bufferbeam lights, roof exhausts and rear jumper cables will need to be added if desired. The air intake slats provided in the leading, and now sealed, luggage door on each side are represented though using printing. This is acceptable enough given the circumstances, although the door handle recess is an intrusive presence. The…

JUST as this issue went to press, Hattons sprung a major surprise by announcing its intention to release a completely new Class 66 in ‘OO’ gauge. There have been calls for some time for a new 4mm scale recreation of the ubiquitous General Motors design with a significant number of D&E modellers feeling the Bachmann model was no longer up to scratch when compared to more recent and better detailed offerings. Due for release in March 2019, the new Class 66 will see Hattons become an even more significant player in the D&E scene with the promised specification being impressive. Naturally, both the standard and low-emission bodyshells will be produced along with key detail variations, such as headlights, cabside windows, fuel tank size and coupling type. The wing mirrors fitted…

EARLY May saw Hattons receive the initial prototype samples of its ‘OO’ gauge FEA container flat project, this including not only the wagon itself but also all the Railhead Treatment Train modules and the track panel carriers. The wagon employs a diecast spine to which have been added a variety of plastic components. The container fixing spigots are removable so can be adjusted to suit any combination of 20ft, 30ft or 40ft container or module as needed. The three modules for the RHTT sets encompass water jetting, sandite and the water tanks, these featuring etched handrails and other details where needed in addition to a variety of separate plastic detail parts. Much more simple in appearance are the track panel carriers with both 20ft and 30ft types tooled up, which…

AS part of the Government’s drive to improve air quality through a policy of decarbonisation across the economy, railway diesel traction has been identified as a source of pollutants that can be eliminated in the long term. New technology will be required, however, as it is unrealistic to expect that electrification can be extended throughout the network in the next 22 years to the proposed 2040 deadline. Trains will continue to need a source of power for traction motors, and a pointer to the future is the development of hydrogen fuel. The technology has been branded as ‘Hydrail’ and Alstom has already produced a fleet of 14 Coradia iLint two-car multiple units for use in Germany. The system requires fixed charging points at depots to provide energy for roof-mounted hydrogen…

THE line to Blackpool North reopened on April 16 after a five-month closure for electrification and resignalling. Blackpool North was one of the last remaining large terminuses to retain semaphores, but they have been swept away, along with five manual signal boxes between there and Preston, to be replaced by colour lights controlled from Manchester Rail Operations Centre. The closed boxes are Blackpool North No.2, Carleton Crossing, Poulton, Kirkham North Junction, and Salwick No.2. All are scheduled to be demolished in due course. The line from Preston to both Blackpool South and North closed on November 11 after the end of the town’s illuminations season. The initial aim was to complete the work as far as Kirkham & Wesham so that trains could start running to Blackpool South again. This…

ARAILTOUR sponsored by Rail Express should be a prime candidate for a headline pair of classic traction, and so it proved on April 14 with Pathfinder’s ‘Cumbrian Hoovers’ trip from Birmingham International to Carlisle in co-operation with the Class 50 Alliance, Riviera Trains and GB Railfreight. The tour was booked for two Class 50s to cover some 473miles, and Nos. 50049 Defiance (leading outbound) and No. 50007 Hercules were rostered – both in blue livery but the former sporting the large logo version. The outward journey after leaving the West Midlands was a dash down the West Coast Main Line to Wigan before cutting across via Hellifield to the Settle & Carlisle Line. The return took the scenic option via the Cumbrian coast and Barrow to Carnforth before another high…

CAPTURED here is the rare moment that a DC-powered electric loco dragged an AC-powered one back from a works visit. The date was August 11, 1977 (a Thursday) and EM1 No. 76040 was hauling North British Locomotive-built No. 84001 across the Pennines west of Penistone on the Woodhead Line. Sadly the only thing still existing in this shot today is the ‘84’, and that is in static preservation rather than serviceable main line use. The NBL loco was returning to Longsight depot, Manchester, after a visit to Doncaster Works. It had been dragged as far as Barnsley Junction (east of Penistone) by a Class 37, where the ‘76’ took over presumably to Guide Bridge or Piccadilly. Regular passenger traffic over the Woodhead Line had ceased in January 1970, but in…

THE return to the UK of a Class 04 from Italy (first highlighted in our August 2003 issue) is back on the agenda again. No. D2289 has been secured from steel processing firm Lonato S.p.A. in Brescia, Northern Italy, by Mark Jones, and it is set to join the Heritage Shunters Trust collection at Rowsley. Its transportation across Europe is expected to cost in the region of £15,000 and the HST is asking for pledges of support to help fund this – visit www.heritageshunters.co.uk for more details. No. D2289, which was one of only a small number of Class 04s to gain BR blue livery, was one of four members of the class to be exported to Italy via P. Wood (Shipbreakers), the others being Nos. D2216/31/95. Previously owned by…

FORMER Class 210 Driving Trailer No. 67300, later used as a Class 457 test-bed car, left the Coventry Railway Centre on April 23 for a new home at the East Kent Railway. The vehicle is to be used as a static cafe at Eythorne station. Other recent departures from Coventry have been 2-HAP No. 4311, which moved to Darley Dale in April following its purchase by Andrew Briddon, and High-Speed Freight Vehicle 1 (HSFV1), No. RDB511023, which has been donated to the National Railway Museum and has been transferred to Locomotion at Shildon.…

