Innehållsförteckning för June 2023 från Railways Illustrated

It was 2003 when I last travelled on a first-generation diesel multiple unit on the main line. Living in Greater Manchester at the time, I was fortunate to be relatively local to where the Class 101s spent their final days working for First North Western. While plenty of first-generation DMUs went on to enjoy a second working life in preservation, never did I imagine that 20 years later I would travel over Network Rail metals on board an immaculately restored Class 117 operating under its own power. Thanks to the Swanage Railway and West Coast Railways, this exactly what’s happened. The Swanage Railway is one of my favourite heritage railways – although one which until early April I had not visited for quite a number of years – and…

THE SAFETY system installed on the London Tramlink network to prevent the over-speeding of trams has received Safety Integrity Level 2 certification – a UK first for a light rail over-speed protection system. In January 2019, DB ESG was selected by Transport for London to develop, design, install and commission a device to physically prevent the over-speeding (known as PPOS) of trams operated by London Trams in Croydon. DB ESG collaborated with Sella Controls, which provided the hardware and software. This system has been operational for more than a year, during which time it has achieved 100% availability, with no system failures experienced. In February 2023, the Independent Safety Assessor certified the system. The managing director of DB ESG, Nick Goodhand, said: “We are absolutely delighted that this system has…

THE LONG-AWAITED introduction into service of the Class 230s purchased by Transport for Wales for use on the Borderlands Line has finally taken place, with 230010 entering service on the 07.31 Wrexham Central to Bidston on April 3. TfW bought five bi-mode diesel and battery-powered Class 230s (numbered 230006-010) from Vivarail, with the three-coach trains converted from former London Underground D78 Stock. However, their entry into service has long been delayed for a number of reasons, the most recent delay occurring due to Vivarail entering administration at the end of last year. Although the trains have been repurposed from their former use on LU, they have been completely transformed and now feature facilities expected by passengers from modern train fleets, such as air conditioning, wi-fi, plug sockets and USB…

TRAIN OPERATOR Northern has partnered with engineers and experts at the University of Sheffield to trial new railhead treatment technology that can be attached to passenger trains to combat adhesion problems associated during the autumn leaf fall season – with the operator saying it could save the rail industry millions of pounds every year. The trials of the new leaf-busting technology are being run on the Wensleydale Railway with two Class 142 Pacer trains thanks to funding from Network Rail’s Performance Innovation Fund. One of the trains involved, 142090, has been repainted into a black and orange livery to promote the trials. If successful, the system could be fitted throughout Northern’s train fleet from next year. The cleaning system, developed by researchers from the university’s department of mechanical engineering, works…

THE DEPARTMENT for Transport has given Avanti West Coast a further six-month contract extension after the train operator has worked hard to improve the reliability of its services. AWC was awarded a short-term six-month contract by the DfT last October following poor performance, widespread cancellations and the introduction of an emergency timetable, with the company ordered to develop a recovery plan in the face of mounting criticism. According to the DfT, since the recovery timetable was introduced on December 11 last year, AWC has shown significant improvements across its services: ■ Weekday services have risen to their highest levels in more than two years. ■ Cancellations have been reduced from nearly 25% of the total service in August 2022 to 4.2% in early March 2023 – the lowest level in…

Class 777s expand use The fledging passenger duties of the Merseyrail Class 777 EMUs were expanded from April 10 with their introduction on the Ormskirk line on a limited basis, this following the type’s debut on the Kirkby line in January. On the first day, 777049 covered a morning peak diagram, being noted working 2O05 the 07.16 Liverpool Central to Ormskirk, 2G26 the 08.04 Ormskirk to Liverpool Central and 2O11 08.46 Liverpool Central to Ormskirk before returning to Kirkdale depot. On the same day, 777008/009/018 were in use on Kirkby duties. On March 22, new battery-fitted sets 777142/144/146 were moved from Dollands Moor to Walton Old Junction, Warrington, with 66002 providing the power to Willesden, where all four operational Rail Adventure power cars, 43465/468/480/484, took over. Late on March 23,…

