Innehållsförteckning för October 2023 från Railways Illustrated

Reporting on the UK railway scene is never boring and this month is no exception. When this issue of Railways Illustrated hits the news-stands in early September, there will be just a couple of weeks remaining of normal high speed train operations on CrossCountry’s long-distance routes. HSTs have played an important part in CrossCountry services for the last 41 years, but their time is now very nearly up. Normal scheduled use of CrossCountry’s HSTs is expected to end from September 18, with a special pair of farewell charters due to run just over a week later on September 26. Like Great Western Railway, London North Eastern Railway and East Midlands Railway before them, CrossCountry has fully embraced the popularity and legacy of the fleet as it prepares to retire them…

NETWORK RAIL has offered its three remaining diesel-electric Class 73s – 73138 and extensively rebuilt 73951/952 – for sale by tender, with prospective bidders having until September 15 to make their offers for the locomotives. While 73138 was taken out of regular use with NR in 2017 and is now stored at Rowsley South on Peak Rail, the two Class 73/9s were operational as recently as April this year and have been stored on the Severn Valley Railway since appearing as static exhibits at the line’s Spring Diesel Bash in May. The two Class 73/9s were heavily modified and fitted with twin Cummins QSK19 Mk.2 engines, capable of operating singly or as a pair. The locomotives also received extensive alterations to the engine room, cabs and electrical equipment, the pair…

NORTHERN TRAINS Limited, the Government-backed operator of last resort set up to operate Northern, has issued an expression of interest for the procurement of up to 450 multiple units, which would be delivered in phases via an eight-year framework agreement. The trains would replace existing ageing fleets, with Northern’s current oldest examples dating from 1984. Northern, which was nationalised in 2020, introduced a £500 million fleet of 58 Class 195 diesel multiple units and 43 Class 331 electric multiple units built by CAF from 2019. According to a document published on August 4, the plan is for a single supplier to manufacture and supply the trains, with associated equipment, technical support and spares. It states that this will allow Northern to replace significant quantities of its older fleet, enabling the…

PROPOSALS BY the Rail Delivery Group and a number of train operating companies to carry out widespread closures of ticket offices at almost 1000 railway stations attracted huge levels of criticism – mainly due to the short timescale available for people to respond to the controversial plan. When the proposal was first announced on July 5, as reported in our last issue, anyone wishing to lodge an objection had just three weeks to do so, to Transport Focus or London TravelWatch. However, it was announced by the RDG on July 26 – the original deadline – that the date for responses had been extended to September 1. RDG chief executive Jacqueline Starr said: “Train companies have listened to feedback and are extending the time available to respond to the consultation…

TWO TEENAGERS have been charged by British Transport Police following an attempted robbery on a Royal Mail service operating between Warrington and Shieldmuir in the early hours of August 1. The train involved was being worked by Royal Mail Class 325 electric multiple units, operated by DB Cargo, and it is understood that the driver brought his train to a stand at an unlit signal that had been tampered with. The incident took place on the West Coast Main Line close to Lockerbie. BTP attended quickly and the two teenagers involved were found on board the train and arrested. It is understood that no railway staff were hurt in the incident. After being released by BTP, the train subsequently arrived at Shieldmuir over five hours late. The Caledonian Sleeper to…

A START has been made on the disposal of Tyne & Wear Metro’s original Metrocar train fleet, with two dispatched for scrapping in late June. The move comes as Metro operator Nexus and train maintainer Stadler gears up for the introduction of the new Stadler-built Class 555 fleet, which are due to start replacing the old fleet before the end of the year. The clear-out began on June 28 with the removal of 4055 from Howdon depot, followed by 4062 the following day. The original 90-strong fleet of two-coach Metro-Cammellbuilt Metrocar trains, which entered service in 1980, is to be replaced by a brand-new fleet of 46 five-coach Class 555 trains, a phased replacement expected to be completed during 2025. The first Class 555s have now been delivered to Gosforth…

While news about the export of HST vehicles has attracted most of the attention in recent weeks, the export of the 16 former Freightliner Class 86/6s for use by Express Services in Bulgaria (Railways Illustrated issue 247) continued throughout late July and into August. The movement of the British Railbuilt AC electric locomotives from Crewe Basford Hall to Immingham completed in mid-August. Following the movement of 86622 on July 7, the Class 86/6s were collected at a rate of roughly three locomotives per week until the final trio of 86613/614/628 headed to Immingham for export during the week commencing August 14. It is understood that some of the 16 locomotives involved – 86604/605/607-610/612-614/622/627/628/632/637-639 – are to be reactivated, while others will become spares donors to support operational locomotives. The Class…

