Innehållsförteckning för May 2020 från Rail Express

SO much has happened in such a short space of time. When we last went to press in March, Covid-19 was still something mostly happening elsewhere. But by this press day, we are in lockdown and the virus has spread fear throughout the country – not just for now, but for the future and how we will get back to something like normal again. It has been pleasing to see how our railways have played their part keeping key workers and essential freight moving. Many passenger trains are now running mostly empty, quite rightly, but their need remains and for that reason the Government has sensibly suspended franchise contracts and taken over the burden of keeping services moving on nearly all lines. But it is arguably our heritage lines that…

IT is an agreed policy that Network Rail will transfer ownership of the Core Valley Lines (CVL) network to the Welsh Government, but the proposed handover date has now been delayed. Transport for Wales previously identified that delay in the transfer of ownership will have an impact on the construction milestones for the South Wales Metro project, which in turn will risk losing £162 million of funding support from the European Regional Development Fund towards the cost of the upgrade. The lines being sold on a freehold basis cover 85 miles of infrastructure, including buildings and operational assets. The routes are from Cardiff Bay via Cardiff Queen Street to Rhymney and Coryton, and from Cardiff Queen Street North Junction to Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert – including the freight lines…

THE Rail Freight Group – which acts as a representative body for companies involved in forwarding rail traffic including the rail freight operators, logistic companies and ports – has stressed that operational staff must be classified as key workers so that staff can continue to travel to and from work and have access to school places and childcare, writes ‘Industry Witness’. It is also essential that freight routes are kept open if resources to operate the network become limited so that services can be maintained. Although there has been a decline in the number of containers arriving at Felixstowe and Southampton, intermodal traffic continues to be handled at ports with goods that are essential to the manufacturing supply chain. There is increased demand for domestic distribution to maintain supermarket stock…

BESIDES those credited elsewhere, this issue has been made possible by the contributions of the following readers, to whom the editor is most grateful: Alex Ayre, Paul J Berry, Simon Blackburn, Tom Braund, Ben Bucki, James Bushnell, John Coleman, Martin Cook, Joel Coulson, Steve Donald, Peter Foster, Barry Gill, Stephen Ginn, John Hales, Ryan Hayward, Brad Joyce, Gordon Kirkby, Peter Laithwaite, Ian Lyall, Greg Mape, Keith Marshall, Duncan McEvoy, Brian Newton, Graham Nuttall, Rodd Orr, David Palmer, Dean Parsons, Keith Partlow, Michael Pattrick, Chris Playfair, Colin Pottle, Harry Rawding, Karen Richardson, Steve Sienkiewicz, Mark Simms, Andy Small, Jamie Squibbs, John Stretton, Tom Stobbs, Steve Stubbs, Jack Taylor, Cameron Walker, and many more.…

ANOTHER MK.4 SET STOPPED MARCH 14 saw LNER Mk.4 set BN16 depart Bounds Green for storage at Worksop. The rake, which comprised Nos. 82222, 11413/316/287, 10315, 12304/433/445/428/213, was taken north by No. 66738 Huddersfield Town. Set BN19, which had arrived from Bounds Green on February 28, was split at Worksop with six vehicles (Nos. 12211/424/310, 10318, 11319 and 82201) and a further six from set BN22 (Nos. 12210/452/316, 10301, 11322 and 82230) departing for Willesden on March 2 to become part of the Grand Central fleet. The other coaches from these rakes (Nos. 11290/291/419/422,12400/460/470/473) remain in store at Worksop. EMR HSTS MOVE TO BARROW HILL IN preparation for their introduction to traffic with East Midlands Railway, a pair of former LNER HSTs have been moved from Gascoigne Wood to Barrow…

MANY tours previously advertised by most of the major railtour companies have had to be postponed on account of the coronavirus outbreak. Some are stating they plan to rerun them at a later date, but refunds were offered to those who requested them. Like so many businesses, this has caused serious worry to the owners, with no income coming in for what could be months. The position at the end of March for tours in May and beyond was as follows: Belmond Pullman: no change, tours running in May. A1 Steam Trust: no change, tours running in May. Branch Line Society: tour on May 25 deferred. Vintage Trains: tours postponed until mid-June. West Coast Railways: no change, tours running (The ‘Jacobite’ steam trips from Fort William due to start May…

