The Railway Magazine - August 2018

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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

HeadlineNews Cross-party Mid-Norfolk to store Greater group wants changes to halt volunteer crisis Anglia’s new rolling stock

A CROSS-PARTY group of MPs is calling for changes to update legislation which prevents young people from volunteering on heritage railways.

The restrictions stem from the Employment of Women, Children and Young Persons Act, 1920, which can prevent young people under 16 from volunteering on heritage railways.

The heritage sector is facing a volunteer crisis, with older volunteers not being replaced in sufficient numbers by younger volunteers, and the changes are needed to ensure the long-term viability of heritage railways.

Inspirational

Nicky Morgan MP, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Heritage Rail, said: “Members of our group found evidence from young people involved to be inspirational and the work being done by the railways to be a powerful force supporting social cohesion and a great example of vocational development and training.

“However, there is no doubt more needs to be done to find the new generation of heritage rail workers and volunteers, and this will have to include a more diverse workforce, too.”

Heritage railways are also an important recruiting ground for jobs on the national rail network.

A THREE-year agreement between train operator Greater Anglia and the Mid-Norfolk Railway (MNR) will lead to the heritage line storing new Stadler rolling stock.

The deal was announced at the railway’s AGM and will lead to changes to the line’s infrastructure, which will be undertaken by Sonic Rail Services, and bring long-term benefits to the MNR. Stock will access the MNR via the mainline connection at Wymondham.

Greater Anglia has more than 1,000 new carriages on order, which will be introduced from 2019, and it needs additional storage facilities for the two to three years the fleet will change.

The deal is said to be worth £3million.

Double track will be reinstated at Hardingham and Kimberley Park stations, which was removed

by BR in the 1960s. Four sidings will be installed on land north of Kimberley Park, and there will

be a connection into the yard at Hardingham.

Work on the doubling was due to begin by the end of July, the sidings in November, with the project completed by March 2019.

The RM understands the MNR will store the new trains pending formal commissioning and acceptance, and then the surplus decommissioned stock will await cascade or disposal.

Mike Kean, franchising and programmes director for Greater Anglia, said: “We’re pleased to be able to partner with the Mid-Norfolk Railway on this project as part of the programme to introduce our new train fleet.

“It’s an ideal option. Not only is the location convenient for Crown Point, Norwich, where the new Stadler trains will be based, but it’s great to be able to work with a local heritage railway in our region and deliver a scheme which will result in a legacy benefit of additional facilities for the MNR and the local community.”

One of the new Stadler Class 755/4 bi-mode trains for Greater Anglia inside the commissioning shed at Erlen, Switzerland on May 3. CHRIS MILNER

Learning coach now open at Worth Valley THE Bahamas Locomotive Society’s (BLS) dedicated learning coach was formally opened at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on June 23 by Rachael Maskell MP. The ceremony recognises the efforts of the BLS to convert 1924-built LMS corridor composite coach No. 8761 into a specialist educational resource at its Ingrow headquarters.

Its creation formed an integral

part of the wider Heritage Lottery-funded project to overhaul the society’s flagship locomotive – ‘Jubilee’ No. 45596 Bahamas.

The vehicle, which ended its days as a breakdown train riding van at Southport, has been fitted out by BLS volunteers to provide not only an educational facility for visiting schools, but also for historians and researchers.

The space originally occupied by the First Class compartments (removed when it went into departmental use) now serves as a classroom, while the three remaining original Third Class compartments each serve individual purposes.

One has been converted into an office and another restored to illustrate a typical passenger compartment.

The third compartment is a

‘Taffy Tank’ going home after absence of nine decades Banbury maintenance depot almost complete FORMER Taff Vale Railway WORK on a new light 0-6-2T No. 85 will return to the maintenance depot for Chiltern Principality next month, where Railways at Banbury has almost it began its career. been completed, with the train It is the star turn at the operator using the facility since Pontypool & Blaenavon the end of June.

Railway’s (P&BR) September The site is on land occupied 14-16 Autumn Steam Gala. by the former steam shed south The 1899-built Neilson Reid of the station on the west side, locomotive spent almost 30 and will be used for stabling, years working between Cardiff maintenance, routine servicing, and the South Wales valleys cleaning, and fuelling for up to until its withdrawal by the Great 58 vehicles.

Western Railway in 1927.

The depot – viewed on June 30 Two years later it was sold to – will have its own signalling and the Lambton, Hetton & Joicey control centre. PHIL MARSH Colliery in County Durham, with the loco having not been ‘home’ since.

After 40 years hauling coal in the North East, No. 85 (by then National Coal Board No. 52) was WEST Midlands CAF-built ‘Urbos3’ tram No. 31 withdrawn in 1968, and entered has been give a new look. Carrying West preservation at the Keighley & Midlands Metro branding, it is finished in Worth valley railway in 1970. two-tone blue vinyls and is seen at No. 85 has been a popular Wednesbury Parkway on July 18, its third day performer and was most in this livery. The tram is one of four fitted with recently on an extended visit batteries to work non-energised sections. to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey The remaining 20 ‘Urbos’ trams will also get Steam Railway. this new look. ANDY WALTERS

New ‘two-tone’ look for West Midlands trams

6 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

research room, complete with internet-connected computers sponsored by The RM’s publisher Mortons Media Group.

The learning coach has been welcoming visitors since early 2016, and Ms Maskell’s visit enabled the shadow rail minister, together with Keighley MP John Grogan, to see first-hand what the facility has brought to the local community.

Loco named after Jools Holland

THE Beer Heights Light Railway (also known as Pecorama) has been named 0-4-2T Jools in honour of musician, railway enthusiast and TV presenter Jools Holland. The loco had been a former resident of the Exmoor Steam Railway. PETER NICHOLSON

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Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

Office of Rail and Road begins investigation into timetable farce

THE investigation by the Office of Rail and Rod (ORR) into the problems caused to passengers of Govia Thameslink and Northern has begun.

The ORR has appointed Dame Deirdre Hutton, Mike Brown, Anne Heal and Michael Beswick as the expert panel of advisers for the inquiry, which will be led by ORR chairman Professor Stephen Glaister.

Prof Glaister said: “I am pleased that four people possessing such a wide range of experience and expertise have agreed to join the panel supporting this important inquiry.

“The inquiry itself will proceed quickly, but also thoroughly and impartially, to determine exactly what happened, and will develop a set of recommendations to avoid a repetition of such disruption.”

Overcrowded

The inquiry will focus on what took place when the timetable was introduced, compared with what should have happened, and will concentrate on where there were differences, and the underlying causes. Initial findings will be published in September, with a final report by the end of the year.

The ORR has also been taking close notice of images of overcrowded station platforms

appearing on social media as passengers take to Twitter to complain about a succession of cancelled services.

The Transport Select Committee (TSC) is also investigating the timetabling problems, and heard evidence in June from senior industry figures, including former Govia managing director (MD) Charles Horton, Northern MD David Brown and Jo Kaye from Network Rail. On July 9, the TSC heard evidence from Thameslink Industry Readiness Board (IRB) chairman Chris Gibb and also chairman of the IRB’s Independent Advisory Panel (IAP), Chris Green.

Mr Gibb explained time simply ran out to resolve the issues ahead of the May 20 timetable change.

He said: “I don’t think the industry understood the consequences of time running out in the way that it did.”

He added that at an IRB meeting on May 4, there was an awareness of the driver training issues covering the New Cross Gate to Blackfriars section of line, but based on the information presented believed the problems could be mitigated.

Mr Gibb continued: “Between May 4 and May 20, that’s when time ran out. It was impossible to get enough drivers in the right places with the right skills working with the very inefficient plan that

had been prepared at the last moment when the timetable was eventually agreed.

“If we had had more time, we would have made a better job of it as an industry.”

Amplifying what Mr Gibb said to the TSC, Mr Green said: “In the early days, the timetable was the most important issue.

“On train crew, by January 2018, physical work had finished. The timetable should have been finished but wasn’t.

“In February, it became clear not enough drivers would be trained for May, and that was not a surprise. On a change of this scale, you can’t physically do it. The issue was how to mitigate. We were given a detailed mitigation plan and presented it to the IRB.”

Rest day

In written evidence to the TSC, Arthur Leathley, chairman of London Travel Watch, pointed out in addition to the timetabling issues, there were incompatible franchise specifications from the DfT which led to timetable conflicts between Thameslink, Virgin East Coast and East Midlands trains.

In the case of EMT, it had forced withdrawal of peak stops at Luton and Bedford and forced EMT to lease additional stock to cover the reduced efficiency of previous

Passengers on crowded platforms at East Croydon during the morning peak on July 5. MICHAEL SCRIVEN/PA IMAGES

rolling stock diagrams.

He recommended the DfT is better equipped to decide its own timetable priorities and take expert advice before any arbitration process with Network Rail.

With the need for drivers to learn the Canal Tunnel (St Pancras to ECML) and Metropolitan Curve (London Bridge-Blackfriars),

Mr Leathley added the industry had become too dependent on rest day working to cover training requirements, and as such staff availability would vary and needs to allow a reasonable time frame for drivers, signalling staff and maintenance teams to become familiar with it.

The TSC is due to produce its report in the autumn.

Eight operators will not be changing DfT takes watching brief over Govia franchise fiasco timetables in December after May chaos

THE Department for Transport (DfT) is undertaking its own internal review into the Govia Thameslink timetable fiasco.

Although the franchise is being operated as a management contract, Rail Minister Jo Johnson said: “Within the department, we have also started a hard review of this franchise to establish whether GTR has met and continues to meet its contractual obligations in the planning and delivery of the May timetable.

“My department is watching GTR’s progress carefully, and we want to see a continued increase in performance.

“As part of that process, we are looking at whether GTR has breached its contracts, and we will not hesitate to take tough action against it if it is found to have been at fault.”

Action against GTR could include fines, termination of the franchise or even preventing Govia bidding for future franchises.

The DfT has acknowledged the GTR franchise was too big and will be split when it next comes up for renewal, plus there are growing calls to transfer parts of the operation in South London to Transport for London.

EIGHT train operators will not change their timetable in December as usual following May’s chaotic timetable problems.

The eight are: Northern, Govia Thameslink, Great Western Railway, CrossCountry, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express,

As a result, some operators will continue with the May 2018 timetable until May 2019, although some minor changes are expected to take place, with the aim of bringing improvements to Thameslink and Northern passengers who have been hit badly by all of the problems.

Third interim timetable for Thameslink THE introduction of a third timetable in just two months for Thameslink and Great Northern passengers has brought a greater degree of stability.

The number of cancellations has been reduced, although trains have still been very busy at peak

Passengers can take their complaints to Rail Ombudsman from November PASSENGERS who remain unsatisfied over complaints from rail travel will be able to take grievances to the Rail Ombudsman from November.

Network Rail and train operators will sign up to the scheme, which states unresolved problems can

West Midlands Trains, and London Overground.

Incoming Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines was commissioned by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and NR chairman Sir Peter Hendy to review plans for the winter timetable changes on December 9.

be taken to the Dispute service to passengers.

Resolution Ombudsman (DRO).

The Campaign for Better Decisions by the DRO, Transport welcomed the which already works in other development, but said it consumer areas, will be would prefer “to see train binding. companies providing a better Plans for the service are still service, so that passengers being drawn up, but The RM have no need to complain in understands it will be a free the first place”.

times, and delay minutes have been reduced overall.

Around 200 extra trains are operating over the winter 2017/8 timetable, with punctuality having shown some improvement compared to the big change that added 400 extra trains and

changed the times of 3,000 others.

Thameslink and Great Northern passengers will be offered additional compensation over and above that under the normal delay repay scheme for the period May 20-July 28. However, the conditions are complex.

Bombardier and Hitachi appeal over ‘deep tube’ award TRANSPORT for London’s decision to award Siemens a £1.5billion contract for 94 ‘deep tube’ trains is being challenged

by Bombardier and Hitachi Rail Europe.

Having submitted an unsuccessful joint bid for the contract, the two companies are understood to have lodged papers with the High Court on

July 21-22, starting legal action against TfL. In response, TfL said: “We will review these claims and will respond to them.

“We see no good basis for these claims to be issued and are disappointed these companies have chosen to take this step, but we are unable to make any further comment at this point.”

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 7

HeadlineNews

CAF joins HS2 race as Hitachi and Bombardier join forces

By Ben Jones

BOMBARDIER Transportation and Hitachi Rail Europe confirmed in July they will submit a joint bid for the £2.75billion HS2 trains’ deal.

On the same day that announcement was made, the shortlist was boosted back to five with the addition of Spanish company CAF. All three companies have UK manufacturing facilities, with Bombardier and Hitachi supporting more than 5,000 jobs in Britain, including factories in Derby and Newton Aycliffe, and CAF due to open its new factory near Newport, South Wales, in October.

Bombardier and Hitachi worked together on the ETR.1000 ‘Frecciarossa’ (Red Arrow) high-speed train for Trenitalia in Italy and on a joint bid for the London Underground ‘Deep Tube' contract, awarded to Siemens in June and now the

subject of a legal challenge (see separate story). A statement by the two companies says they offer HS2 “a world class team that has established manufacturing and servicing centres in Britain” and “a deep understanding of very high-speed rail with a strong reputation for building and maintaining highly reliable, cutting-edge and iconic trains”.

Both companies have an impressive high-speed rail pedigree; Hitachi built the original Shinkansen ‘bullet train' in 1964 and continues to be involved in the design and construction of the iconic Japanese trains.

Bombardier has built more than 3,000 high-speed train vehicles for China, including the most recent ‘Zefiro 380’, as well as being involved in high-speed train projects in Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

In the UK, Hitachi maintains the country’s only domestic

high-speed fleet, the Class 395 ‘Javelins’, which it built and introduced ahead of the London 2012 Games.

Karen Boswell, managing director of Hitachi Rail Europe, said: “HS2 will form the backbone of Britain’s future rail network, and is a major investment in our future prosperity.

“Our aim is to deliver a new British icon that will be recognised around the world – a Spitfire for the British railway.”

Richard Garner, CAF UK director, welcomed HS2 Ltd’s decision to add his company to the shortlist, saying: “We are extremely pleased to be included in the HS2’s procurement programme.

“Our ‘Oaris’ high-speed trains use the latest technology, offering high-speed travel which is comfortable, safe and provides digital connectivity to facilitate the busy world that we live in.

The new high-speed trains will

A generated image of a Hitachi high-speed train that could be used on HS2.

meet the highest international standards for passenger experience, noise reduction, and environmental sustainability.”

The £2.75bn contract is for a minimum fleet of 54 units that will run on Phase 1 of HS2 between London and the West Midlands.

The newly designed rolling

stock will also be uniquely ‘classic compatible’ so they can travel over the current network to cities such as York, Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The formal tendering process will start later this year, with the contract due to be awarded in late-2019.

‘Low-cost’ international rail services mooted… NR debt grows by £5bn as

by Keith Fender

GETLINK (the new corporate name for Eurotunnel ) revealed in July it had undertaken studies looking at ‘low-cost’‘international rail routes through the Channel Tunnel.

The work was carried out by consulting firm Roland Berger, with some British newspapers reporting such services might begin ‘soon’.

The consultants report suggests international operators could use the French low-cost TGV model ‘OuiGo’, which offers no on-board catering and uses stations that are

less busy (in the case of London to Paris, Stratford International/ Ebbsfleet and Paris Charles de Gaulle airport); a three-hour Stratford to Paris CDG timing is suggested.

In fact, unless Eurostar decides to introduce such services, they are very unlikely to start any time soon as no other operator has suitable rolling stock approved for use in the Channel Tunnel.

Eurostar has been scrapping withdrawn Class 373 trains rather than retaining them for sale or future use.

It is possible Eurostar might decide to set up a low-cost

…but DB confirms no London services for many years IN MID-June it emerged German rail operator Deutsche Bahn had finally ‘given up’ on the idea of ICE services from London to Germany via Brussels.

DB told The Railway Magazine: “ICE direct services to London will not be on the agenda in the foreseeable future,” adding technical and economic reasons were to blame for the decision.

This specifically relates to the fact the ICE3 Class 407 train is not yet approved for use in Belgium, with DB adding the economic environment has changed significantly since they originally proposed through services back in 2010.

How time flies: It was nearly eight years ago (October 19, 2010) that DB Class 406 ICE set No. 4685 visited St Pancras International as a foretaste of proposed high-speed travel from London to Cologne and Frankfurt.

CHRIS MILNER

8 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

operator to use the same route as its current trains. This is what high-speed operator Thalys has done with its ‘Izy’ service between Paris and Brussels, using second-hand TGVs on a route that is part high-speed line and part conventional network in order to reduce track access charges.

Getlink says it will provide financial assistance to new operators as more trains will drive up its revenues (only 58% of capacity in the Channel Tunnel is used), in much the same way some regional airports fund service start-ups by budget airlines.

investment hits new record

A RECORD £4.1billion was spent on overall was worse than expected, enhancements to the British rail and the recent timetable issues network in 2017/18, according to caused further significant Network Rail’s annual report. disruption to passengers in The total represents almost south-eastern and northern one-quarter of the UK’s total England. spending on infrastructure for the NR’s re-organisation continues year. However, the organisation’s in an attempt to make it more debt mountain rose by £5bn to ‘customer-focused and cost £51.3bn (£46.3bn in 2016/17). competitive’. The benefits of The way NR is funded will devolution are being realised change for its next Control Period as the new structure, with nine (CP6, April 2019-March 2024), with distinct route-based businesses, projects being fully funded by settles down, resulting in greater Government grant and/or accountability and more decisions third-party investment. being made at a local level.

As expected, profit before tax was lower than in 2016/17, at Economic driver £48million compared to £483m, Route performance targets are because of depreciation charges now being developed with train and the increased costs of operating companies, and there financing the debt. are now six route supervisory The report highlights the boards, bringing the management progress being made in areas such of train and track closer together. as safety and efficiency, and details Jeremy Westlake, NR chief thousands of projects completed financial officer, said: “Britain’s or nearing completion during railways are a vital economic the year, including the £1bn driver for our country, helping reconstruction of London Bridge to create employment and and the £85m Ordsall Chord in stimulate growth and housing by Manchester. connecting people to jobs, friends and family.

Reliability “Track and train are working A number of other stations ever closer together to deliver across the country were opened thousands of new services. or upgraded throughout the “The unprecedented investment year, including Cambridge North, in our railway has led to significant Ilkeston, Kenilworth, Maghull challenges and industry has North, and Low Moor in Bradford. learned from the recent awful The underlying reliability and experiences many passengers performance of NR’s infrastructure have had to endure with the new assets continues to perform at May timetable. record levels and was up 15% on “Our focus is to fix the issues as 2016/17. However, because of quickly as possible and transfer the increasing congestion and severe lessons into future timetable and weather events train performance new-service introductions.”

‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado passing Northwood on the Severn Valley Railway on March 17, a month prior to its ECML failure. IAN DIXON

Tornado misses out on 10th anniversary trains

DELAYS to repair work have forced the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to withdraw No. 60163 Tornado from a busy programme of trains it was booked to haul over the next two months.

Bans on steam operation because of the recent long spell of hot weather – both on heritage railways and much of the main line network – and the need to replace one of the locomotive’s outside union links because of the discovery of a tiny flaw in its surface, have put back its return to steam.

The A1SLT says the union

link defect only affects the hardened surface, rather than the strong core, but it will require replacement before main line operations can restart.

It is not thought to be related to the failure of No. 60163 on April 14’s‘Ebor Flyer’and does not prohibit operations at 25mph on heritage railways.

A new union link, manufactured by Stephenson Engineering Ltd of Atherton, was due to be completed in early-August and fitted to the locomotive, a task which takes two to three days.

The work is being carried out at the Nene Valley Railway’s depot in Wansford, where the locomotive was stopped after its failure on the East Coast Main Line on April 14.

Key components

Reassembly of the‘A1’after its unscheduled repairs continue with certification body and operator DB Cargo confirming the repair work carried out to date, including newly manufactured key components, are to the correct specifications.

It is likely several further

inspections will then be required during test running and as part of a main line loaded test run once the steam bans have been lifted.

As a result of the delays, a number of trains have had to be rescheduled or will operate with alternative traction.

July 29’s 10th anniversary circular tours from Darlington have been cancelled, while the ‘Mad Hatter’railtour has been postponed until an as-yet unannounced date in spring 2019.

Pathfinder’s‘Settle and Carlisle

Golden Express’tours on August 11 and 15 will be hauled by other locomotives, as will the‘Bard of Avon’on August 18.

However, all these trains are also subject to restriction by Network Rail because of the current high fire risk.

Passengers will be contacted directly by railtour promoters or booking agents when more information becomes available.

The A1SLT is hopeful Tornado will make its return to traffic on August 27 with ‘The Canterbury Tale’from Peterborough to Canterbury.

Porterbrook to donate redundant Mk3s to heritage groups

By Ben Jones

PORTERBROOK Leasing will donate redundant Mk3 vehicles to preservation groups after they are returned at the end of the lease by train operating companies in 2019/20.

The rolling stock owner has a large number of Mk3 vehicles

due to come off-lease over the next couple of years.

Some of the vehicles could be made available to preservation groups, potentially for use with preserved Class 43 power cars.

Porterbrook chief commercial officer Stephen McGurk told The RM: “Porterbrook has owned Mk3s

since Privatisation and we believe releasing vehicles to the heritage movement can have all sorts of benefits.

“It will provide opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in restoring and maintaining them, learning vital engineering skills in the process.

“We feel it’s an important part

of our corporate responsibility to support engineering and training, especially where it helps the railway industry.”

Porterbrook has previously donated redundant vehicles to the heritage movement, including a number of ex-Connex Class 205/207 DEMU sets in the mid-2000s.

It has also donated a

significant sum to The 125 Group, to assist in the construction of a new depot to house preserved HST vehicles at the Great Central Railway (North) at Ruddington.

Porterbrook will create a dedicated page on their website in 2019 for heritage bodies to express an interest in off-lease Mk3s.

Vale of Rheidol hit by major hillside fire

By Cliff Thomas

THE recent heat wave which saw Porthmadog named as the hottest place in Britain produced problems for Welsh narrow gauge lines.

By far the worst affected was Vale of Rheidol Railway (VoR), which had to halt operations on June 28 when a major hillside fire broke out in the Rheidol Valley.

VoR staff worked with fire service crews to keep the fire under control as the weather caused more outbreaks of fire

along the valley. Some 1½ miles of valley hillside above the railway has been burned, resulting in damage to the line.

Blackened

No trains could run in the first week of July with VoR’s permanent way team having to repair the track. The railway reopened on July 11.

A gorse heathland fire, which started on June 26 and reportedly blackened the surrounding sand dunes, caused suspension of Fairbourne

Railway services while the blaze was tackled.

High temperatures and risk of lineside fires led Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, Brecon Mountain Railway, Corris Railway and Snowdon Mountain Railway to suspend steam operation at the end of June/beginning of July and run diesel-hauled service trains.

Isle of Man’s Groudle Glen Railway acted similarly and Scarborough North Bay Railway suspended operation of its steam loco 0-4-0ST Georgina.

The Vale of Rheidol’s fire train in action. IAN JONES

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 9

HeadlineNews Progress in Anglia, Northern and Merseyrail strike talks SIDELINES

Uncertainty over date of Cardiff electrification

IT IS looking increasingly uncertain electric trains will be working to Cardiff Central before the end of Network Rail’s control period 5 on March 31, 2019.

On-going delays surrounding cost and infrastructure issues have added to the delays to the plan that should have seen Cardiff ‘on the juice’ during 2017.

Currently, the electrification is energised to Didcot Parkway, and by the end of the summer, electric services should be able to run to Swindon. Thereafter, the Class 80x IET train will revert to diesel power.

Crossrail chaiman moves to HS2

SIR Terry Morgan, the chairman of Crossrail since 2009, will add the chairmanship of HS2 Ltd to his CV. Making the appointment, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling praised Sir Terry’s “wealth of experience and expertise”, adding his respected reputation and enthusiasm will be invaluable in the project’s continued success.

Sir Terry replaces Sir David Higgins from August 1.

HS2 is shortly due to appoint a chief finance officer and chief operating officer.

Greater Anglia and Norwich City in tie-up GREATER Anglia and Championship football team Norwich City will work together and offer travel incentives to supporters.

GA has also said it will operate longer trains for the local derby matches with Ipswich Town, games for which GA will be the match sponsor.

SEVERAL weeks of talks between the RMT union and Merseyrail over the former’s request for a second staff member on the new Class 777 trains being built by Stadler have made progress.

At present, the details of the talks and workshops are being kept confidential.

The negotiations also involved

the arbitration service ACAS. The trains are not due into service until 2020, and are designed to operate without guards, whom Merseyrail indicated would be redeployed.

In respect of talks with Northern over driver-only working, the RMT said on July 16 it had suspended strikes after the company had set out

Have a Secret Escape in South East – by rail

SECRET Escapes, the online flash sales company for luxury travel, has announced an exclusive partnership with Southeastern to encourage more people to explore the South East.

It is the first time the hotel group has partnered a rail company.

It will offer weekend getaways to locations within two hours of London.

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enshrines the ‘guard guarantee’ on their services, and halts the extension of driver-only operation (DOO).

The progress with these three operators leaves South Western Railway in dispute with the RMT over DOO and the role of the guard on its new trains, with strikes planned for August 4, 11, 18 and 31.

Euro group to investigate Siemens/Alstom merger THE European Commission (EC) has confirmed it has started an in-depth investigation into the merger of Siemens Mobility with Alstom.

It follows concerns the combined organisation might impact rolling stock market choice when it comes to new trains and signalling equipment.

The EC view the merger as one which could lead to higher prices through less choice and less innovation, adding the combined organisation would create an entity much larger than nearest rivals while removing a strong competitor.

Backing the EC’s decision, the ORR says together, the joint company would control 75% of the UK signalling market, more in

specific areas.

In a statement, the ORR said it was concerned the merger would reduce the number of potential bidders for new rolling stock contracts. The ORR stated that in the recent HS2 rolling stock tender, valued at £2.75billion, Alstom and Siemens were two of five companies bidding for the contract, and loss of competition could add significant costs to the project. Arguments about the scale and significance of Chinese entry, which have been widely cited as a justification for the merger, have been overexaggerated, claims the ORR, particularly in relation to the UK. The EC has until November 21 to decided whether the merger is detrimental to markets.

HS2 to build rolling stock depot in Leeds

THE new rolling stock depot for HS2 trains will be built in Leeds, the DfT says.

Previously, it had been planned to build a new depot at Crofton, Wakefield. The depot will be on a brownfield site, east of Leeds, and next to M1 Jct 45 and the A63.

a process for reconvening talks around proposals to consider a range of options on the deployment of on-board staff, including the retention of a second safety-critical person on trains.

On Greater Anglia there has also been progress after RMT members voted by nine to one to accept a new offer which

A TPE Class 397 EMU makes its first trial run around the Velim test circuit on July 3. QUINTUS VOSMAN

TPE ‘Nova 2’ test runs at Velim

By Quintus Vosman

SPANISH train manufacturer CAF has started testing of the new five-car, high-speed Class 397 EMU TransPennine Express, which will be branded as ‘Nova 2’.

The tests are being held at Velim test centre in the Czech Republic, also known as ‘Velim circuit’, and started on July 3 using the small test ring.

On the large test ring another CAF train for TransPennine Express – the ‘Nova 3’ – was performing test rides. This is the formation of five CAF carriages that will be worked in push-pull mode by Class 68 locomotive.

Later in the afternoon both trains changed circuits, allowing the ‘Nova 2’ to reach its maximum speed of 200 kph (125mph).

10 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Also going through its paces at Velim is Class 331 EMU No. 331101, another CAF product, and destined for Northern.

In total, 12 Class 397 sets have been ordered, each providing 286 seats, of which 22 are First Class and 264 Standard.

On board are four toilets, of which one is fully accessible.

There is storage for four bikes.

The trains will be equipped with electronic seat reservations, real-time passenger information, and are due to enter service early in 2019.

Although built by CAF, Alstom will maintain the ‘Nova 2’ electric multiple units in Manchester.

The train sets will operate between Manchester Airport/ Liverpool to Glasgow and Edinburgh via Preston.

A driving car from Greater Anglia 'Aventra' No. 720503 nears completion at Bombardier's Litchurch Lane works on June 28. BEN JONES

First GA ‘720’ breaks cover as work starts on South Western ‘701s

By Ben Jones

THE first of 665 ‘Aventra' vehicles for Greater Anglia is approaching completion at Bombardier’s Litchurch Lane works in Derby.

Several cars were well advanced on the production line in late-June, alongside Class 345 and Class 710 EMUs for Crossrail and London Overground.

Closest to completion was five-car set No. 720503, the third of 89 sets destined for Greater Anglia.

Assembly of the first vehicles began at Litchurch Lane in February, with the first completed set expected to be unveiled in August. Deliveries will start in January 2019, and the first five-car trains are due to enter service two months later.

Five-car Class 720/5s will be first off the production line, with the 22 10-car Class 720/1 sets following. All should be delivered to Abellio by September 2020, replacing Class 317, 321, 360/1 and 379 EMUs on Liverpool Street outer-suburban routes.

Challenging

In parallel with the massive GA contract, Bombardier has also started work on the first of 750 Class 701 ‘Aventras’ for South Western Railway.

Materials for Class 701s started to arrive at Litchurch Lane in July, with assembly of the first sets due to take place over the second half of this year.

South Western Railway (SWR) will start taking delivery of its first

‘Aventras’ in 2019, and they are due to enter service in 2019/20 on the Reading, Windsor and South West London suburban lines.

All are expected to be in service

by December 2020.

To meet this challenging schedule, Bombardier will have to double production from the current 12 ‘Aventra’ vehicles per week to an unprecedented 24 vehicles per week from early-2019.

On test

Construction of Crossrail Class 345s continues, with sets up to No. 345047 complete and on test in late-June, with vehicles from sets as high as No. 345052 stabled in the works yard on June 28.

Vehicles for London Overground 25kV AC set No. 710115 were also on the production line, as well as many of the dual-voltage Class 710/2 units (Nos. 710256-272) for the Gospel Oak to Barking, North London, West London and Watford DC Lines.

More details have also emerged from Bombardier about the three different types of ‘Aventra’ ordered

by Abellio/JR East/Mitsui for West Midlands Railway.

No information has yet been released about when construction will start, but the train builder understands the three-car ‘Metro’ version for Birmingham’s cross-city line will be Class 730, while the 110mph five-car sets for London Northwestern Railway will be Class 731 and 732.

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

Even DfT had doubts on Virgin East Coast revenue

Hitachi Class 385 EMUs are raring to go: Five sets are seen at Millerhill depot, where new stabling sidings have been built to accommodate the fleet. SCOTRAIL

Finally... service green light for ScotRail’s Class 385 EMUs SCOTRAIL launched its new Hitachi Class 385 EMUs into squadron services from Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley via Falkirk High on July 24 after a number of delays.

Driver and unions are happy now the curved windscreen has been replaced by a flat design, with the sets having been safety approved by the ORR. While there will be a limited number of sets initially – supplemented by

on-loan Class 365s – ScotRail to electrify the line to Dunblane will gradually increase use on and Alloa. Other routes this key route before rolling Class 385s will serve include the trains out in service on Edinburgh to North Berwick; other routes across the Central South Glasgow suburban Belt. Their introduction is the routes to Cathcart Circle/Lanark; culmination of a £475million Glasgow to Falkirk Grahamston rolling stock order and an £858m via Cumbernauld; and Glasgow electrification project that has Central to Edinburgh via Shotts. also seen station upgrades, ScotRail Alliance managing extended platforms at Glasgow director Alex Hynes said it was Queen Street and Edinburgh “a significant moment as we Waverley to accommodate work to build the best railway longer trains, and on-going work Scotland has ever had”.

‘Merchant Navy’ steams through the Yorkshire Dales

OFFICIALS from the Department for Transport have admitted they thought the Virgin Trains East Coast franchise bid had very ambitious growth predictions.

The admission came during the latest round of evidence being given to the Transport Select Committee over the failure of the VTEC franchise.

Simon Smith, director of passenger services at the DfT, told the committee: “We thought Virgin Stagecoach’s bid was quite ambitious a the time. We expected when we evaluated their bid that revenue would be lower than they forecast.

“They had attributed quite ambitious growth to certain initiatives, including their marketing and pricing strategy.

We thought they would get some of that, but we didn’t think they would get all of that.”

Also giving evidence was Rail Group director general Polly Payne,

who added: “We want ambitious bids because they maximise the revenue we get for the taxpayer, but we also want to ensure that if things don’t work out, we make sure both passengers and taxpayers are looked after.”

Throughout, the DfT has maintained that taxpayers didn’t lose financially as the agreed premium payments due were fully met.

Currently, the franchise is being run by Government-owned LNER as the operator of last resort, and it will be a further two years before the franchise is re-let, which the DfT says will be a partnership deal.

Virgin and majority partner Stagecoach stopped running the franchise from June 23 after pumping around £200million of its own money into the ailing franchise, which it had operated since March 2015.

It was the third financial failure of the flagship franchise in 11 years.

Virgin East Coast gives way to LNER: With chance split-second timing, Virgin East Coast Class 43 power car No. 43313 powers past Offord D’Arcy (Cambridgeshire), the 06.05 Leeds-London Kings Cross, as LNER branded Class 91 No. 91105 approaches with the 07.30 Kings Cross-Edinburgh on July 16. AUBREY EVANS

Franchising is broken, says former Network Rail CEO FORMER Network Rail chief executive Sir John Armitt says the current system of franchising is broken.

Speaking in early July, Sir John, now chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, explained that with Network Rail effectively a Government department, franchisees are bearing the high commercial risks as the DfT usually selects the highest bid with the most ambitious revenue forecasts.

Revenue risk has already seen off the Virgin/Stagecoach East ‘Merchant Navy’ Pacific No. 35018 British India Line, part of the West Coast Railways stable, made a Coast franchise, seen more than visit to the Wensleydale Railway over the weekend of July 21-22 following a ‘Scarborough Spa Express’ £100million set aside by First Group for revenue shortages on working on July 19. The loco is seen near Newton-le-Willows on July 21. It was British India Line’s first it’s TransPennine franchise for visit to a heritage line. DAVE COLLIER

when it ends in 2023, and only recently, Abellio injected £10m into the ScotRail franchise.

In an interview with the BBC, Sir John said: “The rail franchise companies, as we’ve seen, have to take very significant revenue risk, and that’s got them into trouble, because the Government will always go for the most optimistic forecast of revenue.

“That model, I think, is bust. It needs to be reviewed, and a more appropriate sharing of risk on the railway needs to take its place.”

■ Last month The RM editor called for a re-think on the franchising model, coupled with competition on lines that don’t currently have it.

Support the Railway Children with this limited reader offer THE Railway Magazine, in association with the Nostalgia Collection, is offering readers copies of the new book The Photographic Artistry of Rail Cameramen – featured on p37 – for just £25, a saving of £5 on the published price.

For each book sold a £5 donation will be made to The Railway Children charity, an international organisation working with vulnerable street children in India, East Africa and the UK. In addition, each book will contain a

special bookplate signed by author John Hillier, Railway Children charity founder David Maidment, Nostalgia Collection’s publisher Peter Townsend, editor of The Railway Magazine Chris Milner, Heritage Railway editor Robin Jones and publisher of The Railway

Magazine and Heritage Railway Tim Hartley.

To order a copy call our customer services department on 01507 529529 quoting TRM140 or visit www.classicmagazines.co.uk/trm140 This is a limited offer. The final day for orders is October 31.

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 11

Multiple Aspects

with Lord Berkeley

There’s still no clear strategy or thinking when it comes to railways and future planning

THE timetable saga on Northern and Southern/Thameslink creeps on, to the irritation of passengers.

As I and others have written before, the causes can be put down to Network Rail’s timetabling work being concentrated in the system operator in Milton Keynes; by the ORR requiring Network Rail to reduce its timetabling staff numbers; and to the TOCs not being ready with their proposed new timetables, which then got delayed

by Network Rail not having enough timetablers to make sure the new timetables could be delivered.

Then there were delays in the ORR and Department for Transport approving the timetables, not leaving enough time for the TOCs to ensure they had enough drivers, that they could get the necessary route

knowledge for all the new routes being opened, and then, in the case of Northern, having to alter routes and find trains to run on them when electrification was delayed.

Ministers changing their minds on electrification has not helped at all, and there is still talk of using bi-modes for some TransPennine services, with Network Rail only needing to electrify the uphill sections, so the trains can run on diesel, batteries, hydrogen, solar panels, or whatever, going downhill.

So, quite rightly, further new timetabling work is being delayed until the current problems are understood and sorted out, but there is also the added problem of timetabling delays spreading to other areas.

GWR has written to its stakeholders saying the new timetable

GW network: Management failings or staff shortages?

ANOTHER issue, evident in the failure of Govia to recruit enough drivers to meet the requirements of their new timetable, is clearly happening on the GW network.

Here, the introduction of new Hitachi trains has required the fitters who maintain the Intercity 125s to be taken off that work for three months so they can sort out the Hitachis.

Three months of 125s running without proper attention results in more frequent failure of air conditioning, failed hot water in the buffets, and perhaps the locomotive fire in Penzance station.

Then there are more train

cancellations, one caused by a guard phoning in sick 10 minutes before his train was due to leave Penzance, and mass cancellations on Sunday, July 15 for staff to watch the World Cup. Cornwall services in July were very busy and six hours standing in a baking hot train does not do the image of the railway much good, even if GWR kindly handed out free bottles of water!

All these needs for staff were totally predictable. Is it down to sloppy management or trying to save money as it is easier to cancel trains than have enough staff (or trains) available?

promised for a 30-minute frequency service in Cornwall for December 2018 will also be delayed.

To avoid taking the blame, ministers have set up an ‘independent’ inquiry into what went wrong with timetabling and how to avoid it happening again. The inquiry is being undertaken by the chairman of the ORR, whose organisation was responsible for approving the timetables in the first place!

We can already surmise who will be to blame – nobody anywhere near Government and, if the TOCs complain, they should not expect to be invited to tender for another franchise.

All this ends up on the ministers’ desks: they own Network Rail, control the TOCs, decide on the minutiae of electrification and other forms of

traction; Jo Johnson MP, our rail minister, has announced there will be no more diesels operating after 2040 for environmental reasons.

