Innehållsförteckning för December 2024 från Rail Express

A PASSENGER died while four were seriously injured and a further 11 sustained injuries requiring hospital treatment when two TfW Rail Class 158s collided approximately 800-metres west of the passing loop located near Talerddig, Powys on the Cambrian Coast line on October 21. The accident happened at around 19.26 in the evening. In a statement published the following day, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said that initial evidence suggests that the collision happened at around 15mph. The trains involved were the 1J25 18.31 Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth, formed of No. 158841 and 1S71 19.09 Machynlleth-Shrewsbury formed of No. 158824. RAIB said it was working with the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road and the railway companies involved to secure the necessary evidence to support its independent safety investigation. RAIB…

WHILE return of No. 58023 Leicester Depot to passenger service was the undoubted highlight of the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) autumn diesel gala (see pages 82-85), enthusiasts could also enjoy former Great Western Railway ‘Castle’ Class 43s Nos. 43094 & 43122, along with similarly debranded Mk.3 set GW02 (Nos. 48104/106/108, 49102), which moved to the railway ahead of the event. RailAdventure managed the 5Z43 09.50 Laira-Kidderminster transfer on September 30. The power cars, previously named St Mawes Castle and Dunster Castle respectively, were both stored in February 2024, along with Nos. 43027/029, 43153-155/162/194 (RE333). Of these only Nos. 43153/ 162/194 remain at the Plymouth depot. Nos. 43027/029 were roaded to Great Yarmouth in February/March, while Nos. 43154/155 made their own way to the West Somerset Railway in June (see pages…

BELFAST Grand Central station opened for rail services on Sunday, October 13, in parallel with the introduction of a new systemwide timetable. The station’s opening was delayed by several weeks, according to Translink, because of alterations being required to the platform escape ramps, in order to adhere to the latest Network Rail Standards. The track layout was detailed in RE341. The first train to depart was the 08.05 to Dublin Connolly ‘Enterprise’ formed by De Dietrich/Mk.3 set DBFO No. 9004 powered by Iarnród Eireann (IE) GM No. 206. The first arrival was the late running 08.30 from Portadown formed by Northern Ireland Railways three-car diesel multiple unit No. 4012, with fare paying passengers being accompanied by a party of VIPs including Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd, who later cut a ceremonial…

COMPLETELY NEW models of the ‘production’ Class 42s were revealed by Heljan at the recent Great Electric Train Show. The diesel hydraulic locomotive, once a common sight on the Western Region, will be produced with high-end features and a high level of scale fidelity, according to Heljan. The model will be a general release version which is being produced in five different liveries. Furthermore, a collaboration with Rails of Sheffield will see the prototype series (D800-D812) produced too, with train reporting frames and magnetic numberplates. Four individual models from the prototype series will be available towards the end of 2025, along with the general release models. The models will feature a heavy chassis equipped with a five-pole motor, flywheels and linkages to bogie gear towers. Six switchable lighting functions are…

00 GAUGE 4mm:1ft 1958-1994 ERA First impressions THE BRAND-NEW 2024 issue of the Heljan ‘OO’ gauge Class 26/1 has some familiar features, yet is a completely retooled model. It enjoys better locomotive and era-specific detailing compared to its predecessor, together with more advanced electronics. The work put in by Heljan has brought the Class 26 right up to date and it has been issued in liveries covering introduction in the 1950s through to the last years of the class in the 1990s. Detailing of the model follows the format of the Class 26/1, 26 of which were built in the late 1950s and delivered to the Scottish Region. Tablet catchers were fitted, along with steam heating boilers for passenger work. They proved to be reliable mixed traffic Type 2 locomotives entrusted with…

00 GAUGE 4mm:1ft BACHMANN has chosen to fit the Zimo MS450P22 sound decoder in its brand-new Class 31, and first impressions from giving the model a couple of circuits on the layout are positive, with crisp sound reproduction and excellent synchronisation with the motion of the model. The DCC Auto-Release coupling system was described in an earlier issue along with a full review of the model itself which is of No. 31319 in refurbished condition (see REM 245). The model was further tested on a rolling road to check for any issues before making a start on the sound assessment itself. Remarkably, this model was one of the most stable to be run on the KPF Zeller rolling road, with absolutely no side to side or other erratic movement being observed…

REVIEW 00 GAUGE 4mm:1ft 1994-2004 ERA A‘OO’ MODEL representing the 40 ‘production’ NAA Propelling Control Vehicles (PCV) operated by Rail Express Systems (RES) is high on the list of surprise announcements for 2024. Four models were released under the EFE Rail label in various versions of RES livery, with one featuring factory applied weathering. First impressions are of a good representation of the full size vehicles. Two models are finished in original RES livery with Royal Mail logos numbered as No. 94340 and No. 94344, the review model. Two are finished without the RES blue flashes on the body sides and are numbered as No. 94308 with Royal Mail logos and No. 94320 without. Upon unboxing, the model did not seem to be that heavy for a propelling coach. Weighing in around…

