Innehållsförteckning för October 2025 från Rail Express

AVANTI West Coast has undertaken a trial run of a pair of Class 805 ‘Evero’ bi-mode trains over the famed Settle & Carlisle line. The trial on August 20 is linked to the possible use of the line as a diversionary route when the West Coast Main Line (WCML) will be closed from December 31, 2025, to January 15, 2026. This is for a £60 million bridge replacement project at Clifton just south of Penrith where the WCML crosses the M6 motorway. The M6 will also be closed over the weekends of January 2-5 and 9-12, and Network Rail and National Highways have been working for months on diversionary route options. The test run was from Oxley depot to Carlisle and back via Hellifield, with a reversal at Preston, returning…

WHEN No. 60029 Ben Nevis debuted for DC Rail/Cappagh Group in August 2020, the future for the rest of the long-stored Class 60s that littered the yard at Toton looked bleak. This was the final locomotive to be put through the ‘Super 60’ upgrade programme at the Nottinghamshire depot, which had commenced in 2011 with No. 60007 for DB Schenker, and eventually included another 20 of the Brushbuilt machines for DBS, 10 for Colas Rail, later sold to GB Railfreight, and four examples for DC Rail. In 2022, DC Rail acquired a further 14 Class 60s from DB Cargo, which were quickly moved from Toton to UKRL’s recently acquired facility at the former Brush Traction works in Loughborough. This group included Tata Steelliveried No. 60099, which was the testbed for…

COMMISSIONED in 1968 and notably the first facility to process North Sea oil, the closure of the Lindsey refinery complex at North Killingholme on the Humber Estuary is the third petroleum-related blow to the rail industry this year, after the cessation of activities at the Petroineos refinery at Grangemouth in Scotland and the end of rail deliveries of bitumen from Lindsey to Preston Docks. Having divested its retail network in June 2011, the French multinational Total sold the 500acre North Lincolnshire site and the 140 mile (225km) pipeline to Buncefield, Hertfordshire, to Prax Group nine years later for a reported £125 million. Restructuring in the 2010s reduced its capacity, making it the smallest of the five principal refineries still operating, although it was the largest user of rail to move…

00 GAUGE 4mm scale 1989 to present ERA FOR THE SECOND time in two months, a brand-new Accurascale locomotive model appears in Rail Express Modeller review pages and the second ‘OO’ gauge Class 60 to do so too. The current flow of brand-new models from various manufacturers is remarkable, and the trend is set to continue into the autumn, which will give the hobby a significant boost. First announced in June 2024, the Accurascale Class 60 came as a surprise given the news of development work done to produce the Cavalex model which was reviewed in last month’s issue. The Accurascale model had reached a significant point in its development when announced, clearly showing that both companies had developed their models more or less concurrently. Whilst duplication of locomotive types is generally…

IN THE AUGUST issue of Rail Express Modeller, a lot of different techniques for reworking ‘OO’ gauge ready-to-run wagons, both older designs and more contemporary models, were described, focussing on upgrading finishes and dealing with running issues. The following tips should keep you busy at the workbench upgrading details and making simple changes that will bring that personal touch to your models. As you may have guessed, we have focussed on air braked wagons and it is with details such as air brake equipment, suspensions and other specific modern features that manufacturers have played a little fast and loose in the past. Taking advantage of older or less well detailed wagons purchased on the used market usually involves some of the modelling ideas described below. As always, reference photographs are…

WHEN the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank was reopened for passenger services on September 6, 2015, it marked the end of a long battle by the Campaign for Borders Rail (CBR) to get a section of the former Waverley route rebuilt. The reopening of a 30-mile section of a line closed in 1969, makes it the longest domestic line to be constructed in Britain in more than a century. There had been interest in reopening the line back in 1992 when architect Simon Longland conducted a motorbike survey of the route and subsequently set up Borders Transport Futures (BTF) to evaluate the possibility of reopening a section of the line from Carlisle to Riccarton Junction, for timber traffic from Kielder Forest. BTF also promoted a second scheme for a…

FOLLOWING withdrawal in January 2021, the sale of the former London Transport 38 Tube Stock [TS] units by Southwest Trains (SWT) for a token £1 may have seemed tempting for many. However, there was an important caveat, that any person or group could “demonstrate the capacity and financial security to remove and look after the train, as well as a suitable long-term physical location for the train.” The London Transport Traction Group (LTTG) became the owner of No. 483006 in 2020 and then unexpectedly, 483008 too. With no track record of preservation and with just four members, the LTTG were approached to take unit No. 008 in January 2021, whilst it was still in service. The decision was made to accept the two cars as, besides an opportunity to save…