MK.1 FOR CVR THE Churnet Valley Railway took delivery of another Mk.1 TSO for restoration during March, No. 4046 arriving from the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway. The CVR is creating another rake of coaching stock for its Reconnect Leek project, which has been awarded a £1.4 million grant from the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development. ‘SUPER GUV’ SOLD ONE of several NPCCS vehicles acquired by the SRPS as a spares donor in 2014, No. 94199, has been sold to Belmond (owners of the Royal Scotsman) and is to be moved from Bo’ness to EG Steele & Co at Hamilton. Also now at the Hamilton workshops is Metro-Cammell Pullman No. 316 Magpie, previously located at Carnforth. ROGART DEPARTURES A PAIR of Mk.2 former FK (First Corridor) coaches that were previously…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: The three members of the GM 8111 Class have no booked passenger workings and irregular Infrastructure Department duties. However, GM No. 8112 was active during the period under review working ballast trains from the loading siding at Poyntzpass to and from work locations between Portadown and Lisburn. The ballasting programme, which saw the usual train of five hoppers in use, was carried out overnight and commenced on February 23. It ended on March 7. On February 25, the 07.35 Dublin Connolly to Belfast Lanyon Place terminated at Dundalk because of a problem with Mk.3 generator van No. 9606. The passengers of the De Dietrich/Mk.3 train, headed by IR GM No. 231, were transferred to four-car IR DMU No. 29x07, which then ran to Portadown. There they…

KNOWN as the Central Line Improvement Programme, the life extension overhaul project for the 1992 Tube Stock (used by the Central and Waterloo & City Lines) commenced back in December 2015. Its aim is to achieve compliance for the 25-year-old trains with the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2010. Two cars were sent to Bombardier’s works at Derby in December 2018 so prototype designs could be developed. These cars, Driving Motor No. 91111 and Non-Driving Motor No. 92111, were later joined by Nos. 92446 and 93446 midway through 2019 to enable design work to progress on each of the four car types that make up the fleet. The trains were built by British Rail Engineering Limited from the summer of 1990 onwards, and utilised a combination of early microprocessor systems along…

MANY long-running exhibitions, including the York show, The Great Central Railway Model Event and The London Festival of Railway Modelling have fallen victim to the precautions being taken to tackle the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Decisions made by event organisers, prior to the emergency restrictions applied by the Government on March 23, which banned all gatherings, must have been particularly difficult on several levels, including the financial implications of cancelling shows close to their dates, with loss of venue deposits, together with the wider implications for the hobby. This had to be balanced by a duty of care to visitors and exhibitors, some of whom could be considered to be in a high risk category. With all shows cancelled under the latest restrictions on movement, thought has to be…

IN effect, two different locomotives were released at the same time by Dapol which will be of value to Eastern and Scottish Region modellers of the 1958 to 1971 era: the Class 21 and Class 29 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives; the latter being a mechanical rebuild of the former. Twenty Class 21 locomotives were selected to be rebuilt as Class 29s in an effort to improve reliability, a conversion which commenced in 1963 with No. D6123 which was fitted with a new Paxman Ventura engine at the company’s Colchester works. The remaining 19 locomotives were converted at Glasgow and Inverurie workshops, being allocated to Glasgow Eastfield depot for mixed traffic duties. All but the first Class 29s were fitted with four-character headcode boxes below the cab windows in place of the…

HRA HELPS OUT THE Heritage Railway Association is contacting its operating railway members to assess the availability of suitably skilled and qualified people in response to a call from Network Rail during the coronavirus crisis. The initial requirement is for signalling staff, followed by station staff. Like the train operating companies, NR is preparing for mass absences caused by the virus. Many of the volunteers and staff at Britain’s heritage railways are retired Network Rail people, while others are younger people working full-time running heritage railways to the same standards of safety and proficiency. The first step is to identify the staff and volunteers prepared to put themselves forward, before matching them to vacancies. EMR HST DISPOSALS PORTERBROOK has been quick to dispose of the first of the former East…