FREIGHTLINER and W H Davis are in discussions to build a new batch of 76 MWA box wagons using components recovered from soon to be scrapped HHA coal hoppers. If the project is given the ‘green light’ the first examples are expected to be completed in March 2025. With the former GB Railfreight HYA/ IIA coal fleet almost entirely reduced in length for a new life as aggregate wagons, attention has again turned to finding the most effective use of the remaining Freightliner and former EWS/DB Cargo UK variants. This follows the delivery of two batches of the 101.6-tonne MWAs in 2016 (Nos. 81 70 5891 001-064) and 2018-9 (Nos. 81 70 5891 500-575), all 140 of which were constructed in Poland by Greenbrier Europe using recycled HHA bogies and…

CLASS 20 On October 5, just a day after being paired on Severn Valley Railway passenger trains with preserved No. 58023 Leicester Depot, Michael Owen’s No. 20142 Sir John Betjeman ‘top and tailed’ an empty stock working with Vintage Trains’ No. D1755 (47773) from Tyseley to London Paddington. Later the English Electric Type 1 tailed the 1Z87 13.27 London Paddington-Kemble, a one-way private charter, before the entourage travelled empty back to Tyseley via Swindon and Oxford. Nos. 20205 and 20007 escorted Great Western Railway Mk.3 No. 12142 (due a repaint) from Reading Traincare to Eastleigh Arlington on October 12, the Type 1s having previously moved from Bristol Barton Hill to Eastleigh on October 3. After spending a couple of weeks at Carlisle Upperby, Locomotive Services Nos. D8096 (20096) and D8107…

SHUNTERS & INDUSTRIALS TESTING of Positive Traction’s battery demonstrator No. 08308 has been undertaken at Heidelberg Materials’ Whatley Quarry, with the ‘08’ arriving there during October for trials in a dusty, dirty industrial environment. No. 08308’s departure from Barrow Hill came to an end on October 11, just eight days shy of notching up a year since it was unveiled at the roundhouse. Following the initial blaze of publicity, it had remained on site undergoing periodic trials but otherwise often stabled on the depot’s turntable. The two-week test programme with Mendip Rail began with a period of driver and shunter training followed by calibration of the locomotive’s patented Powertrain traction equipment to suit its new environment. Haulage trials then saw the shunter work loaded stone wagons totalling over 1000 tonnes…

IRISH RAILWAY MODELS (IRM) revealed engineering samples of its latest locomotive project at the Dublin show held in October. The three NIR Class 101 Hunslet locomotives are iconic for the Irish Railway scene, having been introduced to haul Mk.2 stock on the cross-border ‘Enterprise’ service between Belfast and Dublin. For many Irish railway modellers, this new model comes as little surprise following the release of NIR Mk.2 ‘Enterprise’ stock by IRM. Introduced from 1970 until replaced by NIR Class 111 locomotives in 1983, the locomotive is an important one for the scene. Twelve versions are being offered in various livery combinations, including NIR maroon, the livery applied to the locomotives on delivery. The arc pattern on the locomotive fronts was revised, providing a further livery variant. NIR blue with small…

00 GAUGE 4mm:1ft 1971-2010 ERA HORNBY’S 40t YGH ‘Sealion’ and YGB ‘Seacow’ bogie ballast hoppers are desirable models which will suit layout themes dating from 1971 to around 2009 or 2010. The ‘Sealion’ model used to be part of Lima’s UK-outline range, and bogies apart, the model was regarded as a useful one with a good level of detail. It was accurately shaped apart from the chunky middle panel dividing the two hopper bays which was extended to the top of the hopper to stablise it, which is not correct. Hornby acquired the tooling and has upgraded it with better Gloucester bogies. It is not released very often, certainly not often enough for some modellers’ tastes, so its return in three different liveries is welcomed. Hornby developed its own 40t bogie ballast…

HIGH Speed Trains (HSTs) finished operating long-distance services last year after the Department for Transport forced CrossCountry to rid itself of a small fleet of five sets. Those 40 Mk.3s and 12 power cars were the last full-length sets to operate long-distance trains, with anything else now a charter. Of course, HSTs still operate passenger trains, but these are shorter sets, with ScotRail’s five-coach sets the longest now in daily use. A far cry from the nine-coach sets used by London North Eastern Railway (LNER) until their replacement by Hitachi Class 800/801 Azumas. Now, Great Western Railway and ScotRail are the only daily users of HSTs in passenger service. Both operate in the ‘extremities’ of Britain, with GWR Castles running mainly between Plymouth and Penzance, with only an early morning…