DEFRA is now suggesting the railways should run on white diesel, with the same duty and tax as road vehicles, to encourage the move away from diesel traction. The effect on passenger services could be mitigated in franchise agreements, but for freight the effect would be disastrous.

However, if this is really a serious Government policy then, if they want people and freight to use rail in preference to road for good environmental reasons, what are the alternative traction means available?

The most common is electrification – and what is the Government’s policy?

Cancel or postpone it!

Network Rail’s new chief should bury infrastructure projects department ANDREW Haines takes up the position of chief executive of Network Rail in August.

He is very welcome.

Andy is a career railway person, and ran South West Trains and First Group's rail division for some years, until transferring to run the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) with success.

One of his first actions must surely be to put the Network Rail infrastructure projects department out of its expensive and unnecessary misery.

With the Network Rail Routes now set up to implement enhancements, and being

benchmarked by the ORR for their performance, they do not need a ‘big brother' to manage their activity adding, according to many, several years of delay and 30 to 40% in extra costs.

Of course, their record on the GW electrification was even better – £800million to £4.5bn!

So, Andy, give infrastructure projects a decent and quick burial and empower the Routes to take up the challenges! berkeleyafg@parliament.uk

■ (The independent views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of The RM or the Rail Freight Group, of which Tony Berkeley is chairman).

Railways in Parliament

by Jon Longman

Timetables off line

BARRY Sheerman (Huddersfield) asked in the House of Commons, what steps are being taken by the Department of Transport to ensure non-electronic copies of train timetables are available for people who have visual impairments or who cannot easily access timetables on line.

Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani replied: “This Government is determined to ensure that disabled people have the same access to transport as everyone else, and that they are able to travel easily and with confidence.

“Stations must display relevant information on information displays.

In addition, through their franchise agreements, train companies are required to make timetable information available and free of charge in booklets or similar format at staffed stations.

“Disabled People’s Protection

Policies, required as a condition of a train operator’s licence, require train companies to demonstrate that the varied needs of different disabled passengers are taken into account when considering how information is communicated.

“All information about train services on display at stations must be made available through appropriate telephone help lines and staffed information points.”

to £9,077 per train. The rebranding has begun and will be completed as soon as practicable alongside the regular maintenance schedule for the fleet.

“The Virgin brand was used under licence by the previous train operating company on the East Coast.

“It was therefore necessary to design and develop a new brand that the department has the right to use, and without an on-going cost.”

Rebranding bill

Railway fatalities

JULIAN Sturdy (York Outer) asked what assessment the Department of Transport has made of the cost of redesigning and replacing rolling stock livery with LNER branding.

Transport Minister Jo Johnson said: “The cost of rebranding the exterior and interior of London North Eastern Railway’s current fleet is estimated to be £447,773. This equates

12 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

JIM Shannon (Strangford) asked how many people have been killed on railway lines in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

Jo Johnson replied: “Official statistics relating to the number of fatalities on the main line, London Underground and other light rail networks in Great Britain are published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on its website at: https://

dataportal.orr.gov.uk/browsereports/5” The tables referred to by Mr Johnson accompany an annual ORR statistical release.

The latest publication (for 2016-17) can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/ y8lo58c5

HS2 power supply

LORD Berkeley asked Her Majesty’s Government in the House of Lords, in respect of the power supply demands of HS2, whether HS2 Ltd has applied to the National Grid for such a supply.

Transport Minister Baroness Sugg replied: “HS2 Ltd has applied for power supplies in respect of traction power demand and has signed both construction and connection agreements with the National Grid for the provision of traction power supplies.

“All capital costs are included in HS2 Ltd’s funding envelope.”

Switzerland to Snowdon Swiss Steam Locomotive Visits Wales

Free rides on a Vintage Swiss Steam Train to Waterfall Halt

September ‘18

@ Snowdon Mountain Railway

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.

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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

CIRCUS TRAINS

Left and above: After its circus days were over, sleeping car No. 50 was one of three bought by the Alexandra (Newport & South Wales) Docks and Railway and converted into passenger cars. It gained British buffing gear but retained its American-style open ends. Note the initials ANDR fashioned into the metal verandah railing.

Two elephant cars bought by the Alexandra Docks company were converted into transit cars. No. 1 shows off the smart livery applied by its new owners.

Below: Bertram Mills caravans and road trailers were loaded and unloaded onto flatbed wagons by tractors.

Here, a set of large tent poles is being carefully drawn off.

Astonishing sights were certainly the order of the day whenever a circus was in town. A porter gets a shock as a tiger is led by its trainer along the platform at a Southern Region station, probably Ascot.

their underframes. The sleeping cars too were remarkable sights on Britain’s Victorian railway network, for they were based on classic American external design with vertical wooden boarding and large verandah balconies at each end. Inside were slatted wooden bunks, four-high on each side of a narrow walkway.

Dual vacuum and Westinghouse air brakes were fitted to enable the trains to run on the systems of all pre-Grouping companies if necessary, although some of the flat cars were merely piped… and the final highly unusual feature to British eyes was the use of automatic buckeye couplings.

As those were totally incompatible with British locomotives and brakevans, each trainset had to be marshalled between two translator vehicles, which had a buckeye at one end and buffers and screw-coupling at the other. The

only vehicle with buffers at both ends was the advertising coach, although it was very much of American appearance in all other respects.

To advise the Renshaw workforce in the building of ‘foreign’ railroad cars, a senior engineer from Barney & Smith, of Dayton, Ohio (suppliers of Barnum’s US-based fleet), was seconded to Stoke to solve the numerous problems arising during construction and test running. Delays nevertheless resulted in only 30 of the vehicles being ready for the start of the tour in April 1898, so for the first three months, a number of cattle wagons and passenger coaches were borrowed from the London & North Western Railway.

The vehicle construction order wasn’t the only deal landed by Renshaw, as a long carriage shed and large plot of land at its Cliffe Vale premises, near Etruria, were leased by the

Because of their largely nocturnal movements, circus trains were rarely photographed on the move in Britain. Long midsummer days provided opportunities, as at Balgreen, Edinburgh, on July 4, 1959, when Stanier ‘Black Five’ No. 45016 was captured at the head of a Bertram Mills working. GEOFF COLTAS

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Americans for use as their winter quarters, and the access track onto the North Staffordshire Railway continued to be known for decades afterwards as ‘Barnum’s Siding’.

Once completed, the full train must have been a wondrous sight for the flat cars and stock cars were painted bright yellow with red and blue lettering, the sleeping cars were dark maroon and the whole rake was almost three-quarters of a mile long. In practice, it was usually split into four portions (two of 16 cars and two of 17), each doubled-headed by locomotives hired from whichever pre-Grouping railway the train was running over at the time. Partly to reduce the risk of injury to the animals, the services were limited to a maximum speed of 25mph and travelled at night when the network was quieter.

It is reported that during the sea voyage of the circus from the States to Britain in 1897,

Bedford is the location for this British Railways-era photo of a Mills train. The white-painted caravans were those owned by or allocated for the personal use of performers, artistes and directors. F WELLS

Left: Only one Barnum & Bailey/Buffalo Bill vehicle has survived into preservation. Devoid of bogies, ANDR No. 3 (later Great Western Railway No. 64) was used as a holiday home in Devon for many years and is shown being rescued in December 1985. It is currently stored at the National Museum of Wales. D M ROUSE Right: A CCT van known to have featured in Bertram Mills services has been used by the Bluebell Railway to host a circus train display, a prominent part of which is this dramatic shot of an elephant emerging unusually from the end of such a vehicle. COLIN TYSON

a giraffe had died from a broken neck when the vessel lurched violently in a storm. Whether the intention had been to convey this giraffe by train had it survived is not known, but presumably it would have to have been lying down while the train was in motion.

It’s hard to believe, but Bailey is reported to have been accompanied on his grand tour by 860 performers and labourers, 460 animals and 104 caravans, trailers and horse-drawn cages. He was the only one of the circus’s founders to travel with the troupe in the UK, his partner Phineas T Barnum having passed away in 1891, a few months after the initial visit to London.

Colossal

After performing under permanent roof cover at Olympia between December 1897 and the following spring, the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ went on tour as a tenting circus on April 2, 1898, using what it described in its publicity as “twelve colossal waterproof canvas pavilions… the largest and finest ever erected anywhere on earth”.

It travelled first to Manchester and then embarked on a gruelling circuit of more than 70 towns and cities between then and November, ranging from Glasgow in Scotland to Weymouth on the south coast and Norwich in the east.

On the Great Western Railway, it is likely some of the trains would have been handled by William Dean’s ‘3206’ class 2-4-0 locos, whose introduction in 1889 had coincided with the first Olympia shows and led to those rather ‘showy’ sandwich-framed locomotives being widely known as ‘Barnums’.

The circus’s 1899 programme was even more arduous, taking in no fewer than 112 venues between April and November. The two tours together saw the trains cover some 7,000 miles, with the transport costs alone amounting to £1,500 a day – a considerable sum in those days.

Haste was of the essence because the troupe often spent only 24 hours in a town before moving to the next venue, necessitating almost everything except the big-top itself being dismantled and taken back to the goods yard before the final performance of the evening had even finished! This one-night stand policy created massive logistical problems for the signalmen, district superintendents, yard managers and other rail staff charged with bringing the trains in and getting them away on schedule.

Departure times of 11pm and arrival times of 3am and 4am meant much of the work being done under cover of darkness – and the distances to be covered in a single night weren’t always particularly short either. For example, Oxford to Aldershot in October 1898 and Loughborough to Spalding in November 1899, both of which involved changes of railway company en route.

However, the most remarkable feat of all was the 38-day period from July 6 to August 12, 1899, when the circus travelled from Exeter to Darlington via Kent, East Anglia and Lincolnshire without performing for more than a single day at any of the 33 towns visited!

This was doubly impressive when the sheer size of the operation is considered; in addition to the 1,000-plus staff and animals, the three rings together are said to have accommodated up to 15,000 spectators and there were numerous sideshow tents for snake-charmers, swordswallowers, giants, dwarves, bearded ladies and the like, all of which had to be erected and dismantled every day.

This ‘whistle-stop’ mode of operation generated a healthy profit for the railway companies, whose revenue was further boosted by spectators from outlying towns and villages using train services to get to the show. At some larger locations, so many people wanted to travel (5,000 was the figure reported in some areas) that

special excursion trains had to be laid on. Even railway workers got in on the act, for there was quite a bit of friendly rivalry between goods yard crews as to who could get the trains loaded and unloaded the fastest, Newcastle’s Forth Banks depot holding the record for a while.

Marathon

So successful were the British tours that in 1900 Barnum & Bailey decided to expand its horizons by taking the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ to mainland Europe, using the same rolling stock. The whole train was thus overhauled and modified at Renshaw’s works during the winter and shipped from London to Hamburg, whereupon it undertook a marathon tour of Germany, Austria, Hungary, Holland and Belgium.

Tragedy struck halfway through the itinerary when one of the circus trains ran into the back of another in the Silesian town of Beuthen on July 6, resulting in the deaths of five staff and 10 horses, but – in the best traditions of all circuses – “the show must go on”… and on it went, not concluding until mid-November.

Following a winter break in Paris, the troupe undertook a major tour of France and Switzerland in 1902, after which all the artistes and animals returned to the United States to deal with the challenge of a rival circus company, Ringling Brothers, which had been taking advantage of its competitor’s long absence to expand its operation in North America. The Barnum rolling stock was shipped back to the UK and placed into store at Etruria.

There it might have remained indefinitely, as Barnum & Bailey never returned to Europe, and the company was in fact taken over by Ringling Bros five years later, but the train itself was to enjoy a new lease of life in 1903 and 1904, thanks to the return of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 17

CIRCUS TRAINS A 1960s view of Southern Region ‘Q1’ 0-6-0 No. 33032 bringing a train of Bertram Mills stock into Virginia Water station en route to the circus’s winter storage quarters at Ascot West.

Bertram Mills-branded horseboxes are shunted by Ivatt Class 2 No. 46465 at Cambridge in April 1953. M BLAND

PETER TRINDER

Show. Encouraged by his short visits at the end of the 19th century, Colonel Cody had decided to embark on a full-scale British tour, this time using the ex-Barnum vehicles. He arranged to take 48 cars on a lease agreement (not requiring the elephant trucks) and contracted Renshaw to overhaul them, rebrand them to reflect their new usage and divide them into three trainsets.

Train No. 1 comprised seven stock cars, seven flat cars, three sleepers and a British brake carriage, the second set was formed of 15 flat cars, a stock car, a baggage car and a brake, and Train No. 3 had seven flats, five sleepers, two stock cars and a brake. It was reported by some sources the yellow vehicles were repainted orange but in the absence of colour film, it’s impossible to confirm this.

The show began with a three-month stint at Olympia and took to the rails in April. Featuring genuine native Americans and the famous gun-toting cowgirl Annie Oakley among its attractions, it visited 94 towns in England and Wales before retiring in October to Stoke-onTrent, where Renshaw’s once again provided winter storage and maintenance.

It was an ambitious itinerary, but it paled in comparison with the following year’s tour.

That was the biggest of the lot, covering well

GETTING THE WIND UP CIRCUS touring seasons often ran into October and November, bringing with them an additional and unwanted wild beast… the wind.

The effect of strong gusts on the big-top canvas as the tentmen struggled to erect or dismantle it could disrupt a tour’s tight schedule.

Heavy rain could also deposit as much as 10 tons of water on a big-top roof and turn a showground into a quagmire, causing tractors and trailers to get bogged down in the mud and miss their departure time at the station.

During a Bertram Mills tour of Scotland in the 1950s, a tent pull-down one evening was already hours behind schedule when word came through that floods had washed away part of the proposed route.

A simple 30-mile run through the Highlands thus became a deviation of more than 100 miles over steeply graded track, requiring double, and even triple-heading at one point.

No fewer than 21 locomotives and crews were called into action at short notice that night, but somehow the show opened on time the next afternoon.

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over 4,000 miles in the course of visiting no fewer than 132 towns and cities in England, Wales and Scotland between April 25 and October 21, 1904. It traversed the metals of 21 different railway companies and, like the Barnum extravaganza, ran to a gruelling schedule with more than half the stops being for a single day only. Such shows usually featured two performances, a matinee in the afternoon and an evening show ending at around 10pm, although three shows were sometimes staged on Saturdays.

Excitement

Advance publicity was drummed up by Barnum’s old advertising carriage, which since its last visit to the towns concerned had clocked up several thousand Continental miles and had thus acquired a certain exotic cachet, duly exploited to the full by provincial newspaper reporters.

Those were, of course, the days when foreign holidays could only be dreamed of by the masses, so the arrival into small British towns of a well-travelled, white-liveried railroad car bearing the words ‘The Wonders of the Western Wilds’ and ‘Rough Riders of the West’ in huge bodyside type couldn’t fail to engender excitement among the locals.

Even more thrilling was the official parade of the animals, gunslingers and other performers as they made their way from the station to the arena site on the morning of the show, with large crowds lining the streets. For residents of isolated rural communities whose knowledge of ‘cowboys and Indians’ was limited to what they’d read in childhood comics, it was almost certainly the most exotic event of their lives, especially as the chiefs, braves and squaws could be seen camping in their wigwams in local fields whenever the show was in town for more than a day. Two Sioux tribe babies were even born in the unlikely location of Spalding, Lincolnshire!

Even the rumour that a circus train was merely due to travel through an area could cause a thrill, and it was not unknown for folk whose villages were too small to warrant a show of their own to turn out at 4 or 5 o’clock on summer mornings simply to watch the colourful procession pass their farm or local station. For children lucky enough to glimpse it, even that brief sight would be something they’d remember for the rest of their lives.

Railway operating staff too are unlikely to have forgotten their experiences in a hurry, for Great Western Railway special traffic notices

A wonderful mixture of white caravans and other travelling stock seen to good effect in this shot of a Mills train being shunted into the cattle loading dock at Darlington in 1953. R F PAYNE

A rare close-up view of circus train activity within a goods yard.

hinted at the prestige involved when they stated the train must be handled ‘in accordance with the instructions laid down for the working of the Royal Train’.

Among the challenges for British railwaymen were the buckeye couplings and there was an incident in which a crew had to be shown by circus staff how to operate them when it became necessary to divide a stalled train on a 1-in-76 gradient on the Portpatrick & Wigtownshire Joint line in south-west Scotland.

The year 1905 saw the rolling stock shipped once again to mainland Europe as Colonel Cody sought to emulate the success of his Barnum & Bailey predecessor by touring France. He must have enjoyed similar success there, for he staged an even larger operation on the Continent in 1906, taking the show to new territories in the shape of Italy, the Alps, the Balkans, Romania and the Ukraine, in addition to Germany and Belgium.

For those tours, all 67 vehicles must have been utilised for it was reported four trainsets were in action in Europe, including a new vehicle built by Renshaw’s to replace the pony car destroyed at Beuthen. At the end of 1906, the troupe returned to America and the rolling stock

was brought back to England once again, being returned to store in the Cliffe Vale carriage sheds at Etruria.

Survived

This time, there was to be no more glamour, however, for in 1908 the fleet was acquired by a Stoke metal merchant, E Cornforth, who sold 23 flat cars, three sleeping cars and two elephant cars through a dealer to the Alexandra (Newport & South Wales) Docks and Railway Co. The new owners used the jumbo cars as transit grain carriers, but converted the sleepers into seating coaches for use on its Pontypridd to Caerphilly passenger service.

Interestingly, the American-style verandahs at each end were retained, although standard British buffers and screw couplings were fitted. The iron railings of the verandahs were also modified to incorporate the railway company’s initials – ANDR – and the vehicles were painted plum with yellow lining.

Those three coaches survived to be taken into Great Western Railway ownership in 1923, although one was by then out of traffic and being used as the mechanical foreman’s office at Newport Pill engine shed. Remarkably, one of the cars – GWR No. 64 – has survived into preservation. After withdrawal in 1926, its grounded body was converted into a holiday chalet near Totnes, in Devon, and it remained there until 1985, when the Great Western

Rolling Stock Fund became aware of its existence. It is currently stored in the National Museum of Wales collections centre at Nantgarw, although there are no plans to restore it in the forseeable future.

The remaining members of the fleet are believed to have been scrapped, with the exception of three stock cars sold by Cornforth in 1911 to Staffordshire’s Chatterley-Whitfield Collieries Ltd. There they were fitted with seating to accommodate 125 men each and were used for the next two decades to convey coal miners to and from Whitfield Colliery on the Pinnox Junction to Whitfield freight-only line.

The vehicles were soon nicknamed ‘Monkey Vans’ and readers wondering why miners should be given coaches that had been used by caged animals should bear in mind the men were previously being carried in open coal wagons!

The Barnum and Buffalo Bill circus trains, and the great shows they made possible, were seen by millions of people and the degree to which they left a lasting impression can be gauged by the fact that when the Great Central Railway introduced a fleet of American-style coaches with end doors in 1910, they immediately became known as ‘Barnums’, an epithet that remains well-known in railway circles to the present day.

The rail-touring story might well have ended in 1904 because the many smaller family-run shows that operated in regional parts of Britain thereafter travelled by road using traction engines The bright red & green livery of Bertram Mills stands out even on a murky day as Bulleid ‘Q1’ No. 33007 gets away from Virginia Water sidings with a train of circus stock for Ascot in the early-1960s. PETER TRINDER

CIRCUS TRAINS or teams of horses pending the advent of motor vehicles. However, in the early-1930s came a remarkable renaissance.

One of those road-based operations, Bertram Mills Circus, was growing in popularity after 12 years in the business (the first 10 based purely at London Olympia), but was encountering problems with its two-year-old travelling show because poor roads and the lumbering lorries and tractors available to tow its trailers and caravans meant it couldn’t move quickly from town to town overnight. This was causing its 3,500-seat big-top shows to be restricted to large conurbations that could support a week’s worth of performances.

Breakdowns

In 1929, the founder’s sons, Cyril and Bernard Mills, had undertaken a joint tour with the Great Carmo Circus to learn the tricks of the touring business, but those journeys had been plagued by so many lorry breakdowns the brothers decided to transport their elephants and horses by train when they began touring on their own in 1930.

They achieved that by using temporarily modified railway vehicles and less-than fully grown jumbos. The rest of their 1,000 tons of equipment was shifted by road at weekends after the end of each Saturday night performance – there being no shows on the Sabbath in those days because of Sunday trading laws. When an experimental attempt was made at a midweek overnight move along the relatively short 37 miles of road from Perth to Stirling, none of the staff got a wink of sleep!

The Mills family therefore decided to turn the clock back more than a quarter of a century and switch to rail for the transport of all its equipment as well as its animals.

They began scouring the country in a search for the Renshaw-built rolling stock, only to find most of the vehicles had been scrapped or sold to other operators a few years earlier. Turning to the Railway Clearing House as the negotiating

representative of the ‘Big Four’ railway companies, they were told the Board of Trade would allow the movement of caravans, beast cages and equipment trailers on bogie-bolster flat wagons as long as the road vehicles were less than 7ft 6in high to meet loading gauge restrictions.

Most of their existing ones were too large… so the brothers took the bold decision to scrap the whole lot and build a new low-profile fleet, whose individual lengths would also be tailored to accommodate two per 47ft wagon.

The design of the new vehicles was based partly on a concept developed by Circus Knie in Switzerland, and the construction contract was placed with Cranes coachbuilders, of Dereham, Norfolk.

As with Barnum’s and Buffalo Bill’s, the fleet would be split up and moved in a convoy of separate services. Two trains ran in 1933, three in 1934 and ’35 and four for most seasons between 1936 and the early-1960s – apart from the war years when the circus did not function; indeed, the bogie-bolsters (known in railway terminology as BoBols) were used for tank transportation, and some of the other stock is believed to have been converted temporarily for ambulance train purposes at Wolverton Works in 1944.

Performances resumed in 1946, but only at weekends until 1948, by which time the railways had been nationalised.

Unlike their turn-of-the-century predecessors, the Mills troupe did not normally work to hectic 24-hour schedules every day, preferring bi-weekly moves, with the overnight trains usually moving once in midweek and then again on Saturday/ Sunday. Although formations varied over the seasons and the precise make-up of the pre-war services do not appear to have been recorded, a typical four-train operation in the BR era was made up roughly as follows: The first service was scheduled to depart before the final performance had finished and included lion and tiger cages (the acts for those beasts having taken place before the interval), along with advance stable-tents for the

other animals, a box-office, all the preliminary equipment needed to set up camp in the next town… and a couple of kitchen wagons to prepare a sizzling breakfast for the other crew members as their trains arrived.

The second train departed an hour or so after the evening audience had gone home and conveyed sleeping accommodation for staff members, plus scenery, wardrobe stores, engineers’ and blacksmiths’ workshops, audience seats and floorboards, fences, public toilets and so on.

Fire-fighting

The third train, running in the early hours of the morning, carried the big-top canvas and its poles, the lighting and electrical switchboard trailers, the diesel generating plant, a small fire-fighting van, plus sleeping coaches for tent erectors and dismantlers. It should be pointed out none of the coaches were purpose-built sleeping cars, but ordinary compartment stock adapted internally to include bunks.

Only about 60 of the 100 or so road vehicles were carried on the flat cars as artistes who owned their own caravans or motor vehicles could travel by road with their families if they wished, and by the 1950s almost all performers were doing so.

The fourth and final train didn’t leave until between 4 and 6am and was permitted to run at 35mph. It basically conveyed the elephants, horses and other non-ferocious animals, plus a coach or two for their trainers and handlers.

As there was usually only a day to pull down the tents and build them up again, Mills had a second set of big-top ‘king poles’ that would be sent ahead as part of a normal goods train and be erected on the showground in readiness. The two sets of poles often ‘leapfrogged’ each other in an effort to save time.

As with the Barnum and Buffalo Bill trains, the loading and unloading of the equipment and beasts had to be done in strict order by experienced circus staff (bearing in mind weight differences and priority at the other end) and was

“The elephants were conveyed in the ‘Monster Truck’, a specially modified ex-luggage van equipped with reinforced body and springs...”

RAIL STRIKE CHAOS THE national rail strike of 1955 hit the Bertram Mills circus particularly hard. The troupe was in Swansea when the railwaymen walked out at the end of May, forcing the company to hire in a fleet of fairground lorries to haul its 50 or so trailers along public roads to the next venue at Haverfordwest, 60 miles away. That caused an unforeseen problem…nearly all the tyres of the Mills vehicles overheated and burst.

For years, they’d done nothing but run slowly along short distances between goods yards and big-top sites. As they were of a special small diameter, the only way the show could continue was by the manufacturer recalling similar tyres from other customers.

By the time the strike was over, the circus had moved four times and covered 160 extremely fraught miles. “We were very pleased to be back on the rails,” commented Cyril Mills.

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‘Trunk route to London!’ An elephant gets a feel for its new surroundings in this rare photo of a Chipperfield’s train at Bricklayer’s Arms in 1954. RM ARCHIVE Above left and left: Although there are quite a few photos of Bertram Mills services, those depicting Billy Smart’s and Chipperfield’s trains are far less common. In September 1961, Smart’s elephants are seen arriving at Wembley Hill station and departing for the showground in a glamorous public parade.

ALEC SWAIN/TRANSPORT TREASURY

20 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

The Scottish Region’s Stirling goods yard and loading dock are a hive of activity in this 1960s view as one of the Bertram Mills animal trains, doors wide open, waits for its valuable consignment of horses to be loaded at the end of a show. Horses were particularly accustomed to travelling by train and were well-fed and blanketed en route.

the product of much trial and error. Everything had its place and was stored in exactly the same position, year after year. Tractors would push the trailers and caravans onto the ex-LSWR BoBols and over temporary metal plates crossing the gaps between the wagons. The tractors would then travel on the train and pull the vehicles off at the next venue via the trailer tow-bars.

For the journeys, all the vehicles were tightly secured by scotches and heavy chains tightened by turnbuckles, but if a journey was more than 50 miles, a stop had to be made to check none of the loads had shifted.

Shunting

It was imperative the trains arrived at their destination with all the trailer drawbars facing the goods bay’s end loading ramp as it was almost impossible to try to pull them off backwards without losing valuable time and risking serious mishap or injury. This essential requirement sometimes meant long circuitous routes having to be worked out in advance unless there was a triangle en route on which the trains could be turned. Reversals were commonplace and caused additional problems as not all the flat wagons were vacuum brake-fitted, so half-a-dozen or so vans and carriages had to be used as a fitted head with a brakevan marshalled at each end of the unfitted portion. After each reversal, the fitted head had to be transferred to the front of the train.

At least one shunting locomotive was required at each venue to uncouple and reposition wagons as necessary, but (unlike the turn-of-the-century operations), the use of standard flat wagons meant their decks were of compatible height with most goods yard cattle docks and so Barnum-style portable adjustable ramps were not required.

It was rare for all four trains to be in the same yard at the same time as the earlier ones would have been shunted out of the way, but as each rake numbered between 12 and 18 bogie vehicles, daytime storage of the empty stock in smaller towns created big headaches and it was often necessary to work them to yards or long sidings a few miles away if the local freight depot was to continue functioning. Even so, it was not unusual for the routine work of some of the smaller yards to be put on hold for the duration, especially as cleaning and disinfecting of the wagons had to

be carried out by railway staff while the animals were at the show. In later years, closure of yards at many stations led to the animals being unloaded directly onto passenger platforms, as at Harlow Town in May 1963.

Despite their 25mph and 35mph limitations, all four of the Mills trains were classified as Class 2 services, making it necessary for hand-operated points in goods yards to be clamped in advance.

Every little detail had to be worked out in advance and specified in special traffic notices if the tight schedules were not to go ‘pear-shaped’.

Overall responsibility was in the hands of Mills’ own trainmaster, whose job it was to liaise closely with yardmasters, railway superintendents and other personnel, but things didn’t always go as planned. A simple-looking move from Luton to Cambridge via Hatfield, for instance, went badly wrong when it was discovered a section of track en route was being re-laid by the civil engineers and the train had to be re-routed at short notice via London. Thankfully, such communication breakdowns between BR departments were rare.

For the transport of horses, donkeys, zebras, goats, llamas, chimpanzees and even kangaroos, Bertram Mills used standard railway horsebox wagons, sometimes branded to match their own distinctive red & green livery. The elephants were conveyed in the ‘Monster Truck’, a specially modified ex-luggage van equipped with reinforced body and springs, and containing a small compartment for a keeper to travel in. This was not only to ensure the creatures could be fed and watered en route but because elephants can sometimes panic if left alone in darkness and that could potentially have caused a derailment.

Drama and danger were ever-present threats in the world of circus trains: after helping the Mills family establish itself in the touring business in 1929, the Great Carmo Circus opted to continue travelling by road but it did occasionally move animals by rail for specific events during the winter. One day in December 1934, it sent a lion on a Great Western train to Wolverhampton but as the big cat was about to be unloaded, it escaped from its crate. Everyone fled except the showman, Harry Carmo, who bravely entered the van and barricaded the lion at one end of it. He then positioned an iron cage and slowly removed the barricade. The lion finally entered the cage and the door was quickly dropped down.

Stormy weather could also play havoc with best-laid plans (see separate panel).

The whole shebang could fairly be described as a logistical nightmare, but in an interview in the 1950s, co-owner Cyril Mills justified the use of rail as follows: “We have more than 100 vehicles and if we were to shift them by road, every one would require its own driver, so trains save labour. They also save precious time, in which men, women and animals can relax or sleep. And above all, they save anxiety, particularly in bad weather. Yes, a train can break down but it’s less likely to do so than a lorry and if just one truck fails to make it to the showground, it can disrupt the whole operation.”

Locomotives

Apart from the 1939-45 hostilities, a transport scenario similar to this was acted out every season for more than 30 years. After the end of each tenting season, anything not required for the annual Christmas and New Year Olympia shows was moved to winter quarters near Ascot, Berkshire. Consequently, each tour began and finished at Ascot West, a racecourse platform in use between 1911 and the early-1970s.

Depending on which railway company or BR region was being used, motive power in steam days was usually entrusted to sturdy mixed traffic locomotives such as ‘Black Fives’, ‘B1s’, ‘Halls’, ‘Granges’, Southern Moguls and Bulleid ‘Q1s’, although routes with severe gradients sometimes required double-heading or banking. ‘WD’ 2-8-0s were used on occasions and in the modern traction era, Brush Type 2s, Sulzer 2s and BRCW 3s were among locos noted on such workings.

The night of August 15-16, 1953, was a good one for enthusiasts in north-east Scotland, for example, when no fewer than five ‘B1’ 4-6-0s, Nos. 61342/47/49/50/52, were required to take the show to Fraserburgh, Huntly and Elgin for the first time. Two of the three trains weighed more than 620 tons each, meaning a brace of double-headed workings over long single-track sections of the ex-Great North of Scotland Railway system. The first left Aberdeen Kittybrewster at 10.30pm, the second at 1.30am and the third, conveying the elephants and horses, at 8am. Also strangers to that far-flung outpost were the staff sleeping coaches… ex-London & South Western Railway compartment stock!

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 21

CIRCUS TRAINS

Jumbo-sized level crossing! A trio of elephants belonging to Chapman’s Zoo-Circus makes its way across the tracks at Fishguard, west Wales on October 10, 1937. Chapman’s did not operate circus trains but on this occasion was using the Great Western for onward conveyance of its menagerie from the ferry terminal following a tour of Ireland.

For the 1961 season, Mills added a very successful tour of Northern Ireland and Eire to the itinerary, shipping the road trailers over by ferry from Stranraer to Larne and using Irish rail vehicles to cover the country in a three-train convoy. Leopards and pumas are known to have been added to the menagerie for that three-month tour and, in some towns, each flat wagon had to be run on to a turntable to ensure the cages and other road trailers arrived right-way-round for unloading.

Nuisance

Back on the British mainland, the final year in which the three or four-train operation was used was 1963 as Mills cut back heavily the following year and ran with only two portions. Increased TV ownership and greater public mobility were driving a nail into the coffin of traditional travelling circuses in the UK, and although a second rail-based tour of Ireland (using two trains) was included in the 1964 itinerary, it failed to revive the company’s fortunes. At the end of that season, it was decided to fold the canvases of the tenting circus for the last time and concentrate purely on the London shows, but even those were to last only three more years and Bertram Mills closed for good after its 40th Olympia season in January 1967. Rail had continued to be used for transport between Ascot and Kensington Olympia during the run-down period, but the trains were much shorter because of the absence of tenting equipment.

Some 20 years later, Cyril Mills proudly stated that no animal had ever been injured on the trains and the only derailment was of a baggage wagon during a shunting operation in thick snow at Liverpool. He did comment rather ruefully, however, on a change of attitude that began to take place after railway nationalisation in 1948.

“After that, it soon became evident that we were something the railway didn’t want to know about.

Fortunately, we had made a good many friends at operating level and they did all they could for us, but at headquarters I think we were regarded as a big nuisance.”

Given that revelation, it is perhaps surprising the trains continued to run as long into the BR era as they did… although the issue of a couple of hundred complimentary ringside seat tickets 22 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

for rail staff at each venue might have had some bearing on it!

No article on British circus trains would be complete without mention of two other travelling operations that used the country’s rail network on a regular basis. These were Chipperfield’s Circus and Billy Smart’s New World Circus, although in the UK they only transported their elephants and horses by train. Everything else went by road.

Apart from specially reinforced ‘Monster Van’ elephant cars, the Chipperfields and Smarts trains were composed mainly of covered carriage trucks (CCTs), general utility vans (GUVs), brake gangwayed coaches (BGs) and four-wheeled horseboxes. This meant they could take direct, and therefore faster, routes from one town to another as the absence of road trailers meant they could be unloaded at passenger platforms if necessary and didn’t have to arrive at their destinations in a certain direction.

Although Mills had started moving its jumbos and ponies by train in the early-1930s, Chipperfield’s and Smart’s did not begin touring at all until 1946 – but the two newcomers differed from their competitor in one major respect. Whereas Mills had done their utmost to get their animals to and from the showground with as much haste and as little fuss as possible, preferably under cover of darkness and with Railway Police in attendance to deter trespass, Chipperfield’s and Smart’s decided to make a virtue of the process and turn the walk from the railway yard to the big-top showground into a razzmatazz parade in broad daylight with members of the public lining the streets to admire the free spectacle. A Railway Magazine photo of a Chipperfield’s elephant arriving at Bricklayers Arms goods depot in 1954 was wittily headlined ‘Trunk Route to London’.

During the years in which all three operators were in business simultaneously, there had been weekends in which BR nationally had been moving as many as 30 elephants – 12 for Smart’s, 12 for Chipperfield’s and six for Bertram Mills – but a gentlemen’s agreement between the companies regarding the areas of Britain they covered ensured most cities and major towns enjoyed a show at least once a season.

The year 1964 was the last in which the Mills and Chipperfield’s trains ran but Billy Smart’s

rail services continued on an occasional basis into the diesel era of 1971, with one of its final street parades being from Guildford station in September that year. Smarts’ winter quarters were at Winkfield, Berkshire, only a few miles from those of Mills, so it’s likely Ascot West platform would have continued to be used until the end.

Octopussy

In addition to the ‘big five’ touring troupes covered in this article, a small number of minor circuses did, like Carmo’s, occasionally use rail for specific transit purposes. In 1937, for example, Chapman’s Zoo-Circus unloaded all its elephants, lions, tigers, bears, sea-lions and horses into a train at Fishguard harbour after a voyage from the Irish port of Cork.

Although several tenting circuses still travel through Britain today (including Billy Smart’s and one run by a seventh generation Chipperfield) they all do so by the country’s much-improved road system. Apart from an ex-Smart’s CCT preserved on the Bluebell Railway, the nearest thing seen in the UK since 1971 was a Europeanstyle circus train assembled on the Nene Valley Railway in 1982 for filming of the James Bond movie Octopussy.

It has been a completely different story abroad, however, especially on the other side of the Atlantic, where the far greater distances between communities have enabled American circus trains to last much longer than their British cousins. Two massive consists – each more than a mile long – were operated by the combined Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus until as recently as May last year when the company closed its rail operation after more than a century.

Still remaining loyal to railroads in the US is James E Strates Shows, which runs a 61-car train during its seven-month summer touring season.

In central Europe, the flag is kept flying by Switzerland’s Circus Knie, which travelled almost 1,740 miles by train last year alone.

In the best traditions of the business, the show is still going on!

■ ■ For assistance with the Bertram Mills section of this article, we are indebted to Jim Dorward, who is currently working on a book containing full statistics of the Mills operation in Britain and Ireland. Details will be provided in The RM once it is published.

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PRACTICE & PERFORMANCE

When The End Seemed Nigh

A precursor to the run-down of steam, ‘Black Five’ No. 44874 eases off as it passes Shap Summit with an Up working on August 24, 1963. GAVIN MORRISON

This August marks the 50th anniversary of the end of steam on BR, and Keith Farr recalls some of the day-to-day performances in the North West as steam was in decline, but also chronicles the famous ‘1T57’ final special from Liverpool to Carlisle and back.

O

ne Saturday in 1969, my wife and I were by a field of boisterous bullocks next to the East Coast Main Line, near Hadley Wood. A faint high-pitched whistle followed by a muffled roar (not from the bullocks) told us Flying Scotsman had entered Hadley Wood North Tunnel; within seconds she burst forth, singlechimney, three-cylinder exhaust beats merged in a Gresley symphony. A second whistle and No. 4472 was in Potter’s Bar Tunnel, followed by her two tenders and a ‘rainbow’ assortment of brown & cream Metro-Cammell Pullmans, and maroon and blue & grey Mk1 coaches.

The steam ban on BR territory was already in force but such special workings were allowed because Alan Pegler, then the owner of Flying Scotsman, had acquired a contract with the BRB to enable him to operate his Pacific on its metals until 1972, although in the event it spent much of that period in the USA. The end seemed nigh for live steam on BR metals but, thanks to cooperation between British Rail and Bulmer’s Cider at Hereford, No. 6000 King George V would be out ban-breaking by October 1971,

opening the way for steam specials over an increasing portion of the network; under open access agreements, few if any destinations are now out of reach.

Robust

What of steam in its final years of ‘normal’ operation? The magnificent swansong of the ‘A4s’ on the Aberdeen road had finished in 1966, while material on the last months of Southern steam, in 1967, seems inexhaustible.

