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BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING RAIL TITLE August 2018
1PA3GE2S
Fire risk disrupts steam operations
TPE ‘Nova 2’ on test
‘County’ 4-4-0
frames ordered EXCLUSIVE FEATURE
STEAM’S LAST FLING NW ENGLAND IN 1967/68
ROLL UP! ROLL UP!
THE HISTORY OF CIRCUS TRAINS
A STARTER FOR TEN!
NEW IDEAS FOR CROSSCOUNTRY?
HITACHI ‘385s’ FINALLY ENTER SERVICE ◆ FIRST NORTHERN ‘195’ LANDS
The
EDITORIAL
Editor: Chris Milner Deputy editor: Gary Boyd-Hope Consultant editor: Nick Pigott Senior correspondent: Ben Jones Designer: Tim Pipes Picture desk: Paul Fincham and Jonathan Schofield Publisher: Tim Hartley Production editor: Sarah Wilkinson Sub-editor: Nigel Devereux Editorial assistant: Jane Skayman Classic Traction News: Peter Nicholson Operations News: Ashley Butlin Narrow Gauge News: Cliff Thomas Metro News: Paul Bickerdyke World News: Keith Fender By post: The Railway Magazine, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR Tel: 01507 529589 Fax: 01507 371066 Email: railway@mortons.co.uk © 2018 Mortons Media ISSN 0033-8923
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Accepted photographs and articles will be paid for upon publication. Items we cannot use will be returned if accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope, and recorded delivery must clearly state so and enclose sufficient postage. In common with practice on other rail periodicals, all material is sent or returned at the contributor’s own risk and neither The Railway Magazine, the editor, the staff nor Mortons Media Ltd can be held responsible for loss or damage, howsoever caused. The opinions expressed in The RM are not necessarily those of the editor or staff. This periodical must not, without the written consent of the publishers first being given, be lent, sold, hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated condition or, in any unauthorised cover by way of trade or annexed to or as part of any publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever.
This issue was published on August 1, 2018. The next will be on sale on September 5, 2018.
The annual invasion of Buddleja Davidii
T
RAVELLING into Birmingham New Street last month, I was shocked at the abundance of vegetation alongside the track around Grand Junction. Particularly prevalent was buddleia (Buddleja Davidii), an invasive plant which spreads easily if left unchecked. On the approach to New Street – and as far back as Washwood Heath – were hundreds of yards of dense growth, including a ‘mini forest’ in the area where the lines to Aston diverge. As well as growth from the ground, the buddleia is embedded in brickwork, which causes far greater damage to the infrastructure. The vegetation appears to expand unmanaged year after year all over the network, turning to seed, and is spread further by the wind, often lodging
Buddleia in abundance at the end of Solihull station platforms as Class 68 No. 68015 heads towards Birmingham Moor Street with a Chiltern Mainline service from London Marylebone on July 18. FRASER PITHIE
in cracks in brickwork mortar. This presents a very poor view of Network Rail’s housekeeping of the railway to passengers. There have even been reports in Network Rail logs of vegetation obscuring signals, which begs the question: Why are the problems of vegetation not being dealt with at an earlier stage?