TEST trains ran on the section of East West Rail between Milton Keynes and Oxford on October 21. Chiltern Railways Nos. 168323/328 left Oxford at 09.43, running via Bicester, Winslow and Bletchley before arriving at Milton Keynes Central at 10.25 The journey took 42 minutes with the ‘168s’ reaching 100mph at several locations. Great Western Railway No. 800005 also ran on the railway that day, running from London Euston to Bletchley High Level. This was ahead of plans to use the route as a diversion. Christian Irwin, Network Rail director of capital delivery, speaking on October 21, said: “The running of our first test train today is a huge achievement and brings us one step closer to restoring train services for passengers between Oxford and Milton Keynes.” David Hughes, CEO…

THE introduction of further Class 730 Aventra diagrams in the West Midlands on October 14, resulted in three Class 350/2 ‘Desiro’ sets, Nos. 350244/251/255 being stood down and returned to Porterbrook. Nos. 350244/251 have been initially stored at Northampton Kings Heath depot, while No. 350255 was laid up at Camden awaiting movement. The lease on the entire ‘350/2’ fleet, made up of 37 units, was originally due to expire in April 2023, but delays in the introduction of their replacements resulted in them being retained in traffic. Dating from 2008/9, Nos. 350231-267 are the only ‘Desiro’ units in the fleet to feature unpopular 3+2 configuration seating. New routes on which the Class 730 fleet were introduced during October were Walsall to Wolverhampton and Rugeley Trent Valley to Birmingham International. It…

HAVING pulled the ‘Whistler’ from all its booked main line outings at the beginning of October, owing to a recurring power fault, the Class 40 Preservation Society has now withdrawn No. D345 (40145) from all operations following the discovery of damage to the locomotive’s main generator. On its two most recent main line excursions, No. D345 had suffered a loss of power, and crews also reported issues with the locomotive during the event at the East Lancashire Railway on September 28/29, celebrating 40 years since its arrival at Bury. No. D345 was hauled by West Coast Railway No. 37685 Loch Arkaig from the East Lancashire Railway to Carnforth on October 8, to enable an independent inspection to be carried out by WCR. The inspection revealed that the main generator needed…

LU WORLD THE first of 94 examples of the new 2024 Tube Stock, destined for use on the Piccadilly Line, was delivered to Ruislip Depot on October 14. Hauled through the Channel Tunnel on a 400-plus-mile journey, the first unit was delivered by GB Railfreight Nos. 66718 Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, of Imber in the County of Wiltshire and 66798 Justine, top and tailing the delivery to London Underground. The unit delivered was the same unveiled to the press at the Wildenrath test track in Germany in November 2023, when it displayed the numbers 38071 and 48071. These driving motor end cars have now been renumbered 38001 and 48001 respectively. The use of the number ‘38’, is believed to be an acknowledgement to the design influence of the…

WITH THE SECOND run of its Class 37 delivered in recent months, Accurascale announced the third batch of its highly popular model. Class 37/4s make a return, this time in classic form, including versions of the locomotive type in original as converted condition dating back to the late 1980s when they were turned out in BR Large Logo livery. Whilst this area of Class 37 history has been covered before elsewhere, customer demand for classic Class 37/4s with the ‘Accurascale treatment’ has resulted in this announcement. This batch of Class 37/4s will be quite different to the late-condition versions released in the first run. It requires a new bodyshell tooling to incorporate features of the sub-class in original condition, together with some detail differences applied to the classic Class 37/4…

PAINTING and fine detailing concludes the second part of the project modelling a Class 489 GLV from Bachmann spares. InterCity livery is applied to the model which gains the number 9107. The cabs gain black around the cab window line and the application of warning panel yellow to both the cab fronts and sides is reduced to a small panel on the front. Painting such a complex livery is eased by using transfers for InterCity lining, helped by the smooth sides of the GLV model. Note how the very top edge of the white stripe is just tucked into the lower edge of the side window frames. Bodyshell preparation Although a plastic bodyshell has been used for the main structure of the GLV model, there is sufficient bare brass and…

EALION’ wagons were introduced in 1971 when 128 40t bogie ballast hopper wagons were constructed at Shildon to a design essentially the same as those operated by the Southern Railway, and vacuum braked wagons built by BR in the 1950s. The wagons were numbered as DB982440-567. The first 100 were built to Diagram 1/590, coded as ‘Sealion’ and fitted with dual brakes, together with Accelerated Freight Inshot (AFI) vacuum braking. This combination is denoted by the letter H in the TOPS code: YGH. The remaining 28 were allocated to the Southern Region and were fitted with airbrakes, along with a through vacuum pipe (DB982540-567). This combination was allocated to Diagram 1/591, coded as YGB and the Fishkind name ‘Seacow’ was applied. A further 360 YGH ‘Sealions’ were built at Shildon…

DIESEL GALA PICTORIAL…