THE competition for services to London to Europe has stepped up, following an agreement between Virgin Group subsidiary VTE Holdings and Alstom to manufacture 12 ‘Avelia Stream’ high speed trains. While details of the exact specifications have not been released, the two organisations have agreed ‘binding exclusivity’ on the order. Indications are that these would be seven-car sets, 200 metres long, with a maximum speed of 300kph, with either tri- or quad-voltage capabilities. The latter opens the scope for starting through services to Germany and Switzerland. Cost of the trains would be around £700 million. In documents lodged with the Office of Rail and Road, Virgin plans to launch its services in 2030 with trains from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, competing head on with Eurostar. Virgin expects, within…

BLUE and grey liveried No. 5868, which was displayed at the Greatest Gathering at Derby at the beginning of August, is one of a number of Class 455s which has been handed back to Porterbrook in recent weeks. The introduction of more Class 701 ‘Arterio’ units is enabling, at long last, Class 455s to be removed from traffic in earnest, and, during August alone, eight sets were sent for scrap. Taken from Wimbledon Park to Unimetals, Newport Docks for disposal have been Nos. 5859/61 (July 28), 5867 and 5904 (July 31) and 5915/19 (August 11), all moved by No. 37884 Cepheus. These were followed by Nos. 5866/74 (August 18), 5854 and 5908 (August 20) and 5741 and 5903 (August 26), which were undertaken using No. 37800 Cassiopeia. A further two…

THE Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust – the charity which operates the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway – has purchased No. 37294, which has been in private ownership but resident on the line since 2009. It is the Trust’s second acquisition in recent years; in 2023, Class 20 No. D8110 (20110) was bought from Harry Needle Railroad Company. Withdrawn in 2004, No. 37294 was bought for preservation by Graham Harris five years later, and moved direct to Embsay in March 2009. It has remained on the line ever since, being a regular performer on the 3½ mile branch. Its acquisition by the YDRMT ensures its long-term future on the Railway. Another party was also interested in purchasing the English Electric Type 3, and had that sale gone ahead, No.…

JUST AS the first run of the Accurascale Class 60 settles down on modellers’ layouts, the second batch is already in the pipeline, with seven new liveries, including three special edition and four main range models being announced. An important charity exclusive model, an EWS special with a difference and perhaps the most up-to-date livery possible to replicate at the current time, are among the seven. Both the Accurascale ‘Exclusive’ and main range models are priced at £169.95 for a DCC-ready version and £269.95 for a sound fitted model. Delivery is expected towards the end of 2026. DC Rail Freight No. 60099 A new livery has been designed for DC Rail Freight’s latest ‘Tug’, No. 60099, which has been overhauled at Loughborough for the company’s growing freight business. The all-over…

00 GAUGE 4mm scale 1950s to 1997 ERA Model details AN UNEXPECTED RETURN of the 66.5t ICI limestone hopper wagons was made possible by the acquisition of the Hatton’s Originals model by Accurascale, which announced a new run in September 2024. The model is largely unchanged except for the wheels, minor finishing points and a new presentation box matching the type used for other Accurascale and IRM wagon models. It appears that Accurascale has avoided duplicating the running numbers of previously released models which helps modellers complete part rakes acquired when the model was first released by Hatton’s. The model accurately follows the ICI hopper design introduced in 1936, built in three lots by Roberts of Horbury. The first batch of 84 wagons were fitted with diamond frame bogies. Other small detail…

TT GAUGE 12mm scale MDV: 1950 – mid-1980s ERA AN UNFITTED 21t mineral wagon with the TOPS code MDO has been added to the Hornby ‘TT:120’ range, complementing the Diagram 1/120 vacuum braked MDV released last year. Like the vacuum braked version, literally thousands of unfitted 21t mineral wagons were constructed, providing Hornby with considerable scope to issue the new model (along with the vacuum braked type) as runner packs to help modellers build up rakes, because this type of wagon was built for block trains working to service industrial customers. The model closely matches a Diagram 1/107 wagon as built in 1950 and 1951 by several builders, numbered as No. B 201000 to No. B 202499. The lack of top flaps above the twin side doors was to avoid weakening the…

2025 has seen more railtours cancelled than for any previous year – and the year still has three full months to run. Some of the statistics make for concerning reading, especially for the tour operators themselves. It may come as a surprise to find Pathfinder Railtours has pulled the plug on no less than 12 tours, these including steam hauled, as follows: 07-10/03 Six Nations Wales to Scotland11/04 Cambrian Coast Express09/05 Cambrian Coast Express14/06 Torbay Coastal Grid05/07 Ffestiniog Slater18/07 Thames & Kennet Courier18/07 Exe & Taw Tourer19/07 Severn & Wye Cotswoldian26/07 Wessex Wanderer30/08 Cumbrian Explorer19-22/09 Autumn Highlander (weekend tour)11/10 Shakespearean One has to have considerable sympathy with tour operators because an enormous amount of work has already been expended by their staff on planning and administration weeks before a tour…