IN THE face of dramatically rising costs, falling visitor numbers and decreasing revenue, the Severn Valley Railway has launched a £1.5 million Survival Fund appeal to overcome its current financial crisis and to make longer-term plans for its future. The SVR announced in January (Railways Illustrated issue 241) that it was implementing a range of measures to bring rising costs under control. These have included reducing the number of operating days during the 2023 season, introducing a simplified timetable, a freeze on recruitment for non-essential roles, and a combination of voluntary and compulsory redundancies from its paid employees. The railway has written to more than 25,000 shareholders, members and donors to urge them to support the Survival Fund, stating that the future of the railway could be at risk unless…

THE 125 Group has repainted preserved Class 43 high speed train power car 43159 into the later Midland Mainline ocean blue livery – as carried when it was used a Project Rio power car – to mark the 20th anniversary of the commencement of Project Rio on the Midland Main Line in May 2003. The power car was donated to the 125 Group by former owner Porter-brook in June 2021 on account of it being one of the two HST power cars involved in the world record-breaking diesel rail speed run, along with 43102, setting a maximum of more than 148mph just south of Northallerton on November 1, 1987. Stood down from active service in 2019, the locomotive carried First Great Western deep blue livery, but the paintwork on the…

VOLUNTEERS AT Crewe Heritage Centre will repaint on-loan 91120. The locomotive is one of two Class 91s owned by spot hire company Europhoenix – the other being 91117 at Barrow Hill – and the pair were originally destined for export for use in Hungary, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed their movement overseas and the economic downturn as a result saw the requirement for the locomotives disappear. In recent years, they have spent time stored at UK Rail Leasing’s facility at Leicester and at Barrow Hill, but last year an agreement was reached for 91120 to be moved to Crewe for an initial one year loan, where the locomotive would be exhibited. With the Europhoenix vinyl wrap carried by the locomotive having suffered from its prolonged period out of use, the…

125 HERITAGE has added two more Mk.3 High Speed Train coaches to its fleet based at the Colne Valley Railway. Buffet 40204 and Trailer First 41205 arrived at Castle Hedingham from storage at Ely in mid-March, having been last used on the Midland Main Line with East Midlands Railway. But 40204 is better known as a former Great Western vehicle, while 41205 was refurbished by Grand Central and was originally Mk.3a FO 11036. Both coaches are intended for static catering and seating use at the line but will be maintained in operational condition. They are painted in East Midlands Trains white, blue and red livery and in excellent internal condition despite having been in store for more than two years. 125 Heritage’s short-formed HST set will be in service on…

Who doesn’t look forward to summer, escaping the winter chill and enjoying long days of warm sunshine? That said, it can be a challenging season for railway photography, particularly during those July and August days when the sun is high in the sky, or hazy days when the clarity of light is poor. However, cooler mornings and long evenings can offer the railway photographer an extended day’s photography, but it generally means an earlier start and later finish for the best conditions. It can also be a difficult season for operations, as high temperatures can cause problems for railway assets… although we are talking about a British summer here, when warm sunshine shouldn’t be assumed and when we should plan equally for rain! As operations director for Network Rail’s North…

NETWORK RAIL has been forced to close the railway line between Didcot Parkway and Oxford for at least two months after Nuneham Viaduct in Oxfordshire was declared unsafe for the continued operation of trains over it. The route was closed to all rail traffic on April 3 after monitoring equipment detected increasingly significant movement of the structure. NR said that the viaduct – which crosses the River Thames between Culham and Radley – has undergone regular inspections to monitor and assess its condition. However, despite the company carrying out a low-intrusive ground stabilisation scheme in March 2023, this was unsuccessful, resulting in the closure of the line when the condition of the southern support of viaduct ‘rapidly and unexpectedly deteriorated’. ‘Challenging’ Network Rail is now set to replace the affected…

