Innehållsförteckning för March 2021 från Rail Express

THE French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom has become the owner of the historic Derby Carriage Works following the completion of its acquisition from Bombardier Transportation on January 29, writes Industry Witness. The site will become part of a pan-European enterprise that is best known for the construction of TGV trainsets for the high-speed network in France, and the customary assurances have been given that production will not be threatened by the take-over. The purchase occurred after the European competition authorities rejected the idea of a tie-up between Alstom and Siemens, which it was felt would remove future competition for the provision of high-speed rolling stock of the type built for TGV services in France. The Derby works has a long history. The Midland Railway decided to create a new carriage…

UKRL’s Leicester depot has completed a major overhaul of No. 37611, including cab repairs, refurbished bogies and a full engine rebuild. It was undergoing testing and a spell on the load bank in the first half of January, before heading out on the main line on the 25th (with No. 37601 as insurance) to collect 37800 from Crewe. The following day (January 26) the former No. D6871/37171/37690 – an alumni of English Electric’s Vulcan Foundry and 58 years old in September – was again partnered with No. 37601 (the former No. D6705/37005/37501, which celebrated its 60th birthday on January 12), for a test run to collect a colleague. The pair worked from Leicester to Gascoigne Wood, returning with No. 37510. Continuing the Class 37 theme, No. 37901 was undergoing a…

A REDUCTION in services on the Midland Main Line from January 18 saw the number of HST diagrams reduced from five to two, with a consequential fleet reduction from six sets to three. Just a few weeks previously on December 31, the last two original EMR rakes (NL04 and NL11) were removed from service, while the final former Grand Central rake (DY23) had been stopped earlier that month. The three sets retained sets are each formed of just six vehicles, all ex-LNER: NL56 (Nos. 41100, 40711, 42239, 42199, 42198, 44063); NL57 (Nos. 41165, 40702, 42159, 42110, 42109, 44057); and NL58 (Nos. 42146, 41095, 40701, 42326, 42237, 44075). Of the other three rakes that were originally planned to be kept until May - all also made up of former LNER vehicles…

TRANSPORT for London has reassessed its rolling stock renewal plans during the past year to include new trains for the Jubilee Line. Although no firm dates have been mentioned so far, the current plan is that some existing 1996 Stock units would be cascaded onto the Northern Line and merged with the best examples of that line’s 1995 Stock. The best examples of both types would be chosen, with the remainder either being stored as spares or cannibalised and scrapped. Both the 1995 and 1996 Stocks are of a similar design, being built by GEC-Alsthom in the 1990s – although the Jubilee Line’s 1996 Stock entered service before the Northern Line’s 1995 Stock. There are mechanical differences, however, meaning that whilst they could operate on the same line, they could…

LIKE so many operators, GB Railfreight’s charity railtours team has bowed to the inevitable and put back its already redated April 2021 four-day tour to September. By this time, it expects far more certainty in the market, with safer conditions prevailing as the Covid vaccination programme should be mainly implemented. The new dates pencilled in are Thursday, September 2 to Sunday, September 5. The organisers have checked engineering work programmes and are confident the nationwide tour can proceed, although there may be some small rerouting necessary on the Friday evening and Sunday morning. The highlight of the tour is still expected to be the provision of a rebuilt Class 56 machine, now dubbed Class 69. This will end the tour on the Sunday evening at London Paddington, having come onto…

THE London Transport Traction Group has been successful in acquiring a pair of Class 483 units for preservation following retirement of the 1938-stock on the Isle of Wight at the beginning of January. Nos. 483006 (which was the last set to be used in service on January 3) and 483008 are destined to move to the Epping Ongar Railway where, as part of ‘Project 483’, the new owners have ambitious plans to operate the units in service. Working with Clayton Equipment Ltd, the LTTG intend to fit batteries to Car No. 228 (from No. 483008) by removing the seating, and then run the units as a four-car set – effectively becoming a Battery Electric Multiple Unit. The Epping Ongar Railway saw regular ‘Tube’ trains until its closure by London Underground…

