Innehållsförteckning för July 2021 från Rail Express

I WRITE these words this month with a feeling of genuine sadness, because it is my final one in the editor’s chair. It has been an absolute pleasure to edit Rail Express over the past eight years, not least because – from a personal point of view – it has given me the privilege of combining work with my lifelong passion for railways. But putting a magazine together is far from a solo effort, and there are countless people that have helped – and will continue to help my successor – get Rail Express off to print every month. I would like to thank our team of writers, all of whom are experts in their field, as well as the back office staff in design, production, publishing, circulation, subscriptions, customer…

THE Williams-Shapps plan suggests that the UK rail network will return to a single national brand, incorporating an updated version of the instantly-identifiable double arrow logo developed by BR. Although still used at stations, the logo will be supported by standardised signage and a new rail alphabet. No definitive plan has been worked out about the livery of rolling stock, and decisions will be complicated by the existence of devolved operations such as Scotrail, Transport for Wales, and Merseyrail – as well as open access operators. The plan recognises that discretionary travel will become much more prevalent, resulting in a need to improve the journey experience to encourage the use of trains where there are alternatives, such as working from home and therefore not travelling at all. In practical terms,…

DRS' No. 66108 has been repainted into the simplified Compass paint scheme and this fifth member of the DBC to DRS hire fleet was released into traffic in the first week of May. Unusually it did not run straight to DRS and, as of the end of May, was still working a variety of DB Cargo freight services. DRS-liveried colleague No. 66126, which went to Gresty Bridge in February before returning to Toton at the end of April for repairs, has departed the Nottinghamshire depot again, moving to Crewe on May 25 behind No. 68019. Finally, DRS has been providing Class 66s to Victa Railfreight for shunting the Cemex quarry at Peak Forest, replacing the Class 56s which had been in use there since the middle of 2018. Recorded on…

HARRY NEEDLE HNRC has carried out a locomotive swap at Celsa (Cardiff), with No. 09106 replacing No. 08924, which was then taken north to Barrow Hill. Meanwhile No. 08500 was moved from Nemesis Rail at Burton-on-Trent to Worksop, where it is to be stripped for spares. HUNSLET GROUP ED Murray & Sons has become the new owners of the Hunslet Engine Company at Barton-under-Needwood, the business having been put up for sale. The business will continue under the name of Hunslet Ltd, and means that Ed Murray & Sons is now the owners of Nos. 08401/445/472/571/596/615/669/724/823/853/873. RMS LOCOTEC NOW carrying InterCity colours, but no number or other branding, RMS’ No. 08870 was taken by road to Great Yarmouth on May 13 to take up duties for Eastern Rail Services (see…

LSL HST MOVES RUNNING as the 5Z37/12.45 Crewe-Laira, No. 37688 took Nos. 41063/117, 42100/220 and 44047 to the Plymouth depot for possible use by GWR as cover for its IET fleet on May 10. In the event, they were not required and returned north on May 27. Midland Pullman coach No. 41162 was taken to Toton for tyre turning on May 14, No. 37688 again being used for the move, which also conveyed Mk.2a TSO No. 5366. They returned to Crewe behind the same ‘37’ on May 21. ROG/ETL MOVEMENTS AFTER several months at Loram in Derby, four vehicles (Nos. 10249, 11092/099/101) were moved to Castle Donington by No. 37884 on May 3. Seven days later, five coaches (Nos. 12177-81) were taken from Castle Donington to Bicester by No. 37611.…

LIVERY samples of the forthcoming Accurascale ‘OO’ gauge PFAs loaded with various nuclear material containers have been received by Accurascale for assessment. The 2896-series containers, ‘Nupaks’, ‘Novapaks’ and ‘Dragon’ containers are the latest loads to be produced for the popular PFA container wagon, this time of the DRS era. The colourful nature of the containers alongside the wealth of markings and warning notices really make the models stand out and the interest in unusual traffics is bound to ensure another swift sell-out of the models, so advance ordering could be essential. Priced at £74.95 per three-wagon pack, the six different combinations are pencilled in for a late 2021 delivery.…

THE Office of Rail and Road is undertaking a review to understand safety and passenger impacts after the discovery of cracks on Hitachi Class 80x and 385 series trains in May. ORR’s safety review will work with Hitachi Rail and others to find the root cause of cracks in the jacking plate and on the mount for the yaw damper bracket. It will examine industry processes relating to the assessment of safety risk, as well as the withdrawal and return of trains to service. In-depth examination of technical areas including design, manufacture and maintenance, as well as responsibilities for inspection, maintenance, repair and remedial action will be considered to see how these could be improved. ORR will work closely with affected train operating companies – Great Western Railway, London North…

