Innehållsförteckning för October 2020 från Rail Express

THE coronavirus crisis has given the railways a problem they have not faced for decades: there is now far more capacity than actual passenger demand. Six months on from the initial countrywide lockdown, most trains are still carrying only a fraction of pre-Covid numbers. The success of home working, and the lack of space for social distancing in many offices, mean commuters have not yet returned in large numbers, while leisure travellers are still nervous about the perceived risk of train travel as well as other factors such as having to wear a mask throughout long journeys. With fare income still nowhere near covering costs, the Government has announced it is to continue the emergency agreements to fund rail services. But now it will also incentivise operators to attract more…

EXPANSION of the electrified DART network in the Greater Dublin area has progressed with the awarding of a contract for consultancy services to a joint venture of Atkins, TYPSA and TUC Rail, write William Watson and Alan McFerran. The Kildare Line Electrification Project will include installation of overhead wires between Hazelhatch and Heuston stations, plus Islandbridge Junction to Glasnevin Junction via the Phoenix Park Tunnel. This would connect with the Connolly to Maynooth line, which is also planned to be electrified. The project will also feature four-tracking the section of dual/three-track route between Park West and Heuston. The European Union has provided a grant of €8.8 million for the design stage under its Connecting Europe initiative. ■ Representatives of the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland governments are to investigate…

BESIDES those credited elsewhere, this issue has been made possible by the contributions of the following readers, to whom the editor is most grateful: Brian Battersby, Nicholas Brook, James Bushnell, Steve Donald, Keith Dungate, Jamie Dyke, Peter Foster, Stephen Ginn, John Hales, David Hall, Ryan Hayward, Richard Holmes, Brad Joyce, Gordon Kirkby, Stuart Kirkby, Peter Laithwaite, Greg Mape, Thomas Mills, Graham Nuttall, Rod Orr, Keith Partlow, Chris Playfair, Kevin Poole, Colin Pottle, Karen Richardson, Steve Sienkiewicz, Jonathan Stevenson, Tom Stobbs, Jack Taylor, Kevin Truby, Alan Watts, and many more.…

ALTHOUGH it is highly unlikely there will be any more galas this year, the number of railways offering running days using their diesel fleet has increased over the last few weeks. Many of these require booking in advance, and it is pleasing to record that anumber have already sold out – so please check with railways concerned for availability and confirmation beforehand. The East Lancashire Railway ran Class 24 No. D5054 on services between Heywood and Ramsbottom on August 29-31, and similar workings are planned for September. No. 40106 is due to be used on September 19, after which it should return to the Severn Valley Railway, where its steam-heat boiler will be most welcome, for the winter season. The following Saturday (September 26) will hopefully see No. D832 Onslaught…

■ FUNDING WOES: While there has been an increase in passenger numbers, Translink’s finances remained a cause for concern. Revenue continues to be problematic, while the latest payment from the Northern Ireland Executive for Covid-19 support was in June when £20 million was received. ■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: Services on the Belfast to Londonderry line were disrupted on August 11 because of a bridge strike in the Coleraine to Castlerock section, while signalling problems in the Belfast area saw the 15.10 Belfast GVS to Londonderry started from Lanyon Place. Normal services resumed later the same day. Also on August 11, the 08.20 Bangor to Portadown was cancelled because of a ‘train fault’. Driving car No. 3321 of unit No. 3021, which sported ‘Trainbow’ vinyls, was graffitied while stabled overnight at…

CLAYTON EQUIPMENT COMPANY Type 1 locomotives are grabbing their share of attention this summer with the sudden release of the EFE Rail ‘N’ gauge model in August and the revealing of factory livery samples of the forthcoming ‘O’ gauge model from Heljan. Careful examination of the samples revealed the need to make minor detailing tweaks before the model was cleared for production. Four different models are being produced including No. D8607 in weathered BR green together with three unnumbered models in BR blue, BR green with small yellow panels and full yellow ends. Twin motors, all-wheel drive, LED lighting and a plug and play decoder interface are among the features of the model which will be released towards the end of 2020. Room has been made for an ESU smoke…