GREATER ANGLIA operated its final scheduled services using Class 321 electric multiple units between Walton-on-the-Naze and Colchester on April 3 – as the train operator phases out the last of its older train fleets. The Class 321 electric units have been used on suburban and commuter services in East Anglia for more than 30 years. As with the rest of Greater Anglia’s older train fleets, the trains have been replaced as part of a £1.4 billion programme. Services previously operated by the Class 321s are now worked by new Class 720 EMUs, more than 100 of which are now in service. Just four of the EMUs remained available for use after April 3 to provide flexibility in the event of a service disruption or other unplanned developments, although these were…

DERBY’S REPUTATION as a key railway hub in the country has been further cemented following the announcement that it will be the home of Great British Railway’s new national headquarters. The East Midlands city beat off competition from Birmingham, Crewe, Doncaster, Newcastle and York. All six locations shortlisted by the Government went through an assessment process, followed by a public vote. The Government said that Derby’s application demonstrated strong links to the wider rail network and well-established connections with the industry, supply chain and customers, as well as an extensive cluster of private sector rail businesses. While GBR’s headquarters will be in Derby, other towns and cities – potentially including some of those shortlisted – will become regional GBR hubs, equipped with local decision-making and investment powers, aimed at benefiting…

French Class 58 scrapping begins Scrapping of the long-stored Class 58s at Alizay in France began in late March, with work on the disposal of the locomotives continuing throughout April. The Class 58s were used on construction trains in France, having been exported in 2009 following the type being rendered redundant for UK traffic by English Welsh & Scottish Railways more than two decades ago. On site at Alizay were 58001/004-007/009-011/013/018/021/026/032-036/038-040/042/046/049. First to be scrapped at the site was 58033, which was reported as being disposed of on March 20. This locomotive has since been followed by a number of other Class 58s on the site, with 58007/009/018/021/035/036/039 all reported as being scrapped by mid-April, with staff on the site disposing of roughly two locomotives each week. Six DRS Class…

A second DRS Class 68 has received full body vinyls to promote green credentials, with 68014 being released from Crewe Gresty Bridge on April 6. The ‘Greener Future’ livery extols the locomotive’s use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as fuel on a green and blue background, while the other half of the locomotive is white with Chiltern Railways logos. The paintshop at Eastleigh Works has been busy in recent weeks, outshopping GB Railfreight’s recently imported 66306 in standard GBRf blue and orange, with 66307 and 66308 next in line for attention, both of which should have emerged by the time this issue goes on sale in early May. Also completed by Arlington Fleet Services and pictured in the last issue is 57311, which has been painted into Locomotive Services lined…

After a couple of quiet months for namings, the period under review has been busier. As reported opposite, Class 07 2991 (07007) has been named Bruce at Eastleigh Works, while also at Eastleigh, recently preserved E6040 (73133) has regained its former The Bluebell Railway name following repainting, ahead of a move to its namesake railway and into preservation. As also reported on page 10, Transport for Wales has named 231001 Sultan in a ceremony at Caerphilly on March 29 to commemorate the successful roll-out of the Stadler Class 231 fleet on the Rhymney Valley line. CrossCountry’s Intercity Executive-liveried Class 43 high speed train power car has been named Laira Diesel Depot without ceremony at the Plymouth depot. The naming recognises the work done by the depot in maintaining the CrossCountry…

FOLLOWING ATTENTION at its Barrow Hill depot facility over the past few months, the Deltic Preservation Society’s main line-registered Class 55 Deltic 55009 Alycidon has returned to the main line for testing – ahead of its first main line charter in more than four years. On March 28, 55009 carried out its first main line test hauling West Coast Railway’s 57012 from Barrow Hill to Carnforth, before working a loaded test with coaching stock and 57012 on the rear of the train the following day, seeing the Deltic work from Carnforth to Carlisle. The testing was deemed a success, allowing the Deltic to be cleared for a return to charter use. The locomotive has been off the main line since suffering a catastrophic failure at Drem while working ‘The Auld…

THE 15-ARCH Stanway Viaduct on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway is in need of significant repairs, with the supporting Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust launching a £1.5 million appeal to fund the necessary works to the structure. The 656ft-long viaduct is located on the section of line between Toddington and Broadway and has been suffering from the effects of water penetration over many decades, which has caused deterioration of the brick-built viaduct. The GWRT states that the appeal is necessary to prevent further damage to the structure to a point when it could no longer safely carry the loads and stresses imposed by the railway’s trains, which would see the Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway line forced to terminate at Toddington. The gently curving viaduct – the largest structure on the GWSR…