STANTON GATE REBORN GB Railfreight has operated a loaded freight service from Stanton Gate (north of Toton, Derbyshire) on behalf of Ward, which is said to be the first since 2009. The load saw 1400 tonnes of fragmented steel transported to Immingham Dock. The site at Stanton Gate was recently acquired by Verdant Regeneration, a joint venture between Ward and Trust Utility Management, and the team plans to transform the former steel works into a national distribution, logistics and rail freight hub for the Midlands to be called New Stanton Park. GO AHEAD FOR INVERNESS AIRPORT STATION THE Highland Council’s planning committee has approved proposals that will see a new railway station built at Inverness Airport. The plans will see the construction of a two-platform station on the Aberdeen-Inverness line,…

Correct to May 26, 2021 Pool Codes HHPC Hanson & Hall/RailAdventureClass 43 Allocations 43071 LA/EFPC-HQ/SBXL43296 SCXL-HHPC43308 SCXL-HHPC43423 SCXL-HHPC43465 SCXL-HHPC43467 SCXL-HHPC43468 SCXL-HHPC43480 SCXL-HHPC43484 SCXL-HHPC47828 AWCA-LSLO57006 AWCX-AWCA66955 LD/DFIN-FD/DHLT66956 LD/DFIN-FD/DHLT66957 LD/DFIN-FD/DHLT67028 WQ/WQAA-CE/WAAC90020 WQ/WQAA-CE/WEDC90024 WQ/WQAA-CE/WEAC Sold  Ed Murray & Sons: 08401/45/72,08571/96, 08615/69, 08724, 08823/53/73 Modifications  Modified to run on Vegetable Fuel: 66077/85 Stored/stopped locations  Assenta Rail, Hamilton: 43012 Crewe Basford Hall: 66956 Ely: 43238/95, 43309/10/20 Leeds Midland Road: 66955/57 Nemesis Rail, Burton: 43102, 43272 Operational 57006, 67028, 90020/24 Disposal  Sims Metals, Newport: Arrival date: May 10: 91102/13/26/29 Liveries  BR Large logo blue: 69002 DRS: 66108 GBRf: 66798…

COLAS RAIL TYPE 3 No. 37240 continues to perform regularly for Colas, the Boden Rail ‘big T’ machine being deployed several times in May at one end of a rake of Network Rail monitoring coaches with a variety of different EE Type 3s at the other, including Nos. 37254 (on May 4-6), NR’s own 97303 (on the 12th-15th) and 37099 (on the 20th/21st after a DBSO fault required an additional locomotive). DB CARGO CLASS 67 No. 67028 and Class 90 No. 90020 have both been returned to traffic, going into the WAAC and WEDC pools respectively. No. 90036 was briefly stored from the WEDC pool to WQAA at Crewe EMD on May 21, but was reinstated just six days later (on the 27th). Another Class 66 has been adapted to…

Correct to May 26, 2021 Allocations 153311/76/85 SBXH-QTRV 170534 TS/EJHQ-NM/EMHQ 172101-04 AL/HOHQ-TS/EJHQ 197002 newly delivered HQ/HLHQ 317346 off registration – scrapped 317652 off registration – scrapped 319451/53/55 off registration – scrapped 321355/59/61/62/65 IL/EBHQ-HQ/SAXU321439/43 IL/EBHQ-HQ/SAXU 387201-03 SL/HWHQ-HE/ETHQ387301/02/06 EM/HTHQ-RG/ EFHQ 701022/28/29/31 newly delivered HQ/HYHQ 701509 newly delivered HQ/HYHQ 720569 newly delivered HQ/EBHQ 777002 newly delivered HQ/HEHQ Renumbered 319425-769925 Formations 170618: 50518+56630+79518 170619: 50519+56631+79519 377442: 73442+78842+78642+73842 Formations renumbered and revised 150005: 150117+52223 150006: 150147+57223 Now in passenger traffic 710376 Sold  The House of Chilli, Branstone, IoW: 483004 Preserved  Embsay &Bolton Abbey Railway: 142094 Isle of Wight Steam Railway: 483007 Platform 1 Huddersfield Station: 55801 (144001) Stored/stopped locations  Brush, Loughborough: 769426 Derby RTC: 153311/76/85 Gascoigne Wood: 321408/39/43/44 Heaton: 153301/04/15/16/17/51/52/78 Hertford North cs: 365502/04 Hornsey: 365510/34 Landore: 143608/10/23/24 Nemesis Rail, Burton-upon-Trent: 769925/32 Harwich Parkeston: 317338/40,…