Correct to March 24, 2020 Allocations 71963 (ex-321415) off registration – scrapped 195126/27/29 HQ-NH 313018/24-33/35-64 HE/ETHQ-HQ/ SAXU 319380 AN/EDHQ-HQ/SBXH 321901 HT/EDHQ-HQ/SAXU 321902 NL/EDHQ-HQ/SAXU 331028 newly delivered HQ/EDHQ 397001/03/04/07 HQ/EAHQ-MA/ TPEC 710108/21 HQ-WN 710126/27 newly delivered HQ/ EKHQ 710271 HQ-WN 720505/10/30 newly delivered HQ/ EBHQ 745002/06/09 HQ-NC 755338 HQ-NC 755408 HQ-NC 801214 newly delivered HQ/HBHQ 801215/23/24 HQ/DR 802304 HQ-BN Numbers allocated Class 196 196001-12: 121001-12, 124001-12 196101-14: 121101-14, 122101-14, 123101-14, 124101-14 Formations  144008: 55808+55857+55831 144021: 55821+55844 Now in passenger traffic 195006/16 195126/27/29 331020/21 345053/54 397004 710108/21 710271 745002/06/09 755338 755408 801215/23/24 802304 Preserved Mid-Norfolk Railway: 142038 Stored/stopped locations Doncaster Wabtec: 769007 Eastleigh Works: 442412/21 Gascoigne Wood: 142011/13/35/36/41/43/45/47/51/55/61 Northampton: 317891/92 Worksop: 710126/27,720505/10/19/20/30 Disposals  CF Booth, Rotherham: cut date: February 14: 71963…

INDUSTRIAL A FAMILIAR site alongside the East Coast Main Line is John Fowler 0-4-0 No. 4220038 at the Heck (North Yorkshire) sidings of Plasmor Concrete Products, where trains are loaded for onward dispatch. After being solo for many years, it has now been joined by Rolls-Royce Sentinel No. 10256 (of 1966), which has also been painted into Plasmor colours. Meanwhile, Thomas Hill 290V No. HE 9382 Howard Taylor moved from LH Group at Barton–under-Needwood to Tarmac, Tallington (Lincolnshire) during February. FREIGHTLINER LOCO No. 08531 returned to Felixstowe from LH Group at Bartonunder-Needwood (Staffordshire) on March 11. This was followed a week later by the move of No. 08785 from Barton to Southampton Maritime, taking over the role of spare engine from No. 08585, which then became the pilot engine. This…

■ DB CARGO: With the current virus situation, inbound and outbound workings to DB Cargo’s workshop at Stoke-on-Trent have been sporadic this month. On March 6, WIA (UIC code Sefoorss) car carrier No. 85 70 4971 010-9 was delivered to the site, partnered with No. 85 70 4971 047-1, the latter apparently for brake force purposes only (this returned to Warrington Arpley the same day). No. 85 70 4971 010-9 departed two weeks later on the 25th after overhaul. No. 85 70 4971 040-6, at Arpley at the time of writing, is expected to be the next to arrive at Stoke. The final pair of FIA Sffgmss EMU translator vehicles from store, Nos. 83 70 70 4913 009-4 & 83 70 70 4913 013-6, arrived at the Stoke workshops in…

THE 2020 programme of galas has been decimated as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, with many events already cancelled or postponed and others likely to be. All lines that were due to open to the public at or before Easter have had to delay doing so, and some have even closed to volunteers for the time being. The following list includes those events where a decision has already been made, but all others – at least through the summer – should be classed as provisional for now. Diesel Galas April 18/19: Epping Ongar Railway (Cancelled) April 24-26: Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (Cancelled) April 24-26: Swanage Railway (Postponed) April 25/26: Ribble Railway May 2/3: Great Central Railway (Cancelled) May 14-17: Severn Valley Railway (Postponed) May 23/24: Heritage Shunters Trust (Cancelled) June…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: Before the coronavirus outbreak, flooding affected services at various locations because of heavy rain. The worst affected route was the Western Rail Corridor (WRC) between Limerick and Athenry. On February 24, the line was flooded at Kiltartan between Gort and Ardrahan and bustitution between Gort and Athenry was introduced from start of service the following morning. The track at Ballycar Lough, between Sixmilebridge and Ennis, became covered by floodwater and as a consequence this section was also closed at end of service on February 28, with bustitution introduced between Limerick and Athenry the next morning. These arrangements were subsequently altered when the floodwater at Kiltartan receded and the section between Ennis and Athenry reopened to traffic. Bustitution, however, continued between Limerick and Ennis. Other services affected…