WITH THE main spring diesel event calendar now under way, some of the biggest events of the year are due to take place in May, including the eagerly awaited Swanage Railway and Severn Valley Railway diesel events. The four main diesel events are spread out throughout the month, with no clashes. The first weekend sees the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway operate a mixed traction event, which is expected to feature the recently-arrived Class 20 D8110 and 37294 working trains alongside some of the railway’s operational steam locomotives. The Swanage Railway’s annual diesel event returns from April 12-14, with a preview day taking place on April 11. Working alongside resident Class 33s D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN and 33111 will be visiting traction, including sole-surviving Class 17 D8568, Class 40…

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It has been a long wait for a manufacturer to get around to tackling the BR-built diagram 1/227 ferry vans to modern standards in OO gauge, the only previous model having been produced by Tri-ang more than 50 years ago. This subsequently passed into the Hornby range and has continued to be periodically produced ever since in a variety of liveries. Although nicely moulded, it has always suffered from having working sliding doors with overscale runners and detail of its time. With Rapido Trains having now committed to producing a UK range after a few years of weighing up the market, the ferry van has become one of its first British Rail releases, following on from the diminutive and equally welcome gunpowder vans. It is also the company’s first wagon…

ACTIVE TRAVEL Class 153s are to be introduced by Transport for Wales on the Heart of Wales line from later this year. The trains are being developed as part of the Welsh Government’s plans to increase active travel opportunities. TfW originally planned to use Class 170/2s on the Heart of Wales line, but with these trains being cascaded to East Midlands Railway, a different fleet was required. The first to be modified will be former Northern 153331, with the work being undertaken by Chrysalis Rail at Landore. Five more sets, including ex-Northern units 153307/328/352, which are currently stored at Landore, and 153968/972, which are in use with TfW, are to be modified with new interiors. The Class 153/9s are not fully PRM (Persons of Reduced Mobility) compliant, while the former…

THE NEW South Western Railway Class 701 electric multiple units are expected to enter traffic this year, despite five of the Alstom-built trains recently moving to Long Marston for storage. SWR has 60 10-car (701001-060) and 30 five-car (701501-530) EMUs on order to replace the Class 455, 456, 458/5 and 707 fleets. However, despite being launched at Derby Litchurch Lane – where they are being built – on November 14, 2019, not one of the trains has yet to carry passengers. Speaking at a press event in London on March 1, MTR UK chief executive Steve Murphy said he expects that the trains will enter service, although he didn’t give a definite date. SWR is a 70/30 ownership split between First-Group (the larger stakeholder) and MTR. The delays to the…

ALTHOUGH THE first Stadler Class 231 entered traffic with Transport for Wales in January this year, the operator held a celebratory launch event at Caerphilly station on a very wet March 29, with 231001 officially named during it. The trains were launched by Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters MS, who commented on the improvement that their introduction was bringing to passengers travelling in Wales. The 11 Class 231s are part of the £800 million investment TfW is making in brand-new trains for the Wales and Borders network. The Class 231 is a diesel-powered train from Stadler’s FLIRT design, but the Swiss train builder is also supplying 24 tri-mode Class 756 FLIRTs for use on TfW services. TfW chief executive officer James Price said: “This is another key milestone…

STATISTICS RELEASED by the Office of Rail and Road has seen TransPennine Express top the table for the most number of services cancelled, principally due to an ongoing shortage of train crew. In the four-week period between February 5 and March 4, the ORR stated that TPE’s cancellation score worsened from 7.2% to 23.8% when it was adjusted to include pre-cancellations. The operator pre-cancelled 1093 trains and part pre-cancelled a further 532, stating a lack of available train crew as the reason. Pre-cancellation (also known as P*-coding) is the term used by train operators for cancellations made before the day they are due to operate, and where the train involved is removed from the timetable. The ORR data in relation to cancellations and part-cancellations covers those services affected due to…

