Innehållsförteckning för August 2022 från Rail Express

A quiet revolution has been taking place in the distribution market, with shippers continuing to increase their use of intermodal services provided by the freight operating companies. Port investment has taken place to provide greater rail loading capacity and it is a similar story with inland distribution centres, where both new and previously available facilities have enhanced handling facilities to cater for a greater volume of traffic. This is a response to changing market conditions, as more containers are delivered to distribution centres rather than end users, in part as a result of retail customers moving from the high street to online shopping. Rail freight statistics are collated by the Office of Rail and Road and published on a quarterly basis. The calculation that best reflects traffic activity is the…

Now allocated to the GROG pool (ex-EPUK), and following several weeks of shunting work at Leicester depot, No. 37901 made a triumphant main line debut on June 6 for owner Europhoenix, working an 0R56 10.59 Leicester LIP circular test run via Derby and Sheffield with No. 37510 in tow as insurance. Some 23 years and seven months have elapsed since the pioneer of the ‘Slugs’ – named after their sluggish application of power – was stored unserviceable in November 1998. The arrival of the Class 66s in the late 1990s saw EWS undertake a mass rationalisation of its sprawling locomotive fleet that, in particular, sounded the death knell for oddballs that had somehow evaded the attention of the accountants. Among the most glaring of these were the six locomotives that…

GBRf ‘73’ TO VISIT SPA VALLEY GB Railfreight is to supply one of its Class 73/1s to the Spa Valley Railway for its diesel gala on August 12-14. The ‘ED’ will remain on the line for its 25th anniversary gala which takes place later in the month. It will be the second time GBRf has supplied a loco to the line, No. 73136 Perseverance having visited back in 2017. Also due to attend is the South Devon Diesel Trust’s No. D7535 (25185) and there is the possibility of another guest loco appearing. ‘RAT’ HIRE EXTENDED THE visit of Pete Waterman’s Class 25, No. D7659 (25309) to the North Norfolk Railway has been extended and it will now see use during the line’s 1960s weekend on July 23/24 (alongside resident ‘37’…

IRISH ANGLE THE Ballina to Belview and return XPO container service, which operated once per week since its introduction on September 29 last year, has been so successful that an additional train has been introduced, an objective for both XPO Logistics and Irish Rail. An 18-wagon consist is used on the service. On Thursday, June 2, retro liveried GM No. 073 worked the first additional train from Ballina to Belview which conveyed four box containers. As a consequence of the increase in freight traffic at Waterford, seven container pocket wagons (CPW) that were stored at Sallypark yard, were removed to Dublin Inchicore by GM No. 076 on June 3. Monday, June 6, saw the first working to Ballina of the additional train, which was powered by No. 073. The load…

N GAUGE 2mm:1ft 1988 to present ERA IT IS FROM FAMINE TO FEAST for ‘N’ gauge modellers who appreciate the finer points of power door Mk.3 EMUs, with three classes being released in a matter of months of each other. Bachmann is no stranger to the Mk.3 multiple unit platform, having produced the Class 150 in both ‘N’ gauge and ‘OO’ gauge under the Graham Farish label a number of years ago. However, this is the first time an EMU of this type has appeared in the Graham Farish catalogue and the dual-voltage Class 319 is an excellent choice. The prototype’s ability to run using conductor rail power as well as the 25kV AC overhead supply makes it attractive as a model. You don’t have to model the…

00 GAUGE 4mm:1ft 1987 to present ERA AMONG the dwindling number of 1980s-built wagons currently operating on the railway network are the Standard Wagon TEAs constructed in two lots in 1987 for Total Oil, numbered as TOTL 85930-944 and TOTL 85960-974. Both batches are Class A tank wagons and have operated from Lindsey refinery on Humberside to various terminals including Kingsbury in the Birmingham area; Colwick near Nottingham and Jarrow in the North East. They also have been operated from Milford Haven and have also been observed working in the South East. Today, the wagons continue operation from Lindsey refinery, alongside newer wagons introduced in recent years. The decision by Cavalex Models to produce a ‘OO’ gauge model of this Railfreight era bogie tank wagon was widely welcomed,…

Rail Express Modeller believes in highlighting the efforts of smaller suppliers as well as the mainstream manufacturers. Railtec Transfers needs little introduction to those who enjoy repainting, refinishing and converting models. Its range of waterslide transfers includes some very unusual material for specific rollingstock, and its range of three dimensional printed locomotive nameplates and crests have become a popular alternative to etched ones. Railtec has a vast range of wagon transfers, covering anything from large continental ferry vans through to humble mineral, departmental and engineers’ wagons and in various scales. One recent release is data panel and logo sets for the ZKA/MKA ‘Limpet’ ballast and spoil wagons which were converted from POA/PNA four-wheel box wagons by cutting slots in the sides to avoid overloading them with spoil. A project to…