TOOLS and materials include the following, in addition to the usual workbench hand tools: ■ Fine grade abrasive paper of grade 600 and 1200 grit. ■ 2mm diameter top hat rollingstock bearings. ■ 12mm diameter three-hole disc wheels. ■ Plastic weld solvent cement. ■ 0.45mm diameter brass wire. ■ 0.7mm diameter brass wire. ■ Coupling hooks. ■ Couplings to choice. ■ BR engineers olive, gulf red, black or ‘Dutch’ livery paint colours. ■ Transfers for the ZEV or ‘Catfish’. ■ Ballast weight (lead–free shot etc.). Optional items for scale modelling: ■ Scale ‘Instanter’ couplings and hooks. ■ Etched brass brake wheels. ■ Etched brake shoe yokes. ■ Lanarkshire Models & Supplies (LMS) heavy duty buffers. ■ Accurascale ‘Oleo’ wagon buffers. ■ LMS cast vacuum brake pipes. ■ MJT Components roller…

THE disposal of redundant Mk.3 stock to Sims Metals at Newport Docks is continuing and, by late March, more than 40 vehicles had arrived at the scrap metal processing site for scrapping. Following on from the move of six coaches on February 20, another six former Great Anglia vehicles were dispatched for scrap on March 12. No. 37401 Mary Queen of Scots was used for the move, the 5Z37/08.42 Norwich Crown Point-Sims, Newport. Included in the consist was TSO(B) No. 10402, the first Mk.3a micro-buffet to be disposed of. With Greater Anglia’s dispensation for operating Mk.3 slam-door stock expiring on April 1, further disposals are expected in the coming weeks. Of the three rakes disposed of from Long Marston in March, the first two were collected by No. 47813 Jack…

METEOR Power was awarded a contract In July 2019 to convert a diesel shunting locomotive to run from a bespoke hybrid electric powertrain as part of the ‘First Of A Kind’ innovation competition run by the Department for Transport. This led the company to buying two Class 08 shunters from Gemini Rail Services at Wolverton Works, Nos. 08649 Bradwell and 08629 Wolverton, which had been used to trip the Royal Train between the Works and Wolverton Centre Sidings for more than 25 years. No. 0649 had been stored unserviceable for about a year after suffering adamaged crankshaft, and was being used as a spare donor. It was moved from Wolverton on January 7 to Meteor’s engineering base at Silverstone, arriving there the following day. Dual-braked No. 08629 left Wolverton on…

Correct to March 24, 2020 POOL CODES EROG Class 91s on hire to the Rail Operations Group ALLOCATIONS 08410 PZ/EFSH-HQ/MBDL 08483 LA/EFSH-CD/LSLS 57310 KM/XHAC-LR/GROG 66094 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAE 66117 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAE 66130 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAR 66139 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAE 66149 TO/WBAE-WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAE 70004 FD/DHLT-LD/DFGI 86101 CP/GBCH-CD/LSLO 87002 CP/GBCH-CD/LSLO 91104 BN/IECA-HQ/SAXL 91122 IECA-EROG 91128 IECA-EROG SOLD AV Dawson, Middlesbrough: 08410 Locomotive Services Ltd: 08483 STORED/STOPPED LOCATIONS Crewe TMD: 91122/28 Ely: 43023, 43313 OPERATIONAL 66119/44, 70004 DISPOSALS Sandbach Commercial Dismantlers, Crewe: Cut date: February 86229…