Diesel fumes still pervade at New Street AROUND £700million has been spent upgrading and facelifting the street level and shopping areas at Birmingham New Street, and yet as a rail passenger, it is still frustrating to find obnoxious diesel fumes wafting their way onto the concourse. Catching a train home after a recent meeting, at the top of the stairs for platforms 10/11, I was met with pungent fumes rising up the staircase from the two DMUs ticking over in the platforms. This is simply not acceptable. Why are ventilation ducts not dealing with the fumes more efficiently? Surely diesel units should have their engine management systems upgraded to reduce idling in stations? While the upper levels and exterior are a worthy transformation, the platform level facilities have not really improved at all. It’s still dark and gloomy with no natural daylight filtering down to track level – a real opportunity has been missed to make lighting improvements. The directional signage at concourse level can be a
bit hit and miss, with no clear indication which end is the A or B platform, or where the trams leave from. At gate lines, people mill around searching bags and pockets for tickets, hampering other passengers with short connection times. Birmingham is just four years away from hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors who will attend the Commonwealth Games. There is plenty of time for these outstanding niggles to be ironed out and resolved for the benefit all passengers. It’s not a big ask.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT
Editor’s Comment
Have your say on the next CrossCountry franchise THE CrossCountry franchise covers an extensive area and carries around 40 million passengers annually. Connecting many of the country’s large cities – which also happen to be university towns and cities with a large transient student population – a shortcoming of the franchise is its lack of passenger capacity, leading to overcrowding at peak times. In 2002 a Class 47 hauling seven or eight coaches gave way to four- and five-car ‘Voyager’ units on a more frequent timetable. However, the relentless growth in passengers numbers – 28% since 2010/11 – has meant the
franchisee has struggled to match capacity to demand. A consultation is currently taking place (ends on August 30 – see https://tinyurl.com/ycyn9xmg), where key questions arre asked which will shape the Invitation to Tender for franchise bidders. In this issue, Fraser Pithie reviews the franchise, the good and not so good aspects, together with some suggestions for the future. You can add your views to the consultation, but let us know your thoughts, too. A selection of your letters will be published in the September or October issue. CHRIS MILNER, Editor
August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 3
Contents
August 2018. No. 1,409. Vol 164. A journal of record since 1897.
Headline News
The first completed Class 397 EMU for TransPennine Express made its initial runs at the Velim test track in the Czech Republic on July 3. QUINTUS VOSMAN
CAF added to HS2 contract shortlist as Hitachi and Bombardier join forces, Tornado misses out on 10th anniversary celebrations, DB shelves London-Germany high-speed plans, Network Rail debt tops £50bn, major fire closes Vale of Rheidol.
On the cover
MAIN IMAGE: On Junee 29, the final day beforre the East Lancashire Railway's steam ban came into force, No. 6990 Witherslack k Hall gets away from Burrs. PHIL JONES INSET 1: The story of how British circuses travelled by rail. INSET 2: Steam performance in the final months before August 1968. INSET 3: Goodbye 'Voyagers'? Solutions for solving CrossCountry overcrowding problems.
Track Record The Railway Magazine’s monthly news digest 70 Steam & Heritage Diesels step in as heatwave forces nationwide steam bans, 'County' 4-4-0 frames ordered, Blue 'King' to Kingswear, 'B1' and City of Wells for GCR 'Exchange Trials' gala, fully-clad 'P2' revealed at Darlington.
76 Irish 77 Industrial 78 Steam Portfolio 82 Narrow Gauge 84 Heritage Trams 86 Network 89 Classic Traction 94 Railtours 98 World 100 Traction & Stock Overground Class 710 makes London debut, GBRf buys Colas Class 60 fleet and two more '73s', first Class 195 and '717s' arrive in UK, ScotRail Class 385s finally enter traffic, GWR introduces nine-car IETs.
Offering a tantalising glimpse of how the completed locomotive will look, the P2 Steam Locomotive Co displayed No. 2007 Prince of Wales with its boiler cladding fitted in July. P2 STEAM LOCOMOTIVE CO.
104 Traction Portfolio 106 Metro 108 Operations 114 Stock Update
Regulars 12 Multiple Aspects 12 Railways in Parliament 54 Subscription Offer
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Our regular gallery of the best railway photography from around the world.
Panorama: The diminutive stature of Port of Par Bagnall 0-4-0ST Judy is accentuated as the Bodmin-based loco crosses Brooksbottom Viaduct during a visit to the East Lancashire Railway on May 7. EDDIE BOBROWSKI
68 From The RM Archives
Details of when Britain’s unique collection of heritage railways and railway museums are open.
116 Heritage Diary
120 Meetings 129 Reader Services 130 Crossword & Where Is It?
Find out what The RM was reporting 20, 50 and 100 years ago.