More Castles stored Two further sets of Castle Mk.3s went off-lease from Great Western during late July, both heading to store at Ely Papworth. On July 26, 37608 hauled 48131, 48132, 48133 and 49111 away from Laira to East Anglia. Two days later, Mexico-bound power cars 43022 and 43158 set out from Devon with 48101, 48103, 48113 and 49101, spending the weekend at Kings Norton before continuing to Ely on July 31. ERS expansion The number of Mk.3a/b coaches on the books of Eastern Rail Services has increased following the acquisition of former Greater Anglia FO 11090 and TSOs 12032, 12064, 12091 and 12097. All had previously seen use with Data Acquisition and Testing Services (DATS), with 12091 sub-sequently briefly employed by The Real Charter Train Company. All five were…

THE TWO Class 35 diesel-hydraulic Hymek locomotives based on the West Somerset Railway have been stopped until further notice following an incident at Williton in early August during the testing of D7018 after maintenance. A statement issued on August 14 by Diesel and Electric Preservation Group chairman Martin Howard said: “On August 4, preparations were underway at Williton for a static test of Hymek D7018 after some adjustments and checks had been made to the transmission. Following the engine start and while the preparations for the actual test were still in progress, the locomotive started to move uncommanded. This was against the parking brakes and included riding over scotches (or wheel chocks). “The movement was only stopped by shutting down the engine. Some minor damage resulted, both to the locomotive…

AS THE 2023 gala season winds down, September features a number of high-profile diesel events with plenty on offer to interest most heritage modern traction enthusiasts. Over the weekend of September 9/10, the Dean Forest Railway hosts its annual autumn diesel event featuring the railway’s operational diesel locomotives, Class 08 D3937 and Class 14 D9521. They will be joined by the D2578 Locomotive Group’s 03145, making a rare working visit away from its usual base at Moreton-on-Lug, and Graeme Watkin’s 37227 visiting from the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway. The East Lancashire Railway autumn diesel event takes place on September 15/16 and should see the working home fleet of Class 14 D9531, Class 24 D5054 Phil Southern, 25279, 33109 Captain Bill Smith RNR, Class 35 D7076, 37109, Class 42 832…

THE TWO 4TC driving trailer standard open (DTSO) coaches located at the Bellingham Heritage Centre have been secured by the 4TC Group on the Swanage Railway, with 76301 – which originally came from 4TC set 417 – arriving from Northumberland on July 31. The vehicle had previously served as café seating and an exhibition space at the BHC, so lacks much of its original interior but will be held in reserve pending restoration by the 4TC Group at a future date. The BHC has recently taken delivery of former East Midlands Railway Mk.3 HST trailer first 41204, which is now undergoing conversion to a catering vehicle for the centre’s Tea on the Train café. Once work on this has been completed, the second DTSO from 4TC set 417 – 76302…

D2302 – Moreton-on-Lugg: The restoration of the Class 04 moves closer to being concluded with the completion of the external repaint and the application of its number, electrification flashes and the BR Lion and Wheel emblems. There is still some work to do in the cab, replacing the seats and instrument panel labels, and fitting replacement axle box oiler pads. The second half of July saw work intensify on D2302, mainly to get it weathertight. All cab windows were refitted and by the end of the month and all external fittings, except for the windscreen wipers and the front marker lamps, were fitted. Work is in hand regarding fitting these latter two items, along with new cab seats. The locomotive is still not operational, but as soon as work has…

Walking into Castlecroft Yard on the East Lancashire Railway brings back so many memories for me. As a youngster, this is the preserved railway where I first started volunteering more than 35 years ago, making many friends along the way – some of whom I’m still in regular contact with now. It’s also thanks to the ELR that I first gained an enthusiasm for railways which has never gone away, even though I haven’t been an active volunteer on the line for well over a decade now. Brought up just three miles down the road, returning to the ELR feels almost like I’m going home. One of my first jobs there was assisting some of the other young volunteers working on the Bury Hydraulic Group’s Class 14 D9531. The…

THE FIRST of 94 Siemens Inspiro Deep Tube trains built for Transport for London has moved to Wildenrath, Germany, for testing. The nine-car train was completed at the end of July in Vienna, Austria, before being moved by rail to the Germany test facility. TfL has 94 trains ordered for the Piccadilly line in a £1.5 billion deal, which includes an associated fleet services agreement covering the supply of spares and whole life technical support. The new trains feature articulated bogies and walk-through cars, and are the first Deep Tube trains in London to be fitted with air-conditioning. They also offer a 10% capacity increase on the existing Piccadilly line fleet. About half of the new trains will be built in Vienna, Austria, with the remaining trains assembled at Siemens’…