Tools: ■ Razor saw ■ Modelling scalpel and fresh blades ■ Selection of needle files ■ Twist drills of 0.3mm to 2mm diameter ■ Pin vice ■ Cutting mat ■ Engineer’s square ■ Fine marker pen ■ Xuron sprue cutters ■ 300mm steel rule ■ Clamps Materials and components ■ Etched 4-CEP window frames ■ Bachmann or similar Mk.1 SK coach ■ Commonwealth bogies (Replica Railways or Bachmann) ■ Zap Cyano-acrylate (CA) adhesives ■ CA accelerator ■ 0.40 and 0.45mm diameter brass wire ■ Etched door furniture ■ MJT scallop roof ventilators ■ MJT shell roof ventilators ■ MJT EMU brake module castings ■ MJT curtain castings ■ Left-over Mk.2d coach interior mouldings ■ Plain (flangeless) pin point bearings ■ 14mm diameter coach disc wheels ■ Evergreen 20- by 30-thou…

ONCE regarded as BR’s standard Type 1 loco with a single cab, the 'Clayton' Class 17 proved to be a disastrous and costly purchase by BR, with many being withdrawn after as little as five years of service. Whilst the class was built in moderately large numbers and survived long enough to see rail blue livery, models have been a long time coming, with Heljan being the first to produce an off-the-shelf ‘OO’ gauge model in 2009. The short life span probably was a deterrent for the major manufacturers and only when the era of producing short run models of minority classes arrived has the Class 17 been seen as a subject for a viable model. Loco details A total of 117 locomotives were built straight from Clayton Equipment Company…

HAVING just put two of its three former Swedish Class 66s into service after modifications at EMD Longport, Nos. 66790 and 66791 (see last issue), it has been reported that GB Railfreight has agreed a deal with Beacon Rail to acquire afurther five locomotives that are surplus to requirements in Germany. To be numbered Nos. 66793-66797, this will take the operator’s fleet of the ubiquitous GM-EMD/ Progress Rail Type 5s up to 96 examples, and will include its first ‘heavy duty’ versions. Since the first deliveries of its five Class 66/7 ‘Bluebirds’ in March 2001 (Nos. 66701-66705), GBRf has steadily increased its fleet by purchasing new locomotives direct from EMD and also picking up second-hand machines from a number of British sources (including DB Cargo, Colas Rail/Advenza, Direct Rail Services…

Correct to August 26, 2020 Allocations 5482 MNXX-ERSX5810 HAHQ-XHSC5919/37/71/95 HAHQ-XHSC6001/08/46 HAHQ-XHSC6117/22/73 HAHQ-XHSC9448 MNXX-ERSX9488 HAHQ-XHSC9525 HAHQ-XHSC10326/31 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH10403 off registration - preserved10522 off registration - preserved10722 off registration - preserved11096 off registration - preserved11219/82 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH11305/10 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH11405/10 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH12009/49/67/93 off registration - preserved12051/57/81/89 off registration – scrapped12107/18/50 off registration - preserved12139/48/66 off registration - scrapped12200/09 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH12300/05 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH12419/43/86/88 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH12520/22 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH44044 HA/HAHQ-HQ/SCXH82114 off registration - preserved82210/24 BN/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH94499 MNXX-ERSX Renumbered 41130-4061141135-40613 Modifications  Fitted with sliding doors: 40611/13,42038/52/53, 42267/79/ 80/90/96,42301/25 Formations  HA11: 40611+42267+ 42325+42301 HA13: 40613+42279+ 42280+42296 To be converted and reformed  GW14: 44005+42005+ 42015+42016 GW15: 44016+42050+ 42066+42048 GW16: 44002+42074+ 42081+42071 Sold  Eastern Rail Services: 96374 ROG: 10249, 12176-85 Preserved  Northampton & Lamport Railway: 12049/67, 12118 Stored/stopped locations  Doncaster Wabtec: 42048/50/66/71/ 74/81, 42173/95, 42353, 44002/16 Ely: 44015 Great Central Railway: 12064/91, 82306 Great Yarmouth: 96374 Long Marston: 40728…