THE latest lockdown and uncertainty over the easing of restrictions has resulted in few lines announcing any gala dates for 2021. Indeed, since last month’s listing, only the East Lancashire Railway has been added to the diary. However, the Severn Valley Railway is ploughing ahead with its plans for a diesel gala in May using the many locos in the home fleet. More details are yet to be announced, but a similar steam gala in mid-April will see passengers enjoy up to three return trips with a different loco on each leg. The SVR’s diesel-powered ‘Pioneer’ is also planned to run on selected dates through the spring. DIESEL GALAS May 13-16: Severn Valley Railway June 10-13: West Somerset Railway June 26/27: Mid Hants Railway July 1-3: East Lancashire Railway July…

IRISH Rail introduced an amended timetable on and from January 11 until further notice. Dublin to Dundalk/Maynooth/M3 Parkway and DART suburban services are operating a Saturday timetable, while Sunday services are unaltered. The following weekday trains have been withdrawn: the 10.00/14.00/16.00 Dublin Heuston to Cork and 06.15/13.25/17.25/19.25 ex-Cork; the 05.55 Tralee-Mallow and 20.55 Cork-Tralee; 08.55 Limerick-Heuston and 16.25 Heuston-Limerick; 06.30 Carlow-Heuston; 07.50/11.00/14.50 Waterford-Heuston and 13.15/15.10/17.35 Heuston-Waterford; 05.20 (M-F) Athlone-Heuston, 06.25 Galway-Heuston, 22.25 (M-F) Galway-Athlone, 17.10 (M-F) Heuston-Athlone and 19.35(M-F) Heuston-Galway; 09.45 Westport-Heuston and 14.45 Heuston-Westport; 17.00 Ballina-Manulla Junction and 17.32 return. Four trains have been withdrawn between Limerick and Ennis in each direction, plus the 18.40 Galway-Ennis and 20.30 return. The 16.00 (M-F) Connolly-Sligo and 16.50 (M-F) Sligo-Connolly have been cut, while the following Sligo line trains have been withdrawn…

STRATFORD WORKS CLOSES: This line-up of former Great Eastern motive power was staged at Stratford Major Depot on March 26, 1991 to mark the end of the East London site as a heavy repair works after more than 150 years. Although the adjacent loco depot lingered on for another 10 years, electrification of the main lines out of Liverpool Street to Norwich and Cambridge in the 1980s, and the demise of almost all shunting duties, meant a reduction in work and the combined site was eventually earmarked for a shopping centre and the location of Stratford International station on the HS1 line between St Pancras and the Channel Tunnel. Nos. 37350/D6700 (left), 31165/D5583 and 40122/D200 were all allocated to Stratford from new, so made a fitting tribute as the curtain…

JANUARY had hardly got going when Accurascale initiated a discussion on what was likely to be its next all-new ‘OO’ gauge wagon by dropping a hint of an announcement. The BR Diagram 1/412 Coil A wagon was announced shortly after, a welcome one given the dearth of accurate models of traditional BR steel carrying wagons beyond the usual bogie bolsters and the Bachmann pipe wagons. Introduced in 1963, it was one of two dedicated two-axle steel wagons constructed with a wood-lined cradle and nylon fabric cover to carry strip steel coils. Fifty wagons were built on 21t coal wagon underframes with roller bearings, eight-shoe vacuum clasp brakes and plate axleguards. They were identified as Coil A to distinguish them from the 40 similar Coil B wagons built at Derby in…

CLASSIC InterCity ‘swallow’ and ScotRail ‘Inter7City’ liveries are applied to the latest sets of 'OO' gauge HST power cars to be released by Hornby. Despite the reported congestion at some UK container ports, Hornby is also managing to fulfil other areas of its 2020 release programme with special edition Floyd Class 56 No. 659 002 (R3888); a Railroad Class 73 as faux GBRf Class 73/9 No. 73964 Jeanette (R3910) and a swathe of Mk.3 HST trailers in LNER and InterCity livery. ScotRail HST power cars No. 43021 and No. 43132 (R3903) join the pair released last year with the same colour finish. Hornby originally issued two complete four-coach sets of the Mk.3SD stock but only one pair of power cars including No. 43033 and No. 43183 (R3698). The second pair…