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62 Readers’ Platform 64 Panorama
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Main Image: A classic line up of First World War field railway locomotives, including freshly outshopped Hunslet 4-6-0T No. 303, at the Apedale Valley Light Railway's Tracks to the Trenches event on July 13. Also starring at the event, which marked the centenary of the end of the 1914-18 conflict, were Baldwin 10-12-D 4-6-0T No. 778 from the Leighton Buzzard Railway and Hudswell, Clarke 0-6-0WT No. 104. EDDIE BOBROWSKI
Features
14 The Greatest Show on Earth
Nick Pigott takes a detailed look at the history and highly organised operation of circus trains some of the most unusual and colourful trains to run in Britain.
24 When the End Seemed Nigh
To mark 50 years since the end of BR steam in August 1968, Keith Farr focuses this month's Practice & Performance feature on the final weeks of steam operation, and the legendary '1T57' final railtour.
due for renewal over the next couple of years. Fraser Pithie offers his views on how the next CrossCountry franchise should look.
37 Rail Cameramen
A pictorial celebration of the Rail Camera Club ahead of a new book showcasing the outstanding work of some of Britain's greatest railway photographers.
44 When Kathleen and Blanche met 'U2'
from both broad and narrow gauge lines.
50 FLEX: The Go-Anywhere Train
In an innovative scheme to find new roles for surplus EMUs, Porterbrook Leasing and Brush Traction are converting Class 319s into bi-mode ‘FLEX’ trains. Ben Jones visits Loughborough to discover more about the project.
56 125 Years of Narrow Gauge Hunslets
31 A Starter for Ten: The New XC Franchise CrossCountry is one of four major franchises
Gary Boyd-Hope visits the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum in Cultra, near Belfast, home to a wonderful collection of Irish railway artefacts
Cliff Thomas reports from a very special event in North Wales that brought together 19 narrow gauge machines from the Leeds loco builder.
ROLL UP, ROLL UP: Travelling circuses on the rails of Britain - p14
CULTRA COLLECTION: Northern Ireland's haven for heritage - p44
FLEX PROJECT: New roles for surplus Thameslink trains - p50
August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 5
CIRCUS TRAINS
ROLL UP, ROLL UP FOR THE
‘GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ Consultant Editor Nick Pigott tells the little-known story of British circus trains – almost certainly the most colourful and unusual workings to grace the network on a regular basis.
M
ANY readers will have fond Because the size of Buffalo Bill’s animals childhood memories of travelling meant they could be accommodated in rolling circuses, with clowns, acrobats and stock supplied by the pre-Grouping companies, exotic animals producing thrilling there was no problem with such transport, but performances beneath a colourful ‘big-top’. when the American circus troupe of Barnum However, for rail enthusiasts, an equally exciting & Bailey decided to ship its ‘Greatest Show time was to be had down at the local goods yard on Earth’ to Britain in 1897, a major rethink as the gaudily painted wagons arrived and began was required. disgorging their amazing loads of elephants, Barnum’s, which had been touring the USA camels, lions, tigers and zebras. in purpose-built railroad vehicles for several The beasts would seasons and had tested then be taken through the the market in Britain with streets to wherever the a 16-week residence at circus was being staged and, Kensington Olympia in a day or two later, return 1889, wanted to return to to the station for transfer Olympia for a second series to the next town or city on of winter shows followed the itinerary. by a nationwide ‘big-top’ It was a spectacle tour in 1898. However, its that took place up and menagerie was far larger down the country every than Cody’s and included summer in peacetime from elephants, the largest of the early-1930s to the which wouldn’t fit into 1960s – and also during standard wagons because of A brightly coloured poster advertising Barnum the late-19th century and Britain’s restricted loading & Bailey’s grand tour of Britain in 1899. It early-1900s – yet because gauge. depicts a British 4-4-0 and US-style coach most circus trains travelled alongside loaded flatbed wagons. Not only that, but oneby night, there are very few night stands were planned photographs of them en route, and relatively little for the majority of small towns on the tour and is known about them compared with other forms that meant assembling and dismantling the whole of rail transport. show and moving on every 24 hours. As the poor The story begins in 1887 when Buffalo Bill’s roads of the time wouldn’t allow such huge loads Wild West Show – run by the famous American