It was mainly in the North West ‘Britannias’, ‘Black Fives’, ‘8Fs’, ‘9Fs’ and BR Standard 4-6-0s in various states of repair battled through to 1968. Such robust two-cylinder machines were relatively easy to maintain and could usually carry on in poor condition. The exception to the theme was Leeds Holbeck’s cherished squad of three-cylinder ‘Jubilees’, particularly Alberta and Kolhapur, regulars on Settle & Carlisle Saturday workings during the summer of 1967 (RM Aug 2008).

For many people, the ‘North West’ starts at Crewe where, during the years of transition, steam, electric and diesel power

mingled as nowhere else. From April 18, 1966, electrification had brought the town within 121 minutes of London: north thereof, it was back to diesel or, on some workings, steam. One Saturday in July 1967 I found myself whisked north from Euston in the leading vehicle of 10 LMS-designed coaches forming the 10.55 Euston-Barrow – advertised as first stop Preston.

It wasn’t, of course: we drew up at Crewe

TABLE 1: CREWE TO PRESTON Train: Loco: Load: Date: Recorder: Distance miles 0.00 3.15 7.45 8.79 11.80 12.65 14.47 17.48 24.09 27.50 28.89 30.99 35.87 37.99 41.72 44.19 46.95 50.95

10.55 Euston-Barrow LM5 4-6-0 10/307/330 tons July 1967 K S Farr

Location CREWE Coppenhall Jct Winsford Winsford Jct Hartford Hartford Jct Acton Bridge Birdswood WARRINGTON Winwick Jct Golborne Jct Golborne WIGAN Boar’s Head Coppull Balshaw Lane Leyland PRESTON

Actual ms 0 00 5 53 10 09 11 17 13 42 14 24 15 52 18 13 23 20 26 36 29 31 32 28 37 54 40 36 45 16 47 35 49 46 54 52

Speed Gradient mph 1-in Level 52 Level 69 300F 70 2220F 72 419F/360R 74 1981F 76 440F/L -/82 330R/L -/64 135R/135F 62 639R - * tsr 156R 38/62 473R/417F 705R 42 104R 246F 76 114F 74 110F 397R

tsr = temporary speed restriction * speed reduced by brakes

24 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

‘Britannia’ No. 70033 Charles Dickens works south past Lindal-in-Furness, with an Up express from Barrow-inFurness in July 1966. G PARRY COLLECTION/COLOUR RAIL

World Record

Officially the world’s longest-running railway series, established in 1901

TABLE 2: PENRITH TO PRESTON. Train: 14.00 SFO Glasgow/Edinburgh-Liverpool Loco: LM5 4-6-0 Load: 13/c480 tons gross Date: August 1967 Recorder: K S Farr

on a through line where the puissant ‘AL6’ (later, Class 86) was replaced by a trusty ‘Black Five’. After two hours of electric acceleration and speed, albeit theoretically limited to 90mph because of the rolling stock, the steam 4-6-0 seemed slow in getting away. Yet 69mph by Winsford, on the level or gently downhill gradients, was quite acceptable for a Class 5 engine on 330 tons – and more was to come.

For the rate crept up until, near Birdswood, 17½ miles from the start, the ‘six-footer’ was hurrying along at 82mph. With a long-drawnout hoot from the ‘Five’, we were through Warrington in less than ‘even time’.

The pace became slower here but, after a severe temporary speed restriction (tsr) at Golborne Junction, the 4-6-0 was worked hard to reach 60 before Wigan and storm the short

Distance miles 0.00 1.31 2.31 4.31 5.31 6.31 7.31 8.31 9.31 10.31 11.31 11.50 12.31 13.61 19.01 25.06 33.12 5.57 12.45 1.87 3.12 6.26 0.98 1.98 3.98 4.98 5.98 6.98 7.98 8.98 9.98 10.98 11.98 13.98 14.98 15.98 16.98 17.98 20.98

Location

Actual Speed Gradient ms mph 1-in PENRITH 0 00 616R MP 50 3 36 191F “ 49 5 16 193R “ 47 8 44 30 125R “ 46 10 52 26½ 125R “ 45 13 08½ 26 125R “ 44 15 25½ 26 125R “ 43 17 42½ 25½ 125R “ 42 20 03½ 25 125R “ 41 22 24½ 26½ 142R “ 40 24 38 142R Shap 25 12 -/34 Level MP 39 26 27 32½ 106R Shap Summit28 01 33½ 130/L Tebay 34 57 73 75F/146F Grayrigg 42 33 37/60 777F/204R OXENHOLME 50 51 34 106F/178F Milnthorpe 8 56 60/0*s173F CARNFORTH 13 21 48 369R Bolton-le-S 4 35 460F Hest Bank 6 13 49½/* Level LANCASTER 8 12 41 - tsr 305R/L MP 20 4 49 98R “ 19 7 20 34½ 735R “ 17 10 05 50 736F/L “ 16 11 16 52 Level “ 15 12 23 54 Level “ 14 13 28½ 56 Level “ 13 14 31½ 58 1199F “ 12 15 32½ 60 1199F “ 11 16 32 61 Level “ 10 17 30 63 1042F “ 9 18 26½ 64 1042F “ 7 20 17½ 65 644R “ 6 21 15 62 644R “ 5 22 13½ 61 1115R “ 4 23 12 61 1115R “ 3 24 10½ /* sigs 503F PRESTON 30 31 49 240F s = signal stop, 29 seconds.

1-in-104 to Boar’s Head at 42mph; we were no longer within ‘even time’ but were certainly within schedule. The descent to Preston saw a maximum of 76mph and the lively 4-6-0 drew up in that great station in just under 55 minutes for the 51 miles from Crewe; net time was about 52min. Perhaps regrettably, I alighted at Preston, for it would have been interesting to see what sort of speed the Class 5 would have made on the 21-mile race-track on to Lancaster.

Table 2 shows an overloaded sister loco coping with the seven miles of 1-in-125 between Penrith and Shap Summit. The train was the Friday/Saturday-only 14.00 Glasgow/ Edinburgh-Liverpool/Manchester, normally a ‘Britannia’ with about 11 coaches, but this time a ‘Five’ on 13 vehicles grossing some 480 tons.

Tempo

Making a southbound departure from Oxenholme is Stanier ‘5MT’ No. 45285 with the 11.08 (SO) Edinburgh Waverley-Blackpool North train on August 19, 1967. DAVID ROSTANCE/RAIL PHOTOPRINTS

A slip-free exit from Penrith followed by crisp honest-to-goodness exhaust beats rising in tempo gave promise of a satisfying run.

I was timing chiefly from mileposts and failed to obtain ‘spot’ speeds for the first three, but the passing times suggest a maximum of about 38mph on the mile of level that precedes the long 1-in-125. At MP 47, by the site of Clifton & Lowther station, we were down to August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 25

PRACTICE & PERFORMANCE TABLE 3: CARLISLE TO GLASGOW Train: 13.40 Euston-Glasgow (Central) Loco: BR7 4-6-2 70033 Charles Dickens Load: 10/c 350 tons full Date: March 23, 1967 Recorder: K S Farr Distance miles 0.00 4.09 6.10 8.59 13.01 16.75 25.84 34.50 39.76 45 15 49.76 55.14 66.66 73.68 78.53 82.01 84.02 89.50 99.32 102.40

Location

Actual ms CARLISLE 0 00 Rockcliffe 6 48 Floriston 8 36 Gretna 10 43 Kirkpatrick 15 03 Kirtlebridge 18 47 LOCKERBIE 27 46 Wamphray 36 20 BEATTOCK arr 43 08 dep 50 30 - B Greskine 60 28 Summit 67 26 Crawford 74 39 Symington 85 30 CARSTAIRS 91 43 Craigenhill 97 09 Carluke 100 34 Law Junction 103 11 MOTHERWELL 110 00 Rutherglen 122 53 GLASGOW (C) 132 30

Speed mph 62 -/74 69 58/57 63/57e 64 60 0*

Gradient 1-in 100F Level 527F 193R 200R 190F/203R 528F 326R/330F 202R

39/36½ - * tsr 59 67/68 -* 56 -* - * sigs -

74R 74R/77R 99F/240F 1020F 165R 190R 98F 140F 116F 163F/630R L/172R

e = speed estimated B = banker to Summit s = signal stop, 29 seconds.

30mph, which the next mile of ascent lowered to 26½; with the ‘Five’ barking vigorously through wooded Clifton Gorge, the speed then fell almost imperceptibly, dropping by 1½mph over four miles, with an absolute minimum of 25 at the top of the 1-in-125. Equivalent drawbar horsepower (edhp) would have been about 1,000, a reasonably good figure at such a low speed.

Approaching Shap station, the grade eases to 1-in-142, followed by a short stretch of level through the station itself, and here speed rose to 34mph; a final effort to the summit saw nothing less than 32½mph, showing the loco was not short of steam after the hard climb.

After a maximum of 73mph down Shap Bank proper, the passage of the Lune Gorge was taken easily with speed falling to 37mph on the short ‘hump’ to Grayrigg, although there may have been a tsr in place. Losing only 1½min on this difficult section from Penrith to the next stop, at Oxenholme, with an overloaded loco, was evidence of an experienced and enthusiastic crew and a healthy ‘Black Five’.

Skilful

Downhill to Carnforth, adverse signals cost nearly nine minutes; and, along by the sea at Hest Bank, a tsr combined with a particularly tight schedule on to Lancaster added another

BR ‘Britannia’ No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell emerges from Gisburn Tunnel and hurries towards Hellifield on August 11, 1968, with the 1T57 special from Liverpool to Carlisle, the loco working forward from Manchester Victoria.

GAVIN MORRISON

26 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

4½min to the deficit. It was from Lancaster the ‘Black Five’ was again able to show its paces. First, though, it had to deal with the treacherous start, with a sharply curved connection to the through line followed by a curving mile of 1-in-98 to Old Junction.

With skilful, confident driving the Class 5 made a clean exit, her exhaust carrying far above the rooftops as she pounded upgrade.

Four minutes 49 seconds over the first mile may seem slow but, in the circumstances, was commendable. With a healthy crackle of exhaust from the front end, we were up to 50mph in four miles, accelerating gradually to a maximum of 65 by milepost 7, all on level or nearly-level track. The slow approach to Preston itself suggests a tsr, of which there were many during this fettling-up period of the WCML north of Weaver Junction; in any event, the well-driven ‘Stanier Five’ had shown what could be done.

It was not always like this. In my contribution on double-heading (RM Jan 2017) I described a journey from Crewe to Carlisle when ‘Britannia’ No. 70048 had a leaking tender and required assistance from Oxenholme to Shap Summit. I omitted to point out locos were changed at Carlisle, as booked, and the Carlisle (Kingmoor) crew on No. 70033 Charles Dickens made some amends for the previous Pacific’s lethargy (Table 3).

A vigorous start from Carlisle saw Charles Dickens shifting his 10 coaches through Floriston at 74mph and crossing the border at 69. The ‘Britannia’ then mounted the 1-in-193/203 past Kirkpatrick at 57, accelerating to 63mph in the minor dip at Kirtlebridge. Regrettably, I ‘lost’ Castlemilk Summit, but passing times suggest another minimum of about 57mph. The 17¼ largely uphill miles from Gretna to Lockerbie, passed at 64mph, had taken 17min 03sec at an average of 60.7mph.

We stopped at Beattock for assistance in a tad over 43 minutes for the 39¾ miles from

World Record

Officially the world’s longest-running railway series, established in 1901

TABLE 4: CARLISLE TO PRESTON Train: 7.50 SO Carlisle-Birmingham Loco: ‘Britannia’ 70023 Load to Lancaster: 5/162/170 tons to Preston: 13/420/440 tons Date: July 23, 1966 Recorder: M Barrett

‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45347 sets off from Oxenholme having just picked up a banker for the climb of Grayrigg on July 29, 1967.

CHRIS DAVIES/RAIL PHOTOPRINTS

Carlisle, but nearly 7½min elapsed before the Standard Pacific and its banker set off for the Lowther Hills, speed rising to 39mph on the 1-in-74/76 at Greskine. The 10-mile climb took 17 minutes and was followed by a fair gallop through upper Strath Clyde, the river meandering through pastures backed by Tinto and other rounded hills and so different in character from where it opens out into one of Scotland’s great firths. I clocked 78mph near Lamington but the averages do not support such a rate, and beyond Carstairs the run was ruined by signal checks and speed restrictions, making the overall time for the 102.4 miles from Carlisle to Glasgow (Central) 132½ minutes. With a ‘Britannia’ on ‘ten’, time would surely have been saved by not stopping for assistance at Beattock.

Emigrant

Another ‘Britannia’ run that was good in parts was logged by former Railway Performance Society (RPS) member the late Martin Barrett in July 1966 (Table 4).

No. 70023 Venus, an emigrant from the Western Region, had only five coaches to lift from Carlisle to Shap Summit but, with the addition of a Barrow portion at Lancaster, was then saddled with 13 weighing some 440 tons gross. The train was the Saturday 07.50 CarlisleBirmingham.

With the initial light load, Venus mounted the 1-in-131/184 past Wreay at 57mph, before attaining a full 65 on the ensuing 1-in-228: good going even for a Class 7 loco on a mere 170 tons. Note the three-minute gain on schedule by Plumpton, reduced by a signal check to just 17 seconds at Penrith. Continuing to Shap Summit, the ‘Britannia’ must have made stirring music to attain 55mph on the long 1-in-125, more than twice the speed of my ‘Black Five’ the following year, but with less than half the load! After a minimum of 48mph above Clifton Gorge and a brief 52mph on the

Distance miles 0.00 3.10 5.10 6.10 9.10 11.10 12.10 13.04 14.10 16.10 17.89 1.31 4.31 5.31 7.31 8.31 10.31 11.31 11.50 12.31 13.61 19.01 25.06 33.12 37.69 41.31 43.31 44.97 46.84 48.09 51.23 0.00 0.98 1.48 5.48 6.48 9.48 11.55 12.98 17.48 18.48 20.99

Location CARLISLE MP 66 “ 64 “ 63 “ 60 “ 58 “ 57 Plumpton “ 55 “ 53 PENRITH MP 50 “ 47 “ 46 “ 44 “ 43 “ 41 “ 40 Shap MP 39 Shap Summit Tebay Grayrigg OXENHOLME46 Milnthorpe MP 10 “ 8 CARNFORTH 57 Bolton-le-Sands Hest Bank LANCASTER LANCASTER MP 19½ “ 19 “ 15 “ 14 “ 11 Garstang “ 8 “ 3 “ 2 PRESTON

Sched Actual Speed min m s mph 0 0 00 6 06 43 8 33 53 9 37 57 12 29 65 14 20 62 15 29 40* 20 17 03 19 26 20* sigs 22 42 52 26 25 43 2 42 46 6 17 54 [5] 7 23 55 9 37 53 10 47 51 13 10 49 14 24 48 14 43 15 34 52 28 17 15 40/68 34 23 03 66/21* trs 31 58 46 39 28 60/64 45 03 55 49 02 47/46 51 24 60/61 53 10 56 55 06 63 57 30 -/19* sigs 63 64 10 0 0 00 4 31 35 5 21 43 9 55 58 11 02 51 14 37 45 13 16 29 18 08 58/62 22 53 65 23 51 63/* sigs.

28 29 22 -

level through Shap station, speed was allowed to drop to 40mph at the top, either through some sort of check or simply because they were ahead of ‘time’. For Venus had devoured the 13.6 uphill miles from the Penrith start in 17¼min against the 28 scheduled, which included five minutes recovery time.

Unsurprisingly, the easiest of running took place on the long descent to Carnforth, with one tsr at Tebay and adverse signals at the approach to Lancaster turning the 11min gain into a one-minute loss.

A sterner task faced No. 70023 from Lancaster with load increased by 159%. And the Class 7 loco fared less well than the ‘5MT’ with 480 tons in Table 2, although the start up 1-in-98 was satisfactory, and it was good work to pass milepost 19 in 5min 21 sec. This time, the expression ‘race-track’ for the 21 miles to Preston was surely inappropriate, for the ‘Britannia’s’ 45-55mph compared poorly with the 60-65 of the Class 5, unless, on this busy summer Saturday, the driver was deliberately holding back to avoid signal checks from something in front. Nonetheless, the generous schedule from Lancaster was exceeded by only 1min 22sec.

TABLE 5: LIVERPOOL TO MANCHESTER Train: 9.10 Liverpool-Carlisle, 1T57 Loco: LM5 4-6-0 No. 45110 Load: 10/364½/390 tons gross Driver: Hart (Edge Hill) Fireman: Bradley ( “ “ ) Recorder: J H Daykin August 11, 1968 Distance miles 0.00 1.36 3.56 5.68 8.90 0.00 1.80 4.58 5.79 6.04 6.81 7.58 0.00 4.30 6.17 10.06 14.02 15.11

Location

Actual ms LIME STREET 0 00 Edge Hill 8 36 Broad Green 14 19 Huyton 16 59 Rainhill 22 00 Rainhill 0 00 Lea Green 2 44 Collin’s Green 6 38 EARLESTOWN 9 06 Earlestown No. 2 arr 10 17 dep 17 15 Newton arr 22 38 -le-Willows dep 22 41 Parkside No. 2 26 07 Parkside No. 2 0 00 Glazebury 7 07 Astley 9 03 Patricroft 13 07 Ordsall Lane No. 2 18 50 MANCHESTER 24 11 (VIC) (15)

Speed Gradient mph 1-in 93R 17/* 93R 40 781F 53/58 1405F 99R/L ¾L Level 40* tsr 865F 60 91F/L 8*/0* 828F 0* sig 828F - stop 0* sig 828F - stop 828F 828F 58 678F 60 910R 49/55 901R 10* sigs Level 178R

tsr = temporary speed restriction

“The expression ‘racetrack’ for the 21 miles to Preston was surely inappropriate, for the ‘Britannia’s’ 45-55mph compared poorly with the 60-65 of the Class 5...”

I was elsewhere on Sunday, August 11, 1968, the day of the ‘Fifteen-Guinea Special’, marking the official end of standard-gauge steam on BR. As Maurice Burns made clear in his evocative June feature, thousands witnessed or travelled by it and, justifiably, it has been written about many times.

Marathon

By trawling the RPS electronic archive I recently came across the only log I have seen of the marathon return run, recorded by the late J H Dakin (Tables 5-8). From Liverpool (Lime Street) the 10-coach train ran via the Chat Moss line, with a pause at Rainhill, where the locomotive trials of 1829 confirmed steam was the power for the future. A stop was also made at Parkside where, during the Liverpool & Manchester Railway opening celebrations on September 15, 1830, William Huskisson MP tragically failed to realise the folly of walking on the track when trains were about.

Motive power on this section was provided by ‘Black Five’ No. 45110, in the hands of driver Hart and fireman Bradley of Edge Hill depot and in spotless condition. The uphill start from Lime Street, between grim smokeAugust 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 27

PRACTICE & PERFORMANCE blackened walls, was slow with some slipping, but No. 45110 soon found her feet, speed rising into the ‘fifties’ before Rainhill. Nowhere on the generally level continuation did speed exceed 60 mph: with the two stops, and signal checks between Earlestown and Parkside, there was not much scope for record-breaking (Table 5).

At Manchester (Victoria) the train was reversed and the last remaining ‘Britannia’ – No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell – took over from 45110 to tackle the gradients of the former Lancashire & Yorkshire route via Blackburn to Hellifield, followed by the rigours of the Settle & Carlisle. With Lostock Hall driver Bolton and fireman Gorman, ‘Cromwell’ made its way cautiously over the curvature leading to Salford

TABLE 7: CARLISLE TO MANCHESTER ‘Black Five’ No. 44680 climbs the final yards to Shap Summit with a Down Saturday extra on July 15, 1967.

CHRIS DAVIES/RAILPHOTOPRINTS

TABLE 6: MANCHESTER TO CARLISLE Train: 1T57 Loco: ‘Britannia’4-6-2 No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell Load: 10/364½/390 tons gross Driver: Bolton (Lostock Hall) Fireman: Gorman “ Recorder: J H Daykin Date: August 11, 1968 Distance miles 0.00 0.69 4.74 8.39 10.63 12.91 15.24 16.59 19.46 24.51 0.00 2.54 5.08 10.71 12.69 15.29 17.71 24.26 0.00 1.23 3.25 5.23 9.53 13.53 15.89 17.22 22.13 25.40 28.48 0.00 3.50 6.84 12.16 15.04 17.52 20.45 28.52 32.85 38.36 44.40 46.86 48.29

Location

Sched min MANCHESTER (V) 0 00 Salford 5 01 Clifton Junction 11 46 Farnworth 17 46 BOLTON (Trinity St) 21 33 The Oaks 28 02 Turton Entwistle 40 58 Spring Vale 50 04 BLACKBURN 61 38 BLACKBURN 0 00 Wilpshire 7 14 Langho 9 41 Clitheroe 17 24 Chatburn 20 34 Rimington 24 44 Gisburn SB 29 09 HELLIFIELD 38 47 HELLIFIELD 0 00 Long Preston 2 47 Settle Junction 5 08 SETTLE 7 37 Helwith Bridge 15 04 Selside 22 28 Ribblehead 27 19 Blea Moor SB 29 37 Dent 39 52 Garsdale 45 24 Ais Gill 50 50 Ais Gill 0 00 Mallerstang 6 09 KIRKBY STEPHEN 9 40 Griseburn 15 00 Ormside 17 30 APPLEBY 19 51 Long Marton 22 56 Langwathby 32 29 Lazonby 36 47 Armathwaite 42 26 Cumwhinton 48 49 Durran Hill Junction 51 34 CARLISLE 56 00 W = Water taken

Actual Speed m s mph 178R 28 Level 133R/207R 40 200R 20*/15* 594F 24 73R 35 23 1773R 16/5*¶ 73R 37 69F/84F - W 101F/584R 584R 48 162R/86F 62 82F 34 127R 41 176R - * tsr 101R 44/52 362F/L - W L/103R 214F 52 214F 181F 46 100R 33 100R/L 28 100R 34 176R 27/41 100R 15* tsr 264R 43/45 288F Level Level 58 100F 53*/64 100F 61 166F 73 100F 54/64 220R/132F 45*/41 tsr 120F 64 330F -/50 264R/165R 64/51 220F 62 132F/ 20* 132F 120R/L

¶ Cattle on line

28 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Train: 1T57 Locos LM5 4-6-0s 44871 + 44781 Load: 10/364½/390 tons gross Drivers: Grimshaw & Ashton Recorder: J H Daykin Date: August 11, 1968 Distance miles 0.00 0.89 3.89 8.04 9.92 11.04 13.04 15.04 15.44 23.30 24.69 27.84 30.76 34.04 36.12 38.26 41.45 44.79 48.29 51.36 54.64 56.63 59.55 0.00 1.24 3.69 5.95 11.99 17.24 23.79 26.22 28.82 30.77 34.32 36.45 38.97 41.50 0.00 1.50 2.50 4.18 5.50 7.91 9.26 10.93 11.60 13.88 15.43 16.12 23.82 24.51

Location CARLISLE Petterill Bridge Jct Cumwhinton MP 300 Armathwaite MP 297 “ 295 “ 293 Lazonby Culgaith New Biggin Long Marton APPLEBY MP 274 Griseburn Crosby Garrett KIRKBY STEPHEN Mallerstang Ais Gill Garsdale Dent Dent Head Blea Moor Blea Moor Ribblehead Selside Horton-inRibblesdale SETTLE HELLIFIELD Gisburn SB Rimington Chatburn Clitheroe Whalley Langho Wilpshire arr dep BLACKBURN BLACKBURN MP 23 “ 22 Darwen MP 19 Entwhistle Turton Bromley Cross The Oaks BOLTON Moses Gate Farnworth Salford MANCHESTER (V)

Actual ms 0 00 3 03 8 31 14 39 16 48 18 02 20 25 22 35 22 59 31 09 32 29 36 30 39 59 43 00 46 54 49 47 53 29 57 19 61 16 64 14 68 37 71 26 76 57 0 00 2 15 4 47 7 00

Speed Gradient mph 1-in 120F 28 225R 39 132R 45/58 132R/132F 51 132R 55 220F 48 220R 63 165F 60/57 264R 64 330R/L 60 132R/220R 42* 440R 58/70 120R/176F 64/20* tsr 100R 32½ 100R 52/59 200R/L 51/50 100R 58/51 330R/100R 54 100R/L 64 165F 24* tsr L/264R 57 264F - W 440R 100F 53 100F 61 176F/100F 67/75 100F

12 12 18 03 26 58 30 22 33 21 35 48 41 16 44 48 50 15 50 39 59 08 0 00 3 12 4 55 7 58 10 19 14 55 16 58 18 45 19 23 23 33 26 11 26 54 36 09 38 39

68 100F 35*/51 214R 42 105F/L 55/61 101F 49/53 L/543F 30* 176F 52/30* 205F 36 82R 0* sig. 68R/86R - stop 127F 584F 34 101R 35½ 101R 33 71R/84R 32½/35 74½R 20* 73F 54/62 73F 58* 73F 64 73F 24* 584R 54 280F 58/63 200F -* Level 178F

and Windsor Bridge Junction, accelerating to the ‘forties’ on gradients averaging about 1-in-200 towards Bolton. However, the average speed of 36.5mph from Clifton Junction to Farnworth would not seem to justify the recorder’s use of the word ‘Thrash’ alongside his notes (Table 6). It should be remembered that timing equipment 50 years ago was less sophisticated than in 2018 with the result some of the speeds quoted here are not supported by the point-to-point averages.

Sharp curvature through Bolton (Trinity Street) was negotiated at 15-20mph before they tackled the long climb, chiefly at 1-in-73, to the summit beyond Entwhistle: like some routes in the South Wales Valleys, this is a challenge littleknown outside the locality but one at least equal to Shap and Beattock in severity.

The ‘Britannia’ was not giving of its best here, speed eventually dropping to 16mph at Entwhistle, with a further drop to walking pace because of cattle on the line.

The descent to Blackburn was cautious and further delay was incurred while No. 70013 was detached to replenish her tanks at a water crane.

A vigorous start, with some slipping followed by “solid thrash” (an expression more justified this time!), saw good progress on the steeply graded former Lancashire & Yorkshire line via Clitheroe to the erstwhile Midland Main Line at Hellifield.

Officially closed to passengers in 1958, the Blackburn to Hellifield line remained in use for special workings and WCML diversions, and the Blackburn to Clitheroe section was reopened in 1994 for regular services.

Feeble

After taking water at Hellifield, Oliver Cromwell set out to do battle with the Settle & Carlisle. In the dip at Settle Junction, where the S&C begins, speed was in the ‘fifties’ although the claimed maximum of 58mph seems on the high side. The rate then fell away on the long 1-in-100 to 33mph by Helwith Bridge and, after a short recovery, to 28mph above Selside, perhaps 10mph less than one would expect from a Class 7 loco ‘on ten’.

Speed rallied to 34mph at Ribblehead but fireman Gorman was coping with bad coal and it was at a feeble 27mph Oliver Cromwell entered Blea Moor Tunnel. Progress was further impeded by a severe speed restriction at Dent, and they halted at Ais Gill summit in 50min 50sec for the 28½ miles from Hellifield: seemingly a poor performance but one not untypical of steam in its last days. Perhaps the return journey would atone.

Both loco and crew must have been relieved when No. 70013 was able to leave the milling throng and dip her nose downhill into Edendale.

The going was satisfactory but unexciting, speed rising above the ‘70’ mark in the Ormside dip just before Appleby and the 30.8 miles from there to the Border City taking 36min 09sec, perhaps 2½min of which could be attributed to the long-standing restriction past an unstable gypsum mine at Long Marton.

With 1T57 now seriously late, it was imperative to start back as soon as possible. The two ‘Black Fives’, anagrammatically numbered 44871 and 44781, which had preceded the northbound working in light engine mode, were ready and waiting, and just 15½ minutes after Oliver Cromwell’s arrival the special was southward-bound.

It was clear straightaway that drivers Grimshaw and Ashton and their firemen were

World Record

Officially the world’s longest-running railway series, established in 1901 Left: On arrival at Carlisle on August 11, 1968, Oliver Cromwell is met by hundreds of enthusiasts, with 1T57 from Liverpool. R TIZARD/COLOUR RAIL

TABLE 8: MANCHESTER (VICTORIA) TO LIVERPOOL (LIME STREET) Train: 1T57 Locos LM5 4-6-0 45110 Load: 10/364½/390 tons gross Driver: Hart (Edge Hill) Recorder: J H Daykin Distance miles 0.00 4.08 8.94 14.86 15.88 16.89 22.71 25.11 28.04 30.23 31.59

intent on regaining time lost on the journey north (Table 7). As anyone who travelled behind a pair of ‘Black Fives’ through the Scottish hills will testify, a pair of them makes a formidable combination and so it was on August 11, 1968.

The climb to the 1,169ft-high summit at Ais Gill starts almost immediately and on the 1-in-132 past Cumwhinton Nos. 44871/44781 attained 39mph, rising into the ‘40s’ by milepost 300. The favourable section to Lazonby produced 63mph, cut short by the tsr at Long Marton, from which the ‘Fives’ dashed up to 70mph at Ormside.

Another temporary restriction, to 20mph, then robbed the pair of impetus at the foot of the main climb, but they fought back into the ‘fifties’ by Kirkby Stephen, speed falling almost imperceptibly on the long 1-in-100 to a minimum of 50mph before Mallerstang and, after a brief recovery on an easier section, to 51 at the summit.

The Stanier ‘Black Five’ pairing of Nos. 44781 and 44871 head south near Wilpshire with the returning ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’ to Liverpool from Carlisle. A J B DODD/RAIL PHOTOPRINTS

Even the tsr at Dent was taken a little more quickly than on the northbound journey, with all but the most ardent ‘gricers’ gazing west towards the beauty of Dentdale and the Lake District summits way beyond. At Blea Moor, the duo made a booked stop to replenish their tender tanks before descending the ‘Long Drag’ at up to 75mph, almost making ‘even time’ to Settle Junction where they left the S&C – surely a poignant moment for those under the (false) impression that never again would steam do battle with England’s highest main line.

Anti-climax

Despite a signal stop at Wilpshire, the pair of ‘Fives’ covered the 41½ miles from Blea Moor to Blackburn in just over 59 minutes, which may not seem very fast, but which, given the terrain, was highly commendable.

Magnificently (and expensively) engineered, the S&C has no gradient steeper than 1-in-100, albeit for many miles at a stretch, but the

Location

Actual ms MANCHESTER (VIC) 0 00 Eccles 11 11 Astley 16 35 Parkside No.1 22 46 Newton-le-Willows 24 09 EARLESTOWN 25 57 Rainhill 34 15 Huyton Quarry 37 37 Broad Green 43 12 Edge Hill 46 48 L’POOL (LIME ST) 51 19

Speed Gradient mph 1-in 178F 46 Level 60/64 910F 47* tsr 894R -* 828R 36* 828R 48/58 91R/Level - * sigs 91F 46 781R 31* 1642R 93F

climbs from Whalley to Wilpshire and from Blackburn to Walton’s sidings (Entwhistle) vary from 1-in-101 to 1-in-68.

From milepost 23, just south of Blackburn, to post 19, the gradient steepens from 1-in-101 to 1-in-74½; on this length the ‘Black Fives’ averaged 33.7mph, doubtless with a cannonade of exhaust that would have tingled many spines throughout the train (Table 7).

Descending to Bolton and Manchester must have smacked of anti-climax, and no records were broken on the concluding run across Chat Moss to Liverpool behind No. 45110 which, as on its outward run, had little chance of bringing the day to an epic conclusion (Table 8). It was nonetheless appropriate Nos. 44871/44781, two of Britain’s most versatile and all-round successful steam locos, should have been the best performers on this day of days!

Mr Dakin’s marathon and historic log includes the words: “THE VERY END”.

How wrong he was!

■

LMS 10000

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© Rob Reedman

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See our website for the rewards offered to donors: www.lms10000.co.uk Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society Charity no: 1147032 info@LMS10000.co.uk Photos: (Above) R H Leslie - P.J Robinson collection (Top) Science Museum, Creative Commons (Bottom right) Mrs Jean Harrington

Mainline Steam ... and Pottery

capable of hauling decent trains. But now the modernisation of the double tracked main line from Yangon to Mandalay is on the short-term agenda and will change the appearance of the railways drastically. All the semaphores and gantries will be replaced by colour light signals, the track bed, the bridges, the signal cabins will all be changed, rebuilt or knocked down. Then the railway will look different and even the most authentic train will look out of place.

Their current plan is to start the construction work in mid 2018, however, there are serous hints (from their own headquarters) that this date cannot be met. The risk that we might be too late in December 2018 is very small, but waiting any longer is not advisable. Hence: go there now!

Photo: Bernd Seiler 2017

Many years of talks and negotiations with the state railway have starting to pay off at last. Our recent three very successful tours to Myanmar have shown the railways that their steam locos are

Photo: Bernd Seiler 1999

Eritrea: Back to Mallets in the Mountains! sold out Eritrea: Keren Camel Market and the Old Railway Line Oct 28th - Nov 1st Mauritania: Sand Dunes and Fishermen in Sailing Boats Nov 4th – Nov 11th Mauritania: Sahara Express Nov 10th – Nov 18th China: Sandaoling forever!

Nov 30th – Dec 8th Burma (Myanmar): Mainline Steam & Pagodas Dec 8th – Dec 19th Eritrea: Back to Mallets in the Mountains!

Jan 12th – Jan 20th Eritrea: Keren, Filfil, Qohaito, Massawa and more Jan 19th - Jan 28th Romania: Winter Fairy Tale in Vișeu and Moldovița Apr 26th – May 10th Madagascar: Jungle Railway and Micheline Railcars Apr 26th – May 10th Madagascar: Land of the Baobabs May 9th – May 16th

FarRail Tours 30 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

www.FarRail.com, mail@FarRail.com UK: Andrew Fisher, Cherry Tree House, Denaby Lane Doncaster, DN12 4LA, M: +44-7930-958 941; Tel: +49-177-56 13 999

FRANCHISING

CrossCountry ‘Voyager’ No. 221133 forges north past Dawlish with train 1S43, the 06.28 PenzanceGlasgow Central on May 15.

DAVID HUNT

A‘STARTER FOR TEN’ - the new XC Franchise?

The CrossCountry (XC) passenger franchise is the first of four passenger rail franchises due for renewal in the next couple of years, with East Midlands, South Eastern and Chiltern being the other three. The deadline for responses to the DfT’s XC Franchise Consultation is set for August 30, and Fraser Pithie, a member of Campaign for Rail – West Midlands, gives his view on what a new XC franchise could and should look like.

The story so far

What do Oxford, Newcastle, Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Aberdeen, Exeter, Bristol, Derby, Lancaster, Reading, Preston, Stoke-on-Trent, Cardiff, Coventry, Dundee, Leicester, Durham, Manchester, York, Southampton, Bournemouth, Glasgow and Cambridge have in common?

They are all university cities, and are all served by the CrossCountry (XC) passenger franchise that is due for renewal in late-2019.

While some passengers who currently use XC services have lots that is positive to say about their journeys, there is an increasing level of negative customer experience. There is also emerging evidence that suggests the recent stalling of rail passenger growth (in 2017/18 ticket sales dropped by 1.4%) is at least partly because of the railways not meeting customer expectations and service demand.

It used to be XC reached most of the main hubs and stations on the UK rail network. XC also has a uniqueness in that it does not, and never has, operated any stations on the network.

Consequently, you won’t find XC staff on stations to help you with your enquiries, at least unless you are on the platform and an XC service happens to be present.

It’s just one of many examples of things that over the course of the franchise have not helped passengers or indeed the current franchisee, Arriva.

Background

To understand where things are now a historical perspective about the early days of XC after Privatisation is needed.

Virgin obtained the XC franchise in late-1996 and started to run services from early 1997. Initially, Virgin had to rely upon Class 47s with rakes of seven Mk2 coaches that formed the backbone of its SE/NW/NE services, and mainly IC125s forming the SW/NE services.

“If ever there was a franchise where split ticketing should be mandatory it’s CrossCountry.”

Other traction available at the time included Class 158s and Class 86s. In those early days, the XC franchise did not include east-to-west routes from Birmingham to Stansted Airport, and Nottingham and Cardiff.

Richard Branson’s brave new Virgin Trains world, as it was in those early days, set out plans to ‘transform’ the customer offer of XC services.

I recall catching a southbound Manchester/ Bournemouth service one day at Leamington Spa

and picking up the Virgin ‘on-board’ magazine.

Inside there was a message I recall went something like “as you read this you may well be on a late, cold or draughty train that looks and feels tired. We are sorry, and we’d ask you to bear with us as we wait for our fleet of brand new fast trains that will provide more frequent and much better quality train services”.

I was impressed. Firstly, an apology about the current state and standard of service, consequently a recognition the service was just not good enough. Secondly, a commitment that within two or three years new trains would transform the service regarding frequency and quality.

Over the course of 2000/01, 34 Class 220 ‘Voyagers’ and 44 Class 221 ‘Super Voyagers’ arrived and entered service. The new trains were split between Branson’s Virgin XC and West Coast franchises.

Built by Bombardier, the ‘Voyagers’ boasted a high-power offering with 3,000hp available on a four-coach ‘Voyager’ set. The Class 221 ‘Super Voyagers’ offered full body tilt that enabled them to travel 10% faster than their Class 220 counterparts. When introduced, it’s fair to say the ‘Voyagers’ transformed XC travel from what had become a tired, unreliable and unwelcoming passenger experience.

‘Voyagers’ were shorter formation trains, but the idea, dubbed by Virgin as Operation Princess, was to run them more frequently, combined with a clock-face timetable, and Birmingham August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 31

FRANCHISING

CrossCountry Class 221 ‘Voyager’ No. 221121 is seen approaching Gloucester Road bridge, just before Pokesdown station, while operating 1M46, the 11.47 Bournemouth-Didcot Parkway service on July 7. It was on this route because of engineering work at Oxford. TIM SQUIRES

New Street being at the heart of XC operations.

However, the new services tested infrastructure capacity, there were technical problems with the new stock, albeit short-lived, and combined with rising unreliability the then Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) intervened and as a consequence some of Virgin’s XC services were truncated.

Blackpool, Brighton, Swansea, Portsmouth, Paddington, and Liverpool lost XC services.

Despite this, Operation Princess, in passenger terms, made much sense, and traveller numbers soon started to increase.