THE EAST Lancashire Railway has been granted a licence by the Office of Rail and Road to allow trains to operate along part of its route at a maximum speed of 60mph. The licence will apply to the sections of line from Heywood to Bury and Bury to Summerseat and grants permission for both testing and filming at higher speeds than are in place for the operation of passenger services, which is restricted to 25mph over the whole 12 miles of railway between Heywood and Rawtenstall. ELR’s head of operations, Jeff Armstrong, said: “This new non-main line certification from the Office of Rail and Road marks a significant expansion in our testing capacity. “We have a long tradition of welcoming operators and contractors to the network, but this new licence now…

Arlington Fleet Services With a fresh coat of BR blue newly applied, 07007 was named Bruce after owner Bruce Knights at Eastleigh Works on March 14, the surprise event also seeing agreement reached for Mr Knights to sell the Class 07 to Arlington. The locomotive has additionally seen a change of number following its cosmetic attention, reverting to its pre-TOPS identity as 2991. Beacon Rail There are now 10 Class 18s in store at Wolverton Works and awaiting deployment following the arrival of 18011 at the site on March 17, the brand-new locomotive having departed Clayton’s Burton workshops the previous day. Freightliner Now in orange, 08585 Vicky departed the Nemesis Rail depot at Burton following an exam at the end of March. Taken to the Manchester container terminal at Trafford…

VOLUNTEERS FROM the Llangollen Railway Trust are preparing for the official opening of a new station at Corwen, scheduled to take place on June 1. This will be followed by a three-day special event from June 2-4, which will feature steam and diesel locomotives from the Llangollen fleet operating between Llangollen and Corwen – the first time that passenger services will have operated over the two-and-a-half mile section of line between Carrog and Corwen since the Llangollen Railway’s temporary station at Corwen East was closed in 2018. A gauging train, hauled by A1A Locomotive 31271 Stratford 1840-2001, was operated through to Corwen on April 18, with the tests deemed to have been successful. Work will now concentrate on completing the remaining construction works at the new station, with crew training…

THE DECISION by the neighbouring Ecclesbourne Valley Railway and Peak Rail to join forces and hold a joint diesel event over the weekend of April 15/16 has proved to be a winning formula – with promises of further collaboration in the future. Both railways are located within a relatively short distance of each other in Derbyshire and their management teams decided to host a joint ‘Twin Peaks’ diesel event on the same weekend. A single ticket allowed entry to both locations, with a bus service linking them. Neil Ferguson-Lee, from the EVR, told Railways Illustrated that the event was a great success, with healthy passenger loadings and revenues experienced by both railways. Initial feedback from visiting enthusiasts had also been generally positive. At Peak Rail, services were hauled by Class…

03162 – Llangollen: Now its ownership has been resolved, a start has been made on overhauling the Class 03 shunter at the Llangollen Railway. The cab steps, air tanks and side rods have all been removed as a start towards being able to lift the locomotive and drop the wheelsets for final drive repairs and tyre turning. It is now under cover in Llangollen MPD. This is a long-term project, so it may take a while to complete as there’s plenty to do on the bodywork. 03179 – Rushden: In early March, the compressor – which was removed in 2016 – was refitted and is now back in place. With new oil on order, the team restoring the locomotive can look at getting the new upright air tanks painted and…

The end of D821 Greyhound’s British Rail career came on December 3, 1972, when it worked its last revenue-earning service in charge of 6Z10, the 15.30 Bristol to Plymouth additional Christmas parcels train. The locomotive was withdrawn the following day, alongside D810 Cockade, D812 The Royal Navy Reserve 1859-1959 and D824 Highflyer. But unlike the other three Class 42s, D821 was to survive the threat of scrapping. The magnificent seven D821 was purchased for preservation in early 1973 by Colin Massingham under the name of Modern Traction Kits, who had sought financial assistance from his father, Brian, along with Chris Reid and his father William, Norman Cousens, and Richard (Dick) Turpin, who became the first six shareholders. Edward ‘Terry’ Soton paid the locomotive’s movement costs, and all of them were…

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