to be transported in the required timescales, and Civil War character Colonel William Cody – came as it was impossible to use the American wagons from the United States to Britain to take part because of their larger size, Barnum’s took the in Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee celebrations. bold decision to have an entire fleet of railway His troupe staged a number of performances vehicles built specially for British use. in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Hull Elephant cars before leaving the UK from the latter city’s The company placed an order for 67 carriages docks in May 1888. Because road transport at and wagons with the Phoenix Works of Stoke-onthe time wasn’t sufficiently advanced, the only Trent engineers W R Renshaw & Co to be ready feasible way to move the show’s animals, artistes for that first tour. The fleet comprised 16 general and equipment around the country was on the stock cars, three elephant cars, one camel car, one rail network. double-decked pony car, one ‘led-stock’ car Three trains were used: one for equipment, (mainly for zebras and llamas), seven sleeping one for personnel and one for the creatures… cars for artistes and staff, one private saloon buffalos, elks, mustangs and ‘bucking broncos’. for proprietor James Bailey, one baggage car Three years later, Cody’s extravaganza and 35 flat cars for transporting horse-drawn returned to England as part of a European trailers, caravans, cages and carts, along with the tour, this time docking in Grimsby and being poles that supported the 65ft-high canvas of the conveyed to Leeds for its first engagement in big-top tent. a trio of Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire There was also an advance advertising car, Railway trains. 14 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018
A panoramic view of Torre goods yard, between Newton Abbot and Torquay, on August 6, 1960. Bogie-bolsters carrying Bertram Mills caravans and trailers are being shunted by Prairie tank No. 4117 with sister loco No. 5154 and a rake of unloaded wagons in the foreground. At the rear is a train composed largely of animal vans and staff sleeping coaches. PETER GRAY/GWR TRUST
whose function was to run three weeks or so ahead of the circus (usually as part of a normal passenger service) and be stabled prominently near a town centre passenger station in order to drum up publicity and act as a mobile box-office. It contained sleeping quarters for its 20 staff plus a heating boiler, whose principal purpose was the warming of paste required for sticking promotional posters all over town. That vehicle had standard 3ft-diameter wheels, but to provide the required height clearance, the rest of the fleet had to be fitted with small 28-inch disc wheels from German builder Krupp. The resultant low profile made them incompatible with the loading bays and cattle docks of most British goods yards, so a large number of adjustable portable ramps had to be carried on the trains for loading and unloading from ground level. Because the road trailers were large by British standards, the bogie flat cars also had to be longer than most British railway vehicles, so to prevent them fouling platforms and lineside objects on curves, their body width was limited to 8ft. Despite all those concessions, there was still insufficient internal headroom for the circus’s adult jumbos, so two of the elephant cars had to have specially strengthened well floors let into
One of the general livestock cars. For operating purposes, the Barnum & Bailey vehicles were registered with the North Staffordshire Railway. LCH
Sleeping car No. 52, thought to have been used by proprietor James Bailey. In the left background can be seen Great Eastern Railway rolling stock. LCH
Two of the three Barnum & Bailey elephant cars had to have well floors to accommodate the tallest jumbos, as seen in this extraordinary loading scene.
Believed to be the only known photo of a Buffalo Bill train vehicle in Britain, this image shows the former Barnum & Bailey advertising car as it appeared in 1903 and 1904. LCH
The advertising car when new in the late-1890s. It differed from the other members of the fleet in having standard-sized wheels and British-style buffers and couplings. LCH
Camel car No. 102 had British buffers at one end and buckeyes at the other. This one is fitted with builder, owner and registration plates. LCH
August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 15
FLEX ROLLING STOCK
The go-anywhere train With so many new trains being delivered and electrification schemes shelved, Porterbrook and Brush Traction are using their engineering expertise to convert surplus Thameslink commuter trains into ‘go-anywhere’ bi-mode trains. Ben Jones visits Loughborough to see how the project is progressing.