SINCE DRS officially stopped its final Class 20/3s, there has actually been an uptick of main line activity for the remaining fleet. As well as the LSL pair (see news round-up, right), ROG has taken four locomotives on hire from HNRC, Nos. 20118, 20132, 20311 and 20314. The quartet moved from Barrow Hill to Leicester over two legs on March 13 and 15, collecting No. 47815 at Derby. Orange-liveried Nos. 20311 and 20314 made their operational debut for ROG two days later on March 17, heading to Long Marston to pick up six ex-GWR Mk.3s for scrapping at Sims, Newport (working under a 5Q76 headcode). On the 19th, it was the turn of the other pair to start work for their new employer, Nos. 20118 and 20132 heading a 6O42…

DB CARGO LONG-STORED No. 67017, taken out of service in the second week of December 2015, is likely to return to work soon after becoming the third and final Class 67 to be outshopped in Transport for Wales livery, joining classmates Nos. 67014 and 67025. No. 60010 was reinstated to the WCBT on the last day of March, while Nos. 66139 and 66149 were swapped from the WQAA storage pool to the operational WBAE earlier in the month. COLAS RAIL COLAS has stopped two Class 56s, Nos. 56078 (at Grangemouth) and 56105 (at Cardiff Canton), reportedly to become spares donors to keep the remainder of the fleet serviceable. DC RAIL/CAPPAGH NOT good news for DC Rail at the start of March as it was forced to hire DB Cargo’s No.…

ANOTHER rebuilt HST was released from Wabtec, Doncaster on March 12, bringing the total number to 14 with 12 left to be completed. Set HA13, made up of Nos. 40603 (ex-41006), 42021/557/143, was taken north by power cars Nos. 43026/126, running as the 5S01. The increase in the number of refurbished sets enabled the final ‘slam-door’ rakes to be stood down. The last three in use, stopped at the end of March, were: HA31 (41126+42344+42261+44030); HA32 (46010+42069+42118+44023); and HA33 (41140+42287+42289+44037). Nine coaches, primarily from sets HA01 and HA06, left Haymarket for Wabtec, Doncaster on March 20 with power car Nos. 43035/183. Six of the coaches (Nos. 41124/158, 42129/200/255/256) will return to Scotland in due course after being fitted with sliding doors, while the three TGS vehicles (Nos. 44029/032/086) are surplus…

Correct to March 24, 2020 Allocations 6722 off registration – scrapped 9711 TM/TLWS-HQ/MBCS 10301/18/21/30 BN/HBHQ-HQ/ECHQ 10329 SAXH-ECHQ 10597 PO/ESHQ-HQ/MBCS 11074 HQ/ICXH-HQ/MBCS 11237 off registration – scrapped 11241/44/90/91 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 11319-22 BN/HBHQ-HQ/ECHQ 11330 SAXH-ECHQ 11419-22 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 11427/28/29 off registration – scrapped 11998 off registration – scrapped 12092 HQ/ICXH-HQ/MBCS 12210/11/22/24 BN/HBHQ-HQ/ECHQ 12216 SAXH-ECHQ 12310/16/23/26 BN/HBHQ-HQ/ECHQ 12331 SAXH-ECHQ 12400/39/40/41/60/70/73/76 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 12434/52/61/77 BN/HBHQ-HQ/ECHQ 12438/57/66 off registration – scrapped 12449 SAXH-ECHQ 12538 off registration – scrapped 40701/02/08 EC/HBHQ-NL/EMHQ 40805 off registration – scrapped 41083/95 EC/HBHQ-NL/EMHQ 41068 off registration – scrapped 41112 off registration – scrapped 41115/59/65/85/90 EC/HBHQ-NL/EMHQ 42109/10/30/59/60 EC /HBHQ-NL/EMHQ 42194 off registration – scrapped 42225/27 off registration – scrapped 42228/37/86 EC/HBHQ-NL/EMHQ 42229 EC/HBHQ-HQ/SBXH 42307/22/26/30 EC/HBHQ-NL/EMHQ 44027 off registration – scrapped 44050/57/75 EC/HBHQ-NL/EMHQ 82115 HQ/SBXH-HQ/MBCS 82127/39 NC/EBHQ-CD/LSCO 82200/01/27/30 BN/HBHQ-HQ/ECHQ 82203 SAXH-ECHQ Renumbered 41006-40603 42024-48128 42042-48131 (2nd…