INDUSTRIAL THE EG Steel wagon works at Earnock Sidings, Hamilton is now the maintenance base for the Royal Scotsman train (previously it was at Craigentinny, Edinburgh) and Thomas Hill 4wDH No. 284v Cheedale has moved there to shunt the stock. This loco was delivered new to ICI Mond Division’s Tunstead Quarries (Buxton) in 1979, but was acquired by Andrew Briddon in 2013 and is now on loan to EG Steel pending the arrival of a replacement locomotive. Hunslet 0-6-0DH No. 8999 Redwing departed LH Group at Bartonunder-Needwood on August 7 for an undisclosed location. It was one of two shunters acquired from Exxon Mobil after closure of the Fawley refinery in 2012, the other being Hunslet No. 8998 Bluebird. With Andrew Barclay No. 649/ 1980 (rebuilt as Hunslet No. 750215/…

■ DB CARGO: KFAs Nos. RLS 92637 and TIPH 93313/459 departed DBC’s Stoke-on-Trent wagon works on August 9, the trio being returned to Crewe. Meanwhile, August 12 witnessed the departure of WIA (UIC code Sefoorss) five-unit car carrier No. 85 70 4971 012-5 from the same works on the Arpley tripper after overhaul. This was replaced by No. 85 70 4971 019-0, which arrived two weeks later on August 28. No. 85 70 4971 036-4 remains on site awaiting parts. Bringing the MPA story up to date, 257 MHAs have now been modified with revised brakes, being given new TOPS codes and TOPS design codes, as follows: MPA-A (integral brake discs) Design code: MP001C 394121/77/272/82/94/304/42/95/406/8, 396103 /8/12/6/26/30/9/41/4/7/56/8 MPA-B (modified brake discs) Design code: MP002A or MP002C 394002/3/8/10/3/7/9/20/2/4/5/30/5/7-9/42/4-6/56/61/73/6/7/81/4/7/92/5/6/9/102/3/7/9/12/5/7/9/26/7/9/30/2/7/9/47/59/62/8/9/75/9/80/9/94/7/200-3/5/6/9/11/4/5/9/20/2/3/7-9/31/3/9/41/2/8/56-8/62/3/6-8/76/7/9/80/3/4/9/91/3/5/300/3/5/7-9/12/5/6/20/2/4/30/2-4/8/9/44/8/50/2/6-8/60-2/4/5/7/71/9/83/4/9/90-4/ 6/8/504/31/43/7/55/7/60/2/70/7/617/39/41/56/68/75/82/91-3/6/701/4/7/12/3/5/6/43/6/54/65/78-80/8/9/95/806/9/10/22/4/49/51/4/6/69/86/90/900/5/7/8/10/29/30/1/42/8/64/6/72/3/81/91, 396003/4/7/10/22/3/5/33/5/6/41/8/56/8/72/7/80-2/5/9/90-2/5/7/110 ■…

THE future of No. 31255 at the Mid-Norfolk Railway has been assured following its purchase from Harry Needle Railroad Company by a group of members of the railway. The Class 31 had been stored on the line since May 2018. No. 31255 had previously had a 15 year spell in preservation at the Colne Valley Railway (Essex). Purchased from EWS by the Colne Valley Diesel Group in late 1999, it moved to the line in February the following year. It had previously been used for paint trials at Toton, gaining EWS livery, a colour scheme it carried throughout its time at the CVR. The loco saw regular use on the short line until 2015, when it was sold to HNRC for possible commercial work. At the time, HNRC was in…