MORE HST coaches with sliding doors emerged from Wabtec, Doncaster during May. The last full rake for GWR, set GW16, arrived back at Plymouth Laira on May 5, power cars Nos. 43153/171 bringing them south from Doncaster. The set comprises Nos. 48146-148 and 48116, which were formerly Nos. 42074/81/71 and 44002 respectively. In advance of its entry to service, the set undertook a test run to Penzance and back with power cars Nos. 43094/98 on May 24. Yet to emerge from Wabtec are spare car Nos. 48149/50 and 49117. Four additional trailers for ScotRail, Nos. 42054/077/144/185, left Doncaster for Edinburgh Slateford behind No. 57312 on May 1. They will be used to lengthen existing rakes from four to five vehicles. Still to be delivered are Nos. 42033/35/56/78/96. Another coach, No.…

GREAT Western Route Modernisation HOPS MPV No. DR 76901 (99 70 9131 001-8) Brunel has arrived back in the UK after a lengthy upgrade at Windhoff’s Münster site in Germany. This saw the Palfinger PKR800 crane swapped out for a new raised work platform. The electrification factory train power car was given the VIP treatment on its delivery trip with DB Cargo providing Belmond British Pullman-liveried Class 67s Nos. 67021 and 67024 to power the single vehicle to Swindon Transfer Sidings, the trio comprising the 6Q88/02.21 from Dollands Moor on May 18. The same locomotives were tasked with transferring two other members of the GWRM HOPS fleet to Dollands Moor for reworking 10 days earlier on May 8, albeit this time in top and tail formation. The pair were recorded…

A CORONER’S inquest began on May 17 into the fatal accident on November 9, 2016 when Tramlink tram No. 2551 overturned on the sharp bend at Sandilands, Croydon, killing seven and injuring a further 51. An investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch found the tram derailed while travelling at almost four times the speed limit for the bend. The driver Alfred Dorris was arrested, but charges against him were later dropped. The re-elected Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham is seeking £1 billion from the Government to extend the Manchester Metrolink network into Bolton, Middleton and Stockport. He said that replacing trains with trams on the Oldham loop to Rochdale had led to a six-fold rise in the number of passengers carried, and that further expansion of the network…

GB Railfreight is to supply a pair of its veteran Class 73/1s for the Mid-Hants Railway event in late June, and Class 14 No. D9551 will be visiting from the Severn Valley Railway. Most other lines are, understandingly, sticking to home fleet events for the time being. The format of the East Lancashire Railway’s event at the beginning of July is dependent on whether social distancing restrictions are relaxed or not. If they remain in place, then the format will be Hydraulic (Thursday), English Electric (Friday) and Sulzer (Saturday). If restrictions are fully lifted, normal rover tickets will be available and the loco roster will be more varied. Diesel Galas June 25-27: Mid-Hants Railway July 1-3: East Lancashire Railway July 10/11: Chasewater Railway July 24/25: North Norfolk Railway (Mixed Traction)…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: A bridge strike between Ballymoney and Coleraine during the afternoon of May 6caused severe disruption to Londonderry line services for the remainder of that day. The prolonged absence from the mainline of a GM 8111 Class locomotive came to an end on May 9 when No. 8113 ran light engine from York Road to Poyntzpass. It then hauled five loaded ballast hoppers from there to Belfast Lanyon Place parcels bay siding and, after recessing there, continued with them to Ballymena. No. 8113 was noted at Ballymena Infrastructure yard with the hoppers on the 15th. DMUs noted in use on the Belfast to Dublin route during early May were Nos. 3003, 3004 and 3006. One car of unit No. 3006 retains NHS ‘Rainbow’ vinyls.…

SUCH is the popularity of the Accurascale 4-wheel PFA container wagon that it is being reissued with Cawoods, British Fuels and half height low level nuclear waste containers in packs of three wagons with different running numbers. Two new packs ofwagons loaded with Cawoods containers follow on from previous runs. One pack of the British Fuels version is also added to the range alongside the low height container (DRS era) which features new artwork. Price per pack of three PFAs is £74.95 with pre-ordering available at www.accurascale.co.uk…