THE Department for Transport announced on January 25 that £760 million is to be made available to complete the Western section of the East West Railway between Bicester and Bletchley. The development plan separates the full route into three sections – Western, Central and Eastern – that will eventually provide services from Oxford to Cambridge and beyond, and each section has very different characteristics. The first part of the Oxford to Bedford Western section has already been completed as part of Chiltern Railways’ initiative to provide direct trains between Marylebone and Oxford, which began running at the end of 2016. This required a new chord to be built at Bicester Town to access the Chiltern Main Line via Princes Risborough and High Wycombe to Northolt Junction and Marylebone. Enabling work…

CLASS 20 ENGLISH Electric Type 1 No. D8007 entered traffic inSeptember 1957 and now in its 64th year (as No. 20007) it can still be found out on the network. On January 4, Nos. 20007+20142 crossed over the West Coast route at Tamworth (High Level) forming the 0Z20/13.30 Butterley (Midland Railway Centre) to Kings Norton On-Track Plant Depot and next day ran to Wolverhampton and back via Sutton Park. Meanwhile another pair of Type 1s took to the main line on January 5 when the Locomotive Services’ duo of Nos. 20107+20096 ran light from Carlisle Wapping to Crewe HS. At Golborne Junction, the ‘20s’ were routed via Earlestown to Winwick Junction instead of via the direct (1864) route and thus passed the site of Vulcan Foundry where many of the…

JANUARY 2021 has not been a good time for fans of classic British Rail era electrics. The wholesale removal of the Class 91s from East Coast services – albeit temporarily (see Headline News) – has been matched by something of a month of the ‘long knives’ at Freightliner, as the Class 86/6 fleet has been reduced from nine down to two operational locomotives. At the start of the month the DFNC pool included Nos. 86604, 86607, 86608, 86609, 86613, 86632, 86637, 86638 and 86639. The first to fall by the wayside was No. 86637, which was stored DHLT at Crewe Basford Hall on January 5. The following day, the remaining eight were stopped and placed in ‘reserve’ status, although this lasted just six days, as all eight were gradually returned…

THE Welsh Railways Trust at the Gwili Railway has taken delivery of Cowans Sheldon 75-tonne diesel-hydraulic breakdown crane No. ADRC 96714 (previously DB 966093). While this was previously stored at Wigan Springs Branch since 2015, it was appropriately based in South Wales for most of its career - being allocated to Cardiff Canton in the mid-1980s, moving to Margam TMD and then Newport ADJ between 2005 and 2008. It was originally designated by the Railway Heritage Committee as historically significant in the late 1990s, and thus worthy of permanent preservation at the end of its working life. When Network Rail indicated a desire to remove this and its three surviving colleagues (Nos. ADRC 96710/3/5) from its books last year, the Railway Heritage Designation Advisory Board confirmed the importance of this…

CLASS 08s returned to Knottingley depot, West Yorkshire, in January when Riviera Trains moved its red-liveried No. 08605 and blue-liveried No. 08704 there from the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. The last time two ‘Gronks’ were at Knottingley was in 2015, when No. 09106 was the pilot locomotive and No. 08752 visited for repairs. The two new arrivals will be used to shunt Riviera coaches being sent to the depot for fitting with toilet retention tanks, No. 08704 providing back up to No. 08605.…

THE Wensleydale Railway has expanded its fleet of ‘Pacer’ units with the addition of No. 142018, which is being acquired by the owners of Nos. 142035/41, this pair having been on the line since June 2020. One of 13 sets (Nos. 142015-27) built for use in the West Country, and known as ‘Skippers’, No. 142018 is planned to be repainted into its original ‘Chocolate & Cream’ colour scheme. It is also hoped to reinstate original-type bus bench seats into the set using seating from No. 142035, which was purchased as aspares donor. Sister No. 142041 is planned to regain its Merseyrail colours. Of the other ‘Pacers’ currently housed on the Wensleydale Railway, Nos. 142028 and 144020 are long-term residents, while No. 142060 is due to depart at some point for…