TO celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Class 40s – pioneer No. D200 (40122) entering service in March 1958 (see April issue for a full history) – the East Lancashire Railway staged a three-day gala on April 13-15 that saw the CFPS’ home-based Nos. 40106 Atlantic Conveyor, 40135 and 40145 joined by Nos. 40012 Aureol and 40013 (as D213) Andania for an intensive timetable of workings. The National Railway Museum in York loaned celebrity No. D200 for the event, although this was only for static display as the loco is currently non-operational, meaning there were an incredible six Class 40s gathered together for the first time since British Rail days. The last time so many were together in one place at the same time would have been at least 30…

CLASS 20 ON April 7, the BR blue pairing of Nos. 20189+20205 hauled the 5Z19/07.01 Eastleigh-Victoria empty stock ‘tailed’ by No. 73962 in preparation for a GB Railfreight staff wedding special which set off from the London terminus after midday. The train was initially routed via Barnes, the North London Line to Barking and London Gateway and later back to Liverpool Street, Temple Mills, Bowes Park, Finsbury Park and King’s Cross. The following day, all three locomotives were noted running light from Eastleigh Works to Tonbridge. Another blue pairing, that of Nos. 20096+20107, ‘top and tailed’ London Underground stock movements towards the end of the month along with Nos. 20311+20314. The quartet handled the 7X08/16.09 Chaddesden-Banbury on April 24 with ‘S’ Stock sets Nos. 21397/98, the 7X10/01.26 Banbury-Chaddesden (April 26)…

PROPOSALS to use Class 365 ‘Networkers’ on the Edinburgh to Glasgow route, due to the windscreen problems with the Class 385s, took a step forward on April 21 when the four cars from No. 365523 arrived at Glasgow Works for evaluation and testing. They had been brought north overnight from Ilford by road. ScotRail is looking at the possibility of introducing Class 365s on services between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High during the summer. Running largely in eight-car formations, they would be maintained at Shields depot but outbased at Eastfield and Millerhill. Early indications are that five pairs of units would be used on the route. AVAILABLE NOW The Class 365s are immediately available as 21 members of the class are in the process of being handed back to…

FIVE coaches belonging to the Swanage Railway returned to the main line on April 13 when they were used in connection with a test run involving U Class ‘Mogul’ steam loco No. 31806. The vehicles involved were Mk.1 TSO (Tourist Standard Open) Nos. 4842/99, 4945/61 and BSK (Brake Standard Corridor) No. 35464, which formed the 5Z42/12.20 Swanage-Yeovil Junction and 5Z43/17.00 return. ‘Crompton’ No. D6515 (33012) Lt Jenny Lewis RN acted as ‘top and tail’/back-up loco. All five coaches, which carry Southern Railway green livery, have been placed in the MBCS pool. Since being retired from BR service in 1990, the BSK has seen use on Network Rail tracks as a steam support coach. However, for the remaining vehicles, it was their first appearance on the main line this century. All…

PREVIOUSLY in the care of the APT-E Support Group, and based at the now defunct Electric Railway Museum near Coventry, High Speed Freight Vehicle 1 (No. RDB 511023) has been gifted to Locomotion Shildon. It moved by road on April 16. This somewhat nondescript wagon, which looks like an underframe in search of a body, is described by the APT-E Support Group as nationally significant, which possibly even downplays its key role in the history of Britain’s railways. We take 60mph and even 75mph freight services for granted nowadays, but in the late 1950s and early 1960s attempts to accelerate fitted freight trains were marred by a series of high profile derailments, particularly affecting short wheelbase goods wagons. The problem was identified as ‘hunting’, where the wagon sways from side…

AS reported briefly last month, the Downpatrick and County Down Railway (D&CDR) is to preserve four Northern Ireland Railways 8080 Class DEMU vehicles. Two of them, Nos. 8069 and 8749, have been reliveried at York Road Works into the class’ original maroon, blue and white colour scheme before their transfer to Downpatrick. This livery was introduced by NIR in 1970 when it was applied to the eight new Mk.2s that were ordered for the Cross-Border ‘Enterprise’ service. No. 8749, which was the spare trailer for the Sandite unit had, like Motor Coach No. 8090, retained the blue and silver/grey livery after its withdrawal from passenger service. Yellow-liveried Motor Coach No. 8069 was moved to the paint spray facility from the preparation area at York Road Works on April 12. It…

AS ever, the start of June brings the annual Diesel & Electric Modellers United exhibition at the town hall in Burton-upon-Trent. Taking place on the 2nd and 3rd, the Showcase event will again feature a high quality line-up of layouts, demonstrators and traders under one roof. A total of 12 layouts are set to appear including the ‘N’ gauge duo of Farmer's Drove by Steve Farmer and Stapleforth St Stephens from Mike and Lizzie Hughes. Also on show in this scale will be a re-creation of Burtonon-Trent in the late 1980s/early 1990s but with some compression, which is the work of Cavan Millward. There are half adozen layouts in ‘OO’ including the newly unveiled Deadman’s Lane from Mick Bryan, the 1980s-set North West terminus of Alderford by Carl Bowden and…