ALSTOM HAS completed internal refurbishment work on the 35-strong Avanti West Coast Class 390/1 11-coach Pendolino fleet, 390135 becoming the final Class 390/1 to enter Widnes in mid-August. Work began in the summer of 2021, when 390125 was admitted to Alstom at Widnes to become the first 11-coach Pendolino to be treated. It involved the complete stripping out of the trains, with one of the previous First Class coaches converted into a Standard Class coach. The original shop was also removed from the trains – which originally entered traffic with Virgin West Coast more than 20 years ago – and replaced with a new, less obtrusive design. Wireless phone charging, plug and phone charging sockets were installed at every seat, and seating availability information screens added. Avanti West Coast Class…

CHILTERN RAILWAYS has become the latest operator to use hydrogenated vegetable oil to fuel its fleet of Class 68s, which are sub-leased from Direct Rail Services for use on the locomotive-hauled diagrams between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street. The formal launch took place at Marylebone station on July 27, the first day that all Class 68-hauled services were operated by HVO-fuelled locomotives. While several freight operating companies have been using HVO over the past couple of years, it is understood that Chiltern is the first passenger train operating company to adopt the lower-emission fuel. HVO is made up almost entirely from used cooking oils and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% and air particulates by 85%. A fossil-free drop-in alternative to conventional diesel fuel, itcontainsfew impurities…

GREATER ANGLIA has become the latest train operator to add a specially devised Pride livery to one of its train fleet. Pride branding and transgender flags have been applied to GA Class 720 Aventra electric multiple unit 720506, and the new-look train was unveiled at London Liverpool Street station on July 27. The livery, which was the idea of GA train service manager Lee Shaw, was applied at Ilford depot and will remain on 720506 permanently. The Class 720 EMUs operate between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge, as well as between London Liverpool Street and Clacton, Harwich and Ipswich, along with other GA electrified routes across Essex and Hertfordshire. GA says that the Pride train is part of the company’s wider diversity and inclusion strategy, it working to make itself…

FIVE WEST Midlands Metro CAF-built Urbos 3 trams have been moved to Harry Needle Railroad Company’s facility at Worksop for temporary storage while work takes place on expanding WMM’s depot at Wednesbury. First to be moved was Urbos 3 fleet pioneer 17, which left its home depot on the afternoon of August 8, arriving at Worksop the following day after being recessed overnight in a layby alongside junction 28 on the M1. Work is currently underway by the Midland Metro Alliance on a number of extensions to the tramway, with additional capacity needed at Wednesbury depot to cope with the larger tram fleet required to serve the expanded network. With WMM operator Midland Metro Ltd now having access to a large number of its new Urbos 100 fleet alongside the…

As reported in the last issue of Railways Illustrated, the planned movement of three Class 150/1s from Northern to London North-western Railway for use on the 16-mile Marston Vale line between Bedford and Bletchley took place on July 24, with 150137/139/141 transferring across to Bletchley from their former home at Newton Heath. The Marston Vale line has been without a passenger service since December 1 last year, when Vivarail entered administration. The company had supplied three Class 230 DMUs, numbered 230003-230005 – which were converted from former London Underground D-78 Stock – to LNR for use on the route. However, the Class 230s were immediately withdrawn from service by LNR when Vivarail collapsed, as the failed company was also responsible for maintenance of the trains. The reliability of the three…

CLASS 144 The two driving cars of 144014 have been disposed of for scrap by Vintage Trains, with DMSL 55837 moving by road from Tyseley to the Kingswinford yard of R Davies Metals & Sons on July 13, while 55814 followed six days later. Centre car 55850 was awaiting making the same journey in mid-August. CLASS 150 24/7 – 150137 + 150139 + 150141 5Z50 12.00 Newton Heath-Bletchley, permanent transfer to West Midlands Railway for use on Bedford-Bletchley services. CLASS 153 16/8 – 153379 + 153384 2Q50 08.54 Derby RTC-Derby RTC, the debut outing of Network Rail’s fifth video survey unit, 153384, following conversion, the pair undertaking several circuits of the East Midlands between Nottingham, Chesterfield, Derby and Grantham. CLASS 166 3/8 – 166215 5Q81 09.38 Wolverton-St Philip’s Marsh. 3/8…