In 2007, the franchise came up for renewal, and Virgin lost it to Arriva XC. The new XC franchise gained new routes, taking over the Cardiff-Birmingham-Nottingham and Birmingham to Stansted Airport services previously operated by Central Trains.

Class 170 ‘Turbostars’ form the rolling stock for these services. There was very little in the new franchise regarding significant improvements. The award determined it was ‘business as usual’, and as a result, passenger experiences started to turn negative.

Replacing less frequent locomotive-hauled trains that had around 390 seats with more frequent fixed-formation trains, with either about 200 or 240 seats, meant once the offer of improved frequency and repeating clock-face time arrivals and departures was realised by passengers more and more would start to use the service.

There was no plan for growth and the margin created by a higher frequency of smaller capacity trains closed.

XC services have now become oversubscribed, with regular and increased overcrowding (I remain unconvinced as to why the DfT insist on using the term ‘crowding’). The overall yearon-year growth in passenger rail journeys in the UK – which by 2016 had doubled from railway privatisation in 1995 – has also contributed to higher passenger demand. While a few of the North-East/South-West XC services are operated by two IC125 sets between Tuesday and Thursday and four IC125 sets from Friday through to Monday, the rest of these services, 32 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

together with the SE/NW services, are still being formed by ‘Voyagers’.

The Class 220s and 221s are tired, and the passenger, particularly with luggage, is not their friend.

Causes and consequences

Overcrowding has the inevitable consequence of an untidy train causing poor interaction with the passenger often leading to a negative experience for which passengers have often paid a considerable amount in fares. Transport Focus, the transport-user watchdog, sampled XC passenger views during autumn 2017 and spring 2018. The results the DfT is sharing as part of the public consultation are clear and not surprising.

For the NE/SW spine services, the two drivers of satisfaction being punctuality and cleanliness both attracted 24%, with helpfulness of staff, the comfort of seats and length of time the journey is scheduled to take sharing joint third place, each drawing 10%. These services are formed mainly by Class 220/221 ‘Voyagers’ with a few IC125 workings.

The Newcastle/Manchester-BirminghamReading-Bournemouth services, formed by Class 220/221 ‘Voyagers’, attracted 23% for punctuality as a driver of satisfaction, with the cleanliness of the inside of the train coming second at 18%.

Joint third at 16% each were level of crowding and upkeep and repair of the train. Cardiff to Nottingham and Birmingham to Stansted Airport services, formed by the Class 170 ‘Turbostars’, fared differently with cleanliness being the most significant single driver of satisfaction at 18%, helpfulness and attitude of staff second at 12%, followed by the comfort of the seats third at 9%.

The perusal of XC performance, and in particular some of the elements of failure for the last three years, also makes for some interesting reading.

Provided by Rail Regulator ORR, the rate of passenger complaints per 100k of passenger journeys has risen by 28.8% in the last two years, the lion’s share being an 18.4% increase

for 2017/18. There are other factors too that affect XC passengers, but are down to other parties. The latest figures for 2017/18 show a disappointing regression by Network Rail; after reducing delay minutes affecting XC services because of NR ‘track’ issues by 13.4% (down to 53,793 mins) for 2016/17, the performance for 2017/18 has recorded an increase of 15.2% (up to 61,946 mins).

Combined, 2016/17 and 2017/18 have seen a rise by 0.4% in XC trains classed as significantly late (meaning trains that arrive at their final destination between 30 and 119 minutes late).

The percentage of XC services that were cancelled or were significantly late has also risen in all of the last three years and now totals a full 1%. Finally, delays attributed to XC’s fleet (rolling stock) show 34,198 mins for 2015/16, 34,706 mins (+1.4%) for 2016/17, and 39,303 mins (+13.2%) for 2017/18, a 14.4% increase in the fleet-related failure over the last two years.

No fixed abode

XC suffers from not having a ‘home’. The nature of the franchise means it straddles all regions of the UK rail network, but despite its spread and reach, it controls or runs no stations despite being the only provider of train services at some of them.

Again, no surprise then that ‘accurate and timely information available at stations’ came out towards the top as a priority for improvement.

XC passengers are effectively in the hands of other train operators when they board and alight XC services. Staff employed by other TOCs do not feel ‘ownership’ of XC’s passengers. In some cases staff do not have the knowledge to answer XC passenger questions; they also have targets to meet for the operator that employs them. Such targets are seldom, if ever, going to be put behind any need to assist XC customers. That said there are many staff who, despite being employed by another operator, do help XC customers as much as they can and even ‘go the extra mile’, but the problem is it’s a lottery for the enquiring XC

A table showing the variance in fare prices, depending on whether you buy a ticket from CrossCountry, use split ticketing or an independent retailer. Oddly, via a longer, less direct route, the fare is cheaper!

“Too often have Class 2 late-running local services been let out in front of XC services, regardless of the consequences down the line.”

Left: The CrossCountry franchise operates 10 Class 43 power cars and 40 HST trailers that run as four sets in a 2+7 formation. On August 10, 2010, power car No. 43304 heads south at Tupton, Clay Cross with an Edinburgh to Plymouth working. ROBIN STEWARTSMITH

passenger. CrossCountry services and the routes and places served are poorly understood and advertised. Even less well advertised, and too often poorly coordinated, is the ability to travel onwards by rail to other destinations.

One problem is the practice of ‘early bird’ departures from some of the extremities of the XC network. For example, CrossCountry’s last long-distance departure from Penzance is at 09.35hrs, and the first such arrival is not until 20.54hrs – it’s a situation which has not really changed in 25 years.

Since the original concept of providing through trains between as many key stations as possible, the network has shrunk considerably.

Stations no longer served by XC include Margate, Ramsgate, Brighton, Portsmouth, Poole, Weymouth, Liverpool, Blackpool and Hull.

Combined with infrequent services to and from such destinations, this may fuel consideration by the DfT ahead of the Invitation to Tender of contracting the geographical scope of XC services. If such proposals are being considered or planned, the DfT and rail industry needs to understand passengers do not like changing trains.

The DfT and industry also need to appreciate that while the salubrious atmosphere of Birmingham New Street in its new guise of ‘Grand Central’ may be appealing to shoppers, many rail travellers find themselves wishing they could obtain a ‘Plat-Nav’ to be easily able to find or get quickly from one platform to another.

Ticket to ride

The vexed issue of fares also raises its head with the XC franchise. CrossCountry is seldom the cheapest event, with their advance fares often double that of other TOCs for the same mileage.

If ever there was a franchise where split ticketing should be mandatory its CrossCountry.

We’ve been promised simpler fares by the DfT and Rail Delivery Group, but there is little evidence of this step change taking place, most likely because of the reluctance on what the impact might be on revenue against the original

franchise bid. The nature of ticketing, with many elements dating back decades into the pre-Privatisation era, impacts profoundly on XC services. By its nature, XC literally crosses the country and in doing crosses numerous ticketing stages, which for the unsuspecting passenger is grossly unfair as it often leads to a vastly more expensive fare.

One of the key markets for CrossCountry is the leisure traveller, a group likely to be more flexible for travel than those travelling for business.

CrossCountry’s limited availability of advance tickets aimed at the leisure market often means more expensive semi-flexible off-peak tickets are offered compared to much greater availability of advance tickets offered by other operators.

The table above shows just one example of the current disparity when it comes to fares.

There are plenty of real tangible issues for bidders of the new XC franchise to consider.

However, the DfT also has a responsibility with this next franchise award; it needs to be different and work for and serve passengers.

Sir John Armitt, chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, stated in early July the current rail passenger franchise system does not work and needs to change. The new XC franchise is a real challenge, but it is also a pivotal opportunity to embrace Sir John’s view, so there is no escape for the DfT, which sets the terms and ultimately awards the franchise.

A first class service

If Chris Grayling’s brave new partnership railway world is to become something tangible, then the new XC franchise should test it.

No longer should XC services be the ‘poor man’ of day-to-day railway pathing and operating.

Too often have Class 2 late-running local services been let out in front of XC services, regardless of the consequences down the line. This can go on to cause the misery of missed connections for passengers travelling long distances.

Clear priority of what are Class 1 passenger services should be applied more robustly than has been the case in the current franchise, and

surely needs to be one of several common targets between the new franchisee and Network Rail.

A route study for the CrossCountry core network, looking at all the options for interventions holistically across the country, has never been completed. Consequently, DfT should require Network Rail to produce a route study and plan so both bidders and interested stakeholders can see the interventions needed.

Network Rail’s move to eight ‘routes’ tends to concentrate on intervention within the confines of the ‘route’ and nothing more extensive.

Services: Where can I go?

XC Connect (XC-C) and XC Direct (XC-D) is just one way the offer XC provides to the rail passenger could be better communicated at stations.

A simple map that shows all the stations directly served by XC, but also showed the principal destinations of other services at each directly served XC station, would be welcome.

However, if connections are to be presented as an attractive addition to through XC services, they must be better integrated, wherever possible, by cross platforming, with staff onboard and at stations proactively supporting them.

For example, Reading would be an ‘XC Direct’ station, but it has the principal destinations of Newbury or Swindon by connecting with GWR services so can be shown as an XC Connect option, too.

It might seem unlikely to readers of The RM, most of whom have at least a basic understanding of railways and routes, but many members of the public don’t know where else you can get by rail using XC services beyond the stations listed that they directly serve.

As for new services or ideas – why not a boat train service on Saturdays?

If ever there was a franchise made to serve such a market it’s the XC model. Following a different stopping pattern, by serving towns with say a 20,000 population or more, why not put a service on from the north that arrives in Southampton around 13.30 in time for August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 33

FRANCHISING passengers to embark on their cruise.

A similar northbound working mid-morning from Southampton would complete the offer. Calling at additional stations serving significant but not large populations such as the newly opened Kenilworth station in Warwickshire would enable cruise-bound passengers to join and alight without the need to change trains.

The service would also be a regular service train that other passengers could use. With the right marketing and some co-ordination with cruise operators, such a service would be valuable and attract additional patronage.

Rolling stock

‘Voyagers’ are tired, too short, including the five-car sets, and they are uncomfortable for long-distance services. They could, however, be redeployed on Cardiff to Nottingham and Birmingham to Stansted Airport services, where seats at peak times have been in short supply,

replacing the two- and three-car Class 170 units, with an absolute caveat they are significantly and robustly refurbished. Anything less should mean the end of the road for the ‘Voyagers’ as they are well past their ‘best by’ date in terms of customer experience. Alternatively, the superior seven-coach and five-coach Class 222 ‘Meridians’ are a possibility, but these would only be available after new bi-mode stock becomes a reality on the Midland Main Line.

Questions have been asked about IC125s starting to come off lease from GWML and ECML. Such sets, retro-fitted with toilet retention tanks, plug doors and better disability access and accommodation, would make a significant difference to the passenger experience.

An alternative question raised has been about ECML Mk4s and Class 91s that are due to come off lease – for instance with a Class 68 at the other end? Alternatively, two Class 88s and Mk4 coaches might be another possibility, taking advantage of nearly 300 miles of electrified line

The last knockings of loco-hauled trains on the CrossCountry network as Class 47 No. 47843 Vulcan gets the eight-coach 11.15 Manchester Piccadilly-Paignton on the move from Taunton on August 17, 2002. CHRIS MILNER

between Glasgow-Edinburgh-Doncaster, which the current diesel ‘Voyagers’ cannot.

However, senior permanent-way engineer and writer Gareth Dennis recently explained why the use of Mk4s is highly unlikely on many parts of the railway because of significant gauge clearance issues and the cost to modify station infrastructure.

In summary, while disappointing in some ways because of such things as the strength of build, the re-use of this cascaded rolling stock is growing to be highly unlikely and undesirable, not least for operational and financial reasons.

If ever there was a route where bi-modes could be fully utilised it’s the SE/NW/NE (Bournemouth/Manchester/Newcastle) services.

A fleet of five- and nine-carriage bi-mode trains would address the crowding and cleanliness issues at a stroke.

Joining or splitting

Providing enough five-carriage sets are ordered, they could double up where required, while some nine-coach sets could operate the most heavily patronised diagrams. The seats would need to be ‘pre Class 800’, as the benchmark for comfort for many travellers remains the Mk3 seat. Two five-car bi-mode sets coupled across the core of the network should provide through trains to more places by joining or splitting, such as at Exeter, with one set to Plymouth and the other to Paignton.

Similarly, track-capacity issues in the North East mean two XC trains per hour to Newcastle is hard to justify. Consequently, two sets could split at Sheffield for Hull, with the other set going forward to Bradford via Leeds.

Surely the approach being pursued by Abellio for Greater Anglia with the Class 755’s impressive engineering (no underslung engines) and train design (RM June 2018) demands close and serious consideration for the XC passenger offer?

Much store is placed upon the need to provide improved wi-fi in the new franchise, and while acknowledging the increased importance of wi-fi for passengers, delivering it without a step change in the on-board passenger environment is tantamount to buying a Rembrandt or Hockney for one’s wall at home, but choosing to ignore a hole in the roof.

The customer experience is what has led to the results captured by Transport Focus, so the issue of an on-board ambient passenger environment is central to the success or failure of the new franchise; that means the right rolling stock is axiomatic to success or failure.

Step change

One obstacle to overcome for the next franchisee is the problem of overcrowding. Four-car ‘Voyagers’ on the main XC axis struggle to cope as do the two- and three-car Class 170s on Birmingham to Stansted Airport and Nottingham to Cardiff routes. On November 16, 2016, Class 170 No. 170101 arrives at busy Bromsgrove with the 06.40 Cardiff-Nottingham. CrossCountry has removed some Bromsgrove calls, with just two morning peak trains calling on their way towards Birmingham, and two southbound evening services. JONATHAN WEBB

34 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

On-board facilities require a step change, too. The DfT’s apparent penchant for improving wi-fi is admirable, but the successful bidder and DfT might regret better internet connectivity if all it does is enable numerous complaints to be launched by social media from passengers disgruntled and disappointed with their train service!

Catering is in need of something altogether different and much better. When built, ‘Voyagers’ came with an on-board shop, but Arriva removed them in favour of a trolley service. In reality, overcrowding provides a valid excuse not to take the trolley through the train, plus there's no hot offer for standard class passengers.

Arriva has also brought in its policy of not offering any refreshments after 20.00, nor to the extremities of the network, west of Plymouth and beyond Edinburgh. There are SMEs (small and medium enterprises) out there that could

come up with a much better, dynamic and fresh offer that cuts the mustard with a 24/7 service, delivering consistency and quality with catering and no reduced service at weekends.

The new XC franchise perhaps could be called ‘universal’, underlining the franchise’s ability to connect people to most parts of the country by rail. The new franchisee will need to be out there among its customers, with its people on duty at stations, even if another TOC operates the station.

It will need to engage with its customers and attract many more new ones by offering a keenly and simply priced fares system, with an ambient on-board experience, complete with a high-profile presence of staff. That means new or robustly refurbished longer trains, having greater capacity with built-in services.

The franchise should aim to become a benchmark for excellence, operating on a system where Network Rail ensures a consistent and fairer approach with the franchise’s Class 1 passenger services.

The first principle of the new XC franchise should be to provide for the market.

A successful business seeks to serve a market and would never try to choke it off. Attempting to suppress demand and price up scarce resources in order to increase profits should not be preferred.

Such an approach, were it to be adopted, would be nothing less than a modern-day variation on the stealth approaches seen in the 1960s that led to contraction and ultimate service loss by undermining the market.

There are many things to address, and many

Class 220/221s have struggled to cope with how passenger numbers have grown since their introduction in 2002, and need a longer train to take the franchise forward. Here, No. 220032 heads away from Parson’s Tunnel, Teignmouth, with the 06.40 York-Plymouth on June 28. STEWART ARMSTRONG

of the issues are indeed a challenge. I haven’t sought to cover all the issues, but as they say on University Challenge, this is a ‘Starter for 10’.

For those readers who may be disappointed I have not articulated views they hold or feel I have missed something and think that requires highlighting, please not only write to The RM,

but also take the time to make a difference, say what you believe and express your views by taking part in the current XC consultation.

Don’t delay: You, along with passengers, user groups, local authorities and others have until August 30 to set out what you would like to see in the new XC franchise.

■

THE PREMIER AUCTION HOUSE ANNOUNCING OUR OCTOBER 6TH AUCTION AT POYNTON CHESHIRE TO INCLUDE PART ONE OF THE FAMOUS BROOKSIDE COLLECTION Some of the very rare Items within this sale are pictured below, including the famous Euston Lantern, one of the Britannia Bridges Bells, Rare Totems & Targets, Headboards etc. GO TO OUR WEBSITE TO VIEW THE GALLERY. Viewing from 7.30am - Sale 10.30am. A full 500 lots plus Alpha sale of slides, prints, paperwork and lesser hardware. trade stalls, wheelchair access, very good refreshments at sensible prices, seating for 250, plenty of car parking.

For details go to our website www.gnrauctions.co.uk or email davidrobinson17@btconnect.com or David on 0161 487 2702, 07802 553880 August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 35

FOCUS ON PHOTOGRAPHY

RAIL CAMERAMEN

A Celebration of the Rail Camera Club

Members of the Rail Camera Club take part in a signing session at the launch of The Photographic Artistry of Rail Cameramen book held at Locomotion Shildon on January 20. A further signing is being planned to take place on August 5 at the Great Central Railway, Loughborough. PETER TOWNSEND

R

ail Cameramen records that the birth of railways pre-dates the practice of taking photographs of railwayrelated subjects. However, the advent of cameras with better lenses and ones with faster shutters speeds meant enthusiasm for photographing trains increased in the latter half of the 19th century, and railway photographers became a more common sight.

According to the National Railway Museum, it was the formation of the Railway Photographic Society (RPS) in 1922 by Maurice Earley (MWE) – widely regarded as the finest railway photographer of the time – that was instrumental in improving the standard of railway photography.

When MWE, who had been secretary of the RPS since its inception, decided to ‘retire’ in 1976 the RPS ceased, although thanks to the efforts of Carlisle-based photographer Stephen Crook it was resurrected under a new guise, with the Rail Camera Club (RCC) circulating folio No. 1 in 1976.

Critique

Although today RCC members embrace digital photography, they continue to produce ‘real’ prints for fellow members to critique as the folios – the boxes containing members’ work – circulate around the membership. It is simply not possible to critically assess work on computer screens. While some RCC members

A moody picture of ‘Britannia’ No. 70046 Anzac making a steamy and noisy southbound departure from Preston’s platform 6 (now platform 4) with the morning Barrow to Crewe express on January 5, 1967. At that time the tracks in the foreground led to the L&Y side of the station, but now run south to join the WCML. PETER FITTON

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 37

are highly proficient in digital manipulation, it is anathema for others.

In the autumn of 2016, David Gibson, RCC’s current secretary, asked members if the circulation of the 100th folio towards the end of 2017 should be celebrated and the result was an impressive exhibition of work held at Locomotion Shildon in early-2018.

This contained inspiring images from all RCC members, past and present, supported by some early pictures from the NRM collection.

Unique display

The exhibition was sponsored by Hitachi Rail Europe, Bachmann Europe Ltd, The Railway Magazine, The Bluefin Insurance Group, and the Bahamas Locomotive Society. An accompanying hard-backed, 128page book The Photographic Artistry of Rail Cameramen, produced by Silver Link Publishing, includes some information about each RCC member and the pictures chosen to illustrate each photographer’s work.

The pictures for display were produced superbly by The Jet Room in Leicester, (www. thejetroom.co.uk; 0116 253 3429) and many are available to buy.

John Hillier, who organised the exhibition and is author of Rail Cameramen, is keen 38 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

FOCUS ON PHOTOGRAPHY

Above left: A Severn Valley Railway train is seen approaching Arley on a winter’s morning having just crossed the Victoria Bridge, the sun catching the leaking steam from the cylinders. ROGER FIELDING Above right: Before diesels became established on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway the daily school train from Kurseong to Darjeeling, headed by North British ‘B’ class 0-4-0 No. 787, negotiates the Gorabari Curves, south of Sonada, on November 15, 2000. The curves are tight on the 1-in-18 gradient and explains the massive proportions of the exhaust.

JOHN CLEMMENS

Left: With smoke aplenty Pickersgill Class ‘3P’ 4-4-0 No. 54486 bursts into the sun heading south from Dunkeld at Kingswood and on to Perth with a short ‘pick-up goods’ in June 1959.

W. J. V. ANDERSON/RAIL ARCHIVE STEPHENSON

Right: ‘K4’ 2-6-0 No. 61994 The Great Marquess heads west from Attadale alongside the tranquil Loch Carron with the ‘Great Britain’ railtour on April 12, 2010.

JOHN COOPERSMITH

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 39

FOCUS ON PHOTOGRAPHY A snowy scene at Yeovil shed on December 28, 1964: BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T is on the left with a BR ‘4MT’ 4-6-0 alongside the water column. MIKE FOX/RAIL ARCHIVE STEPHENSON

British Rail’s APT set Nos. 370001 and 370003 run through the Lune Gorge past snow-capped hills at about 150mph during special high-speed tests on the West Coast Main Line on February 28, 1986. APT was a project that promised so much only to be abandoned. PETER J ROBINSON

to hear from other venues wishing to host this unique display of pictures. He can be contacted on 01572 747706 or via email to jrh@johnhillier.co.uk A donation of £5 will be given to the Railway Children Charity for each book sold via the Reader’s Offer on p11, and a special bookplate signed by the charity’s founder David Maidment, the author, publisher and the Morton’s Media Editorial team (publishers of The RM, Heritage Railway and Rail Express) will be included, too.

■ 40 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

A delightful study of Class 08 No. D3773 of Cricklewood depot taking a rest under the magnificent station roof at London St Pancras, with shafts of sun streaming through on a September 1972 morning. Who would have thought 45 years later trains would run direct from this location to European destinations? BARRY WYNNE

As the sun drops quickly over the Lakeland Fells, the 17.18 Sellafield-Crewe ‘Flasks’ train crosses the River Kent at Arnside and heads towards the WCML at Carnforth hauled by four Direct Rail Services locomotives – Class 57s Nos. 57009/4 and Class 37s Nos. 37602/59 – on September 29, 2015. JOHN HILLIER

It’s sunrise in Eastern India as 2ft-gauge Baldwin 2-4-0T No. 776 is seen working the Shantipur to Nabadwip Ghat train in December 1992. These locos were the smallest on the Indian Railways, weighing just 11¾ tons. GAVIN MORRISON

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 41

Ellis Clark Trains Unit 1 Toller Court Shortbank Road, Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 2HG

T 01756 701451 M 07799 554491 E ellis@ellisclarktrains.com W ellisclarktrains.com 42 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

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MUSEUM FOCUS

WHEN KATHLEEN AN

The Ulster Folk & Transport Museum at Cultra, near Belfast, is home to the largest collection of locomotives, rolling stock and trams not just in Northern Ireland, but in the Emerald Isle as a whole. Gary Boyd-Hope looks at the core collection and its origins, without which preservation in Ireland would be considerably poorer.

I

T WAS the poet William Blake who said: “Hindsight is a wonderful thing but foresight is better”, and where Irish railway preservation is concerned, the foresight of the old Belfast Corporation’s museum committee was the best there was!

For if it had not been for the efforts of the enlightened souls within the committee in the immediate post-Second World War years, the number of surviving ‘treasures’ from the railways and tramways on both sides of the border would present a far bleaker picture than it does today.

Britain had been fortunate that the old London & North Eastern Railway had set 44 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

aside locomotives for preservation in its York railway museum, which was subsequently inherited and developed by the British Transport Commission after Nationalisation.

Yet there was no similar provision across the Irish Sea. In Dublin the 1847-built Great Southern & Western Railway 2-2-2 No. 36 had managed to evade the cutter’s torch long after its 1874 withdrawal, but it really was an isolated example – and its tender did not survive.

The Republic of Ireland’s Transport Act 1944 led to the formation of a new unitary transport authority – Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) – which came into being on January 1,

1945. It soon made its intentions clear with a programme of mass dieselisation, which would eradicate steam from the network by April 1963. Similarly, Northern Ireland’s transport network came under the control of the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in 1948, ultimately leading to a mass shrinkage of the province’s railway map owing to line closures and service withdrawals.

It was against this backdrop the Belfast Corporation, together with a few sympathetic railway officials and curators at Belfast Museum & Art Gallery, decided to take action. It was clear public transport in the north and south was to undergo

D BLANCHE MET‘U2‘

GNR(I) 2-4-2T No. 93, Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners 0-6-0 No. 1 and the mighty GSR 4-6-0 No. 800 Maedb line up around the turntable at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum. Note the backdrop. ALL PHOTOS BY GARY BOYDHOPE UNLESS STATED

substantial change, and it was agreed the corporation should keep representative examples from the past, particularly trams and railways. The fact the railway network in Ireland was mostly developed before the partition in 1922 made it logical to consider Ireland as a whole when thinking of railways, rather than just collect artefacts from Northern Ireland.

A somewhat informal collection was subsequently brought together in the former Belfast & County Down Railway (BCDR) Railmotor shed at Belfast Queen’s Quay station, and opened to the public in 1955.

The collection grows

No sooner had the new museum opened than further items were added to the collection.

During the summer of 1955 UTA chairman G B Howden handed Great Northern Railway (Ireland) ‘JT’ 2-4-2T No. 93 (Sutton) and the 1909-built Dundalk, Newry & Greenore Railway six-wheel carriage No. 1 over to the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman R J R Harcourt, at Queen’s Quay. The following year saw County Donegal Railways Joint Committee Railcar No. 1 handed over by its secretary B L Curran. When new in 1906 this 3ft-gauge pioneer was the first internal combustion-engined railway vehicle

in Ireland, and well deserving of preservation.

More followed, including the GNR(I)’s famous 1883-built Fintona horse tram, which was added to the collection following its withdrawal in 1957, along with further items from the County Donegal system and the 3ft-gauge Cavan & Leitrim Railway.

The collection was not confined to railborne vehicles and the corporation steadily gathered a number of horse-drawn and motorised road vehicles, too. Over time the Queen’s Quay site was becoming unfit for purpose and, with a promise of the last of the LMS-NCC ‘U2’ class 4-4-0s No. 74 Dunluce Castle from the UTA upon its withdrawal August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 45

MUSEUM FOCUS

in June 1962, alternative premises were sought.

They were found on Witham Street in the city, and the new Belfast Transport Museum opened in the same month No. 74 finished its working career.

It was shortly after the opening of the Witham Street site the museum gained what is arguably its ‘crown jewel’ – E C Bredin’s massive ‘800’ class 4-6-0 No. 800 Maedb. Built by the Great Southern Railways (GSR) at Inchicore in 1939, Maedb and its two sisters were the largest steam locomotives to work in Ireland, the former finishing its main line career in 1962. It was subsequently cosmetically restored at Inchicore and, after a period of storage in Thurles, No. 800 – now the last of its type – was acquired by the Transport Museum.

In 1967, Belfast Transport Museum merged with the Ulster Folk Museum, a living museum and re-created open air heritage village at Cultra on the former BCDR line to Bangor. However, it would be another nine years before the first transport galleries opened on the present Cultra 46 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

site as the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum (UFTM).

Meanwhile, another express locomotive was added to exhibits at Witham Street in the form of GNR(I) ‘V’ class Compound No. 85 Merlin. The chunky 4-4-0 had been withdrawn

by CIE in 1963 and in April the following year was taken to Inchicore to be scrapped. However, the museum was keen to acquire the last of the GNR(I) Compounds and CIÉ agreed to sell it for £600, including a tender.

In an effort to save money the museum elected not to buy the tender, thereby saving £200, with a plan to acquire something appropriate from the UTA. Thus, in April 1965, No. 85, minus tender, was moved to the old shed at Amiens Street station in Dublin, and during the next four years was stored at Dundalk, Adelaide and Lisburn before going on display at Witham Street – still without a tender – in late-1969.

Happily, Merlin would not be destined for a static future because in 1977 it was placed on

long-term loan with the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland and taken to the engine works of Harland & Wolff (famous as the builders of the Titanic) to be returned to operational condition. Today it remains the property of the museum and continues to bring delight on RPSI tours in both Northern Ireland and the Republic.

When not hauling excursions it can be seen on display at Whitehead Railway Museum.

The museum today

The UFTM of today was developed in the early-1990s and a new main line-connected railway hall constructed, complete with turntable.

The Witham Street gallery closed in 1992 and the majority of the railway exhibits transferred by rail to the new site: Nos. 800 and 74 making the journey behind the RPSI’s GNR(I) ‘S’ 4-4-0 No. 171 Slieve Gullion. The Irish Railway Collection opened at Cultra in 1993, with the new tram and car galleries following over the next two years.

Mark Kennedy, the UFTM’s curator of road

GNR(I) ‘V’ 4-4-0 No. 85 Merlin is a regular performer on railtours working out of Belfast and Dublin, and although operated and maintained by the RPSI, it is part of the UFTM collection. DAVE COLLIER

County Donegal Railways Joint Committee Nasmyth, Wilson ‘5’ class 2-6-4T No. 2 Blanche sits at the head of a short CDRJC train alongside Cavan & Leitrim Railway 4-4-0T No. 2 Kathleen.

The former County Donegal Railway Railcar No. 1 was built in 1906 by Alldays & Onions in Birmingham, and was the first internal combustion-engined rail vehicle in Ireland.

Dublin, Wicklow & Wexford Railway Third Class open No. 48 was originally built in 1838 for the Dublin & Kingstown Railway, and today is the oldest railway vehicle in all-Ireland.

“Exhibits are rotated periodically so different locomotives occupy the turntable, although the honour usually lies with the sole-surviving BCDR ‘I’ 4-4-2T No. 30...” and rail transport, explains how the collection grew as a result of the move.

“In the early-1990s, when we knew we were moving to larger premises at Cultra, David Mosley and Mike Rutherford from the National Railway Museum in York suggested that we collect some goods vehicles to enhance the collection.

“At this stage we acquired a CIÉ brakevan (No. 23642) and GSWR covered van No. 706.

We also restored a number of industrial narrow gauge locos and rolling stock to add to the display, including two Guinness Brewery locos and an open-sided passenger truck from the Guinness tour train.

“The restoration and display of the Castlederg & Victoria Bridge Tramway carriage No. 4 took place in 1993. It had previously been in use as a hen house, and most of the restoration work was carried out by the museum’s own restoration staff.”

Further acquisitions were made in 2011 when the UFTM added two main line diesels

to the collection. These were CIÉ’s pioneering Sulzer-powered Bo-Bo diesel No. B113 from 1950, and Northern Ireland Railways Hunslet/ BREL No. 102 Falcon after its cosmetic restoration by the RPSI at Whitehead.

Taking the tour

The UFTM is located just off the main A2, to the east of Holywood, and a short walk from NIR’s station at Cultra. The transport galleries lie at the top of the site close to the car park and away from the open air heritage village.

Having obtained an entry ticket the visitor leaves the admissions area/shop and passes through a short corridor before emerging onto a large, elevated circular walkway that looks down on the railway exhibits and turntable below. It is an impressive starting point, providing a 360° vantage point across the entire railway gallery.

Exhibits are rotated periodically so different locomotives occupy the turntable, although the honour usually lies with the sole-surviving BCDR ‘I’ 4-4-2T No. 30; it is one of 12 ‘Small

Tanks’ built for the BCDR by Beyer, Peacock of Manchester in 1901.

Ramped access leads from the opposite side of the walkway down onto the gallery floor. It is worth taking a slow walk down as the ramp’s supporting walls are adorned with names and numberplates from many long-lost locos such as LMS-NCC ‘W’ class 2-6-0 No. 91 The Bush and GNR(I) ‘V’ 4-4-0 No. 86 Peregrine.

Once at the bottom of the ramp the visitor comes face-to-face with the huge bulk of the aforementioned GSR 4-6-0 No. 800 Maedb, which occupies the first of a fan of roads off the turntable.

Looking like a cross between a rebuilt LMS ‘Royal Scot’ and a Great Western ‘King’, Maedb makes an impressive sight, with full access being available to the cab. In fact, vehicle access is one of the things that sets the UTFM apart, as visitors are permitted to enter many vehicles, be it a Cavan & Leitrim Railway carriage or a GNR(I) Railbus, enabling one to appreciate the collection in a more personal way than permitted August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 47

MUSEUM FOCUS in certain other railway museums in the UK. The size of No. 800 can be well appreciated when compared to the diminutive locomotive that stands on the adjacent road – the work-worn Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners 0-6-0 No. 1, built by Robert Stephenson & Co in 1891. The loco still retains its final livery, and carries an additional set of buffing gear for shunting the mixed 3ft/5ft 3ingauge lines at Londonderry.

Historic rolling stock is also well represented here, as behind No. 1 sits the luxurious ‘Dargan Saloon’ No. 47, a six-wheel inspection saloon built in 1844 for the father of Irish railways, William Dargan. Behind this is the sole-surviving carriage from Ireland’s first railway, the Dublin & Kingstown Railway. The austere open Third Class carriage dates from 1838 and is Ireland’s oldest surviving railway vehicle.

A great feature of this part of the gallery is an interchange platform surmounted by the well-known station name board from Strabane, on the County Donegal system. On one side stands the GNR(I) tank No. 93 and the Dundalk, Newry & Greenore Railway six-wheel carriage No. 1 resplendent in its LNWR livery, while on the other sits a short County Donegal train (carriages 1 and 3) headed by Nasmyth Wilson ‘5’ class 2-6-4T No. 2 Blanche.

The CDRJC is perhaps the best represented railway within the collection, as elsewhere in the hall one can see railcars Nos. 1 and 10 (the latter being originally built for the Clogher Valley railway and the first articulated railcar in Ireland), open wagon No. 136, and the steam-to-diesel conversion No. 11 Phoenix, so familiar in images of the ‘Wee Donegal’.

Another 3ft-gauge gem in the collection can be found alongside the CDRJC train: the former Cavan & Leitrim Railway 4-4-0T No. 2 Kathleen of 1887. It is coupled to balcony-ended C&LR clerestory bogie composite No. 5, built that same year, and, like the nearby Castlederg & Victoria Bridge Tramway carriage, is fully accessible, with visitors able to take a seat and imagine what it was like trundling through the

The museum features a number of relocated buildings, including this Belfast & Northern Counties Railway sales kiosk from Portrush station.

This name board once graced the County Donegal Railway station at Strabane and has been painstakingly restored for display on the interchange platform.

The LMS origins of Northern Counties Committee ‘U2’ class 4-4-0 No. 74 Dunluce Castle are plain to see, sharing strong visual similarities with the LMS’s larger-wheeled ‘2P’.

rolling countryside in the heyday of the Irish narrow gauge.

observe the likes of Phoenix or the Kitson-built Portstewart Tramway 0-4-0T No. 2 over a well-earned cuppa. Alas, its original clock tower no longer exists, having been destroyed by an IRA bomb in the 1970s.

Internal combustion exhibits largely occupy this half of the gallery, from aforementioned ‘B113’ and Falcon, to GNR(I) Railbus No. 1, an Admiralty Hudson-Hunslet 4wDM No. 3127 and a couple of Motor Rail ‘Simplex’ petrol locos from the War Department (No. 246) and the Northern Sand & Brick Company (No. 9202). However, one exception stands proud – LMS-NCC 4-4-0 No. 74 Dunluce Castle. Built by North British in Glasgow in 1924, No. 74 and the ‘U2’ class were once the

Preserved buildings

Another appealing aspect of the UFTM galleries is the railway buildings that have been recovered and preserved, including the half-timbered Belfast & Northern Counties Railway (BNCR) sales kiosks from the stations at Portrush station and Belfast York Road.

Both were designed by the BNCR’s civil engineer Berkeley Deane Wise, the latter originally being occupied by Leahy, Kelly & Leahy the tobacconists, and Eason the newsagents. Today, it serves as the gallery’s Midland Tea Room, where visitors can

The elegant lines of Belfast & County Down Railway ‘I’ 4-4-2T No. 30 grace the turntable at the UFTM. The elevated walkway that provides a 360° view of the hall can be seen above.

48 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Above: Ex-Northern Ireland Railways 101 Class Bo-Bo No. 102 Falcon joined the UFTM collection in 2011. It was built by BREL at Doncaster in 1970 under contract to the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds.

Right: This 0-4-0T was built in 1883 to operate the 3ft-gauge Portstewart Tramway that linked Portstewart with the coastal town’s station on the BNCR. The latter company eventually took over the tramway in 1897.

Among the trams preserved at the UFTM are two that formerly worked on GNR(I)-owned systems. One is the Fintona horse tram and the other is this – Hill of Howth Tramway open-topper No. 4.

mainstay of the Top Link on Northern Counties Committee main lines, No. 74 remaining in service until 1963. Its LMS connections are obvious in the design as it bears a marked similarity to the Fowler ‘2P’ class, and today carries LMS Crimson Lake livery with the company’s crest on the cabsides.

No railway museum in Ireland would be complete without one of the unusual Guinness Brewery (Dublin) 1ft 10in-gauge Spence 0-4-0Ts, and the UFTM is home to No. 20 of 1905, and also one of its successors – Hibberd ‘Planet’ diesel No. 35. Nearby stands the attractive 3ft-gauge British Aluminium Co Peckett 0-4-0T No. 2, which spent most of its career moving bauxite and its spoil at Larne

ULSTER FOLK & TRANSPORT MUSEUM THE museum is open Tuesday to Sunday (10.00-17.00). It is part of the National Museum’s Northern Ireland umbrella body, together with the Ulster Museum and the Ulster American Folk Park.

Tickets (Transport Museum only): Adult: Child (3-16): Concessions: Under 5s: Family (1+3): Family (2+3): Member/Volunteer:

£9 £5.50 £7 Free £19 £25 £5.50

Group rates are available, as is combined entry with the Folk Museum – see website for details.

Ulster Folk & Transport Museum Cultra Holywood County Antrim BT18 0EU Tel: +44 28 9042 8428 Web: www.nmni.com

Harbour’s aluminium works. The remainder of the railway/tramway collection is housed in another gallery, but before moving on it is worth mentioning the entire perimeter of the gallery is lined with railwayana and other items that complement the main exhibits, from signalling to architecture to people.

Rails in the road

After passing through the UFTM’s world-class TITANICa exhibition, visitors reach the tram and road transport galleries that continue to tell the story of transport in all-Ireland from buses and fire engines to the ill-fated DeLorean car.