CONSTRUCTION of the Sulzer Type 2 locomotives commenced in 1958 at Derby, initially as part of a pilot scheme of 20 locomotives. It heralded the start of a long construction programme of locomotives culminating in the Class 25/3 locomotives which were built in the mid-1960s. Class 24s were the first design of the Derby Sulzer Type 2s, built at Derby (D5000-D5029 and D5066-D5075); Crewe (D5030-D5065 and D5076-D5093) and Darlington (D5094-D5113) with train reporting discs and a smoothly curved cab roof. The cab fronts were fitted with communication doors whilst the cab front windows were considerably smaller than the last design of the Derby Sulzer Type 2 or Class 25/3. The first batch of Class 24s (sometimes called Class 24/0) represented by the retooled Bachmann model was numbered as No. D5000-D5019…

TWO massive KUA nuclear flask carrying wagons were constructed for the MOD by Bombardier/Prorail at Wakefield in 1998, for the transport of spent nuclear fuel between naval submarine bases and Sellafield in Cumbria, where it is reprocessed. Weighing up to 150 tons when loaded, they are unique for modern wagons by riding on four bogies which distribute the weight of a loaded wagon over its 24.5 metre length. In a time when outsized loads and the specialised wagons required to carry them are all but unknown on the modern railway, the KUAs are a unique sight. Their appearance in a train can vary and this is dependent on a number of factors. They can be observed working singly and together with either a single locomotive or top and tailed with…

NECESSITY being the mother of invention led to the design of a simple to use but sophisticated locomotive testing controller by Mark’s Trains. The DCC installation specialist needed a better way of switching from conventional analogue control to DCC when undertaking workbench testing of customers’ locomotives. Mark’s Trains devised a switch box to streamline locomotive testing, resulting in the design of the ‘DC/DCC Locomotive Servicing Controller’. It allows testing of equipment of all the popular scales on a test track with just one switch to throw, and power from a layout DCC system. That includes running-in and testing of analogue locomotives prior to decoder fitting. Setting up All of the components are mounted on a nicely finished and labelled circuit board with three terminals for external feeds and indicator LEDs.…

THE Covid pandemic saw passenger journeys during the financial year 2020/2021 fall to the lowest levels of annual usage since records began in 1872, according to official statistics from the Office of Rail and Road. Nationally, 388 million journeys were made in 2020/2021 (April to March), barely more than one-fifth of the 1739 million made in 2019/2020. Total passenger revenue in Great Britain was £1.9 billion in 2020/2021, compared to £10.4 billion in 2019/2020. Three operators of services in and around London recorded the highest levels of usage relative to 2019/2020. TfL Rail (32.5%), London Overground (31.8%) and c2c (31.7%) were the only operators to record at least 30% of the journeys made in 2019-20. Heathrow Express, which operated throughout the year, recorded the lowest level of usage as a…

TRANSPORT for Wales has purchased 30 Mk.4 carriages that were refurbished for the abandoned Grand Central London to Blackpool open access service. They will be used to make up four trains of five carriages for use on the Swansea to Manchester route from December 2022. Funding was provided by the Welsh Government. The trains will include First Class, free wi-fi throughout, an enhanced food and drink offer including a buffet car, accessible toilets and baby changing facilities. There will also be wheelchair and priority seating available. James Price, Transport for Wales chief executive officer, said: “The Swansea-Manchester route is one of our most popular, providing key links between the cities of South Wales and north-west England. By introducing these high-quality trains, we’re recognising its importance as an inter-city route and…

BESIDES those credited elsewhere, this issue has been made possible by the contributions of the following readers, to whom the editor is most grateful: Chris Addoo, Alex Ayre, Ben Bucki, Paul Clark, Steve Donald, Peter Foster, Chris Gee, Stephen Ginn, John Hales, David Hall, Ryan Hayward, Brad Joyce, Gordon Kirkby, Stuart Kirkby, Peter Laithwaite, Greg Mape, Thomas Mills, Graham Nuttall, Rod Orr, Keith Partlow, Chris Playfair, Colin Pottle, Harry Rawding, Karen Richardson, Hayden Sheppard, Steve Sienkiewicz, Jamie Squibbs, Tom Stobbs, Andrew Stoppard, Luke Stoppard, Jack Taylor, Mick Tindall, Martin Turner, Neil Walkling, and many more.…