THE Deltic Preservation Society’s head of engineering Graham Clarke has set out what is described as an “ambitious vision” for its locos and power units. This includes returning No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier to the main line, as well as overhauling the society’s power units – which have not undergone major work since British Rail days – over the next 10-15 years. No. 55019 has not operated on Network Rail lines since 2005 (other than a trip over the section operated by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Battersby to Whitby in 2007). The DPS estimates that it will cost just over £250,000 to fit the necessary OTMR (On Train Monitor Recorder) equipment and GSM-R radios, carry out significant bogie work, and complete certification and testing of the loco. By…

THE spring 2021 programme from Bachmann contained the welcome news of a brand new ‘OO’ gauge model of the standard Class 20, replacing an older model with more up-to-date tooling and electronics. It is not much of a surprise after the recent revealing of the Class 20/3 model which was reviewed in the last issue of Rail Express Modeller. Both train reporting disc and centre headcode box locomotives are modelled in several liveries. They are likely to share the same new drive as the new Class 20/3 together with advanced lighting enabled through a multi-pole decoder interface which will also include built-in speaker connections for simple sound installation. Three liveries are schedued for release this spring with No. D8015 in BR green with discs; BR blue with discs as No.…

THE CLASS 950 ultrasonic ‘Track Recording Unit’ is the only Class 150 design to receive BR blue and grey livery, albeit enhanced with the red stripe routinely applied to departmental and research stock in the 1970s and 1980s. This was the second livery to be carried by No. 950001. On introduction, the lower body was finished in light blue, a colour close to Provincial light blue. Legends were applied too: ‘Director of Civil Engineering BRB’ to the right-hand end of each vehicle. Along the red stripe, the Class 950 was marked with ‘Track Recording Unit’ applied to vehicle No. DB999600 and ‘Testing and Evaluation’ which was applied to No. DB999601. By the time rail blue had replaced the light blue as in 1990s condition, the ‘Director of Civil Engineering’ lettering…

AFTER the retirement of 19 members of the class between July 2019 and July 2020, there were 10 Class 91s still in service in the East Coast IECA pool at the start of 2021 – Nos. 91101, 91105, 91106, 91107, 91109, 91114, 91119, 91124, 91127 and 91130, plus two other Nos. 91110 and 91111 undergoing G-exams at Wabtec, Doncaster. However, January proved to be their final month of action, at least until East Coast service levels start to increase back towards normality later in the year. June is being mooted, although this is far from certain at this point. In the final week there were just three diagrams remaining for the class, none taking the fleet north of York. The final day was January 15 when Nos. 91105, 91124 and…

ACCOUNTANCY firm EY was commissioned by Irish Rail in 2019 to investigate the cost of reopening more sections of the Western Rail Corridor. The report has now been published and it states that reopening the Athenry to Claremorris section would represent poor value for money. The cost of reinstating the 32.5mile (52km) single-track line is estimated to be €264 million. The report states that reopening the line for passenger and freight traffic would have little impact on reducing carbon emissions and easing road traffic congestion. EY forecasts that, if the line was operational from 2026, passenger journeys would increase over the following four years to 575,000 per annum. But around 67% of those passengers would have transferred from bus services, while only 23% would be car users. Annual revenue was…

TWO more Class 66s of the five European-spec EMD Type 5s acquired by GB Railfreight’s in autumn 2020 (to become Nos. 66793-66797) have arrived, leaving just one more of this batch to be shipped to Britain. After Nos. 66793 (Beacon Rail No. 29004) and 66794 (Beacon Rail No. 29005) arrived in September 2020, the new No. 66797 (the current highest numbered member of the GBRf ‘Bluebird’ fleet) was the first to arrive in 2021, making the trip from Cuxhaven to Immingham Dock on January 13. Built as No. ER9 in 2004, but quickly renumbered to No. 513-9 (after its works number) following a sale to Mitsui Rail Capital (MRCE), it has operated with an alphabet of different operators and worn several liveries in its 17 years of operation in Northern…