A ramped walkway similar to that in the railway gallery leads onto a cobbled Victorianera street scene where a number of trams are on display. Included here are Belfast Corporation Brush-built ‘Chamberlain’ car No. 357 (built 1930), Belfast Street Tramway Co No. 118, and Belfast City Tramways car No. 249 – a former horse tram built in the1890s.

Also in this part of the gallery are the Fintona horse tram and Hill of Howth Tramway No. 4, both carrying painted in GNR(I) blue & cream livery, and Bessbrook & Newry Tramway power car No. 2. The Bessbrook tram came to the museum in 1955 having been donated by its builder Mather & Platt, which had used it as a cricket pavilion at its works in Manchester.

Turn the corner and one comes face-to-face with an important yet often overlooked pair of survivors – Giant’s Causeway trams Nos. 2 and 5.

The Giant’s Causeway, Portrush & Bush Valley Railway and Tramway Company Ltd – to give it its full name – was a pioneer in the use of hydro-electricity and opened the 9¼-mile 3ft-gauge tramway in 1883. It closed in 1949 and No. 2 is the last surviving power car, No. 5 being an open trailer.

Future expansion?

Since the birth of the collection under Belfast Corporation, a number of heritage railways and repositories for railwayana have opened in the north and south, although these are few in

number when compared to Great Britain.

Over the years the National Transport Museum in Howth, the Irish Steam Preservation Society in Stradbally, the Irish Railway Record Society in Dublin, the RPSI, and the Downpatrick & County Down Railway (DCDR) have helped the museum in some way, and relations between the organisations are strong.

With both the RPSI’s Whitehead Railway Museum and the DCDR (the only standard gauge [5ft 3in] heritage line in all Ireland) on the doorstep, the three organisations work closely to ensure any future items that become available go to the most appropriate home. Surprisingly, there is no state-funded transport museum in the Republic of Ireland, although the RPSI is very active from its Dublin base.

“We (the UFTM, RPSI and DCDR) have a formal agreement to collaborate and always take into consideration what other museums and even private individuals are preserving to avoid unnecessary duplication,” Mark Kennedy explains.

“It is usually relatively easy to agree what goes where as the three local museums tend to concentrate/specialise in different areas.

“For example, the two diesels came to Cultra as they are very historically important, but would require considerable work to return them to main line running.

“They are now on static public display, and perhaps one day they will be restored to running condition again. Meanwhile, GNR(I) ‘Q’ No. 131 went to the RPSI and has been restored to main line running condition as it will be a practical and powerful engine for their tours throughout Ireland.

“Similarly, the last of the NIR 80 Class sets has gone to Downpatrick, where hopefully it will be both a practical people mover and a popular exhibit on their branchline.”

Does this mean we might see other locomotives from the UFTM return to operational condition?

“Who knows what we may see in the future?” says Mark. “Anything is possible with good partners, the will and sufficient funding.”

■ August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 49

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

ROLLING STOCK emissions rules. Their maximum rating is 390kW, but we decided to have them working at less than that to give ourselves some ‘headroom’.

“In service, the two engines will deliver around 720kW at the DC Link (just under 1,000hp), which is somewhat less than the 1.2MW available in electric mode, but in general speeds are expected to be lower when working on diesel, and this arrangement gives good power in the mid-range. Performance should be comparable to a Class 150.”

For comparison, each Class 150 vehicle has a 213KW (285hp) Cummins diesel engine, delivering 570hp for a standard two-car set.

Simon continues: “A 319 body is almost identical to a Class 150 so we knew the diesel components and exhaust systems would fit, although the positioning of some of the existing electrical equipment resulted in some convoluted exhaust runs.

Other modifications include new electronics cubicles and two ethernet communications buses running the length of each train.

Helen explains: “The two engines have to ‘talk’ to each other so we added two ethernet connections, one for wi-fi and PIS (passenger information system) and one for traction. The existing train control wiring has also been retained.

“It’s essential that the two power packs work together and don’t fight each other, so Wabtec had to design a sophisticated new electronics package to oversee the traction supply and trick the existing electrics into thinking they are working on their usual DC supply.”

However, to keep things as simple as possible in the driving cabs, extra equipment is limited to new fire warning and engine stop buttons.

This should make conversion courses relatively straightforward for drivers already working on Class 319s.

Once passed for service, the bi-mode Class Looking more like Class 150 vehicles after the installation of exhaust stacks on their inner ends for the new diesel power packs, Nos. 77356 and 77448 are prepared for their new role at Loughborough on June 19. BEN JONES

“Our 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 by Brush – we don’t buy them in and bolt them on.”

SIMON EVANS, group innovations director, Wabtec Faiveley UK

769s will still be able to work in multiple with their dual-voltage Class 319 sisters. Helen and Simon also say the ‘769s’ should be generally quieter than Class 15x ‘Sprinters’ because the power pack is largely enclosed and separated from the floorpan by two sets of substantial rubber mountings that will absorb vibration.

Another advantage of ‘Flex’ trains is they are able to ‘get home’ by switching to diesel power if the overhead supply fails, reducing the impact of delays caused by infrastructure failure.

Challenges

It’s widely known the project is running some months late. The first Arriva Rail North Class 769s should have entered passenger service in May 2018, but as this publication went to press the first set was being prepared for initial dynamic testing at the Great Central Railway, close to the Brush factory in Loughborough.

What challenges did the team face in converting these trains into bi-modes?

“Rebuilding can often be more difficult than building from new,” admits Helen. “Making the existing and new components work together can be a real challenge.”

Simon interjects: “Our biggest engineering

challenge of the whole project was the new electronic control cubicle, which controls local power on the driving cars. All the new integration control electronics and electric systems were designed in-house by Brush – we don’t buy them in and bolt them on.

“Nearly all that kind of engineering knowledge has disappeared from the UK, but projects like this are vital for retaining knowledge and skills. It also ensures that we get exactly what we want, and not what someone else thinks we need.”

He adds: “For this project we had three stakeholders – Porterbrook, Arriva Rail North and the Department for Transport (DfT) – which could have been problematic. However, we have had very clear communications across all departments, from operations to engineering, and all have been involved to inform the design process and changes throughout.

“For example, the maintenance team suggested a change to the filling arrangement of the AdBlue (an aqueous urea solution which reduces harmful emissions from diesel engines) filler to ensure it is the same as the new CAF Class 195 DMUs at depots. There will always be compromises, but the key is to find a balance that

A 3-D schematic of a modified ‘Flex’ driving car, showing the large amount of new equipment to be fitted underneath, including the power unit (centre-left), fuel tank (right), radiators and electronics cubicles. BEN JONES

keeps as many people happy as possible.

Helen continues: “We have had to fit a track circuit actuator [TCA], which turned out to be much more complex than anticipated, and a fire barrier, but otherwise there haven’t been too many unexpected horrors!

“For a build of their era, the Class 319 fleet is remarkably standard, but there are minor technical differences between the ‘319/3’ and ‘319/4’ and the four sub-fleets created since.

“Weight management has also been an issue, although removing the third-rail shoegear from the Northern and Wales & Borders sets will save 300-400kg. However, the GWR sets (see below) will be retaining their DC capability, and will gain air-cooling equipment so their weight will be more difficult to keep in check.”

In total, more than 60 engineers have spent more than 60,000 hours on more than 2,500 drawings, developing more than 3,500 components for the ‘Flex’ conversions.

The pre-production engine rafts have spent hundreds of hours on a specially constructed test rig at Loughborough and every production raft will be ‘shaken down’ on the same rig before it is installed on a train. The tests take the engines through a full cycle, including taking them beyond their notional maximum output to ensure they have the capacity to deal with power surges.

However, in service the engines will ramp up to a steady speed and run at a fixed rate, supplying electric current for the traction motors via the alternator. As diesel engines are ‘happier’ when running at a constant rate, this should ensure better reliability, longer engine life and greater efficiency than the constant powering up and down experienced by standard DMU engines.

Growing interest

An initial order for eight ‘Flex’ sets from Arriva Rail North in December 2016 was followed by five for Arriva Trains Wales in July 2017 (Wales & Borders from October 2018), an order which has an option for a further four sets.

Once development and testing is complete, the whole conversion process – and the engine raft assembly in particular – is designed to be easy to ‘productionise’. This should mean Northern and Wales & Borders (W&B) receive their sets during 2019, adding extra capacity and, in the case of W&B, releasing Class 150/2s for PRM-TSI modifications.

Next to opt for ‘Flex’ was Great Western Railway, which placed an order for 19 tri-mode (25kV AC, 750V DC third-rail and diesel) trains for Thames Valley local services and the Reading to Gatwick route in early-2018. These trains will have a higher specification than their sisters with air-cooling equipment and upgraded interiors, as well as the unique ability to operate on non-electrified lines, 25kV AC overhead on the Great Western Main Line and the Southern

A computer-generated image of a GWR tri-mode Class 769, 19 of which have been ordered for Thames Valley locals and the Reading to Gatwick Airport service. PORTERBROOK

Region third-rail network. The first set is expected to appear in 2019, replacing Class 165/166 DMUs and freeing GWR Class 387s for their new role with Heathrow Express. Knorr-Bremse at Wolverton has been contracted to refurbish the trains.

Will the trains deliver what operators require of them?

Helen says: “Our target for diesel operation was a 500-mile range, but we expect them now to manage 700-800 miles, which should mean they can run for two or three days before they need refuelling.

“Obviously, the more they work on 25kV AC electric supply, the longer that period will be.”

After testing at the Great Central Railway in August, the first ‘Flex’ set will venture out onto the main line for further dynamic testing at higher speeds as part of the approvals process. Currently, it is hoped the first trains will enter passenger service with Northern on the Manchester Airport to Windermere route in December.

Developing the concept

Looking further ahead, Porterbrook is keen to develop the ‘Flex’ concept and create more bi-mode trains for a variety of uses. With modern DMUs continuing to be in high demand, the leasing company is hopeful it will be able to find new homes for much of the Class 319 fleet – many of which are now in storage.

Porterbrook is keen to emphasise ‘Flex’ is not limited to passenger duties, and it is working with partners in the intermodal freight business to develop ideas for lightweight, high-speed

freight and parcels trains. Taking advantage of their go-anywhere, bi-mode capability, converted Class 319s with internal racking could be a useful tool for freight companies wanting to tap into the increasingly important high-value overnight parcel business.

The leasing company is also working with the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) to develop ideas for ‘convertible’ vehicles fitted with seats designed to concertina, creating space for parcels, luggage and cycles, as demand dictates.

Looking beyond the ‘319s’, Porterbrook is also examining possibilities for the South Western Railway Class 455 EMU fleet, which will be replaced by 2021.

The modernised SWR ‘455s’, which received Vossloh-Kiepe AC traction packages in 2016/17, are likely to find new homes elsewhere on the third-rail network, but are viewed as good candidates for conversion to self-powered or bi-mode operation.

Interestingly, Porterbrook is also hinting at the possible conversion of some Southern Class 377 EMUs into bi-mode trains to replace Class 171 DMUs on the London to Uckfield and Ashford to Hastings routes.

However, as this fascinating story develops over the coming years, it is good to see a leasing company prepared to invest in British engineering and innovative home-grown technologies to prolong the lives of trains that might otherwise be heading for the scrapyard.

■ ■ Our thanks to Porterbrook and Wabtec Faiveley UK for their assistance with this article.

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 53

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DRS Class 37 No. 37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 with a short set of two coaches and No. 37405 at the rear draws into Acle Station on July 16 with the 10.36 Norwich-Great Yarmouth service, passing a newly installed ticked machine. PAUL A BIGGS

or PHONE 01507 529529 QUOTE REF: TRMDPS LINES OPEN 8.30am-7pm (Mon-Fri) 8.30am-12.30pm (Sat)

BRONTE STEAM 55

Celebrating their 125th birthdays, Hunslet 2-4-0STTs Blanche and Linda steam through Tan-y-Grisau station on June 22. ALL PICTURES: CLIFF THOMAS

125 CELEBRATED YEARS OF NARROW GAUGE HUNSLET LOCOS

Cliff Thomas reports on a special commemorative event which brought 19 Hunslet

locomotives together in North Wales – creating a new record for one manufacturer.

T

HE Ffestiniog Railway held a Hunslet 100 gala in 1993 that is still revered as a landmark narrow gauge event.

Twenty-five years on and the formula was not merely repeated, but dramatically expanded. Hunslet 125, staged over June 22-24 by what is now the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway (F&WHR), has reset the height of the bar.

The hook for this spectacular was a celebration of the 125th birthdays of F&WHR’s Hunslet 2-4-0STTs Linda and 56 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Blanche. The attraction was an astounding guest list of 13 visiting locomotives in steam, plus two out-of-ticket guests, and operations spread over both the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway elements of the expanded, now 40-mile system, compared with the railway a quarter of a century ago.

Of the visiting locos, 14 were built by Hunslet, the 15th being a half-size version of a Hunslet. The guests joined five F&WHR Hunslet-built resident steam locos and a 1979-built Hunslet diesel.

Record breaker

In July 2015, the Amberley Railway claimed a record for the largest number of locomotives from one manufacturer to be present in one location, certainly in the preservation era, by producing 12 Lister locos for a gala. In May 2016, Leighton Buzzard Railway topped that by presenting 17 Motor Rail ‘Simplexes’ for an event. The F&WHR has set a new mark with 19 steam locos (plus Boston Lodge yard shunter 4wD Harold) from the same builder gathered at one railway. Never say never, but it will be a

NARROW GAUGE FIESTA

Visiting Hunslet 0-4-2T Chakaskraal No. 6 hauls a freight off Welsh Highland metals over Britannia Bridge into Porthmadog Harbour station on June 23.

Visiting Hunslet 0-4-0ST Winifred works a top-and-tail shuttle (with Lilla on the tail) between Minffordd station and the yard (which can be seen below) on June 23.

Above: Alan White’s George B performs ‘driver-fora-fiver’ duties just over the fence from the national network station at Minffordd on June 23. George B was making a first appearance away from its present Bala Lake base since an overhaul – taking 48 years to bring to fruition – was completed at the beginning of 2017.

Below: Steamy action in Minffordd yard on June 23 involving Jerry M (left), Cloister (centre), Holy War (distant background), Winifred and Gwynedd (right).

Cloister pushes a train of wagons up the gradient and out of Minfford yard on June 23.

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 57

NARROW GAUGE FIESTA ‘HUNSLET 125’ LINE-UP Resident Hunslet steam locos

0-4-0ST Lilla 2-4-0STT Blanche 2-4-0STT Linda 0-4-0ST Britomart 0-4-0ST Hugh Napier (National Trust owned)

The ex-Dinorwic line up outside the Maenofferen shed in Minffordd yard in the late-afternoon sun on June 23, comprising (left to right) Velinheli, Alice, George B, Cloister, Jerry M and Holy War.

Visiting Hunslet steam locos (operational) 0-4-0ST Gwynedd (Bressingham) 0-4-0ST Winifred (Bala Lake) 0-4-0ST Cloister (Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust) 0-4-0ST Margaret (Vale of Rheidol) 0-4-0ST George B (Bala Lake) 0-4-0ST Holy War (Bala Lake) 0-4-0ST Alice (Bala Lake) 0-4-0ST Maid Marian (Bala Lake) 0-4-0ST Irish Mail (West Lancashire Light Railway) 0-4-0ST Jerry M (Hollycombe) 0-4-0ST Statfold (Statfold Barn Railway) 0-4-2T Chakaskraal No. 6 (North Gloucestershire Railway) 0-4-2ST 3902/1971 Trangkil No. 4 (Statfold Barn Railway)

Visiting steam locos (non-operational) Hunslet 0-4-0ST Velinheli (Launceston) 12¼-gauge David Curwen-built (Hunslet) 0-6-4ST Beddgelert (Fairbourne Railway)

Other operating Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway locos England 0-4-0STT Prince Single-Fairlie Taliesin Double-Fairlie David Lloyd George Double-Fairlie Merddin Emrys New-build (Manning Wardle) 2-6-2T Lyd Garratt NG/G16 Nos. 87, 138 & 143 Right: The Penrhyn black collection! Posed around the diamond crossing next to the goods shed in Minffordd yard on June 23 are (left to right) Gwynedd, Margaret, Hugh Napier and Winifred.

long time before such a number of Hunslets, or the products of any other single loco builder, are brought together in one location.

As if the Hunslets at the centre of the event were not sufficient an attraction, add in the eight non-Hunslets which operated F&WHR service trains during the weekend and this was a weekend guaranteed to draw the crowds – which it did.

‘Quarry Hunslet’heaven Hunslet 0-4-2ST 3902/1971 Trangkil No. 4 (constructed to a Kerr, Stuart ‘Brazil’ class design) is pictured on June 23 working a top-and-tail passenger service (with Double-Fairlie David Lloyd George on the other end) as it traverses the Welsh Highland cross-town link between Snowdon Mill and Porthmadog Harbour.

58 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

While the weekend centred on the birthday girls – Hunslet 2-4-0STTs Blanche and Linda, which ran double-headed throughout, primarily on the Ffestiniog, but including a ‘Ladies Day Out’ run to Caernarfon on the Saturday – the epicentre was Minffordd. Here was the preserve of the small but famed 0-4-0ST ‘Quarry Hunslet’, with 10 of the classic ‘Quarry’ type in action, together with slightly larger versions of

the design in the form of Lilla and Jerry M. Constant action involved locos taking turns hauling three different sets of wagons around the yard, offering footplate rides and ‘driver for a fiver’ opportunities, and periodic changes between the locos undertaking yard operations with those handling passenger shuttles between the station and yard and main line top-and-tail shuttles between Minffordd and Porthmadog.

The yard also presented two ride-on miniature railways, displays of models, sales and promotional stands.

In addition to the Hunslets taking their main line turns on Porthmadog to Minffordd shuttles, larger visiting Hunslets Chakaskraal No. 6 and Trangkil No. 4 operated on Welsh Highland metals between Porthmadog and Hafod-y-Llyn hauling wagons and making occasional top-andtailed appearances on passenger workings.

This report can only provide a flavour of the

Above: Hunslet 0-4-0STs Jerry M and Lilla pull a Harbour to Minffordd shuttle away from Boston Lodge Halt on June 24. Quarry Hunslet 0-4-0ST Cloister was on the tail of this shuttle.

Right: High above the rooftops Hunslet 2-4-0STTs Blanche and Linda pictured between Tan-y-Grisau and Blaenau Ffestiniog on the morning of June 24.

event, there was a lot going on!

Hunslet 125 was righteously blessed with hot sunny weather. Maybe a shade too hot since rail expansion caused the track to develop buckles in the Tan-y-Grisau to Blaenau Ffestiniog section (a problem which has occasionally occurred in the woods around Tan-y-Bwlch, but is almost unheard of at the top end of the Ffestiniog) with a consequent deleterious effect on the Sunday afternoon timetable.

War Office Locomotive Trust’s ex-WDLR Hunslet 4-6-0T No. 303 (HE1215/1916) was not completed in time to make the visit despite the efforts of its restoration team.

It was due to haul its first trains at a private July 8 event.

■ Right: Hugh Napier climbs out of the Minfordd yard ‘Coal Hole’ behind the goods shed on June 23.

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 59

1 FROM STRASBOURG

SWITZERLAND 3

Chur

Kandersteg 3

TO PARIS

By Rail

1

Nights in hotel

Brig Zermatt

Poschiavo

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 61

Readers’ Platform TALKING POINTS

Fat Controller needed, but avoid fantasy economics

YOU invited letters on what is wrong with our railways and what should be done to address these problems.

Firstly, we need a Fat Controller!

The RM reports both GTR and Northern wanted to delay the timetable change, but couldn’t get agreement. It was known the change was going to be a disaster, but nobody could stop it.

The railway is now made up of so many different parties, but no single organisation is in charge. This needs to change. At least BR had a unified management structure and one controlling board.

Secondly, the franchise system requires TOCs to second-guess the rate of economic growth years ahead in a post-Brexit world. This is fantasy economics.

TOCs should not be expected to gamble everything on these forecasts given their balance sheets cannot sustain large losses, forcing them to throw in the towel.

Only the state can sustain this level of risk so the future has to be concessions, where the revenue risk lies with Government, and TOCs compete for contracts on cost efficiency and innovative ways of running services.

Barry Deller Hook, Hants

Another unhappy IET passenger I AM a frequent user of services in and out of Paddington, and while the Class 800s represent a step-change improvement in acceleration and internal ambience over the venerable HSTs, the ride quality is a considerable step backward.

I find the ride hard and sometimes ‘jittery’, and it’s a wearing experience after a long day at work.

After some months of travel, I have not got use to the ride, despite assurances from staff, and the HST sets still provide, without question, a far superior ride.

If you have the misfortune to sit over or close to a powered bogie, the ride seems especially poor, exacerbated by hard seats and a driving style of ‘on-off’ acceleration.

If this is going to be the passenger ride experience for the next 40-plus years I can’t help but feel the ‘800s’ represent a lost opportunity for an all-round customer experience improvement.

I R Harris Swindon

PUTTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT (RM JULY) ■ RM July (p42): Crosti No. 92028 is reversing at Finedon Road, not departing.

■ RM July (p92): It should have been clearer DB No. 01.202 remained in West Germany after 1945 and became part of the DB fleet until withdrawn in 1968.

Also, Class 52 ‘Kriegsloks’ had a 15-tonne axle load, Class 42 17 tonnes, and threecylinder Class 44 20 tonnes. CFL Class 42 2-10-0 No. 5519 was initially No. 42 2718 and carried this until bought by CFL in Dec 1948/Jan 1949.

Send your letters to: The Railway Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR. email: railway@mortons.co.uk NB. Publication of a letter does not imply that the Editor or staff of The Railway Magazine necessarily agree with its contents.

STAR LETTER

Rest days must be taken by staff to reduce fatigue THE letter from Richard Hurrell in July 2018 issue (p46) raises more than a few questions.

Anyone who has read Tom Rolt’s Red for Danger will know rest days were introduced as a result of many accidents over the years where fatigue played a part, with those rest days considered essential to allow staff some time off.

They came gradually over the years, as did many other more obvious safety improvements.

More recently, Train Operating Companies and the Trades Unions – aided and abetted by the DfT – have eroded rest days to be simply ‘days off’ to be traded with other staff members,

and indeed worked to assist the train companies in doing what they should be able to do if they had correct staffing levels.

I know of railway workers who work seven days a week, in order to get extra holiday time or help their operating company, and this MUST affect their stamina and fatigue levels?

It is something of a surprise the unions, particularly the RMT, which is campaigning about the role of guards, takes the safety role of rest days more lightly than they should. One has to wonder why they don’t see possible fatigue is a safety issue.

However, one organisation which appears silent about this subject is Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and the Inspectorate.

Is the ORR not concerned about the practice of rest day working?

Why is this department not insisting upon rest days being used for their stated purpose and not traded off between workers or their employers?

Perhaps there are some safety consideration given to this, which ordinary people don’t know about, but the fact rest-day working is ingrained into the railway ethos is surely a cause for concern?

Ian Smith Leeds

I WAS most surprised to read the letter from Richard Hurrell (RM July) regarding voluntary rest-day working.

Surely it should be written into the contract between the Government and the TOC that there is always sufficient staff to run the railway

safely, in accordance with the agreed timetable, and to give staff a reasonable life-work balance.

Anything less is surely the unacceptable face of capitalism.

This situation would seem to be another example of civil servants

lacking practical experience in how to draw up contracts that are not heavily weighted in favour of the operator, and give little consideration to the operator’s employees or the public.

Roger Tozer By email

interesting, but the Byron Bay RR company solar-powered train was not an EMU, nor was it a ‘Red Rattler’.

This epithet was used to describe the old Sydney single-deck suburban electric trains, many with hand-operated double doors (frequently left wide open) that were finally phased out in the 1980s.

The Byron train is a hybrid made up from what were two-car, diesel-electric rail car sets. They were introduced around 1949 and built in various guises over the next 10 years or so.

Some sets were built to operate outer suburban services ‘beyond the wires’, others to operate country branch lines, while some sets were built for express inter-city services.

All sets featured a driving power car with two underfloor diesel-generator sets coupled to a driving trailer car. The cars had gangway connections between them, but not through the driving cabs.

The Byron train has had one diesel-generator set replaced with a bank of lithium batteries that are charged from the roof-mounted solar panels.

The second generator set has been left in-situ for emergency use.

Byron Bay has a sub-tropical climate, with usually a generous amount of sunshine per day. Since the one-way journey is only 3km (1.9 miles) the amount of charge appears adequate to power the train.

Ron Brown Lake Cathie, Australia

You have made these people out to be some sort of ‘heroes’ rather than three vandals who had illegally entered railway property with the objective of graffiti vandalism.

Travel out of any London termini and you can see the appalling damage and defacement these vandals undertake to railway property, including important signalling equipment, and also private property which adjoins the railway.

The comments by the detective superintendent were ‘laughable’ as these vandals run rife over the inner London railway system almost daily and no one takes any serious positive action.

Look at the disgraceful disfigurement of the new Thameslink unit you have shown; it is not art, but pure vandalism.

Artists put their work on canvas not trains and private property My sympathies are with the driver of the train that struck these three people, and who has to live with that aspect.

As you have mentioned graffiti attacks are significantly increasing once again and it is time some really firm action was taken to stop this menace and to clean up our railway environment.

John Cherry Chatham, Kent

Today’s railway is just speedy and greedy FUNDAMENTALLY, there are two reasons for the timetable mess: speed and greed Speed: We continue to upgrade our main lines so journey times can be reduced, but this is often by only a few minutes.

The consequence of this is more people travel longer distances to commute to work, primarily to and from London, thus requiring more rolling stock capacity.

Timings are tight so any slight mishap creates knock-on delays.

Long-distance commuting may be profitable for the TOC, but skews everything to cater for commuters.

As this is unsustainable in the long term, it’s time to reconsider whether we need to improve line speeds when most travellers just want a reliable, regular service to get from A to B. Greed: The Government wants to maximise income from franchises, rolling stock leasing companies and TOC’s want to maximise profits, but passengers want the cheapest possible fares.

Accepting the highest bids from potential franchisees has proved unsuccessful on several occasions it needs to change.

An alternative would be for Government to pay the operators a fixed fee based on service specifications and core fares, with an agreed profit level for the TOC; if exceeded then a share should be returned to Government for re-investment. This would provide certainty for all concerned.

And, yes, one timetable change a year and sorting out the fares structure would be major steps forward.

Rod Giddin Birchington-on-Sea, Kent

Solar-powered train update KEITH Fender’s feature (RM July, p43) on alternative fuels for rail was most

62 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Fatigue

Our thanks to Mr Brown for clarification on this solar-powered train – Ed.

Graffiti vandals or artists?

AS a retired, long-serving railwayman and regular RM reader, I was angry at your report of the regrettable death of three trespassers at Loughborough Jct on June 18.

The story was angled so as not to cause further distress to families of the men who died. It was certainly not the intention to make these people out as heroes – in fact, far from it – and we do not condone acts of vandalism or trespass. However, in the fast age of communication, one wrong word in print (or elsewhere) can find large sections of social media turning on the offending publication and it was something The RM was aiming to avoid – Ed.

EDITORS NOTE

Publication of a letter does not imply that the editor or staff of The Railway Magazine necessarily agree with its contents.

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Panorama An unidentified Class 66 approaches Narborough, Leicestershire, hauling a coal train as the sun rises at 05.13 on May 15. MIKE SPENCER

64 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

A showcase for the best in railway photography

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

Bulleid ‘Light Pacific No. 34046 Braunton (running as No. 34052 Lord Dowding ) passes Curry Rivel, near Langport, in Somerset, with the return inaugural ‘English Riviera’ for Saphos Trains on June 24. DON BISHOP

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 65

Panorama

66 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

A showcase for the best in railway photography

The use of drone photography has opened up vantage points previously unavailable to the railway photographer. Type 3s Nos. 37407 and 37425 top-and-tail the 14.55 Norwich-Lowestoft service across Reedham swing bridge on June 27. MICHAEL RHODES

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 67

READ THESE ISSUES AND HUNDREDS MORE IN THE

RM Archive

classicmagazines.co.uk/rmarchive

FROM THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVES YEARS AGO

YEARS AGO

AUGUST 1918

AUGUST 1968

T IS with great regret we record the death RITISH RAILWAYS last standard-gauge ISuperintendent, of Mr Peter Drummond, Locomotive B train to be hauled by steam locomotives Glasgow and South will be a special for enthusiasts from Western Railway. Having served his apprenticeship with Forrest and Moor, engineers, Glasgow, he served with the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway under Mr William Stroudley from 1870 till 1875, joining the North British Railway and then the Caledonian Railway in 1882.

In 1896 he was appointed Locomotive Superintendent of the Highland Railway and transferred his services to Glasgow and South Western Railway in 1912. He came of a distinguished engineering family. His brother, the late Mr Dugald Drummond, who died in 1912, was for 17 years Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and South Western Railway.

R JOHN G ROBINSON, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Central Railway, has under construction at the Gorton works of the company some new locomotives of the 2-8-0 type, fitted with boilers of increased size, equipped with 28-element superheaters. These engines are built on the same general plan as those of the 2-8-0 wheel arrangement already in service on the Great Central Railway, but whereas the earlier examples have 5ft diameter boilers with 24-element superheaters, the new ones are fitted with 5ft 6in diameter boilers and enlarged superheaters.

M

Liverpool Lime Street to Carlisle and back (314 miles), on August 11, a week after the end of regular steam haulage in the NorthWest. The special train will leave Lime Street at 09.10, making photographic stops at Rainhill (09.27-09.42), site of the locomotive trials of 1829, and Parkside, arriving in Manchester Victoria at 10.36.

For this first section of the journey, the train will be hauled by a class '5', either No. 73069, 44871, 44781 or 45110. At 11.06, the train is scheduled to leave Manchester hauled by“Britannia”4-6-2 No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell, for Ais Gill (13.45-14.05) and Carlisle Citadel (14.56).

Leaving Carlisle at 15.30 behind one of the class '5' locomotives listed above, the train returns to Manchester Victoria (18.4819.02) and Liverpool Lime Street (19.50).

Fare will be £15 15s (no reductions): this includes coffee and biscuits, full cold lunch with drink, high tea, a scroll on imitation vellum bearing representations of the seals of the London & North Western, Lancashire & Yorkshire and Midland Railways and a souvenir ticket.

RIAL LOADS of Scotch whisky are being sent into Europe in demountable tanks suitable for rail or road carriage. The first load in a 3,800gal tank left the Edinburgh blending department of Arthur Bell & Sons

T

20 YEARS AGO: An appalling scene of carnage and devastation at Eschede, in northern Germany, on June 3, 1998. A Deutsche Bahn ICE high-speed train derailed at 200kph and collided with a concrete bridge support, killing 101 people and injuring more than 100 more. EPA

for Bremen, Germany, on June 6. Hitherto, whisky has only travelled overseas in casks, bottles or road tankers.

YEARS AGO

AUGUST 1998 N JUNE 16, a first class coach of O GNER’s 17.30 King’s Cross-Edinburgh derailed on all wheels when running at

close to 125mph near Sandy. The ECML was closed after the incident, and it soon became apparent that the cause was the

collapse of one of the leading wheels of the Mk 4 coach. A segment had broken away, causing the remaining part of the wheel and axle to drop onto the track and derail. GNER chief executive Christopher Garnett made the decision to withdraw the entire 31-strong Class 91 and Mk 4 fleet immediately, throwing the GNER timetable into chaos. As well as GNER’s nine IC125 sets, two West Yorkshire Class 321/9 EMUs had to be hired in on June 17, while at least two Class 317s were hired from West Anglia Great Northern and worked as far north as Doncaster.

Britain’s leading Railway Society – still observing after 90 years

The RCTS: then and now

IN THE 1950s and 1960s the RCTS earned a well-deserved reputation for running railtours that were imaginative, covered unusual lines and those that were listed for closure.

In 1962 it ran 16 tours in the United Kingdom and three in Europe. The majority were one-day affairs, but a‘Joint Scottish Tour’began on Thursday, June 14 and concluded on Saturday 23rd.

The tour began at Perth and visited Inverness and the Kyle of Lochalsh.

Motive power to Inverness was No. 49 Gordon Highlander and‘Jones Goods’ No. 103. At Inverness‘Black Five’ No. 44978 of Perth shed was waiting for the return trip to the Kyle.

The following day, No. 44978 worked north to Wick where the‘Jones Goods’took over to Thurso and south to Inverness. On Saturday 16th, the‘Black Five’was used for the run to Aviemore, where Nos. 49 and 103 were waiting to work to Craigellachie and Aultmore, before running to Aberdeen. In the evening,‘J36’No. 65323 took the special to Inverurie and Old Meldrum with No. 65345 working the return leg.

On the Sunday, 0-6-0 No. 57581 took the special south to Bridge of Dun and Brechin and back to Guthrie Junction, Forfar and Newtyle Goods. Then onwards to Perth, with 0-4-4T No. 55260 and

the Blairgowrie branch. Monday saw No. 44978 take the special from Perth to Dunblane, where No. 256 Glen Douglas was waiting for the run to Killin Junction.

Here, 2-6-4T No. 80092 traversed the branch and the closed section to Loch Tay before No. 256 worked the special to Stirling and Cambus, with No. 65345 taking the train onwards to Alva and Alloa before No. 256 was again in charge for the run to Perth via Kinross Junction and Glenfarg. In the evening, No. 55260 worked a return trip to Bankfoot.

On Day 6, Glasgow was the destination with No. 256 the principal motive power.‘J38’No. 65905 was required to assist Glen Douglas up the bank out of Leslie and was used again from Thornton Junction to Methil West and back.

Glen Douglas was back for crossing the Forth Bridge, with‘J37’No. 64569 working from Bathgate to Fauldhouse and back before No. 256 worked into Glasgow Queen Street (High Level).

The next day brought a tour of lines around Carstairs and Kilmarnock and back to Glasgow using Fairburn 2-6-4T No. 42277.

Three 2-6-4Ts – Nos. 80110/29 and 42143 – were employed on June 21 between Glasgow and Ayr, and the next day Caledonian Railway 4-2-2 No. 123

68 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

A fleeting moment in railway history at Edinburgh: Because of problems with the Class 385s a number of Class 365s have been temporarily moved to Scotland. On July 3, No. 365537, still carrying its Cambridge Driver-David Edwards name, meets TransPennine Class 350 No. 350409, itself shortly to be transferred to the West Midland Trains franchise. PAUL CHANCELLOR

was used to Dalry, from where No. 42196 took the train on to Ayr. The penultimate day saw No. 42196 and BR Class‘2MT’2-6-0 No. 78026 used on a tour of the Ayr district, while for the Ayr to Carlisle finale No. 103 double headed with No. 123. They were banked out of Girvan by 2-6-0 No. 42879 and around Stranraer Harbour by Nos. 57375 and 44995.

The pre-Grouping pair of Nos. 123 and 103 then ran to Carlisle with No. 42699 powering the Dumfries to

Kirkcudbright and back section, bringing to a close a mammoth 10-day land cruise.

The days of such railtours being organised by societies are long gone, but RCTS members continue to tour the UK and report on their sightings, such as the ongoing testing of Class 385s in Scotland and the short-term use of Class 365s as substitutes, both noted at Edinburgh Waverley on July 3.

For information on how to get free membership of the society visit: www.rcts.og.uk

TRACKRECORD The Railway Magazine news digest

The Middleton Railway’s Hunslet 0-6-0ST Brookes No. 1 makes a spirited departure from Foxfield Colliery as it begins the ascent of the famous bank during the Foxfield Railway’s summer gala on July 22. ANDREW BELL

P70 STEAM & HERITAGE P76 IRISH P77 INDUSTRIAL P82 NARROW GAUGE P84 HERITAGE TRAMS P86 NETWORK P89 CLASSIC TRACTION P94 RAILTOURS P98 WORLD P100 TRACTION & ROLLING STOCK P106 METRO P108 OPERATIONS

Steam & Heritage Track Record COMPILED BY

GARY BOYD-HOPE

Call: 01507 529589 email: gboyd-hope @mortons.co.uk

Diesels to the fore as heritage lines feel the heat

THE usefulness and worth of diesels and DMUs on the nation’s preserved railways has been highlighted across the country during the intense dry spell of June and July.

Notices announcing the substitution of steam with diesel on passenger services have been a regular sight across social media as our railways took precautions against the risk of lineside fires.

One of the first to announce a move to diesel was the East Lancashire Railway, whose Bury headquarters lies a short distance THE Churchward County Trust from some of the worst reported (CCT) made its biggest statement moorland wildfires at Winter Hill of intent to date on July 13 by and Saddleworth Moor. placing the order for the frames for At 19.00 on June 30 the railway its new-build ‘County’ class 4-4-0 announced all services would be County of Montgomery with Tata diesel-hauled until further notice, Steel of Wednesfield. largely as a result of a number of This comes 106 years after the lineside fires that broke out that ‘Modified Hall’ No. 6990 Witherslack Hall – visiting from the Great Central Railway – works away from Bury last of the class emerged from afternoon and delayed services by with an evening dining train at the East Lancashire Railway on July 14, the first day of steam operations Swindon Works. around two hours. The ban applied following the two-week ban. PHIL JONES The order for the frame plates, to all service trains, footplate as per GWR drawing No. 43495, experiences and evening dining lineside fires by putting its larger, reduced and a 20mph speed equipment on board to put out comes just six months after the trains, and remained in place for a more powerful locomotives into restriction enforced from midday. any fledgling fires they came launch of the project in the fortnight. service, and also reducing train All locomotives had their ashpans across.

February issue of The Railway On July 14, following heavy rain lengths. The result was locos were washed out after 20 miles, or The Great Central Railway made Magazine. and the installation of ashpan not required to work as hard on following each one-way trip. the roster call on a day-to-day basis It represents the first ‘new guards on certain locomotives, the steep gradients between The Gloucestershire owing to the tinder-dry conditions metal’ to be ordered by the a partial return to steam was Weybourne and Holt.

Warwickshire Railway has not alongside the Leicestershire line. project, which has taken over the adopted, with visiting GWR pair of Unfortunately a crop fire in a been adversely affected by the All trains had been steam hauled Great Western Society’s dormant ‘Modified Hall’ No. 6990 Witherslack field between Sheringham and heatwave, although the at the time of writing, but were scheme to construct a ‘38XX’ using Hall and 0-6-0ST No. 813 working Weybourne during the afternoon p/way team has taken extra top-and-tailed with diesel, the a combination of new and original the majority of services.