W
hen you’ve invested millions Only 42% of the British rail network is of pounds in maintaining and electrified, compared to anywhere between 50% updating trains to bring them up and virtually 100% in mainland Europe. Spotting to modern standards, what do an opportunity for a flexible train that could take you do when those trains become surplus to advantage of the gradually increasing electrified requirements soon afterwards? network and operate under its own power That was the problem facing Derby-based elsewhere, Porterbrook started to investigate the train leasing company Porterbrook a few years options for trains that could easily, and reliably, ago when several large fleets of electric trains were switch between an external power supply and an rendered redundant by massive new train orders. on-board energy source. In the case of Thameslink, 86 four-car Helen Simpson, innovation and development Class 319 dual-voltage EMUs built between 1987 manager for Porterbrook, was there at the and 1990 have been replaced by new Siemens beginning. Class 700s over the last three years. She says: “We looked at diesel engines, Most 319s have recently been refurbished batteries, supercapacitors (electrical storage and fitted with controlled devices capable of emission toilets, passenger providing a short-term information systems and boost of energy), PRM-TSI compliant hydrogen and flywheels, accessible toilets to keep but only diesel offered them in service beyond the high-energy density, December 2019. good range and proven Originally, much of capabilities we were the fleet was expected looking for. to switch to GWR’s “We selected Thames Valley commuter Brush Traction in operation, with others Loughborough as our moving to Northern. development partner. The curtailment of Porterbrook funded the Great Western main line feasibility study, while electrification and GWR’s Brush shared the risks decision to buy new with us by helping to fund HELEN SIMPSON, innovation & development Class 387 EMUs for the design work.” remaining electric services manager, Porterbrook In common with left more than 60 ‘319s’ other ex-BR Mk3-based without work beyond 2018. EMUs, the Class 319s have one powered This project started as far back as 2014 intermediate vehicle and three trailers, with the when, inspired by the Bombardier/Network Rail underbody area of the two driving cars being Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit relatively uncluttered. The new bi-mode concept (IPEMU) experiment – which saw batteries fitted centred around installing a diesel power pack and to a Class 379 EMU – Porterbrook challenged an alternator under each Driving Trailer Second its engineering team to create their own IPEMU (DTS) vehicle. concept, using Class 319s. Helen continues: “We had to check if they At that time, the Government was would take the extra weight, but we knew that still committed to a rolling programme of a Class 150 DMU driving car (of similar design) electrification, but many routes were still unlikely was heavier.” to be wired – even in the longer term. Simon Evans, group innovations director
“Rebuilding can often be more difficult than building from new. Making the existing and new components work together can be a real challenge.”
50 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018
at Wabtec Faiveley UK, which owns the Brush Traction works in Loughborough, was also there from the start of the project. “For us it was, and is, an investment in the future. We think it has ‘legs’. Not only does it present opportunities for similar modifications of other fleets, it is also creating an engineering base for other projects, and developing engineering expertise in the UK.” Appropriately, given the flexibility the new train could offer, it was soon branded ‘Flex’ by the team.
Computer model
“We had to run numerous computer models for ‘Flex’ to see if it would perform as required with a passenger load on the various routes and schedules it might be asked to work,” added Helen. “This assured the train operating companies (TOCs) that the concept was sound. The timetable analysis proved to be very useful for us.” The new engine rafts feature a power pack with a MAN D2876 390kW diesel engine and an ABB alternator. The design of the raft is similar to that used on Bombardier ‘Turbostar’ DMUs and is designed to be removed or installed quickly with the assistance of a special lifting platform. Simon explains: “The MAN engines have a rail pedigree and are compliant with Stage IIIb
Brush Traction in Loughborough was chosen by Porterbrook as its development partner for the ‘Flex’ project. On June 19, 2018, the driving trailers from Nos. 319434 and 319456 await the installation of their diesel power packs prior to the start of dynamic testing. BEN JONES
Above: The first production ‘Flex’ power pack containing the MAN diesel engine and ABB alternator. BEN JONES Right: Wabtec’s biggest engineering challenge was the new electronic control cubicle, which controls local power on the driving cars. All the new electronics and electrics were designed in-house. BEN JONES
August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 51
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