WITH its overhaul, and presumably its ERTMS upgrades completed, a very smart-looking No. 43013 departed Neville Hill depot on May 14 after just over nine weeks out of action. The NMT traction unit returned to Derby RTC atop a 1Z61 service with No. 43299, the same set having delivered No. 43062 the previous day (May 13) to have the same work done in Leeds. The partnership of Nos. 43013 and 43299 was short-lived, however, as No. 43290 (the other ex-LNER power car temporarily assigned to Network Rail) was partnered with No. 43299 on the NMT for the first time on May 16. The pair worked a 1Q17 Derby RTC to Heaton, then a 1Q27 to Cambridge the next day. They were still ‘top and tail’ of the New Measurement Train…

Scrapped (EMR, Kingsbury): 40735, 41039/40, 42057-9, 44019. Scrapped (Sims, Newport): 40708/37, 41044/66/83/90/7/8, 41115/51/2/9/85/90, 42063-5, 42127/30/59/60/82/90, 42228/37/40/86,42307/22/6/30/54, 44045/50/7/75. Stored (Barrow Hill, to move to Ely Papworth): 0748, 41120/50, 42091, 42150/4, 44094. Stored (Ely Papworth): 40705/11/40/50, 41099, 41100, 42116/28 /46/86/91-3/8/9, 42238/9, 44061/3/77/80. Stored (Nemesis Rail, Burton): 40701/2, 41095, 41165, 42109/10.…

Correct to May 26, 2021 Pool Codes QTRV Network Rail Track Recording Vehicles Allocations 10300/06/09/11/13/24/33 BN-NL 11229/79/84/85/86/88/95 BN-NL 11306/08/12/13/15/17/26 BN-NL 11406/08/12/13/15/17/26 BN-NL 12205/08/12/14/20/23/26/28 BN-NL 12303/09/11/13/25/28/30 BN-NL 12404/06/07/09/20/22/24/26/27/29/30/31/32/42/44/65/69/74/81/8 5 BN-NL 12515 BN-NL 40727/39 off registration – scrapped 41113 off registration – scrapped 42362 off registration – scrapped 82205/08/11/12/13/14/23/25 BN-NL Renumbered 42074-48146 42071-48148 42081-48147 44002-49116 Sold  Locomotive Services Ltd: 41063 Formations  GW16: 49116+48146+48147+48148 Preserved  Battlefield Railway: 12116 Cambrian Heritage Trust, Oswestry: 40751 South Devon Railway: 10680 WRHA, Whitrope: 10544 Stored/stopped locations  Assenta Rail, Hamilton: 42029 Castle Donington: 11092/99, 11101, 12176/82 Crewe LNWR: 9804 Derby RTC: 10406, 12125/54/80 Doncaster Roberts Road: 11093 Ely: 40711/50, 41100, 42146/98/99,42238/39, 44061/63 Great Yarmouth: 96374 Long Marston: 82124/29 MoD Bicester: 12177-79/81 Nemesis Rail, Burton: 10242, 40701/02, 41095, 41165, 42109/10 Disposals  C.F. Booth, Rotherham: Cut dates: April 26: 12439;…

DB CARGO: The latest WIA five-unit car carrier to arrive at DB’s former Marcroft Engineering site at Stoke is No. 85 70 4971 047-1, which was the sole vehicle inbound on the Arpley ‘tripper’ behind No. 66009 on May 7. It swapped places with overhauled No. 85 70 4971 043-0 that was partnered with an FCA ‘twin’ formed of mismatched platforms Nos. 610071 and 610118 on the return to Warrington. The WIA (UIC code Seefoors) was on site for just five days until the 12th – a new record – before heading out and being replaced by No. 85 70 4971 001-8. This example was shown the door on May 28, making way for No. 85 70 4971 040-6, meaning that over half the once 60 strong fleet has received…

‘47’ GOES GREEN THE Stratford 47 Group’s No. 47596 Aldeburgh Festival has been painted in two-tone green livery with full yellow ends as No. D1933 at the Mid-Norfolk Railway. Retaining its nameplates (now with a black background), it is planned to operate with the line’s former Greater Anglia Mk.3 coaches at the reopening event on June 26/27. NORTHAMPTON ‘CROMPTON’ WITH its resident diesels Nos. 31289 Phoenix and 47205 out of action, the Northampton & Lamport Railway has taken delivery of No. 33053 on a six month loan. It arrived from the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway on May 28. TWO CLASS 14s UP FOR SALE THE owners of Nos. D9520 and D9529, both based at the Nene Valley Railway for many years, have taken the decision to sell the two…