TYPE 2 GENERATOR REPAIRS FOLLOWING a flashover during the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway’s diesel day on December 28, No. 26038 Tom Clift 1954-2012 had its generator removed and sent away to Sulzer for repair during March. The generator from No. 27001, which needs attention to its armature shaft, was also dispatched for repair at the same time. ‘37’ NEARS COMPLETION STOPPED in early 2019 after the discovery of degradation to its traction motor banding, No. 37215 was reunited with its bogies at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway on March 19. ‘141’ VISITS EASTLEIGH IN PREPARATION for its move to the One:One Collection Museum at Margate, former Colne Valley Railway resident No. 141108 is now at Eastleigh Works for cosmetic attention. CLASS 03 GOES GREEN THE Epping Ongar Railway has outshopped No.…

THE Class 15 Preservation Society is appealing for funds to complete the overhaul of the bogies of No. D8233, having already spent more than 500 man hours and £2000 on their repair. A member of the society has offered to match any donations made to the appeal before June 30, up to a total value of £15,000. With gift aid, this could be worth up to £37,500. No. D8233 has been standing on accommodation bogies since February 2019. The bogie frames have since been stripped and then shotblasted to remove paint and rust, thanks to the Standard 4 Group. The brake rigging that was removed has also been worked on. Work still needed to be carried out involves major expenditure and includes: axle journal restoration and tyre turning; remanufacture of…

WARM air extracted from London Underground tunnels is being used to heat more than 1000 homes, an idea that could be extended across the LU network. The Bunhill 2 energy centre, on the site of the long-closed City Road Underground station in Islington, opened in early March. It uses a large fan to extract warm air from the Northern Line tunnels, which then passes over a series of pipes to heat water that is then pumped to nearby buildings via a distributed heating system. Electricity is also generated for use by LU and an adjacent tower block. The fan can also be reversed in summer to help cool the Tube tunnels if required. The Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority has put the cost of renewing the city’s Supertram system…

REPUTED to be the longest surviving first generation DMUs, the Class 121 has something of a following among enthusiasts which will make the brand-new ‘OO’ gauge model by Bachmann a popular choice for collectors and compact layout owners. When unboxing the model, the first impression was that Bachmann has achieved the correct shape and character of the Class 121 ‘Bubble Car’. The roof is smooth, free of unsightly grooves that plagued earlier models of the Class 121 and the ‘Derby’ design cabs are as they should be with their three large windows. No motor intrudes into the passenger cabin or guards van area. It’s an exciting representation of the 16 DMBS vehicles making up Class 121 (there appears to be no plans to produce the 10 matching unpowered DTS vehicles…

REALTRACK MODELS commissioned an ‘N’ gauge model of the French-built PCA cement tank wagons from Accurascale which were produced and released around the same time as the ‘OO’ gauge model. Realtrack Models offers packs of wagons in three different liveries including the up-to-date Castle Cement scheme; Rugby Cement as applied to the fleet of 15 wagons operated in the south of England and STS grey as applied to wagons once available for lease. It is a modern air-braked wagon designed to carry dry powders such as cement and was introduced in the UK by STS in 1982 following the construction of 12 similar wagons for Blue Circle Industries. Allocated to Diagram PC017B and PC017C, this type of PCA was built in several batches. The first batch of 52 vehicles is…

HORNBY’S latest version of the ‘OO’ gauge Class 87 is quite newsworthy. Neatly finished in the plain blue livery of Serco Caledonian Sleepers, the model of No. 87002 Royal Sovereign (R3751) is fitted with details specific to the locomotive when hired to GB Railfreight by the AC Locomotive Group. Its use with Serco Caledonian Sleepers lasted until October 2019 when the operation switched to new Dellner-fitted Mk.5 stock built by CAF of Spain. The group announced in November that it had sold the Class 87 to Locomotive Services Limited now its sleeper duties have concluded. Hornby released this version of its beautifully detailed Class 87 model in the condition it worked for Caledonian Sleepers including the restored multiple working equipment on the cab fronts and fitted with fire extinguisher…