Besides the repainting of Cross-Country HST power cars 43007 and 43008 into their retro liveries, the most interesting repaint of recent weeks has taken place at Carnforth, where 57009 now carries BR two-tone green. Completed during July, the locomotive has yet to work for West Coast Railways following its purchase from DRS, and was originally D1664/47079 George Jackson Churchward prior to its conversion into a Class 57. At Toton, Margate-bound 60081 has emerged from the paintshop in a fresh coat of Great Western green on behalf of Locomotive Services Group, with 66061 also gaining a more conventional repaint into DB Cargo red at the Nottinghamshire depot. With its transfer to GB Railfreight subsequently cancelled, 67027 is now back on lease to Colas Rail and as a result has seen its…

THE PEAK Locomotive Company held a special running day on the Nene Valley Railway on August 11 featuring 45041 Royal Tank Regiment to raise funds towards the cost of the overhaul of the steam heating boiler for Class 46 D182. The PLC owns four locomotives – one of each of the Peak derivatives – with Class 44 D4 Great Gable (44004) and D182 (46045) based at the Midland Railway – Butterley, 45108 on the East Lancashire Railway, and 45041 on the NVR. All are currently operational. Speaking about the event, PLC chairman Mike Kerry told Railways Illustrated: “The fundraising event on behalf of the Peak Locomotive Company was very well patronised. As a private event staged at the Nene Valley Railway, many railway and, particularly, Peak enthusiasts gathered to enjoy…

THE DERBY Lightweight Preservation Group’s diesel multiple unit driving trailer composite lavatory M79612 made its passenger-carrying debut on August 11 following the completion of its restoration at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. The trailer coach has been extensively rebuilt after being stripped of asbestos following its initial preservation, with restoration work originally starting on the DMU (which also includes driving motor brake standard M79018) at the Midland Railway – Butterley before the two-car vintage DMU was relocated to the EVR. It is currently painted in BR blue with small yellow ends. The debut trip on August 11 was a private charter, it paired with Locomotive Services Group’s Class 121 railcar W55034. It is hoped that a public launch of the trailer will take place at some point in the future. The…

THE NATIONAL Wagon Preservation Group has teamed up with the Bodmin and Wenford Railway to preserve an authentic rake of CDA china clay wagons to operate with the diesel locomotives based on the railway. The last operational examples – which are synonymous with Cornish china clay traffic – were removed from traffic by DB Cargo on August 11, with the vast majority of the remaining wagons now destined for scrap. The CDA fleet of 125 wagons was built between 1987 and 1989 by British Rail Engineering Ltd and RFS Industries, while a further 13 existing MGR wagons were converted into CDAs. They were built to a design similar to British Rail’s HAA hopper wagons but specifically for the carriage of china clay in the south west, replacing wooden ‘Clayhood’ wagons that…

TRI-MODE CLASS 756s could enter traffic early with Transport for Wales. Originally, the trains, currently being delivered by Stadler, were due to enter service from 2025 on the Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr lines. TfW has seven three-car Class 756/0s and 17 four-car Class 756/1s on order, with 756001-007, 756101-107 so far delivered. Mileage accumulation for the fleet is currently underway. A TfW spokesperson told Railways Illustrated that the operator was looking into the possibility of introducing them into traffic before the Stadler Class 398 tram-trains, but nothing was confirmed. TfW chief executive James Price, speaking about the introduction of the Welsh Metro, told the Welsh Affairs Select Committee on July 19: “We are considering how we can bring that forward, but it might mean that, in the Valleys, rather than…

IN A surprise move, DB Cargo has placed its last remaining operational Class 90s into store due to the increased costs of operating the electric locomotives, which has made their continued use impractical. DBC said it had been closely monitoring electricity costs since last summer, but the decision was taken to stop the locomotives as the company cannot absorb the increased costs of operating electric traction – and neither can its customers be expected to. The trains that would have been worked by the locomotives will be replaced with diesel traction in the short term. A statement issued to Railways Illustrated by the freight operator said: “DB Cargo UK has taken the bold decision to stand down its Class 90 electric fleet of locomotives due to the cost of running…

CHILTERN RAILWAYS managing director Richard Allan has confirmed that Class 168 168329, converted to operate as a bi-mode HybridFLEX diesel battery unit, will have its equipment decommissioned and be returned to service as a conventional DMU alongside the rest of the operator’s Class 168 fleet. Mr Allan said: “The trial was positive in terms of fuel consumption, but due to cost increases over the past three years we have decided that we are not going to progress with any further conversions and the HybridFLEX unit will be de-converted, although there is no timescale for this at the moment. “I’d like to says thanks to Rolls-Royce and Porterbrook for everything they put into the conversion project, but the time required to do the work and the costs involved conspired against it…