DARTMOOR CLEAROUT SEVERAL coaches from the now defunct Dartmoor Railway were disposed of from Meldon Quarry during May. First to depart was Mk.2e BSO No. 9501, followed by Mk.3 Sleeping Car Nos. 10595/611. Of note is that No. 10611 saw regular main line service for only six years (1983-1989) before being placed in store and disposed of in 1993. It then spent more than 25 years in use as volunteer accommodation, first at the Llangollen Railway and then at Dartmoor, where it arrived in 2003. BLUEBELL GAINS PULLMAN THE Bluebell Railway has entered into a 30-year running agreement for Pullman Kitchen First No. 305 Aquila, which arrived from the South Devon Railway (where it had been located for 18 months) on May 28. It requires an overhaul and should be…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: A three-car ICR DMU visited Dublin North Wall yard on April 28. The Glounthaune (Cobh Junction) to Cobh line was closed from April 17 to the start of service on May 2 because of infrastructure work, which included relaying and ballasting. GMs Nos. 080 and 088 ‘top and tailed’ a ballast hopper train from Limerick Junction to the work site(s) and return on April 28. On May 14, the 18.34 Pearse to Maynooth, worked by a 2x4-car 29000 Class DMU formation, was failed at Coolmine after a small fire occurred on one of the cars in the rear unit. ■ FREIGHT: IR announced on May 14 that a twice-weekly service for XPO Logistics between Ballina and Waterford was to commence in late June. It was reported…

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. SHOULD WE PAUSE THE SCRAPPING PROGRAMME? FIRSTLY congratulations on your excellent magazine, which I've bought since the beginning. I was interested to read about the recent faults in modern stock after just a very short period. Cracks on the Hitachi units as reported on national news, but also the less publicised failures of the yaw damper mounts on the Northern CAF stock, are aworrying indictment of modern build quality. These reports coincided with three…

FURTHER engineering prototypes for the Heljan ‘O’ gauge Class 26 and Class 27s were revealed late in May, showing corrections compared to earlier samples, with the models now undergoing final assessment prior to livery samples being commissioned. Both pictures show that the character of the locomotives has been captured, although Heljan is (as always) keen to stress that the models are samples and subject to further fine-tuning. The specification is in line with Heljan’s ‘O’ gauge range with each motor bogie fitted with its own motor, flywheel and mechanism. Lighting circuits allow a range of running light positions to be selected together with cab and engine room lighting when fitted with a decoder. The first picture shows the Class 26 in late condition with smooth cab fronts and air tanks…

ENGINEERING prototypes of the forthcoming Revolution Trains ‘OO’ gauge model of the Southern Region General Manager's Saloon (Caroline) (No. 975025) were revealed in May, showing a model which has the slab-sided character of the former Hastings long-frame DEMU buffet car. The picture shows the BR version of the saloon with the characteristic Southern Region waist-height multiple working cables and brake pipes apparent in the image, alongside the two-digit headcode box and lights above the cab windows. A second tooling incorporates later features as applied to the saloon in the 2000s, including light clusters and a cleaner front end with the waist-height pipes and cables removed. The model is fitted with flush glazing showing a detailed interior, whilst the underframe is also highly detailed including the bogies and headstocks. Revolution Trains…

ADDITIONAL coaches for up-to-date test trains have been released by Hornby, including its highly detailed Mk.3 DVT as No. 82129, finished in unadorned yellow livery except for the Network Rail logo (R4990), which is priced at £74.99. Two Mk.3 coaches are also included in the batch of coaches, decorated for the New Measurement Train. No. 975984 (R4988) ‘Lecture Coach’ and No. 977995 'Standby Generator Coach' (R4989) are based on Hornby’s standard Mk.3 coach models with some overprinting of the window glazing to better match the full size vehicles without additional tooling. Both coaches are priced at £34.99. www.hornby.com. Two new Mk.3 coach models detailed for two of the trailers used in the Network Rail New Measurement train are added to the Hornby range. Printed detail has been used in places…

WHILST the real Class 17 ‘Clayton’ Type 1 locomotives were short-lived, their appeal is far reaching, with successful off-the-shelf models being produced in ‘N’ gauge under the EFE Rail label alongside an ‘OO’ gauge model by Heljan which was first released in 2009. The hold this short-lived locomotive has on enthusiasts is difficult to fathom, but the brand-new ‘O’ gauge model from Heljan further underlines its success as a scale model with sales of the ‘O’ gauge model in all liveries being brisk. Introduced as BR’s standard Type 1 locomotive with a single cab supposedly offering excellent all-round visibility compared to the Class 20, it proved to be a costly purchase for BR, even more so than the Class 28 Co-Bo locomotive (another popular choice among modellers) with many locomotives…