EM2 ON DUTCH DISPLAY MARKING 50 years since the export of the first ‘EM2’ to Holland for use by Nederlandse Spoorwegen, No. E27003 Diana (NS No. 1501) has been placed on display at Utrecht Railway Museum. ‘26’ ENGINE PROGRESS REPAIR work on the heads, pistons and liners of the power unit from No. D5343 (26043), which was stripped earlier this year, is progressing at the Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Railway. BO’NESS LANDSLIDE THE Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway has launched an ‘Emergency Landslide Appeal’ after the line suffered significant damage, with a number of landslides occurring following the storms on August 11/12. Repairs are expected to cost around £100,000. CLASS 11 REPAIRS THE overhaul of long-term Severn Valley Railway resident shunter No. 12099 at Kidderminster is continuing, with the power unit being stripped down…

DEAN FOREST DMU MAKING its first appearance in traffic since 2016, Class 108 DMBS No. 51914 returned to service at the Dean Forest Railway on August 5following a major overhaul. It was paired with DTCL No. 56492, which had last operated in service in 2017. It had been planned to stop the line’s three-car set (Nos. 50619+59387+51566) for major work, but with a number of the Wednesday DMU services, which are operating until November, having sold out, Nos. 51566 and 59387 are having a number of essential jobs carried out to enable them to remain in traffic until the winter, with No. 51914 providing extra seating capacity. BRIGHTON BELLE PROGRESS NOW located at Locomotive Services’ Crewe depot along with the other three cars being rebuilt for use on the main…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: The 2600 Class DMU-worked services between Cork and Cobh/Midleton featured extensive use of four-car units instead of two-car units during the period under review. This was done to adhere to social distancing requirements. Formations noted included: Nos. 2614/17/08/07 and Nos. 2602/01/10/13. No. 071 hauled an empty spoil train from Gorey to Dublin Connolly yard on August 1 (see last issue). Also on August 1, the driver of the 10.00 Heuston to Cork service, which was worked by five-car ICR DMU No. 22x34, reduced the train’s speed and sounded the horn while passing the closed station at Buttevant between Charleville and Mallow. This was done as a mark of respect for the 18 people who died when the 10.00 Heuston to Cork loco-hauled service on August 1,…

SIX new models of the Dapol ‘OO’ gauge YCV Turbot bogie ballast and spoil wagon arrived in the shops during August. Three EWS examples will satisfy late 1990s modellers with Nos. DB978105, DB978279 and DB978372 fitted with end foot steps and grab rails. Three are suitable for the BR-era modeller including Nos. DB978003, DB978411 and DB978644 finished in engineers’ yellow and grey (Dutch) livery, although No. DB978644 has the hand rails and foot steps added to  the wagons late in their operational life making it suitable for EWS-era operations too. Many Turbot wagons were not repainted by EWS upon Privatisation, remaining in a battered and rusty condition until withdrawal. The pair without the grab rails could be detailed as such to update them or the details removed from DB978644 to…

THE first of the BR condition Heljan AL6, Class 86 locomotives arrived for livery assessment and include the Class 86/0 in early BR blue with ‘E’ prefixed numbers together with early TOPS numbered BR blue locomotives. Some details are being fine-tuned with production to follow soon. The Class 86/4 locomotives are reported to be in tooling with engineering prototypes still being awaited by Heljan. The Class 86/0s are brand new toolings incorporating era-specific detail which cover the locomotives from introduction in the 1960s through to the early 1980s period. Tooling includes an improved body shape and finer moulded detail. A 21-pin interface socket will be incorporated alongside LED lighting. The pantograph is an improved design over the previous model, but remains sprung rather than fitted with a powered mechanism. No…

FORMER National Power (NP) JMA wagons fitted with LT25 bogies made up a significant part of new D&E model announcements by Bachmann in 2019, with both ‘OO’ and ‘N’ gauge models being announced. The models represent the NP bogie coal hopper wagons following acquisition by EWS in 1998 alongside the rest of the NP rail operations which included six Class 59/2 locomotives. NP’s entry in to rail operations was a move which heralded the end of the MGR wagon’s dominance of power station coal traffic in favour of high capacity hopper wagons. The operation was centred on the large Aire Valley power stations at Drax (and Eggborough) which took in high tonnages of coal and loads of limestone from Tunstead for flue gas desulphurisation. A small fleet of 21 JHA…