July 18 rendered that part of the care to observe the track for any latter doing the hard work.

GWR components.

The Severn Valley Railway line impassable for some time. potential movement.

Unfortunately, the neighbouring Delivery of the parent material followed suit on July 10 after Although it is not thought that the Additionally, footplate crews Great Central Railway to Wednesfield from the rolling embankment fires affected steam fire was started by a locomotive, have been offered a free supply (Nottingham) had to cancel mill is expected during September, services on Sunday 8th. the NNR took the precaution to go of bottled water, and advice has services on July 8 after crews on with TATA suggesting the frames All passenger services were to diesel-only until July 30. been available to ensure crew the previous day encountered would be cut within 10-12 days be worked by diesel, although Other lines to sideline steam members are properly hydrated. issues caused by rail expansion. following its receipt. there was to be a steam presence included the Dean Forest Railway, Diesel assistance has been the The risk of fire also resulted in the at Bridgnorth and Bewdley at which used a Class 08 on services order of the day for the North GCR(N) reducing its steam service Milestone weekends – ‘4MT’ No. 43106 and on July 8 and 14-15, the Battlefield Yorkshire Moors Railway owing the following Sunday.

“The frames are generally ‘28XX’ No. 2857 sharing the role.

Line, the Nene Valley Railway, and to the line running through the Diesel haulage was not really an considered to be the heart Another steam ban also came the Gwili Railway from the July North Yorkshire National Park. option for the Bluebell Railway as it of a locomotive, upon which into force on July 10 at the 21-22 weekend.

“We have a succession of risk has no main line diesel presence. everything sits, or fits beneath or Llangollen Railway, although levels designated Firecon that Spokesman Roger Garman said: between. By placing this order we ‘Large Prairie’ No. 5199 was back No outright ban…yet run from one to 4 that designate “The hot weather has taken its toll have effectively breathed life into in action over the July 14-15 FOR a number of railways the need actions we have to take,” said on staff and volunteers as much No. 3840,” said project leader Gary weekend. The railway’s business for an outright ban on steam was general manager Chris Price. as anything, but the track and Boyd-Hope. manager Liz McGuinness said: felt to be a worst case scenario.

“We are currently running at signalling and other infrastructure “We could not have achieved this “Thanks to the diesel group and the Instead, some lines instituted Firecon 3, which requires all our has held up well. milestone without the support railcar group coming to the rescue special operation notices and trains to run with diesel assistance “Lineside fires are of course a of our Founders’ Club members, we haven’t lost any services. Both orders to minimise the risk of fire. (but retaining the steam presence major risk and locomotives are whose donations have made this groups have done a fantastic job at Crews at the Bodmin & Wenford on the train) to lessen the work on carrying water pumps on the possible. keeping the services running, and Railway, for example, were under the engine. tenders in case of need.”

“The order shows how serious the majority of customers have strict instructions to go easy with “If we go to Firecon 4 then we will With the prospect of muchand committed we are to seeing been very positive and supportive. the regulator and keep damper be diesel-hauled throughout with needed rain reaching parts of the County of Montgomery take to the “We are now running our use to a minimum on the line’s no steam.” country during the latter weeks rails. I hope it inspires other Great published timetable of steam with 1-in-40 gradients.

As an additional precaution the of July, it was expected steam Western enthusiasts to pledge variations at the weekend.”

The West Somerset Railway NYMR had a 4x4 vehicle following services would have returned to their support to this exciting In East Anglia the North Norfolk was also running on its ‘red fire all trains through the Levisham to normal by the time this issue went project, either through joining Railway (NNR) had avoided any risk’ level, so train loadings were Goathland section with firefighting to press. the Founders’ Club or setting up a regular monthly donation.”

The Founders’ Club aims to attract 100 supporters, each donating £1,000 as a lump sum or in up to eight payments of £125.

To join the Founders’ Club visit JEREMY Hosking’s The 99-year-old heavyto provide additional cover extended hire at the railway. www.churchwardcounty.org.uk Churchward ‘42XX’ 2-8-0T freight tank re-entered traffic during the summer, and is ■ The West Somerset Railway’s or email info.churchwardcounty@ No. 4270 has returned to the on July 15, just in time to cover expected to stay in Somerset operation fleet is expected to gmail.com Gloucestershire Warwickshire for ‘Manor’ No. 7820 Dinmore for two months. receive a further boost when At the time of writing the CCT Steam Railway following Manor, which was scheduled The move offers another ‘West Country’ No. 34046 was expecting to follow the the repair of a fractured to move to the West Somerset opportunity to reunite Braunton takes up residence frames order with a second one counterbalance weight on one Railway (WSR) on July 20.

No. 7820 with sister engine from August 15. for the frame angles and ancillary of the driving wheels at LNWR The ‘Manor’ has once again No. 7822 Foxcote Manor, which The Light Pacific will stay on platework, including the front Heritage in Crewe. been hired in by the WSR is approaching the end of an the railway until October. bufferbeam, within weeks.

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

Frames ordered for new ‘County’ No. 3840

No. 4270 returns to Toddington – 7820 goes to WSR

70 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

A ‘King’ steams to Kingswear THE Great Western Society’s ‘King’ 4-6-0 No. 6023 King Edward II will be a month into its summer residency at the Dartmouth Steam Railway by the time this issue of The RM goes on sale.

The ‘King’ entered service between Paignton and Kingswear on June 29, and is

pictured against the backdrop of Saltern Cove on July 13 while hauling the 14.25 Paignton-Kingswear service.

No. 6023 joins a second on-hire GWR locomotive – Tyseley’s ‘57XX’ No. L94 (7752) – which is making its second visit to the railway.

ROBERT SHERWOOD

‘Quad-Arts’ back in North Norfolk service

The refreshed ‘Quad-Art’ set is posed outside the works at Weybourne on the North Norfolk Railway following its mini overhaul and re-varnish. CHRIS MOXON/NNR

THE North Norfolk Railway’s historic Gresley Quad-Articulated suburban carriage set No. 74 has returned to front-line service on the Sheringham to Holt line after an absence of two years.

The 350ft-long set (Brake Third No. 48861 and Thirds Nos. 48862, 48863 and 48864) were withdrawn in 2016 pending routine maintenance and bodywork attention. However, the considerable length of the set and its inability to be split meant it had to wait for a window of

opportunity when one road on the Carriage & Wagon Works was free to accommodate it.

The interim overhaul has included the repair and repainting of the roofs, while the teak body sides and ends of each carriage were sanded back and re-varnished – a job which is undertaken every two years.

Interior paintwork has also been refreshed, new brake blocks fitted together with interconnecting flexible vacuum brake pipes.

‘B1’ and City of Wells for Great Central ‘Exchange Trials’ gala LNER-liveried Thompson ‘B1’ Main Line. Therefore, to give 4-6-0 No. 1264 and ‘West Country’ the event a more authentic Pacific No. 34092 City of Wells feel agreement has been are to headline the Great Central reached with the Thompson B1 Railway’s (GCR) Autumn Steam Locomotive Trust for No. 1264 to Gala on September 4-7. assume the identity of No. 61251 The event will commemorate for the gala. the 70th anniversary of the famous The former Southern Railway British Railways Locomotive ‘West Country’ 4-6-2s were well Exchange Trials of 1948, with represented during the 1948 trials, the guest locomotives both with Nos. 34004 Yeovil, 34005 representative of classes that Barnstaple and 34006 Bude all took part in the mixed traffic trials taking part. These were famously over the Midland, Great Central, paired with LMS 4,000-gallon Highland and South Devon main tenders owing to the absence of lines in June and July that year. water scoops on their own Bulleid During the trials, ‘B1’ No. 61251 tenders.

Oliver Bury was tested on the City of Wells will be visiting from South Devon and Midland Main the East Lancashire Railway, and is Lines, while classmate No. 61292 – somewhat surprisingly – making was pitted against the Highland its first visit to the GCR.

As the loco carries BR livery it is not expected to undergo an identity change during the event, but rather provide a sense of what it was like when No. 34006 worked over the GCR route on June 8-9, 1948.

Also playing a significant role during the gala will be the GCR’s resident ‘Modified Hall’ No. 6990 Witherslack Hall. No identity swap is necessary here as the Hawksworth 4-6-0 is well-known for having been trialled over the Great Central on June 24-25, just a fortnight after No. 34006 and a week after ’Black Five’ No. 45253.

Further details about the timetable and other locomotives taking part will be released in due course.

LNER ‘B1’ No. 61251 Oliver Bury leaves St Pancras with the 10.15am express to Manchester Central on June 7 during the 1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials. Preserved ‘B1’ No. 1264 will adopt this identity during its visit to the Great Central Railway’s autumn gala.

F R HEBRON/RAIL ARCHIVE STEPHENSON

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 71

Steam & Heritage Track Record SIDELINES Detonator use ends at Buckfastleigh

THE time-honoured steam-age tradition of using detonators to protect stranded trains while ‘in section’ has come to an end at the South Devon Railway.

Locomotives will no longer carry detonators when in service, with other safety measures having been put in place to protect such things as detained trains and track work.

First glimpse of fully clad ‘P2’ at Darlington

KESR ‘Terrier’ for Avon Valley gala

KENT & East Sussex Railwaybased LBSCR ‘A1X’ No. 32678 has been confirmed as the first visiting locomotive for the Avon Valley Railway’s end of season finale this autumn.

The Terrier Trust’s BRliveried 0-6-0T will star at the November 10-11 event with a yet-to-be-named second guest loco, together with members of the resident steam fleet.

Trawsfynydd revivalist loses cancer battle COLIN Dale, the man behind the plans to reopen the seven-mile branch between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Trawsfynydd in North Wales, lost his battle with cancer in early July. He was 70 years old.

Mr Dale was the founder of the Trawsfynydd Railway Company, which had begun work on clearing the formation until Network Rail withdrew an access agreement following reports of unauthorised use of heavy plant and environmental/ structural damage.

78022 going green at Haworth

RIDDLES ‘2MT’ 2-6-0 No. 78022 is on the cusp of a return to steam at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway – in BR lined green.

The boiler of the Darlington-built Mogul was delivered from the works of Riley & Son (E) Ltd on July 7, and the loco is in the final stages of overhaul at Haworth.

The first traces of Western Region-style green have being applied to the cab, with the tender being almost complete.

All out at Didcot for Bank Holiday

DIDCOT Railway Centre will be bringing as many locomotives as possible out into the open during the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Plans are in place for most of the static locomotives to be extracted from the shed for the three days, and for them to be positioned around the front of shed area. Additional atmosphere will be supplied via smoke machines to give the impression of many engines in steam.

Not since the original ‘P2’ No. 2001 Cock O’ The North entered Doncaster for a front-end rebuild in September 1937 has anyone seen a sight like this. No. 2007 Prince of Wales looks every inch like its forebear at Darlington on July 7. BOTH: MANDY GRANT/A1SLT

THE A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is now able to present the upper structure of a non-streamlined Gresley ‘P2’ Mikado – for the first time since 1937.

The remarkable transformation of new-build 2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales has been made possible by the manufacture and trial fitting of the boiler cladding to the upper works of the locomotive at the A1SLT’s Darlington Locomotive Works.

Last year, the trust completed a special frame – known as ‘Craig the Cretaceous’ – on

which the crinoline bands and cladding could be trialled and fitted, without the need of a boiler being present.

This innovative method has not only sped the process up by allowing the cladding to be made in advance of the boiler’s delivery, but it has also enabled the trust to offer a tantalising preview of what No. 2007 will look like upon completion.

The cladding entirely fills the void between the smokebox and cab, creating the impression the boiler is in situ, whereas in fact the A1SLT has

Gresley, Thompson and Bulleid for Nene Valley gala LOCOMOTIVES born from the minds of Sir Nigel Gresley, Oliver Bulleid and Edward Thompson will take centre stage at the Nene Valley Railway’s Steam in Green gala on September 1-2.

For the special weekend resident ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34081 92 Squadron will be once again joined by John Cameron’s ‘A4’ No. 60009 Union of South Africa, while David Buck’s ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower will also attend following a ‘no show’ owing to its over-running overhaul back in May. Highlights during the weekend will include the

locomotives working doubleheaded on certain passenger trains, which will be made up of Mk1 stock for the main services.

Additionally, the Nos. 61306 and 34081 will take turns hauling a period goods train, with visitors being able to travel in brakevans to Yarwell and back for a £5 supplement if already holding a Rover ticket, or £10 without a Rover.

For further information visit: www.nvr.org.uk ■ Both the ‘A4’ and ‘B1’ will pair up again on October 12-14 when they attend the Bluebell Railway’s Giants of Steam gala.

Britain’s Best-Selling Rail Title Visit us at www.railwaymagazine.co.uk 72 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

A detailed view of the ‘P2’s’ cab showing how the V-fronted cab merges with the firebox cladding, while illustrating the Cartazzi truck beneath.

yet to place the order for this most vital component. Delivery is not expected for another three years.

The A1SLT’s latest specific fundraising campaign – the Motion Club – has almost reached £75,000 of its £210,000 target, with the order for the heavy motion having been placed with Stephenson Engineering Ltd of Atherton, Manchester.

The order includes the forging, machining and heat treatment of the nine heavy motion rods, including the

external coupling rods and the inside connecting rod assembly, and the combined piston and rod.

The motion is expected to be delivered in batches over a 12-month period from this December.

Mark Allatt, P2 project director, said “Given the level of support the Motion Club has received in just three months, we are confident we can raise the additional £135,000 needed to pay for the heavy motion, and remain on-track for completion of No. 2007 in 2021.”

South Devon to batch produce Mk1 end panels RUST, corrosion, ‘tin worm’, or whatever you care to call it, has been the bugbear of preserved railways the length and breadth of the UK when it comes to their Mk1 coaching stock.

Water ingress beneath the skins is a common problem, with sections of the end panels and corner pillars often requiring replacement as a result.

Mk1s are the principal people carriers of the majority of standard gauge heritage lines in this country, but they are not getting any younger and have far-exceeded their original life expectancy. Repairs can often be complex owing to the need to cut out affected areas and patch in new metal, resulting in coaches being out of traffic for long periods.

The South Devon Railway is no exception, having fallen foul of the effects of Mk1 rot last summer. It has identified the need to provide new carriage ends for several of its Mk1 fleet and is investing in a die set to manufacture these by pressing them using its large press in the Buckfastleigh boiler works.

The tooling means South Devon Railway Engineering (SDRE) will be able to produce Mk1 end panels to order and at an economical price. These come as two parts which can be joined above the corridor connection and wrap around the corners so they can be joined to the carriage sides.

Railways interested in having new ends made should contact SDRE at engineering@ southdevonrailway.org

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

Visit to North Norfolk autumn gala beckons for Oliver Cromwell…

‘Jubilee’ No. 45596 Bahamas is entering the final stages of its overhaul at Tyseley Locomotive Works. The Stanier 4-6-0 is seen on July 18, with cladding and boiler fittings now in place.

GREAT Central-based ‘Britannia’ No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell will be making a return visit to the North Norfolk Railway later this summer to take part in the line’s early Autumn Steam Gala on August 31-September 2.

August marks the 50th anniversary of the end of British Railways steam, and the National

Collection Pacific has been in high locomotive line-up had still to be demand this year, especially with announced at the time of writing, this being its final year in traffic but it is expected motive power before withdrawal for overhaul. will be drawn from a pool of GNR Oliver Cromwell last visited ‘N2’ 0-6-2T No. 1744, LNER ‘B12’ the railway in 2013, having also 4-6-0 No. 8572, BR ‘4MT’ Mogul officially ‘christened’ the line’s main No. 76084, GER ‘Y14’ 0-6-0 No. 564, line connection at Sheringham in BR ‘9F’ 2-10-0 No. 92203 Black March 2010.

Prince, and WD ‘Austerity’ 2-10-0 Further details on the No. 90775.

JOHN HILLIER

Special anniversary member rates to support Bahamas THE Bahamas Locomotive Society is preparing to celebrate the imminent return of its flagship LMS ‘Jubilee’ No. 45596 Bahamas at Tyseley Locomotive Works by offering a special anniversary membership rate.

The idea for the scheme pivots around 2018 marking a string of 50th anniversaries connected with the Stanier 4-6-0, including its first preservation steaming in March 1968, the end of BR steam that August, and No. 45596’s breaking of the steam ban in the November

when it steamed to its then home at Dinting Railway Centre.

For a limited period new members can join the society for just £15.75, which was the price of a ticket on BR’s last steam-hauled passenger train – the ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’ – on August 11, 1968. This represents a saving of £14.25, and will provide full membership until December 31, 2019.

The offer is open until October 31 and applications should be made online at: www.bahamas45596.co.uk

No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell was the starlet of the End of Steam events in 1968, pictured here with the Manchester Rail Travel Society and the Severn Valley Railway Society’s ‘Farewell to BR Steam’ at Manchester Victoria on July 28 that year. PETE SKELTON

…after double-weekend starring role in Great Central’s bumper 1968 celebration BEFORE No. 70013 ventures back to Norfolk it has a double weekend in service at the Great Central Railway as the Loughborough line commemorates the events of early-August 1968, which culminated in the running of the ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’.

The End of BR Steam Gala livery, in which guise No. 2999 takes place over the weekends will make its debut before a full of August 4-5 and 11-12 with repaint into Great Western green. ‘Cromwell’ playing the central Cab fittings are going on and role. the safety valves and steam Also in action will be Stanier manifold have also been fitted.

‘8F’ 2-8-0 No. 48624, subject to The loco is pictured on June 26, receiving an extension to its and although the GWS has not boiler certificate, and BR ‘5MT’ said exactly when the loco will 4-6-0 No. 73156. The intention be rolled out, the hope is it will is that both locomotives will be during this summer. be renumbered as Nos. 48476 FRANK DUMBLETON and 73069, respectively,

Return of the ‘Saint’

THE Great Western Society’s re-created ‘Saint’ No. 2999 Lady of Legend will soon make a longanticipated comeback for the class that disappeared from our railways in October 1953.

Work on getting the locomotive ready for its debut continues at Didcot as the new cladding sheets and smokebox are rubbed down ready for application of BR lined black

which hauled the Railway Correspondence & Travel Society’s (RCTS) ‘End of Steam Commemorative Railtour’ (1L50) from Manchester to Blackburn on August 4, 1968.

At the time of writing the railway was hopeful two locos currently under overhaul may be available to join the line-up if completed on time. These are ‘8F’ No. 48305, which just managed to make it into the list of locos that survived until 1968, and ‘Black Five’ No. 45305, although the Stanier ‘5MT’ is doubtful and a question mark hangs over the other ‘8F’.

Green-liveried ‘9F’ No. 92214 may appear instead if the ‘8F’ is not ready in time.

However, to add that extra

1968 feel some trains will be worked by BR green diesels, most likely Type 4 No. D123 of Type 2 No. D5185.

The weekends will both feature an intensive timetable that includes a mixture of passenger and freight trains, with re-creations of the ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’ running over the second weekend.

No. 70013 will be suitably adorned with a 1T57 reporting number for the occasion.

Other attractions include the railway’s Summer Vintage Vehicle Festival at Quorn over the first weekend, and guided tours of Loughborough shed during the second.

For more information visit: www.gcrailway.co.uk

Six-figure cash injection helps Aln Valley line reach halfway to Alnmouth ALN Valley Railway is well on the way to achieving its long-held goal of re-linking Alnwick to Alnmouth by rail following a £146,000 local tourism grant from the European Union and the

cycle network Sustrans.

The money, which includes 20% match funding from Sustrans, will be used to develop a new halt and run-round loop at Greenrigg, about halfway between

the line’s current Alnwick Lionheart terminus and Alnmouth.

The new Greenrigg Halt will feature a passenger platform and a siding, upon which LMS-pattern ex-BR BG

No. 31407 will sit.

The 1950-built vehicle will be converted to provide a waiting room, toilet and cafe facilities to serve the railway’s customers, cyclists and walkers.

When complete the run out to Greenrigg Halt will give the AVR a 1½-mile running line, which the railway hopes will result in an increase in passenger numbers and revenue for the railway.

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 73

Steam & Heritage Track Record SIDELINES Sir Keith Park to Buckfastleigh…

SOUTHERN Locomotives Ltd’s (SLL) Swanage-based‘Battle of Britain’No. 34053 Sir Keith Park moved to the Buckfastleigh works of South Devon Railway Engineering on July for attention to the middle couple wheel axleboxes.The loco was withdrawn on June 3, but an offer to use the Buckfastleigh wheeldrop should hasten a return to traffic.

…and 257 Squadron ready for service

MEANWHILE another SLL‘Battle of Britain’Pacific – No. 34072 257 Squadron – has been declared fit for service at Herston Works.

Its entry into traffic was delayed after one of the coupled wheel springs seized, preventing movement of the axlebox within the horns.The loco now awaits approval before entering traffic at the Swanage Railway.

Little Bowden Junction moves again

THE former signalbox from Little Bowden Junction, near Market Harborough, moved for the second time in preservation on July 5.The Midland Railway ’box first moved from its original site to the Coventry Steam Railway Centre (later the Electric Railway Museum) at Baginton in the mid-1980s, but following the closure of the museum it has moved again to the Battlefield Line, where it will eventually be re-erected at Shenton.

‘Grange’to Tyseley for boiler fitting

NEWBUILD‘Grange’No. 6880 Betton Grange was transferred from the Llangollen Railway toTyseley LocomotiveWorks (TLW) on June 25 in order to have its newly rebuilt boiler fitted.The boiler, ex-No. 7927 Willington Hall, has recently been completed byTLW, and its installation within the frames marks another milestone for this close-to-completion project.

Worth Valley celebrates 50 wonderful years

THE end of June saw the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway celebrate 50 years of steam operations with an eight-day steam spectacular that featured a blend of original pioneers, returning favourites and visiting ‘royalty’.

The royalty in question was LMS‘7P’4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot, which together with newly overhauled Ivatt ‘2MT’2-6-2T No. 41241 led the celebrations of half a century of high achievement.

The commemorations kicked off on June 24 with the official relaunch of No. 41241 into traffic.

Fresh from overhaul and carrying the striking crimson‘house’livery as applied in 1968 (the fledgling KWVR not being permitted to run locomotives in BR livery), the‘2MT’took part in a special members’day in which all KWVR members enjoyed free travel.

Old favourite

The presence of Royal Scot for the first few days of the gala not only gave the railway a high-profile visitor, but also paid tribute to one of the railway’s first locomotives – No. 46115 Scots Guardsman – which was resident on the line, albeit non-operationally, between 1966 and 1969.

During its short stay Royal Scot top-and-tailed services between July 25-27 with No. 41241, while old favourite No. 34092 City of Wells, visiting from the East Lancashire Railway, ‘Black Five’No. 45212 and‘4MT’4-6-0 No. 75078 worked the remainder of the services.

July 28 saw operations handed

New push to complete Hawksworth ‘County’ boiler THE Great Western Society has launched a targeted fundraising campaign to raise the £125,000 required to complete the unique ‘Standard No. 15’ boiler for its Hawksworth 4-6-0 No. 1014 County of Glamorgan.

Income from the appeal will be used to unite the Stanier ‘8F’ firebox from No. 48518, as modified by LNWR Heritage in Crewe, with the two new tapered barrel sections manufactured by Barnshaws Engineering in Dudley.

It will also pay for the fitting of the front tubeplate, superheater header and tubes.

The work will be carried out by Heritage Boiler Steam Services (HBSS) at Swanwick Junction, and is expected to start as soon as HBSS has finished the boiler for ‘Patriot’ No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior next year.

To raise the required sum

the GWS is seeking 100 people to contribute £1,000 each, either as a one-off donation or monthly over one, two or three years. By claiming Gift Aid on each donation the GWS should reach the £125,000 target.

The order for the smokebox and smokebox saddle, door ring, tubeplate, and rear ring was expected to be placed by the time this issue of The RM closed for press, with the aim of being able to assemble the front end of the loco by the end of the year.

An original ‘County’ double chimney from No. 1006 County of Cornwall has already been obtained.

For details on how to donate visit www.gwcountyproject.org. uk or write to Richard Croucher, County Project, Great Western Society, Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot OX11 7NJ.

74 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Newly restored Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T No. 41241 and ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45212 are seen near Oakworth during a special members’ day to mark the official relaunch of the ‘2MT’ on June 24. DAVE COLLIER

over to the vintage and small been turned out in a fresh coat ‘S160’2-8-0 No. 5820 were all in locomotives, including the of BR black, and took part in a action during the special day, Severn Valley Railway’s‘57XX’ special Midland shed line up at which was rounded off by a visit 0-6-0PT No. 7714. The pannier Haworth before moving into the from GBRf Class 66 No. 66784. was on hand to represent museum at Oxenhope.

The ‘66’was on hand to have another of the KWVR’s early The big day was June 29, which the name Keighley & Worth Valley pioneers – classmate No. 5775 – marked 50 years to the day since Railway 50th Anniversary 1968which famously starred in the No. 41241 and ochre-liveried 2018 bestowed upon it before 1970 film adaption of E Nesbit’s ‘USA’0-6-0T No. 72 hauled the working the 16.10 from Keighley The Railway Children, but alas is official reopening train. to Oxenhope (see p102). currently out of traffic.

The gala was wrapped up with The day also provided an ‘First train’ re-creation a Mixed Traffic Day on June 30 opportunity for the Bahamas The‘Yank Tank’has since that saw 11 locomotives in Locomotive Society’s LNWR left the railway, but at 14.25, action, and a Diesel Day on July 1 Webb 0-6-2 ‘Coal Tank’No. 1054 No. 41241 pulled out of Keighley that featured both a‘Deltic’and to join the party, along with‘4F’ with a re-creation of that a Class 50.

0-6-0 No. 43924. first train. The stock included In total the railway carried A fitting touch for the event Southern Railway Corridor Brake 6,557 passengers during the was the cosmetic restoration of Third No. S3554S, known as the course of the event, almost the railway’s first resident steam ‘Chatham’; Pullman Parlour Thirds double that carried during the locomotive, the L&Y‘Pug’0-4-0ST Nos. 83 and 84; and Metropolitan same period last year.

No. 51218. Although it is ‘Dreadnoughts’Nos. 427 and 465.

For more images from the gala, non-operational, the ‘Pug’has Nos. 34092, 7714, 45212 and see Steam Portfolio on page 78.

‘B17’ trust looks ahead to ‘rolling chassis’ THE B17 Locomotive Trust has begun design work for the boiler and rolling chassis for its new-build LNER Gresley 4-6-0 No. 61673 Spirit of Sandringham, currently under construction at the Llangollen Railway.

Work is progressing at a steady rate on the locomotive’s main frames in Wales; the cast and fabricated frame stays have all been delivered and started to be trial fitted within the frames.

Design work

As a result of this progress the B17SLT has turned its attention to the next stage of the build, and design work is well underway on the sub-assemblies and components that will be required to wheel the frames.

Detailed designs are being created for the wheels, roller bearings (a departure from original ‘B17’ practice) and

The rolling chassis and boiler assembly for new ‘B17’ No. 61673 are shown in CAD form complete with ‘A1’ pattern bogie. DAVID ELLIOTT/B17SLT

axles. However, a peculiarity of the project requires each driving axle to have a different design for the pair of horn blocks.

In parallel with this the

design specification for the boiler has also been created, and the trust is in discussion with potential manufacturers to create a full-detailed design and provide cost estimates.

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

LMS stalwart ‘Eric’ returns after work at Grosmont THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s stalwart ‘Black Five’ No. 4528 Eric Treacy has emerged from overhaul at the railway’s Grosmont works.

The Stanier 4-6-0 had its vacuum ejector, dome cover and regulator handle fitted on July 2, after which it was posed for this photograph before

being taken back into the running shed for a washout.

On July 5 the LMSliveried loco made its first post-overhaul moves after successfully passing its steam test, with further tests being undertaken on July 20.

Running in trials began two days later. ANDREW JEFFERY

Rocket to be re-homed at NRM, York

GEORGE and Robert Stephenson’s celebrated 0-2-2 Rocket is to become a permanent exhibit at the National Railway Museum.

The Science Museum Group confirmed on July 24 that priceless artefact will become a long-term exhibit in York following display at MOSI, Manchester, and the Science Museum later this autumn.

Rocket is pictured at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle as part of the Great Exhibition of the North, which runs until September 22. MICHAEL DENHOLM

Temporary loco shortage dilemma at Buckfastleigh THE Cornish Steam the completion of its 22-year Locomotive Preservation restoration last year.

Society’s Bagnall‘Austerity’ The loco shortage was a 0-6-0ST No. 75178 result of the railway’s‘57XX’ (2766/1944) arrived at the No. L92 (5786) slipping a tyre South Devon Railway (SDR) at the start of July. Repairs on July 5 for what became a had originally been expected problem-filled hire period. to take some weeks, but The Bodmin-based loco had fortunately it was back in originally been hired in to take service by the end of the part in the railway’s July 6-8 month. Meanwhile‘4575’ 1940s Weekend, but ended up No. 5526 is on hire at the sitting out the event with an Chinnor & Princess Risborough eccentric strap issue.

Railway.

This was subsequently ■ A proposal by the South rectified, and the loco finally Devon Railway Trust and underwent trails on July 13.

Dumbleton Hall Preservation Its stay was to be extended Society to exchange its in order to provide muchout-of-ticket GWR‘2884’ needed support for‘64XX’ 2-8-0 No. 3803 with the West 0-6-0PT No. 6412 which, at Somerset Railway Association’s the time, was the SDR’s only ‘Small Prairie’No. 4561 has operational steam locomotive. been rejected by the WSRA. Unfortunately the‘Austerity’ In spite of finding favour with failed again during testing and some in the WSRA, concerns was likely to return to Bodmin over the effect the heavy for attention before this issue freight 2-8-0 would have on went on sale. the West Somerset Railway The visit was No. 75178’s track led to the association first away from Bodmin since deciding to keep the‘45XX’.

Cold ‘Castles’ Nos. 5080 Defiant and 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe look on as classmate No. 7029 Clun Castle steals the limelight at the Tyseley Works Open Day on July 1. PETER ZABEK

Earl of Mount Edgcumbe withdrawn

TYSELEY’S‘Castle’No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe will play no part in the immediate future of the new Vintage Trains train operating company after being withdrawn early.

Visitors to the Tyseley Open Weekend on June 30-July 1 were surprised to find the popular 4-6-0 on static display, a result of the preliminary work to get the ‘Castle’ready for its planned use on two trains to the South West for the Railway Touring Company on July 22 and 28.

During these preparations it is understood the Tyseley Locomotive Works (TLW) team found significant issues that would require attention before the loco could venture onto the main line, and with its boiler certificate expiring in October, it was decided it would not be worth rectifying the problems for just a few months’work.

No. 5043 first steamed in preservation 10 years ago, but will now hand the Vintage Trains mantle back to classmate

No. 7029 Clun Castle.

Commissioning trials have yet to take place for the flagship locomotive, and no work on No. 5043’s overhaul will take place until these have been completed.

The work on‘Edgcumbe’is not expected to throw up any major concerns, and it is expected the loco will return to traffic in 2020.

The use of the‘Castles’is core to Tyseley’s strategic vision, so getting No. 5043 back in service will be a priority for the TLW.

Farewell to Furness No. 20

FURNESS Railway 0-4-0 No. 20, Great Britain’s oldest working standard gauge steam locomotive, bowed out of traffic at the Ribble Steam Railway on July 8.

The 1863-built veteran was the star of two days’running at Preston, as seen here as it prepares to cross the Marina Bridge with a service for

Strand Road on July 7.

The locomotive’s owner, the Furness RailwayTrust, is expected to start work on No. 20’s overhaul very soon. BRIAN DOBBS

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 75

Irish News Track Record COMPILED BY

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SIDELINES Lord O’Neill steps down after 54 years

THE RPSI’s long-standing president, Lord O’Neill of Shane’s Castle, has stepped down from the role after an impressive 54 years.

Lord O’Neill had served as president of the society since its inception in 1964, a record term in the heritage movement, and will continue to remain involved as a patron.

He has been succeeded by Dr Joan Smyth CBE, a former chair of Translink.

Rolls-Royce to rebuild Class 22000 engines

ROLLSROYCE has been awarded a contract with Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail to rebuild three MTU 6H1800 PowerPacks from a Class 22000 Railcar on the Dublin-Cork route.

The engines will be rebuilt with new ZF EcoWorld transmissions instead of the current Voith units, which could offer fuel savings of up to 19% as well as lower CO² emissions.

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Dry weather curtails Merlin’s braking trials

THE Republic of Ireland’s hottest June and July in more than 40 years brought its own share of problems for Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail, not least the suspension of services between Bray and Greystones on July 13 after a huge gorse fire on Bray Head.

Yet for the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s (RPSI) Dublin operation the hot spell could not have come at a worse time.

On June 24, GNR(I) Compound 4-4-0 No. 85 Merlin arrived at the RPSI’s Connolly shed from Whitehead in anticipation of hauling the sell-out ‘Sea Breeze’ from Dublin to Wexford on July 8, and the add-on ‘The Strand’ tour from Wexford down to Rosslare that same day. However, as temperatures continued to soar, the skies remained devoid of rain, and the RPSI announced on June 28 the tour would run diesel-hauled as a precaution against fire risk.

“We felt it was the right decision under the circumstances,” explained the RPSI’s Dublin locomotive officer Gerry Mooney.

“The fire risk was obviously a major consideration and we have our reputation to think of, but we also had to think about water conservation and take a responsible line.”

Grey-liveried Class 071 No. 072 subsequently deputised for No. 85 on the ‘Sea Breeze’, but the society also made the bold step of cancelling ‘The Boyne’ tour on July 22.

Disappointingly for the society, the dry spell also prevented Merlin from undertaking a series of braking trials the previous day on July 7 which, if successful, would have increased the locomotive’s maximum permitted speeds for ‘light engine’ moves.

“At the moment No. 85 is limited

GM Class 071 No. 072 deputises for the RPSI’s GNR(I) ‘V’ No. 85 Merlin as it heads the ‘Sea Breeze’ railtour through Sydney Parade DART station on the outward leg to Wexford on July 8. BARRY PICKUP

WHITEHEAD KEEPS STEAM ALIVE DURING HEATWAVE MAIN line steam operations DCDR was expected to resume were not the only steam steam operations over the services affected by the June/ weekend on July 21-22.

July heatwave, as heritage operations also saw steam give Substitute way to diesel as a fire precaution.

Elsewhere, the Irish Steam The Downpatrick & County Preservation Society’s 3ft-gauge Down Railway’s (DCDR) Stradbally Woodland Railway ex-Irish Sugar O&K 0-4-0T No. 1 was also forced to substitute remained in the shed for the steam for diesel for its Stradbally start of the summer timetable Goes to War weekend on July on July 1, with ex-Irish Rail Class 14-15. Services were in the 141 No. 146 standing in. The hands of ex-Electricity Supply picture was repeated on July 8 Board Ruston 4wDM No. 4 Rusty and the 14-15 weekend, but the instead of former Bord na Móna to 30mph in either direction when travelling light engine,” Mr Mooney told The RM. “There is limited pathing available owing to this speed restriction, and it is becoming very difficult to move the loco around the system at 30mph.

“The trials would have resulted in No. 85 having the restriction

increased to 50mph when running chimney first and 40mph when tender first, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it would have made a huge difference to what we can do with the loco.”

It is hoped the trials can be rescheduled for a later date.

■ Northern Ireland also spent much of June and July in the

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT No. 2 (2264/1949).

This effectively left the RPSI’s Hudswell, Clarke 0-4-0ST No. 3BG as the sole operational steam locomotive in all-Ireland during the heatwave.

With no encroaching vegetation at Whitehead and being an enclosed site, the ex-Guinness Brewery loco is due to give rides within the confines of the Whitehead Railway Museum site on Saturdays throughout August. grip of a heatwave, leading to Northern Ireland Railways (Translink) imposing a speed restriction on June 28 owing to the potential risk of buckled rails. Just as in Dublin, RPSI’s ‘Steam & Jazz’ special on July 6 ended up being cancelled as a direct consequence of the dry conditions.

General Motors mix for next RPSI fundraiser

Cavan’s Nancy ready for boiler THE return of steam to Cavan & Leitrim Railway (C&L) metals could be just a few months away after the Dromod line’s Avonside 0-6-0T Nancy was returned to the workshops of Alan Keef Ltd at Ross-on-Wye in early July for the completion of its restoration.

The ex-Stanton Ironworks Company loco has been at Keef’s

since 1999, but has recently been in store while the funds were raised to complete the work.

Its new Israel Newton-built boiler is already on site, and the C&L’s Micheal Kennedy told The RM he hopes to have the loco back by the end of the year.

MICHEAL KENNEDY

76 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

THE RPSI will once again be running a special diesel railtour on October 13, specifically to raise funds for the ongoing overhaul of its GM ‘B121’ No. 134 at Inchicore.

The ‘Southwestern Railtour’ will feature a mix of both Class 071 and 201 haulage as it makes its way from Dublin to Cork and Cobh and return.

The tour is expected to leave Dublin Connolly at around 07.45, heading down the main line to Cork, where the loco will be changed before running out to Cobh. Here, the original loco will re-join the train for the next stage to Limerick.

Passengers will experience a genuine ‘first’ for the RPSI’s diesel railtours as it makes a non-stop run through Cork via the avoiding line up to Limerick Junction and on into Limerick itself.

After about an hour’s layover and another loco swap, the tour will depart Limerick and head northwards along the Western Rail Corridor via Ennis and Gort to Athenry, where the train will join the Galway to Dublin line.

It will then proceed back towards Dublin via Athlone, Portarlington, with an expected arrival back at Connolly around 21.00.

Photo calls

As usual on such trips a number of photo calls will be written into the timetable, including at less frequently visited stations on the Cobh line and along the Western Rail Corridor.

Tickets are priced at €70 (£63) plus online booking fee, and can be ordered at: www.steamtrainsireland.com/

whats-on/25/south-western ■ The overhaul of No. 134 by Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail is proceeding according to plan, with the loco on course to be “more or less complete by October” according to the RPSI’s Gerry Mooney.

All of the electrical equipment that has been overhauled off site is now back at Inchicore, and everything that has been removed is now ready to go back on.