PLANS to electrify sections of the Borders Railway and also lines in parts of Fife have been announced by Scotland’s Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop. The £342 million investment will also include the procurement process for 69 new EMU and battery-electric trains (BEMUs) which will operate on the Fife and Borders routes as part of Scotland’s plan to decarbonise more of its railway network. In the two areas, around 85 miles (140km) of railway will be electrified, and work for electrification is under way on the recently opened Leven branch. Work on the new electrification schemes is expected to be completed by 2029, and will include Haymarket to Dalmeny and parts of Fife. On the Borders line, electrification is expected to be extended from Newcraighall to at least Shawfair, with a…

JUST four days after the signing of contracts between Beacon Rail and Chiltern Railways, the first rake of Mk.5a coaches arrived at Banbury to enable training to begin in advance of their introduction in early 2026. Set CH12 (formerly TP12) arrived at Banbury from Longsight with No. 68022 providing traction on August 8. The second set to be leased by Chiltern, CH13 (ex TP13), was taken from Longsight to Eastleigh TMD by No. 68020 on August 15. It too is being used as a training set, and from August 18, began undertaking runs between Eastleigh and Banbury with No. 68032. Later in the month, with No. 68022 and CH12 having moved to Stourbridge, CH13 and No. 68032 became the Banbury trainer and, as such, became the first Mk.5a rake to…

THE Greatest Gathering at Derby Litchurch Lane over the three days of August 1-3 managed to find room for half-a-dozen ex-BR shunters and the same number of industrials amongst the many exhibits on display. Latecomers not mentioned last month included RMS Locotec’s No. 08871, which was brought over the road from the Railway Technical Centre by low-loader on July 28, to assist with shunting operations. While it remained on site throughout the weekend, it was positioned some way outside of the exhibition area and promptly departed the following week for RMS Locotec’s maintenance base at Chesterfield, leaving just No. 08756 on hire to Loram. Another unexpected visitor was RSS-owned Clayton CD40 No. B4618/4, this making a weekend visit from RIDC Asfordby and remaining aboard the Moveright low-loader throughout the event.…

CARLYON DOCK is a fictitious ‘OO’ gauge layout loosely based upon the entrance to Par Docks in Cornwall, which has a long history of china clay traffic and continues to be served by rail today. The layout was first built by a great Cornish modeller, Mr Bill Douglas, and purchased and modified by its current owner Andrew Keast, who has submitted it for consideration in our layout competition, supported with pictures taken by Craig Munday. He knows the Par Docks area very well, having grown up in the area, and has spent useful time filming and observing trains as they enter and leave the Docks complex with wagons loaded with china clay. The variety of wagons and traction found on traffic around St Blazey and Par certainly provides scope for…

PRIOR to the 1980s, the use of Class 37s along the North Wales Coast was something of a rarity, until Class 37/4s became a regular sight on some of their post-conversion test runs from Crewe in the mid-80s. An unusual pair of workings was reported in the late 1960s when four Class 37s were noted on August 23, 1969, two pairs appearing on separate Sheffield–Rhyl excursions. The locos involved were Nos. 6806, 6807, 6809 & 6811 (later 37106, 37107, 37109 and 37111). No. 37283 also famously, made a summer Saturday appearance on 1E86, the 09.00 Llandudno–York on June 3, 1978, at the time a big surprise as the diagram was a regular Class 40 turn. A seven-year reign for Class 37/4s along the North Wales Coast began in May 1993…

AUGUST brought a double helping of celebrations to the Downpatrick and County Down Railway (D&CDR). On August 2, the heritage railway marked its 40th anniversary since being formally established in 1985, and on August 23 held a summer diesel gala in association with the Irish Traction Group (ITG). A major attraction during the celebrations was the ITG’s ex-CIE/IE locomotive No. A39R which hauled three fully restored vintage carriages on trips between Downpatrick and Inch Abbey on August 2. The sold-out summer diesel gala three weeks later exceeded all expectations as a stunning show of runpasts, cab rides and other attractions were put on for attendees. After ex-CIE/IE single-cab GM No. 124 had been used on a train of three loaded ballast hoppers and a brake plough van, the locomotive was…

50 EARS AGO… OCTOBER 1975 ■ WEST MIDLANDS BOOST LOCAL TRAIN services between Birmingham and the Solihull area were increased from October 6, as part of a West Midlands PTE initiative. The timetable change included seven trains between 07.30 and 08.30 from Dorridge, and five from Shirley running into Birmingham’s Moor Street station. Off-peak services were also doubled from hourly to every half hour including on Saturdays. ■ PERTH PASSENGER LINK RESTORED REGULAR PASSENGER trains resumed from October 6 over the Ladybank-Hilton Junction (Perth) via Newburgh line. Since passenger services were withdrawn on the 15½ mile line in September 1955, it had become a freight line only occasionally used for excursions and diverted passenger trains. The restoration of limited passenger trains over the route reinstated a link to Perth and…