THE NATIONAL rail network has gained another two brand-new stations, as Southeastern’s station at Thanet Parkway in East Kent opened on July 31, followed by Great Western Railway’s Portway Park & Ride station, near Bristol, just 24 hours later. The first train to call at Thanet Parkway was the 04.58 service to London St Pancras International, the train arriving in London just under an hour and a half later. Located between Ramsgate and Minster, the station features two 250m platforms to accommodate Southeastern’s 12-car trains, with the platforms located on an embankment. It is fully accessible and features lifts and stairs to the platforms from ground level, along with tactile and wayfinding paving, CCTV, passenger help points, ticket vending machines, waiting shelters, seating, defibrillators and hearing loops. There is parking…

Three High Speed Train power cars and 11 Mk.3 coaches have been exported to Mexico from Great Yarmouth, marking the start of another remarkable chapter in the history of the BR-built HST fleet. The trio of Class 43s – 43022, 43158/170 – are all former Great Western Railway Castle Class power cars taken out of service with the operator over the past few months, while the coaching stock joining them on the cargo ship are a mixture of off-lease former East Midlands Railway, First Great Western and London North Eastern Railway slam-door Mk.3 HST trailers. All 14 vehicles were moved by road from store at Ely Papworth sidings. First to move to the docks on August 2 were Trailer First (TF) 41100, Trailer Guard’s Standard (TGS) 44094 and power car…

Beacon Rail The final Class 18 was collected from Clayton’s Burton upon Trent workshops on August 15, with 18015 heading south to Wolverton Works to join its 14 sisters awaiting employment. HNRC Now earmarked for spares recovery, 08502 was retrieved from the East Kent Railway on July 20 and delivered to Worksop to await stripping four days later after a weekend layover at the haulier’s yard. Sidelined for more than a year, 08527 was also on the move on August 9, with transfer from Burton Wetmore to Barrow Hill. Hunslet One of the lesser-spotted examples of Hunslet’s hire fleet, 08615, put in an appearance at the company’s Barton-under-Needwood workshops in early August. Normally hired to Tata Steel, its transfer ended fourand-a-half years based at Shotton steelworks on Deeside. Railway Support…

A SPECIAL evening charter train hauled by 37263 on the Severn Valley Railway and organised at short notice generated a profit, which will be donated to the Hope House Children’s Hospice in Oswestry. Shrewsbury-based Class 37 enthusiast Simon Pilkington came up with the idea of operating an evening charter train along the SVR when he realised that 37263 – currently visiting the SVR from the Telford Steam Railway – would be in service on the railway over the weekend of August 12/13. Intending on travelling behind the Class 37 on both days, he approached the railway just over a week before it was due to run to enquire about the possibility of operating a special train on the Saturday evening, with any profits to be donated to Hope House, a…

THE EAST Lancashire Railway has completed the restoration of Mk.1 brake first corridor (BFK) M14019, the carriage emerging from the Buckley Wells Carriage & Wagon Department workshops resplendent in blue and grey livery applied by contractor Heritage Painting. Internally, the BFK has undergone an extensive refurbishment, with all of the passenger compartments, the guards office and corridor woodwork receiving considerable attention. The toilet in the coach has also been refurbished and received a baby-changing table. Additionally, the former parcels area of the vehicle has received varnished wood panelling in preparation for use by passengers using wheelchairs. ELR carriage and wagon department manager Jonathan Valentine told Railways Illustrated that the railway – which has already upgraded some of its brake standard corridor (BSK) coaches for wheelchair users – has plans to…

The current batch of FNA nuclear flasks first appeared nine years ago, an initial 10 wagons emerging from the Shirebrook workshops of WH Davis on August 27, 2014. Numbered 11 70 9229 001-010, these were delivered to Crewe for commissioning by 20308 and 20309, heralding the start of a programme to replace the BR-built flask wagons dating from the 1970s and 1980s. There was nothing radical about the look of the new FNA-Ds, though; they were simply a modernised version of what had come before. The well wagon underpinnings therefore remained, complete with built-up sides for strength and impact protection, while the familiar white-painted sliding hood to cover the actual flask was once more provided. The main visual changes were the use of ribbed sides rather than smooth, while the…

The reign of the HSTs on CrossCountry services will be over by the time the November issue of Railways Illustrated is published, and we will be paying tribute to them in the next issue. On August 1, 43378 reflects on its long working life in the gloom of Birmingham New Street, working a Plymouth to Glasgow Central CrossCountry service with 43366 HST 40 on the rear. Tom Blanpain Forty-one years since British Rail first introduced High Speed Trains onto CrossCountry services, time is now up for the iconic HSTs on CrossCountry routes, with the final examples due to be stood down by the end of September. In the next issue, we pay a pictorial tribute to the end of an era for these high speed veterans. Organising a diesel gala is…