THE past year or so has seen many changes occur with the various Train Operating Company’s Class 153 fleets, largely connected with the introduction of other rolling stock and PRM (persons of reduced mobility) compliance issues. To date, only 13 sets – all in use with Transport for Wales – have been modified to enable their continued use without any restrictions or dispensation. The Welsh operator also has a number of non-compliant units, including several recent additions to the fleet that have been brought in to provide cover owing to delays in the introduction of Class 769 ‘Flex’ units. Nos. 153372/382 (which have become Nos. 153972/982) were being prepared for use at Cardiff Canton during January, having arrived from Ely Papworth in November. They had previously last seen use with…

THE Foxfield Railway’s bright yellow Andrew Barclay 0-6-0DH Meaford No.4 (No. 486 of 1964) has been out of action for a few years due to worn tyres that need replacing. During this time, the volunteers have not been idle and have been working on the engine ready for when it will return to traffic. The big news came in January with the confirmation that both the money and the plan for the tyre replacement have been agreed. This will see the locomotive move away from the railway for a few months but return as a working locomotive once more. In the October 2020 issue we reported on the acquisition by Andrew and Phil Civil of John Fowler/Thomas Hill 0-4-0 Bunty (JF No. 4210018 of 1950) from the Northampton and Lamport…

BEFORE the development of a decent road network, the only way to transport milk quickly from rural dairy farms to consumers in large cities was by rail. Some of the main flows were from the West Country to London, with one operated by the Southern Railway (and later British Railways’ Southern Region) from Torrington (Devon) to Clapham Junction for onward tripping to bottling plants at Vauxhall and Morden South. Morden South is tucked away in South West London on the line from Wimbledon to Sutton, which was planned before the First World War but only opened in 1930. An opportunity was missed at the time to provide a useful interchange with London Underground’s Northern Line (as it is called today). LU’s depot at the end of the line is adjacent…

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. CAN ANYONE SOLVE THIS MOTORAIL MYSTERY? AFTER reading the very interesting article on Motorail services in RE297 (February 2021), I attach an image taken at Bangor by Barry Wynne. The date is unknown, but my best guess is sometime in 1964/65, the 5F in view being withdrawn in November 1965. Of interest is what can be seen alongside. Was this one of the ER ‘CCT’ vehicles mentioned in the article on page 76, or were other…

DEVELOPMENT of the ‘OO’ gauge CAF Mk.5 sleeper stock has been a long project according to Accurascale for various reasons, including incorporating modifications made to the stock during its commissioning. Interior lighting, which will work on both DCC and analogue power, is incorporated, together with a new magnetic coupling system for a more refined appearance to the inner couplings between coaches. More conventional coupling options will be offered too. The models are sold as packs of four coaches for £179.99, providing enough options to model the Inverness, Lowlander and Fort William trains together with a six-coach pack for the Aberdeen service for £270. Exceptional value for money for newly tooled coaching stock models with the high level of detail apparent in the photographs of the first tooling samples. Both the…

RELEASE of the ‘N’ gauge Class 92 by Revolutions Trains also saw the Stobart Rail limited edition of the model arrive with Kernow Model Rail Centre. No. 92017 is the only Class 92 to carry the commercially inspired livery which first adorned DRS Class 66s and is named Bart the Engine. It was applied to No. 92017 in 2009 after DB Cargo won contracts with Stobart Rail for intermodal traffic (breaking the dominance of DRS) and remains in this livery today providing a wide timeframe for modellers for use of the model. It has the same specification as the general release Class 92 models by Revolution Trains reviewed on pages M28/29 of this issue, including built-in provision for a digital sound decoder, sophisticated lighting configuration when operated on DCC and…

A SURPRISING number of Mk.1 catering cars have survived to see service on the privatised railway, in private operator and charter trains. They may turn up on anything from an enthusiast special to higher-end dining trains and have been formed in trains as prestigious as the locomotive-hauled ‘Blue Pullman’ set, the ‘Great Britain’ tours operated by West Coast Railways and the ‘Northern Belle’ tour train. One of the most common type is the Restaurant-Buffet (refurbished) car or RBR which was derived from two different but similar types of coach refurbished in the 1970s in an effort to extend their lives due to the late arrival of new stock. The interiors were refreshed and improved lighting installed to make the stock more attractive – it should be noted that interior improvements…