SWR NAMES NEW FLEET SOUTH Western Railway has unveiled ‘Arterio’ as the name for its new £1 billion Class 701 train fleet. The name was unveiled by SWR’s managing director Mark Hopwood during a special event at Wimbledon depot in August. The name comes from Waterloo being at the heart of the South Western network, and SWR’s suburban routes are the arteries that feed it. The first ‘Arterio’ is expected to be introduced later this year on the Reading line, with a total of 750 new carriages (as 60 10-car and 30 five-car sets) to be introduced over the following two years. FINAL SCOTTISH CLASS 91 WORKING… ALMOST SEPTEMBER 4 saw the last booked Class 91+Mk.4 set run north of York to Edinburgh Waverley. No. 91109 Sir Bobby Robson –…

THE Spencer Group has completed a new 130 metre turnback platform at Stevenage that will allow Govia Thameslink to run two extra services an hour to King’s Cross. The £30 million scheme includes more than a mile of additional track and electrification, plus various new switches and crossings, five signals and engineering electrical supply points. The platform has a passenger lift and stairs connecting to the existing footbridge, a heated waiting room, external seating, ticket machine and barriers.…

LOCOMOTIVES ABP Ports blue: 08730 Colas: 37057 Freightliner G&W orange: 90014/44/47 GBRf: 66790/92 Puma Energy: 60074 +Thank you NHS vinyls: 47848 UNITS Avanti West Coast (driving cars only): 390107/36/53 East Midlands Railway: 170420 Great Western Railway green: 769943 Heathrow Express: 387138 LNWR: 350103/12/25 Northern: 150002, 156449/60, 158787/89, 158815 SWR: 444014 TfW: 153327, 175101/16, 769003, 769452 COACHES Carmine and Cream: 9710 Grand Central: 10301/18, 11319/22,12210/11, 12316/19, 12434/52,82201/30 InterCity: 10411, 12171 Loram red, black and grey: 5810, 5919, 6046, 9525 ROG blue: 6340 ScotRail InterCity: 40611/13,42267/79/80/96,42301/25…

COLAS RAIL ‘GRID’ No. 56087, the final member of the nine-strong COFS Class 56 pool to be returned to traffic, was reactivated at Nottingham Eastcroft in August having been stored at Cardiff Canton. Colas’ pair of Class 37/4s have broken the more than decade-long monopoly of DRS provding power for Network Rail Saloon No. 975025 Caroline, with Colas-liveried No. 37421 taking up the honours in July and August, while large logo No. 37418 took over in on the first day of September. DC RAIL WITH its repaint into DC Rail grey livery completed in February, No. 60029 made its much-anticipated return to the main line in the first week of August, the ‘Tug’ being moved from Toton to Immingham on the 4th by No. 60091 (with No. 67012 along for…

FREIGHTLINER ONLY one British-based Class 66 in the Freightliner fleet was still in the DHLT storage pool as August ended, No. 66604, and this was moved from Basford Hall to Leeds Midland Road during the month. The other six stored Class 66s in the UK (Nos. 66418, 66419, 66508, 66515, 66538 and 66598) were all reinstated, with No. 66419 remaining DHLT despite being active, Nos. 66418 and 66598 all transferring to the DFIN pool, and the rest joining DFIM. No. 70019 was also still allocated DHLT by month’s end despite being reactivated in August after almost two and a half years out of service. This leaves 11 of the 19 Freightliner Class 70s stored. GB RAILFREIGHT IN a sudden boost of activity, the seventh and eighth Class 56 bodyshells in…