“The bogie frames are being repaired at the moment and, owing to the lack of any suitable accommodation bogies, the loco cannot really be moved,” said Mr Mooney. “Once the bogies are back underneath the loco, it will move to the body shop, where we don’t anticipate it spending any more than six weeks max.”

Industrial Steam Track Record COMPILED BY

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SIDELINES Second Peckett for Stainmore

FORMER Preston Gas Works Peckett ‘R4’ 0-4-0ST Lytham St Anne’s (2111/1949) has gone on hire from the Midland Railway-Butterley to the Stainmore Railway at Kirkby Stephen East.

The locomotive worked its first trains on July 14, having arrived by road on June 27. It is expected to stay on the line for at least 12 months, joining resident Peckett 0-4-0ST F C Tingey (2084/1948), which is close to a return to steam following an interim overhaul.

First train for Tanfield’s No. 49

THE Tanfield Railway’s newly outshopped Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 49 (7098/1943) worked its first post-overhaul trains on July 8.

The ex-Backworth Colliery loco had been out of traffic since September 2011 and has been the subject of a major overhaul, including the fitting of a new inner firebox.

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Veteran A No. 5 bows out at North Tyneside Railway

AGE finally caught up with the Stephenson Railway Museum’s (SRM) Kitson 0-6-0T A No. 5 (2509/1883) on July 6 when the veteran Consett Iron Company ‘long boiler’ loco was withdrawn for the foreseeable future.

The locomotive is the only operational example of Robert Stephenson’s innovative ‘long boiler’ design, and returned to operation condition in 2013 at the North Tyneside Steam Railway/Stephenson Railway Museum.

At the time of its return to service it was known it would need to be treated with due reverence, and subsequently it was used sparingly in favour of Peckett ‘OX1’ 0-6-0ST Ashington No. 5 (1970/1939), although it did cover for the Peckett during a 2016 retube, and also visited the Tanfield Railway in 2015.

“She was on borrowed time, I think, and working at a reduced boiler pressure, but at least she came back out into traffic between 2013 and 2018,” said the museum’s engineer Robin Gibson.

Concern

“The firebox and boiler tubeplates have given us concern recently, and I decided to withdraw it from traffic prior to the NDT inspection, which was due in November anyway.”

A No. 5 was delivered in 1883, 11 years after the first of its type was introduced at Consett, and almost 50 years before the final one entered service. In 1947 it passed to the National Coal Board, becoming NCB No. 41.

In later years it earned something of a celebrity status at Derwenthaugh Coke Works,

Kitson 0-6-0T A No. 5 and ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 71515 head away from Marley Hill with a coal train for Sunniside during the Tanfield Railway’s Legends of Industry gala on June 20, 2015.

DAVE HEWITT

being the last survivor of its type.

As was often the case in locomotive workshops, parts would often be interchanged with those from similar engines, and when No. 41 was finally retired in 1968 it was effectively a combination of parts from at least three of its classmates.

Prohibitive

While many would like to see this historic and popular loco return to service, an overhaul is unlikely in the present climate owing to the prohibitive cost for its owner – Tyne & Wear Museums.

A new boiler would be

required if A No. 5 was to see action again, so for the foreseeable future it will go on display within the SRM. Its place in the railway’s working fleet will be taken by Bagnall 0-6-0ST No. 401 Thomas Burt MP (2994/1950 Vulcan) – see separate story below.

BOILER BACK IN FOR TYNESIDE BAGNALL THE much-anticipated return to traffic of ex-Steel Company of Wales Bagnall 0-6-0ST No. 401 (2994/1950) at the North Tyneside Steam Railway is now tantalisingly close after the boiler was returned to the frames on July 13.

Fortunately, the operation did not fall foul of any ‘Friday the 13th’ glitches and was completed smoothly and successfully.

The race is now on to get the ‘high-tech’ loco reassembled, with boiler lagging and cladding being the next steps, followed by the fitting of the tank, cab and pipework.

ROBIN GIBSON

Industrial steam side-lined as heatwave sees precautions taken across the UK THE common theme of fire risk during the June/July heatwave hit a number of our preserved industrial railways, which like their larger counterparts took operational precautions to prevent the risk of fire.

Following the fires on Saddleworth Moor and elsewhere the Chasewater Railway’s July 1 steam services were replaced by diesel, and the self-imposed steam ban continued over subsequent weekends, and remains in-situ at the time of writing.

With much of Chasewater Country Park tinder dry, the railway has conducted programme of controlled burning on high risk sections as a precaution.

A similar picture was seen at the Middleton Railway (MR), which also turned services over to diesel to guard against fire and safeguard the wellbeing

of its steam crews in the hot weather.

Sadly, the railway still suffered from the effects of a major blaze on July 15 that devastated the Jewson yard, which borders the Moor Road station site.

Damage

The intense heat damaged the external cladding of the Engine House Museum, destroying the external public address system, and melting a waste bin, but it was fortunate the museum escaped largely unscathed given the close proximity of the Jewson site.

However, a BR ‘Palvan’ that was on a siding next to the site suffered considerable damage, with the loss of the tools that were stored within.

The railway estimates the cost to repair all of the damage to be in the region of £20,000.

The difficulty of getting fire

appliances to the more remote stretches of the Foxfield Railway was the deciding factor in that line’s decision to replace steam with diesel over the June 30-July 1 weekend.

However, the railway subsequently came up with an ingenious solution that permitted the use of steam on following weekends.

A fire-fighting train, laden with four large tanks of water, hoses and a pump, followed each passenger train up the line and dealt with any fires. Its use has been heralded as a great success.

While other lines such as the Ribble Steam Railway, Tanfield Railway and Pontypool & Blaenavon have largely been able to maintain full steam services unimpeded, the Plym Valley Railway ‘s Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 705 (2047/1937) was paired with a diesel to reduce the risk of spark throwing.

Bagnall takes starring role at Ketton cement open day THE Chasewater Railway’s Bagnall 0-4-0ST Dunlop No. 6 spent the weekend of June 30-July 1 at Hanson Cement’s works at Ketton, Rutland, to take part in the works’ annual open day on the 30th.

With the help of tank side vinyls the Bagnall assumed the guise of Ketton Portland Cement Co Lt No. 3, pictured here during a photo charter on July 1.

ALISTAIR GRIEVE

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 77

Steam Portfolio Track Record Bulleid ‘West Country’ No. 34092 City of Wells is back on familiar turf as it climbs Oakworth Bank with the 11.25 non-stop Keighley to Oxenhope service on June 24. ANDREW SOUTHWELL

USATC ‘S160’ 2-8-0 No. 5820 ‘Big Jim’ heads along the ‘GN Straight’ with the 15.50 KeighleyOxenhope train on June 24.

ANDREW SOUTHWELL

Ex-LMS ‘Royal Scot’ 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot leaves Haworth with the 10.00 departure for Oxenhope on June 27. BARRY MARTIN

78 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Keighley & Worth Valley 50th Anniversary Special

L&Y ‘Pug’ No. 51218 shows off its newly applied BR black livery at Haworth shed, flanked by ‘Black Five’ No. 45212 and No. 34092 City of Wells, while ‘4F’ No. 43924 lurks behind.

EDDIE BOBROWSKI

The Severn Valley Railway’s ‘57XX’ No. 7714 rekindles memories of the KWVR’s own pannier No. 5775 as it works a morning goods across Mytholmes Viaduct on June 30.

ANDREW DENNISON

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 79

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SINGLE LINES ■ PLANNING consent for construction of a new Douglas Bay Horse Tramway depot at Strathallan Crescent in the style of the original 1902 structure (RM March) was granted on July 3.

Department of Infrastructure is now expected to seek funding from Tynwald (Manx parliament) for construction.

■ RHYL Miniature Railway’s Albert Barnes & Co 4-4-2 No. 102 Railway Queen received a boiler ticket following overhaul on June 14. On June 17, double-heading with Rhyl’s 1925-built Barnes 4-4-2 No. 105 Michael, it pulled a passenger train for the first time in 29 years, and worked its first solo passenger service on July 1.

■ CONSTRUCTION of a new observation car for Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway (R&ER) is at an advanced stage at Ffestiniog Railway’s (FR) Boston Lodge works.

The new vehicles – the first of a series – will represent a significant upgrade in seating and interior fittings compared with R&ER’s current saloon vehicles, which date from 1967.

DIARY August 4 Abbey Pumping Station, Leicester railway gala 4-5 Great Bush Railway, East Sussex, running days 11-12 Devon Railway Centre, steam weekend 11-12 West Lancs Light Railway, steam gala 19 Amberley Museum, petrol locos day 26 Bressingham Steam Museum, everything goes 26-27 RHDR, Dymchurch Day of Syn 27 Westonzoyland Pumping Station, railway gala 31-Sept 2 WLLR, summer gala September 1-8 Manx Electric Railway, 125th anniversary 2 Twyford Water Works open day, Hants 8 Statfold Barn Railway, invitation open day 14-15 Perrygrove Railway, vintage weekend 14-16 WHR, Super-power 15-16 Hayling Seaside Railway, 30th anniversary event 22 Alan Keef, open day

War Office Hunslet makes steam debut

THE War Office Locomotive Trust’s ex-WDLR Hunslet 4-6-0T No. 303 (1215/1916) made its debut in steam at a private July 8 event at Statfold Barn Railway.

The locomotive was bought in Australia in 2004 by The War Office Locomotive Society and returned to Britain in September 2005. Ownership was then transferred to the specially formed trust in early-2012.

Restoration started when the boiler was lifted in February 2012, with the frames then going to a private restoration base where work started in earnest.

The task undertaken by the volunteer team led by Martyn Ashworth proved far more challenging and costly than envisaged, with numerous unexpected problems arising.

Nearly 21,000 hours were expended bringing the restoration to a conclusion.

The first fire was lit in the new Israel Newton boiler (out of frames) on April 10 and in early-May the boiler passed its official steam test, with final assembly continuing up to the end of June.

No. 303 was moved to Statfold for testing and a launch for donors and supporters, there being no railway at the private restoration base.

Following speeches by Ian Hughes and Martyn Ashworth, No. 303 moved off the shed apron at 12.15 precisely to haul its first passenger train.

Between July 13-15 the loco appeared at the Apedale Valley Light Railway's Tracks to the Trenches event, pairing up with fellow WDLR Baldwin No. 778.

A sight not seen in Britain for 60 years: A War Department Hunslet 4-6-0T in steam – and appropriately guarded by a First World War uniformed soldier. At the microphone is restoration team leader Martyn Ashworth. To the right (also in First World War attire) is War Office Locomotive Trust chairman Ian Hughes, who secured the purchase of WDLR No. 303 in Australia in 2004. Beside Ian is Alan Freebury, while standing beside Statfold Barn Railway’s Hunsletbuilt 0-4-2ST 3902/1971 Trangkil No. 4 is Mike Lynsky, both members of the team who restored No. 303. CLIFF THOMAS

Swiss train to make history Car hits Welsh Highland on Snowdon in September Garratt on level crossing A SWISS rack railway locomotive will visit Snowdon Mountain Railway (SMR) in September.

The concept, first raised at the end of 2016, has been progressed by Switzerland Travel Centre to promote travel in that country.

1891-built Brienz Rothorn Bahn (BRB) No. 2 and BRB coach No. B1 will arrive at SMR’s Llanberis base around August 28-29, with the launch of services on September 1.

Swiss crew

The BRB train, operated by a Swiss crew, will work four return trips from Llanberis to Waterfall station each day except Fridays throughout September, the last train running on September 30.

Travel on the 20-minute round

trip will be free on a first come, first served basis, not requiring purchase of an SMR ticket.

Between trips the loco and coach will be in the Llanberis arrivals platform enabling footplate visits and photographs.

Rack

SMR and BRB are both 800mm-gauge (2ft 7½in) lines employing the Abt rack system, developed by Swiss engineer Roman Abt. SMR’s steam locos (superficially 0-4-2Ts, although the drive is via the rack pinions) were all built by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur, Switzerland.

This will be the first time a locomotive normally operational in Switzerland has visited a British line.

Everything and anything goes at Talyllyn event

THE Talyllyn Railway marked the first occasion in many years that all of its steam and diesel locos were in working order with an Anything Goes event on June 16.

Hughes 0-4-2ST No. 3 Sir Haydn is now back in service following overhaul, Kerr, Stuart 0-4-2ST No. 4 Edward Thomas is back in traffic following wheelset attention, and Baguley Drewry diesel No. 11 Trecwn is also now painted and fitted with air braking, The window for such an opportunity was narrow since Fletcher, Jennings 0-4-2ST No. 1 Talyllyn was withdrawn for overhaul on June 18.

The day was rounded off by all six TR locos departing Tywyn Wharf around 18.15 in company to Pendre.

Approaching Pendre, arranged in Talyllyn numerical order: Leading are Fletcher, Jennings 0-4-2ST No. 1 Talyllyn and 0-4-0T No. 2 Dolgoch, followed by Hughes 0-4-2ST No. 3 Sir Haydn, Kerr, Stuart 0-4-2ST No. 4 Edward Thomas, Barclay 0-4-0WT No. 6 Douglas, and Talyllyn 0-4-2T No. 7 Tom Rolt. BARBARA FULLER

82 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

THE Welsh Highland Railway’s (WHR) July 5 15.40 Garratthauled Porthmadog to Caernarfon service was halted when a car driven over a crossing near Beddgelert hit the train.

The car driver, who apparently ignored the ‘stop, look, listen’ sign, was fortunate to escape injury, although the car was a write-off.

Garratt ‘NG/G16’ No. 138 appears to have suffered only cosmetic damage, but the first two carriages sustained damage which will cost thousands of pounds to repair.

No passengers were injured.

Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) took control of the site briefly and police attended.

The site was released back to

WHR when the circumstances were understood and recovery operation completed.

More than 100 passengers completed their journey by road.

WHR services ran normally the following day.

RAIB will publish a safety digest following a June 10 incident when Garratt ‘NG/G16’ No. 143 derailed while hauling a WHR passenger train. The incident occurred at Clogwyny-Gwin South foot crossing at around 12.30 when the Garratt’s leading wheelset derailed following a suspension failure.

No. 143 was hauling nine coaches carrying 74 passengers and seven staff. There were no injuries. The locomotive and infrastructure sustained minor damage.

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

Darjeeling society marks its 20th anniversary at Beeches THE Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society celebrated its 20th anniversary with a steam event at Adrian Shooter’s private Beeches Light Railway on July 1.

Mr Shooter’s Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) Sharp, Stewart B-Class 0-4-0STT (3518/1888) No. 19 hauled a passenger train, comprising two replica DHR coaches, and

his replica Scindia State Railway carriage, plus two visiting locos were also in steam.

Bagnall 0-4-0ST Woto worked a train of replicated DHR goods stock, while Baguley 0-4-0T Rishra steamed back and forth along the station loop line; a wheel profile incompatibility with the station turnouts preventing running on the main line circuit.

Fairbourne Railway’s 12¼in-gauge 0-6-4ST Beddgelert pictured at Beddgelert having arrived as part of a special ‘Beddgelert to Beddgelert’ train, hauled by Ffestiniog Railway’s 2-6-2T Lyd. The train was driven up by Ffestiniog Railway general manager Paul Lewin, and back to Porthmadog by Fairbourne Railway general manager Murray Dods. CLIFF THOMAS

Beddgelert return-to-steam appeal launched in style

FAIRBOURNE Railway has launched an appeal to finance the returning to steam of its 12¼ingauge 0-6-4ST Beddgelert.

The half-size loco was designed and built by David Curwen in 1979/80, and based on the long-scrapped North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway’s (NWNGR) Hunslet 0-6-4ST Beddgelert.

It visited Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway’s June 22-24 Hunslet 125 gala (see p56),

initially displayed on a wagon in Minffordd yard.

On June 24, the wagon, with Beddgelert aboard, was added to a special Porthmadog to Beddgelert train, hauled by new-build Manning, Wardle 2-6-2T Lyd. The 12¼in-gauge Beddgelert was positioned alongside the station nameboard overlooking the village after which it was named – something the original NWNGR Beddgelert never did.

NWNGR primarily employed Beddgelert on the Bryngwyn branch, off the main line from Dinas at Tryfan Junction.

The loco rarely ventured as far as Rhyd Ddu. Out-of-ticket Beddgelert has been in the museum at Fairbourne for the last five years.

The Beddgelert Restoration Fund anticipates it will need to raise some £35,000 to return the loco to steam.

Talyllyn plans major redevelopment and extension of Pendre engineering facility TALYLLYN Railway Preservation Society’s (TRPS) council has approved the concept of redeveloping and expanding Talyllyn Railway’s (TR) Tywyn Pendre site.

Central to the proposal is construction of a new TR engineering facility on a vacant site in Pendre Enterprise Park, north of the line beyond the level crossing, next to TR’s Pendre station and loco shed.

All major engineering, overhaul and maintenance operations would be transferred to the new road-and-rail-connected location, which will be designed to meet

TR’s future needs, including undertaking all major locomotive and carriage maintenance in-house.

Running repairs

The historic loco shed and workshop and the south carriage shed, on the present Pendre site, will be restored and refurbished. Facilities built in the 1950s-1960s north of the line will be redeveloped to provide additional carriage storage, new staff facilities and offices. The site will retain a limited engineering capability to deal with running repairs, supplemented by

passenger-accessible heritage engineering displays.

The project essentially revives a proposal mooted but not progressed some years ago, with fresh impetus coming from a working group formed in October 2017 to consider options for redevelopment at Pendre.

The group’s proposal paper presented to the June 2018 TRPS council received unanimous approval.

The working group will now be expanded to develop the vision into a fully planned and costed project, with details expected to be revealed in September.

Patrick Keef’s Bagnall 0-4-0ST Woto hauls a train of replicated Darjeeling Himalayan Railway goods stock at Beeches Light Railway on July 1. CLIFF THOMAS

Lyn and Lyd loco exchange – with Devon double-heading THE 762 Club’s re-created Lynton & Barnstaple Railway (L&BR) Baldwin 2-4-2T No. E762 Lyn will visit Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway’s (F&WHR) September 14-16 WHR Super Power event.

This will be the first time Lyn has run at a railway other than L&BR. Lyn will appear on the same railway as fellow Lynton & Barnstaple Railway (L&BR) re-creation, Ffestiniog Railway’s new-build Manning, Wardle 2-6-2T Lyd, but will be based at Dinas throughout the visit working special trains between

Caernarfon and Rhyd Ddu, and the pair will not run doubleheaded during Super Power.

Following Super Power, Lyn will be accompanied back to Devon by Lyd, enabling the pair to appear at L&BR’s September 29-30 gala.

Lyd has previously visited L&BR, but prior to the commissioning of Lyn. As well as appearing together, the two replicated locos are expected to double-head Lynton & Barnstaple trains on revived L&BR trackbed.

New Decauville debut in steam

MER between Laxey and Ramsey under threat?

CONCERN has arisen over the the Laxey to Ramsey line. long-term future of the Laxey to A lengthy debate on the Ramsey section of Manx Electric document in Tynwald (Manx Railway (MER). parliament) resulted in An Isle of Man Government Members of the House of Keys document entitled Securing receiving the document, but Added Value & Efficiencies with an amendment noting (SAVE) Programme – Progress ‘they did not necessarily endorse Report June 2018 contains any specific proposals’. numerous proposals aimed at implementing economies across Subsidy all Government departments Consultants reviewing the with the aim of saving SAVE programme found the £15million by 2022/23. island’s heritage railways cost Possibilities include closure of £4.87m to operate but only

bring in £1.66m of revenue, thus requiring £3.41m taxpayerfunded subsidy. However, the railways are calculated as generating £4.5m of spending to the Manx economy each year.

The consultants rejected an option of truncating the steam railway to Castletown, but a proposal to close the MER between Laxey and Ramsey to save £708,000 has not been ruled out completely, the report saying detailed work is needed to understand the impact.

Decauville 0-4-0T Edgar pictured in steam at Beamish on July 1 with Beamish’s Paul Jarman and Gemma Reed on the footplate.

MARK SMITHERS

COMPLETED new-build 2ft-gauge, Bay Engineering Services Ltd three-ton Decauville 0-4-0T Edgar (RM Nov 2016). was unveiled in a public The partially completed Edgar ‘mini-launch’ at Beamish on July 1. was first seen in public last Built for John Sutton, it is the November at the Warley National first of a planned batch of such Model Railway Exhibition at locos to be constructed by North Birmingham’s NEC.

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 83

Heritage Trams Track Record Museum to honour electric pioneer with new exhibition COMPILED BY

GARY BOYD-HOPE

Call: 01507 529589 email: gboyd-hope @mortons.co.uk

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

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TRAMLINES ‘Standard’ 143 joins Blackpool heritage fleet

THE restoration of Blackpool ‘Standard’ car No. 143 has received a major boost after Blackpool Transport Services (BTS) agreed a 25-year loan of the 1924-built double-decker with owner, the Fylde Transport Trust.

The loan will enable BTS to complete the restoration work, after which it will be operated as part of the heritage fleet.

It is expected to return to active service next year.

Brush 623 returns to Heaton Park

LOUGHBOROUGHBUILT Brush railcoach No. 623 returned to its home at the Manchester Transport Museum Society’s Heaton Park Tramway during late-July after just over a year on hire at Blackpool.

The car worked its last services at its old stamping ground during the Tram Sunday weekend on July 14-15, then re-entered service at Heaton Park on July 22.

Wirral Museum re-opening delayed

THE new-look Wirral Transport Museum in Birkenhead was expected to open its doors to the public on July 21, almost two months after its original planned reopening date of May 26.

In spite of the best efforts from museum and Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society volunteers, it was not possible to get all exhibits into their correct position in time for the May deadline.

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MICHAEL Holroyd Smith, the pioneering inventor and father of the electric street tramway, will be commemorated in a new permanent exhibition at the National Tramway Museum (NTM) at Crich in Derbyshire.

The museum has been awarded a grant of £74,500 from the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) and Biffa Award to develop Holroyd Smith – Electrifying the Future, under its History Makers scheme.

The new exhibition will explore the life, inspiration and inventions of Holroyd Smith, who is relatively little-known outside the tramway world.

He was a pioneer of electric traction and a versatile electrical and mechanical inventor, recognising the potential advantages of electric traction over cable haulage for trams as early as 1882.

The following year he built three experimental narrow gauge electric tramways; one in his father’s warehouse, and two in the grounds of a friend’s home in Halifax.

These trials led directly to

Double-deck open-top car No. 10, built by G F Milnes to replace an earlier trailer, is pictured on Michael Holroyd Smith’s Blackpool Tramway at an unknown date. NATIONAL TRAMWAY MUSEUM

Holroyd Smith setting up a demonstration standard gauge conduit tramway line at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool in 1885, which in turn resulted in the formation of the Blackpool Electric Tramway Company later that year. A conduit-powered service was started along a two-mile stretch of the

promenade from Claremont Park to South Shore on behalf of Blackpool Corporation, thus becoming the first electric tramway for public use in Great Britain.

However, there was more to Holroyd Smith than tramways.

He influenced many other pioneers in the scientific

and engineering world, having invented a very early automobile, and even turned his attention to flight, as early as 1879. Between 1888 and 1890 he was responsible for the electrification of the City & South London Railway.

The NTM’s archive contains more than 1,000 items pertaining to Holroyd Smith, which are currently only available to researchers.

These will ultimately become more publically accessible in the new exhibition, which will be housed in the Great Exhibition Hall at Crich.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to share another area of our archive collection with our visitors,” said curator Laura Waters.

“The collection we have gives a fascinating look into the mind of Michael Holroyd Smith, his inventions and engineering skills to solve problems.

“As our pioneer of electric tramways in this country, we know his story well, and now we’re looking forward to sharing that with many more people.”

Seaton Tramway opens new £3million headquarters DEVON’S 2ft 9in-gauge Seaton Tramway formally opened its new £3million terminus station at Seaton on June 28 after 10 months of construction work.

The new facility is a big departure from the Edwardianstyle ticket office it replaces, being built in a contemporary modern style and making use of expansive glazing to make the best use of natural light.

Internal floor space covers 301sq m and includes a new gift shop and cafe, named ‘Claude’s’ after the tramway’s founder Claude Lane.

Some 450 tonnes of ballast, 300 sleepers and more than 190 piles have been used in the project, which sits two metres higher than its predecessor.

Four platforms provide covered accommodation for

four trams at night, which can be viewed by the public, while brand new interpretation explains the fascinating story of the tramway’s history and the origins of the route it follows.

Facilities have also been provided to enable the tramway to host a range of events and exhibitions, becoming a focal point for the community and a significant component in the regeneration of Seaton.

“The new project has been a huge undertaking by the tramway and represents major investment in the tourism economy of Seaton,” explained Seaton Tramway chief executive Jenny Nunn.

“The town has witnessed a very successful regeneration project over the past few years, and the new tram

The modern lines of the new Seaton Tramway terminus, showing how the site has been elevated by some two metres.

SEATON TRAMWAY

station will be one of the final pieces in the puzzle for the town’s regeneration project, and a unique addition to the Southwest’s coastline.

“It will enable the charity to attract even more visitors to the area than ever before.”

Since September the tram service had operated from the tramway’s Riverside Depot while construction at Seaton station was underway.

Tours around the depot were provided, but the last ran on June 27.

‘Centenary’ car 642 joins busy programme at Rigby Road 1986BUILT Blackpool ‘Centenary’ car No. 642 was taken into the paintshop at Rigby Road depot during late-May, pending a return to service after more than two years out of traffic.

The car, which last ran in January 2016, will receive modifications to the lower ends of the cab fronts, which will see the bus-styling return, albeit retaining the larger destination boxes and higher

84 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

roof side panelling.

The unpopular all-over yellow livery applied in 2006, which was showing its age by the time of the car’s withdrawal, will be replaced by the green & cream of Blackpool Corporation.

The work has been made possible through a lull in Blackpool Transport’s bus repaint programme, as No. 642 requires little more than cosmetic attention, which

should not take long before The restoration project of the tram can be returned to ‘Open Boat’ Car No. 227 is traffic. entering its final phase, with A full rewire of English the interior now fully Electric/Met-Cam ‘Twin Car’ re-varnished. motor coach No. 675 and trailer The work has largely been No. 685 (Set No. 5) is also now undertaken by volunteers in progress. from the Blackpool Civic Trust, It is hoped the work can be who have also stripped the completed in time to allow the tram’s overhauled and restored ‘Twin Car’ to return to operation car seat frames, while staff later this year, something not have carried out seat repairs seen on the Blackpool system and laid new flooring in both for some time. saloons.

Tours for all Tastes – By Rail The Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LCGB) has been arranging Overseas Tours for over 60 years and our Tours have an excellent reputation for reaching unusual destinations and providing value for money among enthusiasts keen to enjoy the railway systems of the world. Further details of our forthcoming Tours summarised below are available on our website and from the contacts shown below. Annual or temporary membership of the LCGB at very moderate cost is required to participate and travel insurance is mandatory.

INDIA – 27 January – 10 February 2019.

This fourteen day tour is designed for those wanting trains every day and those with more tourism interest, both together with very good hotels. It will start at Kolkata (Calcutta) and travel by train to Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) stopping at various places including Chennai (Madras), Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) and Kanyakumari, the most southerly station in India. Options will include crossing the 2 km long Pamban Sea Bridge. From Trivandrum we will fly to Mumbai (Bombay) to travel on the Matheran Hill Railway. For steam enthusiasts we will see various plinthed locomotives and we are hoping to have steam trains in Chennai and to Matheran. Tiruchirappalli has the major railway works of southern India and is also responsible for the overhaul of steam locomotives.Optional Sunderbans national park visit before Tour.

Cost estimate is £2160 (singles £500) excluding flights from UK. Also includes breakfasts and many dinners.

Further details from Chris Lewis at chrislewiscll@aol.com tel: 07720 755829.

Prototype n.g. diesel No.400 at Neral

Rebuilt No. 24818 on Puna train at Mumbai.

TAIWAN with options for SOUTH KOREA and NORTH BORNEO – March 2019.

Taiwan includes modern high speed lines and four branch lines, two with steam and a vintage railcar.Tour also includes steam charters and photography with depot visits, temples, museums and historic sites.

South Korea - includes visit to the Demilitarised Zone including rack line plus scenic mountain lines and historic sites.

Borneo – includes steam train ride and a railcar over the full length of the Sabah line.

Further details from Adrian Palmer at akpalmer@talktalk.net tel: 07774 859871.

SOUTH AFRICA – Stars of Sandstone Festival with optional main line extension – April 2019 Based at Ficksburg and returning after a very successful Tour in 2017 the visit offers numerous opportunities for narrow gauge steam travel and dramatic sunrise photography at the Sandstone Estate.

Optional main line steam charter from Bethlehem via Bloemfontein and Kimberley to Germiston (Johannesburg) – 4 days duration.

Further details from Adrian Palmer at akpalmer@talktalk.net tel: 07774 859871.

Updated information about these Tours, details of any future Tours and details of other LCGB activities can be found at www.lcgb.org.uk

Details of LCGB Overseas Study Tours can be found on the Club’s website along with booking and contact details for each Tour

www.lcgb.org.uk

Alternatively the Club can be contacted through Adrian Palmer, 46, Heathside, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 9YL Tel:07774 859871

PUT A TENNER IN THE TANK! Our latest appeal is for the construction and fitting of the tender tank which is being redesigned internally to take a maximum of 4,000 gallons of water, an increase of 500 gallons on the original Fowler design.

We estimate that this will cost in the region of £40,000. Can you help?

You can donate either online at www.lms-patriot.org.uk, calling the office on 01785 244156 or by sending a cheque to: LMS-Patriot Company Ltd. The Hub, 17 Eastgate Street, Stafford ST16 2LZ. Registered Company No. 6502248. Registered Charity No. 1123521

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Call 01785 244156 to order your copy or visit www.lms-patriot.org.uk/shop

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All profits from the book will go directly towards the completion of No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior.

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August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 85

Network Track Record COMPILED BY

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SIDELINES Wembley work to close Euston over three weekends

LONDON Euston will be closed on the weekends of August 18-19, 25-27 and September 1-2 as Network Rail replaces a major junction at Wembley North.

Virgin West Coast services will operate a reduced timetable, with trains starting and terminating at Rugby or Milton Keynes.

London Northwestern Railway services will run to and from Hemel Hempstead on August 18-19 and 25-27.

Over the August Bank Holiday weekend, buses will also replace LNR trains between Birmingham International and Rugby because of engineering work around Coventry.

On September 1-2, all LNR trains will start and terminate at Milton Keynes.

Replacement buses will run to Stanmore station on London Underground’s Jubilee Line, providing onward connections for central London.

Caledonian Sleeper opens three Scottish lounges

CALEDONIAN Sleeper (CS) has opened three new passenger lounges at Dundee, Fort William and Leuchars.

The lounges all have accessible shower and toilet facilities and are staffed by Caledonian Sleeper hosts serving drinks and snacks to guests ahead of and after their overnight journey.

CS is also opening guest lounges at Stirling and Perth later this summer, joining the facility already in operation at Inverness.

E&G station improvements

THE ScotRail Alliance has upgraded four stations between Glasgow and Edinburgh, ahead of new electric trains entering service over the coming months.

Former waiting areas at Croy, Falkirk High, Polmont, and Linlithgow have been transformed into new ScotRail lounges, with padded benches, new flooring, and softer lighting.

The lounge at Linlithgow offers a mix of sofas and padded chairs, as well as space to work.

New self-service ticket machines and digital customer information screens have also been installed.

GTR timetable chaos forces postponement of Brighton line blockade

NETWORK Rail has cancelled a nine-day blockade of the Brighton Main Line planned for October, deferring much of the work until February 2019.

NR had agreed with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services, to close the route between Three Bridges and Brighton and Three Bridges and Lewes for two nine-day periods, which would have coincided with the October 2018 and February 2019 school half-terms.

However, most of the work will now be carried out in a single nine-day blockade from February 16-24, 2019 and 15 previously announced weekend closures between September and May. Some elements of the work will also be deferred until NR’s next five-year funding period (CP6), starting in April 2019.

The project is part of a £300million programme of work to improve reliability and resilience.

The decision was taken after consultation with the Department for Transport and GTR in response to the on-going timetable chaos in southern England after the May timetable change, which has severely disrupted GTR’s Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services.

Deferring the work is intended to allow the rail industry to focus its immediate efforts on delivering a more dependable service.

During the closures, no GTR trains will run between Three Bridges and Brighton or between Three Bridges and Lewes.

The current disruption to GTR services across southern England has forced the postponement of October’s planned engineering blockade on the Brighton Main Line. Work will now be rescheduled across 15 weekend closures, a nine-day blockade in February and into Network Rail’s next Control Period, which starts in April 2019. Here, a trio of Southern Class 377s crosses Balcombe Viaduct on May 27, 2011. KEITH DUNGATE

Rail replacement buses will be in operation, as well as a diverted train service between London and Brighton via Littlehampton.

John Halsall, Network Rail managing director for the South East route, said: “I know many passengers have had a really tough time since the timetable change in May. That’s why I asked for a review of all our planned maintenance and improvement work with GTR to identify any

opportunities to postpone or Patcham and Haywards Heath re-plan engineering work to a later – and the railway which runs date. I’m pleased we’ve been able through them. to re-plan the way we’re carrying NR engineers will repair tunnel out this long-overdue upgrade to linings to reduce water leaks and one of the most unreliable parts provide more reliable drainage. of our rail network, meaning Track, third-rail power supplies passengers will get almost all of and signalling systems will also be the reliability benefits, but with far replaced or upgraded. less weekday disruption.”

Elsewhere, track and points The improvement work will will be renewed and better focus on repairs to four Victorian fencing will be installed to deter tunnels at Balcombe, Clayton, trespassers.

Runcorn signalboxes bow out as part of £340m infrastructure plan TWO heritage signalboxes at Runcorn and Halton Junction on Merseyside have been decommissioned under Network Rail’s Weaver to Wavertree resignalling scheme, writes Richard Horner.

Runcorn ’box was built by the London, Midland & Scottish Railway to an Air Raid Precaution design (LMS Type 13), with a 36-lever Railway Executive Committee frame, and featured 14in-thick blast resistant brick walls, topped by a 12in-deep reinforced concrete roof.

Externally, the design featured red brickwork with blue brick bands and steel Crittall windows.

It opened in January 1940, and its survival in near-original condition, and the fact it was one of the first ARP specification boxes to be built, ensured it

86 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Halton Junction, a LNWR type 4 signalbox dating from 1897, and still in use on May 1, is due to be demolished in the autumn.

Runcorn signalbox, seen here on May 1, dates from January 1940 and was built to an Air Raid Precaution design. It is Grade IIlisted. RICHARD HORNER

was saved for posterity, having been Grade II-listed by English Heritage in 2013.

Nearby Halton Junction’s future is not so assured, as it is slated for demolition this autumn.

It is a typical small London &

RICHARD HORNER

North Western Railway Type 4 box dating from 1897, with a 25-lever frame, and is sited at the junction of the Liverpool spur of the West Coast Main Line with the newly reinstated Halton Curve, which runs from Frodsham.

Runcorn-area colour light signalling has now migrated to the Wavertree workstation at Network Rail’s Manchester Rail Operating Centre as part of a £340million rail infrastructure investment in the Liverpool City region.

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

A glimpse of the new Glasgow Queen Street NETWORK Rail has released new computer-generated images showing how the bigger and brighter Glasgow Queen Street station concourse will look by spring 2020.

Scotland’s third busiest station is being transformed in a £120million project to create more space for the growing number of passengers it serves and to extend platforms to accommodate eight-carriage electric trains.

Platforms 2-5 are being extended out towards George Square, taking up the majority of the space covered by the superb train shed.

A new glass-fronted concourse, almost double the size of the current space, dating from the 1960s, is being built to accommodate the predicted increase in passenger numbers.

The new concourse will have entrances on George Square,

Dundas Street and North Hanover Street, and will be filled with natural daylight.

The listed Victorian train shed roof has also been carefully incorporated into the new structure and is fully exposed when viewed from platforms.

Queen Street’s transformation started in 2017 and work is on-going to demolish redundant office and hotel buildings in front of the station to create the space required to extend platforms and build the new concourse.

Across Glasgow, a £100million project to renew track and signalling south of the city, was due to complete its final phase between July 14 and 31.

The Polmadie and Rutherglen Renewals (PARR) project has renewed the signalling system between Glasgow Central and Rutherglen, benefiting commuter routes to the south

SIDELINES Record numbers for Suffolk rural lines

Glasgow Queen Street’s expanded concourse will open up the front of the station, flooding the new space with light, and reveal the superb Victorian train shed for the first time in decades. It is due for completion in spring 2020. NETWORK RAIL

and east of Glasgow, and across Lanarkshire and the West Coast Main Line.

The project also upgraded track and overhead line equipment at Rutherglen East Junction and on the WCML. Since December 2016, PARR engineers have been working to improve the infrastructure in

the area, increase line speeds, and improve the efficiency of train movements on one of the busiest rail corridors in Scotland.

It has also renewed track and modernised the telecoms network and other supporting infrastructure.

The PARR project will be complete by September 2018.

Improvements for stabling trains at Leicester depot

dominate the scene prior to their movement away for overhaul and a return to traffic with GB Railfreight.

A few days earlier, EMT Nos. 222014 and 222101 visited Barrow Hill for clearance tests on July 5, prior to the opening of upgraded stabling sidings at the depot, also built to service EMT sets during the Derby blockade. CHRIS MILNER

NETWORK Rail undertook major engineering work around Oxford between June 29 and July 23, including complete closure of Oxford station between July 6 and 23.

The blockade was part of the final phase of the Oxford Corridor project to increase capacity and improve the flow of trains through the city.

Work included track and

S&C renewals north of the station towards Wolvercote, and replacement of 1960s signalling and power systems and associated cabling.

The new track, crossings and signals, operated from the Thames Valley Signal Centre at Didcot, will allow increased line speeds, better regulation of passenger and freight trains through the station, and greater reliability. KEN BRUNT

Longer platform at Hebden Bridge

Risborough gets ready for new Chinnor branch platform

A JULY 4 Calvert-bound ‘Binliner’, hauled by a DB Cargo Class 66, passes the new trackwork being laid by the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway to

serve its new cross-platform interchange with Chiltern Railways main line services.

An official opening ceremony is planned for August 15.