Seeking an antidote to IETs and third rail EMUs (see recent issues) I booked a seat on the Pathfinder ‘Pennine Wayfarer’ railtour, which promised two Direct Rail Services Class 37s crossing the Pennines four times. The special train was booked to collect its passengers from many pick-up stops, offering a variety of new 0-60mph acceleration opportunities, at least four of which were level enough to give reliable results. These stations were Cam & Dursley, Worcestershire Parkway, Tamworth and Burton-on-Trent, with the first and last being the most promising. At this stage, readers might be pointing out that we already have 0-60mph data for 2xClass 37s, but this was a chance to corroborate the figures. In any case, I had just revisited Class 802s on diesel power after being prompted by…

HAVING teased a new image on its ‘heritage’ IC225 sets for months with a steady drip of photos from Doncaster showing part-painted Mk.4 coaches, Wabtec released No. 91127 in its new InterCity Swallow-inspired livery on June 13. The Class 91/1 was partnered with set NL17 for its launch outside the paint shop and showed off the new oxblood shade that replaced the upper Falcon grey body colour. Due to the requirement for colour-contrasting doors, the new look doesn’t quite pull off the classic ribbon appearance of the Swallow era, but it’s a welcome attempt that will revitalise the appearance of the tired looking vehicles. LNER currently has eight Mk.4 trainsets and 12 Class 91 locos on lease and all bar the exceptions below are expected to be repainted into the…

THE first of Avanti West Coast’s new fleet of trains has entered static testing at Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe factory. In an important milestone for the £350m project, carriages from a Class 805 bi-mode train are being coupled together to mark the start of the extensive testing programme ahead of the planned entry into service in 2023. All basic functionality of the train, from brakes to engines, doors to toilets, will be put through their paces prior to the start of dynamic testing later in the year, when the train will move under its own power for the first time. The new fleet will be a mix of 10 seven-carriage electric trains (Class 807) and 13 five-carriage bi-mode units. The electric-only versions (Class 807) will operate between London, the West…

JUNE 13 saw the first two ‘Super Voyagers’ go off lease, when Avanti West Coast handed back Nos. 221142/143 to Beacon Rail. The pair, which have become surplus to requirements owing to the reduction in passenger numbers since the coronavirus pandemic reached the UK in early 2020, have been parked up at Central Rivers. Avanti still has 18 ‘Super Voyagers’ on its books (Nos. 221101-118). Under the current timetable, which is still much reduced compared to pre-Covid, only 12 sets are required to be in traffic on any given day. The remaining sets have a lease expiry date of December 2022, but they are likely to remain in service with Avanti until sufficient Class 805 and 807 sets have entered service. Assembly of these is underway at Newton Aycliffe. ANOTHER…

A SHORT statement released on June 24 by TfL announced the extension of the previous funding agreement until July 13. However, the public exchanges between Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at the end of June betrayed the simple truth that negotiations were becoming increasingly protracted and hostile. Unlike other capital cities across the world, TfL’s model of funding relies heavily upon daily passenger income to fund services and investment. In the weeks prior to the anticipated refunding agreement date, Khan had publicly warned of the potential for cuts to both bus and train services if long-term funding was not secured. The previous agreement, the fourth since the pandemic began, was announced on February 24. This committed TfL to identify a further £400m…

CLASS 319s were built for the new cross-London link between the Midland Main Line and suburban stations on the former Southern Region. The successful power door Mk. 3 steel body shell platform with inner gangways was used for the new units, fitted with a distinctive flat-fronted cab which was an improvement over the Class 317. Although the Midland Main Line (Midland suburban) was energised in January 1981, the dual voltage Class 319/0 design did not enter traffic on the route until 1988 following the reopening of the short but strategically important link between Farringdon and Holborn Viaduct stations (via Snow Hill Tunnel). Class 319 in brief Class 319s were built as two subclasses by BREL York and consist of four cars with the motor bogies and pantograph located on an…

TRACK modelling remains one of the biggest challenges for the D&E modeller when it comes to representing modern track work in one of the closer-to-scale gauges such as ‘EM’ and ‘P4’. ‘OO’ gauge modellers have the Peco Streamline track system at their disposal with the choice of Code 100 or the smaller Code 75 rail, although the turnouts are of fixed geometry which can limit one’s creativity in track design. Layouts with a theme older than the 1970s can extensively utilise bullhead rail track to Code 75 as produced by a number of manufacturers including C&L Finescale (www.clfinescale.co.uk) and Marcway SMP (www.marcway.net/smp.php), which is available in ‘OO’, ‘EM’ and ‘P4’ gauges. Both ranges require the modeller to construct their own turnouts and crossings using copper-clad sleeper strip or turnout kits…

HARD to believe, but it has taken 70 years for the UK to consider introducing a new type of small scale shunting locomotive (see Shunters & Industrials, p37). Over seven decades the ubiquitous 0-6-0 design, now known to us as Class 08, has held sway across the UK wherever dedicated shunting movements were required. Just under 1000 machines were built in British Railway facilities at Crewe, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster and Horwich, with construction lasting for a decade, making the class the largest-ever in the UK. As built, the 350hp locos used English Electric EE506 traction motors and a EE6KT prime mover. While many of these hardy workhorses remain on the main UK rail network, in private sidings or as hugely useful motive power on preserved railways, they are beginning to…