FURTHER GWR HST CONVERSIONS FOLLOWING confirmation that the rebuilding of a further three GWR ‘Castle’ sets has been authorised, bringing the total number to 14, eight more vehicles arrived at Doncaster for rebuilding on August 5. Running as the 5E24/10.29 Ely Papworth-Wabtec, Doncaster, No. 47815 took Nos. 42048/50/66, 44016 (which will form GW15) and 42071/74/81, 44002 (to make up GW16) away for conversion. In addition, Nos. 42087/580 (at Penzance) and 44042 (already at Wabtec) are to be rebuilt as spare vehicles. Also arriving at Doncaster for sliding door rebuild were seven coaches which are planned to be used to increase ScotRail sets from four to five cars. Nos. 42023/033/054/077/078/096/185 arrived from Ely on August 24, their transfer being undertaken by No. 47813. GC MK.4 LATEST TWO of Grand Central’s Mk.4…

AROUND 23.15 on August 26, the 6A11/21.52 Robeston-Theale service, powered by DB Cargo Class 60 No. 60062, derailed in the vicinity of Llangennech in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. The train was formed of VTG and Touax TDA and TEA tank wagons for Puma Energy and was conveying around 1900 gallons of diesel/fuel oil when it derailed some 40 miles into its journey as it passed the Loughor Estuary. The driver had initially reported that the third wagon, TEA No. GERS 89005, was on fire. But it was subsequently found that nine of the 25 tankers, vehicles 3-12 in the consist (TEA Nos. GERS 89005 & VTG 88101, TDA No. TIPH 78255, TEA Nos. 33 70 7792 015-0 & 33 70 7792 005-1, TDA Nos. TIPH 78202, TIPH 78257, TIA No. 33…

THE Class 37 Locomotive Group has taken delivery of a replacement block section at UKRL in Leicester. The block had been stored at the Severn Valley Railway since its purchase in the summer of last year and will be used to rebuild a complete power unit for its loco No. 37003. The initial plan had been to have the loco back in traffic for its 60th birthday on December 28 this year, but the discovery of a cracked crank and the delays brought about by the Covid-19 crisis makes this target unlikely now. For more details, and to help support the project, see www.c37lg.co.uk…

Express Mailbag Your letters, emails, feedback and other comments are always welcome. Contact us at Rail Express, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR; or email: railexpresseditor@mortons.co.uk The editor reserves the right to edit all letters, and the views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine. HENBURY LOOP FREIGHT UPDATE TO update the caption to my photo of No. 66047 in the September issue (repeated below), the Hallen Marsh (Avonmouth) to Filton/Bristol Parkway freight line (the ‘Henbury Loop’) is actually busier than implied. Two new freight flows from Cardiff Docks (ash for asphalt and cement production in the dock area) and Penyffordd (cement for West of England building work) are the more recent to use this line in addition to…

CÓRAS IOMPAIR ÉIREANN Class 121 models in ‘OO’ gauge are on their way from Murphy Models, with three separate batches expected to arrive by the time this issue goes to press. Murphy Models shared atantalising look at the models which cover the locomotive from introduction until withdrawal in 2008. The 15 EMDbuilt locomotives saw numerous modifications, particularly with the fitting of upgraded engines in the 1980s. Consequently, the eagerly awaited models incorporate locomotive-specific detail differences built into the richly detailed tooling, allowing the locomotives to be modelled for any time slot in their history together with the appropriate liveries. Switches enabling precise control of all the running light positions are incorporated in the electronics. The DCC interface socket and factory installed sugar cube speaker are conveniently located to allow a…

First impressions FIRST impressions count. As soon as the brand new ‘OO’ gauge BBA from Cavalex Models was taken from its box, it was immediately clear the company has neatly side-stepped the curse that affects so many rock bands and (potentially) emerging model companies – great first release, but… you get the picture. The BBA bogie steel carrier had the potential for being underwhelming because of the nature of the prototype – essentially a flat wagon with most of its fittings hidden away under the deck behind deep solebars. However, the finesse applied to the design of the deck and its relation to the underframe together with particular attention paid to the detailing of the FBT6 bogies has given the model texture which will satisfy the most discerning heavy freight…