CLASS 20 A busy winter and spring for the English Electric Type 1s has been followed by a quiet start to the summer, so it was pleasing to find Nos. 20007+20142 out and about on June 9. The pair ran light from Tyseley to the Midland Railway Centre, where they collected Railvac machine No.3 for the 6X20 12.14 Butterley-Toton. Then, on June 27, Nos. 20107+20096 hauled Nos. 26007 and 37703 from Barrow Hill to Crewe and on to the East Lancashire Railway next morning, reaching Manchester Victoria a little before midday. CLASS 37 Throughout June this popular class performed a variety of duties although passenger work was limited. No. 37706 did, however, appear at the head of the 1Z52 07.32 Chester-Carlisle on June 7, ‘top and tailing’ with No. 47270…

DEPLOYED for the first time in April 2007, the former Transplant Rail Sleeper & Delivery Train (RSDT) is finally in the process of being disbanded, after being stored out of use for at least the past five years, with most vehicles languishing at Eastleigh Works during this time. Built in 2006 by Greenbrier Europe with the proprietary ‘slinger’ equipment provided by Jarvis Fastline at its Leeman Road workshops in York, the 13 FEA-S wagons, Nos. 640931-43, were formed into two sets of six and seven vehicles. Nos. 640931/6 also gained generators to provide power to the two sections. The train was based at Wellingborough Finedon Road and was used by GBRf for its Metronet contract assisting in upgrades across the London Underground network. Notably the wagons were finished in a…

THE Severn Valley Railway has signed a deal with Class 20189 Ltd for No. 20048 to be based on the line until October 2022. The ‘Chopper’ arrived at Kidderminster from the Midland Railway – Butterley on June 10, its transfer being undertaken by Nos. 20142/007. The move comes owing to an increase in diesel usage on the line owing to coal shortages/price increases and the need to reduce operating costs. No. 20048 was quickly put into service, and, following a Fitness To Run (FTR) exam, entered traffic on June 15. The following day, it was also in use, and carried a headboard ‘Alistair Grieve 1966-2022’ in memory of RE’s former Shunters & Industrials columnist who passed away suddenly earlier this year and would have been celebrating his 56th birthday. Alistair…

THE reason for Railway Support Services importing American TP70 switcher No. FWDX 0002 to the UK became clear during June, with the company unveiling its vision for a UK version to act as a replacement for the ever-ageing Class 08s. The project was launched ahead of the loco appearing at the Rail Live event at Long Marston on June 22/23, with it now carrying RSS logos on its cabsides. Built in 2015 by Curry Rail Services, No. FWDX 0002 uses part of the frame and a single three-axle bogie from a SD40 diesel as its basis, with new bodywork on top and powered by a 475hp CAT engine. It is certainly powerful – RSS managing director Andrew Goodman describes it as “half a Class 66” and able to move up…

FOLLOWING Peco’s early June announcement to introduce a range of ‘New TT’ products including 12mm gauge track (TT:120), Heljan quickly picked up this huge opportunity for the industry to produce an entirely new range of locomotives and rolling stock models by revealing a new Class 31 model which will be decorated in 12 liveries for the first batch. The models won’t be to 3mm/ft, but correctly scaled to suit 12mm gauge track at 2.54mm/ft. ‘Table Top’ gauge has been regarded as a workable compromise between ‘OO’ gauge and ‘N’ gauge. However, TT:120 scale corrects the old track to scale compromise where 12mm gauge track was not correct for British 3mm scale rolling stock. Furthermore, 1:120 scale will be attractive to modellers with smaller homes. The term Table Top originally came…

INFRASTRUCTURE ADMIT IT: most of us know what a Pandrol clip is and, in particular, what it looks like. But after that we probably know relatively little. The classic shaped clip (see History of a clip, above right) is just one of a large range of track-related products and is being overtaken by newer designs (branded Fastclip) that are quicker/easier to install. Pandrol, which is owned by parent company Delachaux Group, headquartered in Paris, claims to have 60% of global market share in the rail fastening market. And these days, the company is involved in much more than fastenings, having diversified into a wider range of rail infrastructure products, including track welding, noise and vibration dampening, rigid catenary, composite sleepers and resilient track systems, as well as relevant maintenance equipment,…

TÁILTE TOURS is a new, voluntary led fundraising initiative in the Irish Republic, whose aim is to raise funds to support voluntary run heritage railways and museums. The team behind Táilte Tours is David Walsh, Niall Kelly and Alex Richardson, all of whom are experienced in the organisation of heritage railways. Its first venture is on the weekend of August 20/21. On the Saturday, the ‘Premier Rose’ tour will run from Dublin Connolly along the scenic Kerry branch to Killarney and Tralee. Traction is by a GM 201 Class loco and the stock will be Mk.4s. Full itinerary is: Dublin Connolly-Islandbridge Junction-Portarlington-Portlaoise-Mallow-Killarney-Tralee and return. This is a most rare occasion to travel this branch behind a GM 201 machine and Mk.4 stock. The 201 Class usually operates along the main…