PHIL MARSH

Trespass causes lengthy delays for GA

PEOPLE trespassing on railway lines have caused nearly three weeks’ worth of delays to Greater Anglia trains in the past year.

GA trains were delayed for more than 30,000 minutes because of trespassers on or near the tracks – an increase of 33% since 2015/16.

Cumbrian Coast sea defences work

Oxford closed for renewals EAST Midlands Trains will service a number of trains each night at UK Rail Leasing’s depot in Leicester during the 79-day closure of Derby station, which started on July 22.

The ex-BR diesel locomotive depot has been tidied up in readiness for this role, and new walkways installed for cleaning and maintenance staff.

On July 10, Class 56s

PASSENGER figures have increased by 15% on Greater Anglia’s rural rail lines in Suffolk over the last five years.

Last year saw GA’s East Suffolk Lines record their highest number of passengers (942,000) as more than 40,000 additional passenger journeys were made between Ipswich, Lowestoft and Felixstowe.

Greater Anglia area customer service manager Neil Grabham said: “We’ve been making improvements to stations and trains, and this, along with the dedication and focus of the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership, is helping our local rail lines to thrive, connecting people and communities across the county.”

Both platforms at Hebden Bridge are being extended to accommodate longer trains.

The work is part of a £100million Calder Valley route upgrade.

PAUL BIGLAND

JULY 6 saw Network Rail start work on the extension of both platforms at Hebden Bridge station in West Yorkshire.

Platform 1 will be lengthened by 56 metres initially, with a 15m extension to platform 2 to follow later this year.

In addition to the platform

extensions, there will also be upgrades to track and signalling as part of the £100million Calder Valley route upgrade.

The work at Hebden Bridge is part of a wider improvement scheme, including the installation of passenger lifts and the creation of a further 46 car parking spaces.

WORK is taking place along the Cumbrian Coast Line to protect the railway from the sea.

Sections of sea defences between Parton and Harrington, south of Workington, are being renewed and replaced.

Around 20,000 tonnes of rock armour is being placed between the track and the beach to lessen the force of the waves as they hit the shoreline.

Further along the coast at Flimby ‘sand breakers’ have been installed to prevent sand collecting under a railway bridge and blocking access to the beach.

Smarter Essex stations

GREATER Anglia, in partnership with Network Rail, is investing more than £2million to upgrade stations at Rayleigh, Rochford and Battlesbridge in Essex.

Work includes the refurbishment of footbridges at Rayleigh and Rochford, the installation of energy-efficient LED lighting, and resurfacing of platforms to create safer conditions underfoot and improve drainage.

In addition, new fencing has been installed at all three stations, and work is underway to replace the footbridge at Prittlewell.

Elsewhere on the Greater Anglia network, 29 rural stations across Norfolk and Suffolk will gain self-service ‘virtual ticket agent’ machines for the first time this summer, also providing a 24-hour helpline for enquiries and ticket advice.

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August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 87

Classic Traction Track Record COMPILED BY

PETER NICHOLSON Call: 01507 529589

email: classic.traction @btopenworld.com

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

SIDELINES East Kent diesel gala locos

THE East Kent Railway’s August 25-27 diesel gala features Class 08s No. 08676 and 08799, together with ex-industrial locos, and EMU cars as hauled stock.

Dartmouth rolls out fire-fighting train

DARTMOUTH Steam Railway has repainted Class 03 No. 03371 in BR blue. It is kept coupled to water-carrying tank wagon No.SUKO 67450, lettered‘Dartmouth Steam Railway Supported by Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service’, and a brakevan at Churston.

Severn Valley‘Gronk' makes progress

CLASS 09 No. 09107, acquired by the Severn Valley Railway from EMR, Kingsbury in June 2017, is being restored in Kidderminster works and is expected to enter traffic later this year.

Heatwave brings out East Lancashire diesels

THE East Lancashire Railway’s (ELR)‘summer diesel spectacular’ was intended to be for three days, July 6-8.

However, the long spell of hot weather resulted in a high level of lineside fire risk with a steam ban imposed from July 1 until further notice. An all-diesel service was run during this period, for which the ELR apologised.

More than 800 enthusiasts attended the three-day event, which included guest locos Nos. D5185, 33103 and 40012 Aureol.

Right: A pair of green Class 25s head 1J66, the 15.26 Rawtenstall-Heywood, at Springfield Farm on July 6, the first day of the East Lancashire Railway’s summer diesel gala.

Leading is resident No. D7629, with No. D5185 behind, visiting from the Great Central Railway.

TOM MCATEE

Glorious ‘Hoover' being returned to its former glory

DIARY August 2-4 Crewe Heritage Centre, 30 Years in preservation: APT and Class 47 2 Spa Valley Railway, Class 33 running day 3-5 Spa Valley Railway, diesel gala 4-5 Llangollen Railway, 1960s mixed-traction event 11-12 Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, diesel gala 11-12 Spa Valley Railway, ‘Deltic’running weekend 18 Heritage Shunters Trust, Peak Rail, D2289 debut day 18-19 Caledonian Railway, Brechin, diesel weekend 19 Spa Valley Railway, Class 73 + 3-CIG push-pull day 25-27 East Kent Railway, diesel gala 27 Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway, open day September 1-2 Heritage Shunters Trust, Peak Rail, Shunter Bashers Ball 1-2 West Somerset Railway, mixed traction event ■ Our thanks to contributors: John Askwith (WR); Alan Brindley (IWSR); Joshua Brinsford; Nigel Cockburn; DEPG; David Hunt; Ian Lothian; Andy Marrison; David Mee (L&MMR); John Wade (HST); and Colin Wareing.

FORMER National Collection repairs at one end, and is seen Class 50 No. 50033 Glorious in the Kidderminster depot on arrived at the Severn Valley June 27. This is part of the efforts Railway on May 31. to have the loco ready for the It is owned by Vintage Trains, October 4-6 gala marking 50 Tyseley, but currently in the care years of Class 50s. of the Class 50 Alliance.

No fewer than 11 of the Glorious is on an initial surviving 18 Class 50s in three-year lease, and receiving preservation are expected to be considerable attention in the present, forming the greatest Kidderminster diesel workshops number seen together at one to restore it to working condition. location since disposal by BR. It has received extensive cab CHRIS MILNER

‘Gronks' to star at Ecclesbourne gala

THE Ecclesbourne Valley Railway’s August 11-12 diesel gala sees the debut of Class 08 No. 08605 Wigan 2.

It has rarely been seen on passenger workings and is appearing courtesy of Riviera Trains, along with its No. 08704.

Recently arrived Class 31 No. 31601 Devon Diesel Society

will haul passengers for the first time in preservation.

Also in operation will be No. 31206 and Class 33 No. 33103 Swordfish.

Brakevan rides (£1) will be running at Wirksworth on the Wash Green line. In between these services the loco will be available to drive for £10.

Back to shunters for IoW diesel gala

THE Isle of Wight’s diesel gala on September 28-30 stars two Class 03s from the mainland.

This follows the unprecedented appearance of a large diesel loco at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway (ISWR) last year, when‘Crompton’ No. 33202 Dennis G. Robinson was shipped to the island.

The Class 33/2‘Slim Jim’ was possibly the largest diesel to be seen on the island because of height and weight restrictions on the ferry crossing and road access.

The maximum clearance height is 13ft 1in, which rules out several classes, including Class 14‘Teddy Bear’.

Class 03s are a proven entity,

with No. 03197 coming from the Mid-Hants Railway, which attended the first event in 2016, and No. 03399 is due from the Mangapps Railway, Essex.

Other attractions will include an appearance by former Island Line, Network SouthEast-liveried inspection railcar No. 68809 (Permaquip 010 of 1986) La-La, which rarely appears in public.

The IWSR’s two ex-BR diesels will also be in operation – dual-braked Class 03 No. D2059 (03059) and the rare Class 05 No. D2554 Nuclear Fred.

Further details of the event are on website: www.iwsteamrailway. co.uk

Weardale services extended

THE passenger service operated

by Weardale Railway Heritage Services Ltd (WRHSL) now includes Bishop Auckland West on its timetable, until October 28. The last scheduled passenger trains to run there were operated by Weardale Railway CIC, which operated services between 2010 and 2012.

WRHSL is a subsidiary of the Weardale Railway Trust, a voluntary body which also supports the work of WR CIC.

Class 122 No. E55012 is seen at Frosterly station on June 30, the day before services to Bishops Auckland West were reinstated.

The ‘Bubblecar’ left the railway after the original heritage passenger services ceased and spent time at the North Norfolk and Ecclesbourne Valley railways.

It returned to the WR in 2014 for the restored services.

JOHN ASKWITH

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 89

Classic Traction Track Record Debut day for repatriated Class 04

CLASS 04 No. D2289 makes its debut at the Heritage Shunters Trust (HST), Peak Rail, Rowsley South, on August 18, following repatriation from Italy (RM June, p82).

The Drewry shunter was shipped to Italy with other BR locos in 1972.

First admissions for the one-off event are at 11.00, continuing until 15.00. Visitors are asked not to enter the site before that time, at the behest of HST’s landlords, Peak Rail, which has kindly allowed the day to take place.

Time is required beforehand to position No. D2289 and other locos for display, including restored sister No. D2284.

The loco will be on static display only as the workload of the group has meant it will be sometime before it can be inspected to find out if it runs or not.

A free souvenir sheet detailing

No. D2289’s history will be available, and there will be an opportunity to talk to those who have made this incredible repatriation happen.

Guided tours of HST’s facilities will be available on request.

The admittance charge is £10 adults and £5 for under 16s, payable on the day. Tickets booked in advance via website www.heritageshunters.co.uk are £8 adults and £4 children.

A complimentary soft drink and biscuit will be available for all attendees.

It is unlikely this loco will be on show again in the near future, and it will not be on general display. It will be advertised when it does become available for viewing.

■ HST’s September 1-2 gala has provisionally allocated the following for use: Nos. D2953, D2854, D2587 (making its debut), 07001 or D2205 or PWM 654 Bigga. The latter will be

No. D2289 is seen on arrival at Peak Rail, Rowsley South, Derbyshire, on June 13 having been acquired from Lonato S.p.A in Italy for the Heritage Shunters Trust collection. It makes its only public appearance for the foreseeable future on August 18. JOHN WADE

newly painted in mid-Brunswick green and displaying its new nameplates.

Other locos in the collection

on display include Nos. D2139, 03113, PWM650, Class 14 No. D9525, which had its maiden run on May 26 following

a nine-year restoration, and Class 06 No. D2420 in its new BR green livery, a first for more than 30 years.

North Norfolk diesel gala becomes a mixed traction event after home fleet shortage

Pioneer ‘Crompton’ moves to Wensleydale CLASS 33 No. 33035, owned by the Pioneer Diesel Locomotive Group, arrived at the Wensleydale Railway (WR) in early-June for an extended stay.

It remained in the yard at Leeming Bar for driver training and was due to work for the first time during the Diesel & Ale in the Dale event on July 14-15, sharing duties with Class 14 No. D9523.

However, the first use was

made on July 11, working the 15.40 Leeming Bar-Redmire service. It is seen departing Bedale with ‘Bubblecar’ No. 55032, newly repainted in BR green, and a DMU in tow.

The dual-braked ‘Crompton’ is ideal for the WR as it can be used on all rolling stock, and has electric train heating for the winter months.

THE North Norfolk Railway’s (NNR) June 15-17 event was changed from a diesel event to a mixed traction day because of a shortage of available home fleet diesels, which became apparent in late-May. Three visiting locos included the Bury Hydraulic Group’s ever-popular and much-travelled ‘Warship’ No. D832 Onslaught. This was the first appearance of the type on the NNR, far from the class’s original area of operations.

Also attending were Metropolitan red-liveried Class 20 No. 20227 Sherlock Holmes and DRS Class 37 No. 37038.

In addition to having some diesel working replaced by steam, the gala clashed with several big events, railway and non-railway in the area, as well as the start of the football

Class 11 No. 12131 was in operation at Sheringham during the NNR’s mixed traction gala top-and-tailing Mk1 coaches with a steam or a diesel loco. It is seen on a demonstration goods train in Sheringham South Yard on June 16. ANDY MARRISON

World Cup, resulting in a lower attendance than had been hoped.

Privately owned resident Class 08 No. D3935 (08767)

returned to service during the event for the first time in six years, working one passenger train each day from Weybourne to Holt and back.

Picture: NIGEL COCKBURN

WSR ‘Cromptons’ and ‘Hymek’ share diesel duties ALL diesel loco turns on the West Somerset Railway for the rest of the season will be worked by either Class 33 No. D6566 or D6575, or Class 35 ‘Hymek’ No. D7017.

These are on the WSR’s brown timetable and are No. D6575 on August 4; No. D6566 on August 11; and No. D7017 on August 18, 19 (pre-booked ‘Quantock Belle’ diner), and 25; September 15/22.

All three locos are in operation

on September 1-2 for the late-summer weekend mixed-traction event.

This revised roster includes amendments following failure of Class 52 No. D1010 Western Campaigner and the other ‘Hymek’, No. D7018, not yet being ready to enter service (RM July, p82).

Class 47 No. D1661 North Star is currently receiving extensive bodywork attention and a few other repairs in Williton works.

90 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Visitors to the NNR’s June 15-17 event are seen during positioning at Sheringham station on June 16.

East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Warship’, No. D832 Onslaught (left) waits alongside DRS Class 37 No. 37038.

The Class 42 entered BR service in February 1961 and was withdrawn in December 1972, and subsequently preserved. The EE Type 3 entered traffic just over a year later, in May 1962, and is still in regular main line use. ANDY MARRISON

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

Class 502 EMU DTSO No. 29896 undergoing restoration at Burscough, seen during the MTT’s open day on July 8.

COLIN WAREING

Merseyside EMU progress on view

‘Deltic’ stars at KWVR 50th anniversary event

THE Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s eight-day 50th anniversary gala culminated in a diesel day on July 1.

Visiting were GBRf Class 66 No. 66784 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway 50th Anniversary 1968-2018, DRS Class 37

No. 37401, Class 50 No. 50035 Ark Royal, and ‘Deltic’ No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier.

The Class 55 is seen powering up to Oxenhope with the 16.55 from Keighley.

IAN DIXON

Attention for Bo’ness Type 2s CLASS 27 No. 27001 worked the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway’s 15.35 Bo’ness-Manuel service on June 24.

It is seen shortly after crossing Avon Viaduct, just before passing under the M9 motorway on its climb from Birkhill. Most of the railway’s recent diesel-hauled trains have been worked by EE Type 3 No. 37067 (previously DRS No. 37703), so the Sulzer made a

welcome sight.

No. 27001 has had a cosmetic repaint, and is being kept running until sister No. 27005 emerges from an extensive overhaul at Bo’ness. This includes attention to the power unit and bodywork.

It has been out of service for many years and was stored for a long time in the railway’s museum.

IAN LOTHIAN

Much diesel activity at Spa Valley during August THE Spa Valley Railway is catering well for diesel enthusiasts this month.

On the 2nd the Class 33 running day has Nos. 33063 R.J. Mitchell and 33201 clocking up about 100 miles between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge.

Stock will be either 3-CIG EMU No. 1497 paired with DEMU No. 1317, or a rake of

five Mk1s, including bar car Katie.

A rare track excursion runs in the afternoon using the ‘Queen Mary’ brakevan, accommodating 20 persons.

Motive power will be Class 73 No. 73140, Class 10 No. D3489 Colonel Tomline, and Drewry No. 2591 Southerham.

Departing Tunbridge Wells West at 12.45 (tbc) this

includes travel over as many vacant roads as possible in the yard and throat, East/ West sidings and headshunt, Groombridge engineers’ siding and loops, Eridge platform 3, and the stub of track south of Eridge.

Also included for the final time will be Groombridge Nos. 1 and 2 carriage sidings, which is also known as the

Ashurst Spur.

Formal notice has been given that all use of the line between Groombridge Junction and the Ashurst Spur will be withdrawn from August 5, including storage.

The track will be removed prior to June 2019, but some shuttles may operate onto part of the spur during the August 3-5 gala.

Royal Highland Fusilier at the big event

‘Deltic' bonanza - five return trips each day

THE Spa Valley’s main event is the diesel gala on August 3-5, featuring visitors‘Deltic’ No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier and‘Clayton’Class 17 No. D8568.

THE Deltic Preservation Society’s each end of the line, but will not No. 55019, in BR blue, is visiting haul the train. The Tunbridge the Spa Valley Railway for the Wells headshunt is not long summer, and in addition to its enough for a‘Deltic’and there is gala appearance will be running no run-round facility at Eridge. on August 11-12 hauling the BR The‘Clayton' will also be in blue & grey-liveried Class 421 operation on other trains. Deltic EMU on five return trips each day, departures from Tunbridge Wells between Tunbridge Wells West West are 09.45, 11.00, 12.45, and Eridge. Class 10 No. D3489 14.25, and 16.05. and Drewry Southerham will be More details on website: in use on shunt-release duties www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk

All the locos mentioned above right will be in operation, plus Class 25 No. D7612 on long-term loan from the South Devon Railway.

Special timetable for push-pull Sunday NSE Class 73/1 No. 73140 will be operating in push-pull mode all day with 3-CIG EMU No. 1497 at the Spa Valley on August 5.

A special timetable will be in operation with opportunities to travel with the driver for just £20.

RESTORATION work on the Merseyside Class 502 EMU was on display when the Merseyside Transport Trust (MTT) held its annual open day in Burscough, Lancashire on July 8.

The MTT is concerned with rescuing and preserving buses from Merseyside, but its shed on the Burscough industrial estate is also home to the Friends of the 502 Group.

This enables members to undertake the huge task of rebuilding and restoring the last remaining example of a Class 502, which used to run on the railways of Liverpool and district.

Museum

The two cars – driving motor No. 28361 and a driving trailer No. 29896 – were built at LMS Derby in 1939, remaining in service until the 1970s.

These two cars were claimed for the National Collection and ran for a while as a preserved train, operating from the now-closed Steamport Museum, Southport.

Following storage in various outdoor locations they eventually arrived in Burscough, where they are now being cared for, standing side by side in the secure building.

More details on the Friends of the 502 Group website at: www.class502. org.uk

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August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 91

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August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 93

Railtours Track Record COMPILED BY

BEN JONES

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway @mortons.co.uk

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

Tornado trips cancelled

AS we report in Headline News (page 9), No. 60163 Tornado has been withdrawn from a busy programme of trains it was booked to haul over the next two months by delays to vital repairs and the recent long spell of hot weather.

As a result, a number of trains have had to be rescheduled or will operate with alternative traction.

July 29’s 10th anniversary circular tours from Darlington have been cancelled, while the ‘Mad Hatter’ railtour has been postponed until spring 2019.

Pathfinder’s ‘Settle and Carlisle Golden Express’ tours on August 11 and 15 will be hauled by other locomotives, as will the ‘Bard of Avon’ on August 18.

However, all these trains are subject to restriction by Network Rail because of the current high fire risk.

Festive

Passengers will be contacted directly by railtour promoters or booking agents when more information becomes available.

The A1SLT is hopeful Tornado will make its return to traffic on August 27 with ‘The Canterbury Tale’ from Peterborough to Canterbury.

UK Railtours is now taking bookings for a festive trip over the Settle to Carlisle Line with No. 60163 on December 1.

Not only will the train offer a wonderful chance to travel over the beautiful S&C in winter, on arrival in Carlisle the city’s Christmas market will be in full swing.

Tornado will head the train throughout from Tame Bridge Parkway via Stafford, Crewe and Blackburn, returning via Shap Summit, Lancaster and Preston, and offering a day with more than 400 miles by steam.

■ For more on Tornado, see Headline News.

Mayflower owner buys Steam Dreams operation…

DAVID Buck, the owner of ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower, has acquired the Steam Dreams railtour business from founder Marcus Robertson.

Mr Robertson will continue as a consultant for the company, tasked with developing new multi-day holidays by steam in the UK and overseas.

The deal was announced as Mayflower prepares to return to the main line following an overhaul at West Coast Railways’ base in Carnforth.

It is expected the Thompson 4-6-0 will become a regular ‘Cathedrals Express’ machine, sharing the work with Ian Riley’s ‘Black Fives’ and No. 60009 Union of South Africa.

Mr Buck has been chairman of Steam Dreams since October 2017, and is delighted at the prospect of becoming the new owner of Steam Dreams.

“I have got to know the Steam Dreams operation through my ownership of Mayflower and as an occasional passenger.

“That gave me an insight into how well organised the business is.

Dynamism

“When Marcus and his wife, Marianne, asked me if I wanted to take on the business I was delighted to do so.”

Marcus Robertson added: “David is the perfect man to David Buck’s ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower begins the descent of Hatton Bank with a returning ‘Cathedrals take over. I believe he brings Express’ from Stratford-upon-Avon to Southend Victoria on August 22, 2015. The Thompson 4-6-0 is dynamism, fresh ideas, a set to become a ‘Cathedrals’ regular again once it returns from overhaul. RICK EBORALL great business brain and the wherewithal to enjoy owning out of 12 were cancelled at 48 are likely to want us all to more of a feature of our tours. the business. hours’ notice. offer simpler, more repetitive “In addition, we will of “Twenty years is a long time “Our recovery from that was and working timetable-based course be working with larger to run any business, and I only possible because David itineraries in the future. It is locomotives such as Flying believe it is time for fresh, Smith of West Coast Railways planned NR will eventually build Scotsman, ‘Number 9’ and others inspirational leadership. agreed to take us back on. in regular schedules that do as they come on stream.

“I would though like to thank “In those early days of our not rely so much on constant “Loyal Steam Dreams the fantastic work that so renewed relationship his looping and slow paths and that passengers will be pleased many people have done to get support and generosity helped makes absolute sense. to know they will notice no us to where we are today.” to get us back on our feet.” difference as we continue with He added: “The last six Mr Buck is keen for Steam Feature our existing programme as well years have been a particularly Dreams to return to shorter, “There is no doubt that when as developing new ideas for the important period for the more regular scheduled loads dictate we would rather future. company as we rebuilt after trains, similar to the original double-head with steam than “They will see the same staff the problems caused by DB’s ‘Cathedrals Express’ operations. have a diesel assisting, and I can on the train and talk to the industrial action when 11 trains “Network Rail and West Coast see that becoming more and same staff when they book.”

…and heads for Devon and Cornwall with ‘Scotsman’ STEAM fans will have a rare before No. 60103 continues chance to enjoy ‘A3’ No. 60103 in tandem with David Buck’s Flying Scotsman running along ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower on the famous sea wall route an evening dining train to between Exeter and Newton Plymouth via Exeter and Abbot, and over the Tamar into Dawlish. That train will also be Cornwall, in early-October. diesel-hauled on the return leg.

Steam Dreams has booked Heading west from Plymouth the Gresley Pacific for a series of and across Brunel’s Royal short trips in the West Country Albert Bridge into Cornwall on between October 4 and 8.

October 6, ‘Scotsman’ will work October 4 sees the ‘A3’ work over the highly scenic route to a morning trip from Theale to Penzance, where passengers Taunton via the Berks & Hants will have a two-hour break route, picking up at Newbury before the diesel-hauled return en route. leg.

The return leg will be hauled No. 60103 will then return by a West Coast Railways diesel light to Plymouth to work two

94 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

further eastbound trains on October 8, again in tandem with Mayflower.

Trip one runs from Plymouth to Exeter, offering a morning journey along the sea wall, returning with diesel traction, while the late-afternoon/earlyevening train runs from Exeter via Taunton and Bridgwater to Bristol. Here, the LNER pair bid farewell to the West Country, handing over to a diesel for the return to Exeter.

Fares start from £99.

For more information and bookings visit website: www.steamdreams.co.uk

Steam Dreams is also now taking bookings for a very special train with No. 60103 on October 13.

The ‘Farewell Alan Pegler’ tour from King’s Cross to York will pay tribute to the man who bought the world-famous ‘A3’ from BR, when his ashes are scattered in the firebox as his beloved locomotive ascends Stoke Bank between Peterborough and Grantham.

Tickets are on sale now – telephone 01483 209888 or visit the Steam Dreams website.

■ See Headline News for more on this story.

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

Track bashing at Ketton HEIDELBERG Cement’s Ketton Works in Rutland opened its doors to enthusiasts on July 1, when the Branch Line Society organised a series of tours of the rail network within the complex.

Here, RSS-owned No. 08580 trails as No. 08375 heads under the cement silos with the first train of the day.

Bagnall 0-4-0ST (No. 2648 of 1940) Ketton Portland Cement No. 3 stands alongside with three cement wagons, dating from 1929.

Ketton produces around 10% of the UK’s Portland cement needs, and sends several trains per week to King’s Cross cement terminal in London. ROBIN STEWART-SMITH

‘Royal Scotsman’ leaves home territory to make annual trip south of the border BELMOND’S ‘Royal Scotsman’ spends much of its working life in Scotland, but a luxury landcruise train embarks on a tour of Great Britain once a year, visiting various locations across England and Wales.

On July 10, dedicated GB Railfreight Class 66s Nos. 66743/746 pass Heywood, near Westbury, with 1Z81, the 07.23 Newton Abbot-Bath Spa leg of the annual UK tour. MARK V PIKE

UKR makes tracks for Scunthorpe

Former Colas Class 47s now owned by GB Railfreight – Nos. 47749 City of Truro and 47727 Caisteal Dhún Éideann – cross the iron bridge at Brotherton, with the lifeless cooling towers of Ferrybridge power station looming behind, while powering Pathfinder’s ‘The Tees & Wear Explorer’ from Gloucester to Sunderland on July 14. IAN DIXON

Pathfinder to run ‘Six Nations’ train for Welsh rugby fans WELSH rugby union fans planning to attend the Scotland v Wales game at Murrayfield on March 9, 2019 will be able to travel to and from the game in style on a specially chartered train, organised by Pathfinder Tours.

GBRf retirement special for Lord Berkeley LOOKING superb as it passes through the heart of the New Forest National Park, GBRf No. 66755 Tony Berkeley OBE heads a retirement special for its namesake from Ashford International to Weymouth, near Beaulieu Road, on June 30.

MARK V PIKE

Starting in Carmarthen at 07.00 on March 8, the train runs via Llanelli, Neath, Bridgend, Cardiff, Newport, Cwmbran, Pontypool, Abergavenny, Shrewsbury and Crewe, setting down at Motherwell (for Glasgow) and Edinburgh Waverley.

The train will retrace its steps via the West Coast Main Line on March 11, allowing fans a full weekend in the Scottish capital.

Fares start at £139 in Standard Class and £199 in First Class.

Hotels and match tickets are not included in the price and

must be booked separately.

For more information, see: www.pathfindertours.co.uk.

In previous years, these trains have featured unusual traction, making them an attractive proposition for diesel enthusiasts as well as rugby fans.

OCTOBER 20 will see UK Railtours heading for British Steel’s massive steelworks in Scunthorpe for the latest of its ‘Forgotten Tracks’ trips.

After many months of planning UKR will make this extremely rare excursion from the main line onto the plant’s 100-mile internal railway system.

The internal system at Scunthorpe is busy 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so routing of the UKR train will be dictated by other train movements on the day. However, the plan is to visit areas and terminals which have never seen a main line passenger train before.

DB Cargo Class 66s are expected to be in charge on the national network, possibly piloted

by British Steel’s own diesel locomotives within the plant.

Large fleet

BS Scunthorpe operates a large fleet of industrial diesels, including Hunslet-built Bo-Bos and ex-Norwegian State Railways Di.8 B-Bs, imported by GB Railfreight.

The train starts from London King’s Cross and will run via the East Coast Main Line to Newark Northgate, before heading to Lincoln and a reversal at Barnetby to reach British Steel’s exchange sidings in ‘Scunny’.

The return route is via Hatfield & Stainforth, rejoining the ECML at Doncaster. Fares start at £89.

See www.ukrailtours.co.uk for more information and tickets.

Like us facebook.com/ TheRailwayMagazine Follow us @railwaymagazine August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 95

Railtours Track Record

Hot spell leads to disruption for steam tours

WEEKS of hot, dry weather throughout the British Isles have had a disruptive effect on main line steam operations.

Promoters and operators have tried, wherever possible, to run railtours with steam haulage, but in some cases cancellations or alterations have been necessary.

In many instances, including ‘Torbay Express’ trains and July 21’s Southend-Poole tour with No. 60009 Union of South Africa, trains have been running with steam locomotives heading the train in light steam, while a diesel loco coupled inside does much of the hard work to avoid hot cinders been ejected and starting lineside fires.

In Ireland, the RPSI took the decision to operate main line tours during July with diesel traction as a result of a nationwide hosepipe ban and water conservation measures.

BOOKING CONTACTS A1SLT – A1 Steam Locomotive Trust 01438 715050 (UK Railtours is agent) BEL - Belmond 0845 077 2222 BLS - Branch Line Society www.branchline.org.uk CR - Charity Railtours www.charity-railtours.co.uk NB - Northern Belle 0844 8404525 NENTA – Nenta Tours 01692 406152 PT – Pathfinder Tours 01453 835414 RPSI – Railway Preservation Society of Ireland 00 353 1 480 0553 (Dublin tours) or 028 9337 3968 RET - Retro Railtours 0161 3309055 RTC – Railway Touring Company 01553 661500 SD – Steam Dreams 01483 209888 SR – Statesman Rail 0345 3102458 SRPS - Scottish Railway Preservation Society 0131 202 1033 ST – Saphos Trains saphostrains.com TEX – Torbay Express 01453 834477 UKR – UK Railtours 01438 715050 VT - Vintage Trains 0121 708 4960 0140500121 708 4960 WCRC – West Coast Railways 01524 737751

NOTES ■ Please note that advertised traction, routes, times and even tour dates can, and often do, change from the advertised details. Check with your tour promoter before travelling.

The Railway Magazine cannot accept any responsibility for changes to any advertised trains.

■ Note: Tours may start and finish elsewhere.

AUGUST: STEAM RAILTOURS

Date 1 2 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 7 9 9 10 11 11 11 12 12-19 14 14 15 16 18 18 19 19 19 21 21 23 23 24-31 25 26 26 27 28 30 30

Tour Name Mad Hatter Scarborough Spa Express Cumbrian Mountain Express William Shakespeare The Waverley Royal Duchy Forth Bridge & Scottish Borders Rockin Food Festival The Slaney Fellsman Dorset Coast Express Scarborough Spa Express British Pullman S&C Golden Express I 50th Anniversary of End of Steam The Waverley Forth Bridge & Scottish Borders Portrush Flyer Cathedrals Express Dalesman S&C Golden Express II Scarborough Spa Express Bard of Avon West Somerset Steam Express The Waverley Forth Bridge & Scottish Borders Torbay Express Fellsman Cathedrals Express Dorset Coast Express Scarborough Spa Express Steam & Jazz Cotswold Venturer The Waverley Forth Bridge & Scottish Borders Dalesman Dalesman Cathedrals Express Scarborough Spa Express

Date 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 9 9 10 11 11 12 16 16 16 17 17 17 18 18 18 19 19 20 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 27 30

Tour Name British Pullman Seaside Flyer British Pullman Northern Belle British Pullman Northern Belle Magnificent Severn Dub & Grub Dub & Grub Northern Belle Stratford Flyer 2 British Pullman Northern Belle Walsall Concerto Northern Belle Northern Belle Cathedrals Express Edinburgh Dalesman British Pullman Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Day 1) Northern Belle British Pullman British Pullman The Sally Forth Northern Belle Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Day 3) British Pullman Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Day 4) British Pullman Northern Belle British Pullman Northern Belle British Pullman Western Glory Deltic Retro Scot II Northern Belle Marching Crompton Conwy Valley Explorer 2

Steam-Hauled From-To Darlington-Chester Carnforth-Scarborough Crewe-Carlisle Bangor-Stratford York-Carlisle Bristol-Par Linlithgow-Tweedbank Dublin-Enniscorthy Dublin-Enniscorthy Lancaster-Carlisle Victoria-Weymouth Carnforth-Scarborough Victoria-Victoria Bristol-Carlisle Euston-Carlisle York-Carlisle Linlithgow-Tweedbank Whitehead-Coleraine Victoria-Weymouth Chester-Carlisle Bristol-Carlisle Carnforth-Scarborough Manchester-Stratford Paddington-Minehead Leeds-Carlisle Linlithgow-Tweedbank Bristol-Kingswear Lancaster-Carlisle Victoria-Minehead Victoria-Weymouth Carnforth-Scarborough Whitehead-Mystery Destination Paddington-Worcester York-Carlisle Linlithgow-Tweedbank York-Carlisle York-Carlisle Victoria-Chichester Carnforth-Scarborough

Motive Power 60163 WCRC steam/diesel 60103/WCRC diesel TBC 6233, 45690 or 45699 CANCELLED TBC TBC TBC WCRC steam 60009 or 45305 WCRC steam/diesel TBC TBC 86259/TBC 6233, 45690 or 45699 TBC TBC 60009/WCRC diesel WCRC steam/diesel TBC WCRC steam/diesel 60163 60009 6233, 45690 or 45699 TBC TBC WCRC steam 61306 60009/WCRC diesel WCRC steam/diesel TBC 60009 6233, 45690 or 45699 TBC WCRC steam/diesel WCRC steam/diesel TBC WCRC steam/diesel

Promoter POSTPONED WCR RTC ST RTC RTC SRPS RPSI RPSI SR RTC WCR BEL PT RTC RTC SRPS RPSI SD WCR PT WCR UKR RTC RTC SRPS TEX SR SD RTC WCR RPSI RTC RTC SRPS WCR WCR SD WCR

AUGUST: DIESEL & ELECTRIC RAILTOURS

96 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

From-To Victoria-Bath Sheffield-Bournemouth Victoria-Folkestone Chester-Ravenglass Victoria-Chichester Manchester-Berwick Ealing Broadway-Parkend Birmingham International-Severn Tunnel Jct Birmingham New Street-Basingstoke Birmingham-Birmingham Leeds-Stratford Victoria-Folkestone Swansea-Shrewsbury Euston-Birch Coppice King’s Cross-Harrogate Paddington-Paddington Alresford-Paignton Southport-Edinburgh Victoria-Folkestone King’s Cross-Edinburgh King’s Cross-Edinburgh Victoria-Victoria Victoria-Victoria Edinburgh-Fife Circle Edinburgh-Fort William Edinburgh-Inverness Victoria-Victoria Edinburgh-King’s Cross Victoria-Canterbury King’s Cross-York Victoria-Canterbury Manchester-Edinburgh Victoria-Victoria Reading-Plymouth Huddersfield-Edinburgh Nottingham-Nottingham Crewe-Llanelli Harrogate-Betws-y-Coed

Motive Power DBC 67 WCRC diesel DBC 67 WCRC diesel DBC 67 WCRC diesel TBC 50007/049 TBC WCRC diesel WCRC diesel DBC 67 WCRC diesel DBC 66x2 WCRC diesel WCRC diesel WCRC diesel WCRC diesel DBC 67 TBC WCRC diesel DBC 67 DBC 67 TBC WCRC diesel TBC DBC 67 TBC DBC 67 WCRC diesel DBC 67 WCRC diesel DBC 67 D1015 D9009/DBC 67 WCRC diesel WCRC 33x2 WCRC diesel

Promoter BEL WCR BEL NB BEL NB POSTPONED GBRf GBRf NB WCR BEL NB UKR NB NB SD WCR BEL UKR NB BEL BEL UKR NB UKR BEL UKR BEL NB BEL NB BEL POSTPONED RET NB BLS WCR

Britain’s favourite rail tour operator

A GREAT DAY OUT TO THE WELSHPOOL & LLANFAIR RAILWAY! Saturday 29 September 2018 Direct from Basingstoke, Reading, Slough, Ealing Broadway, St Albans City and Bedford, via Wigston South and Sutton Park to Telford Central for a special coach link to Welshpool, a return steam-hauled journey on the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway with ample time for photos. Both classes still available including luxury First Class Dining.

Standard Class Standard Class Junior First Class Dining

£84.50 £74.50 £194.00

Buffet car available. First Class Dining includes the Great British Breakfast and a Four Course Dinner.

All fares include coach transfer and the W&L Railway.

And we’ve lots more tours to choose from...

THE WALSALL CONCERTO - SATURDAY 11 AUGUST: From Euston, Watford Junction, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Rugby to some elusive freight-only lines in the West Midlands.

Call us now - only a few places left!

THE EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO - FRIDAY 17 TO MONDAY 20 AUGUST: A luxury four-day excursion from King’s Cross, Stevenage, Peterborough and York to Edinburgh (for the Tattoo) and Inverness, also a circular tour via Stirling, Alloa and the lnverkeithing North Curve. Just a few places remaining!

THE SALLY FORTH - SATURDAY 18 AUGUST: For those not wanting the complete four-day Tattoo itinerary, a circular tour from Edinburgh via Alloa, Dunfermline, Townhill Yard, the lnverkeithing North Curve and Fife Circle.

THE TORBAY FLYER - SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER: From Letchworth, Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City, Potters Bar (for M25), Finsbury Park and Ealing Broadway right through to Paignton. A great day out!

CRADLE OF A NATION - SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER: As well as the Welshpool & Llanfair option (see above) we can offer the choice of Shrewsbury, lronbridge, Blists Hill Museum or Attingham Park (National Trust).

THE RETURN OF THE SHORT HAIRED BUMBLEBEE - SATURDAY 17 NOVEMBER: From London Victoria to the Isle of Grain branch and Appledore to Lydd and Dungeness.

CAROLS IN SHERBORNE ABBEY - TUESDAY 20 DECEMBER: Main Line Steam! 35028 at home on the West of England Main Line - an unmissable Christmas day out.

We run two mailing lists, one postal and the other online, and it costs nothing to be on either – or both! Terms and conditions appear in our printed brochure and on our website. We make no charge for credit or debit cards and we NEVER cancel a tour through lack of bookings.

Call us today on 01438 715050 or visit www.ukrailtours.com

World Track Record COMPILED BY

KEITH FENDER

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@ mortons.co.uk

‘Red Devil’ back in steam

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

Railway planned over Himalayas to Kathmandu

THE Chinese and Nepali governments have agreed to construct a 150km-long railway line from Kyirong, in Tibet, to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

Detailed planning work will be undertaken in the next two years, with construction likely to begin in 2020; the railway could be open by 2025.

It is planned the new line will share the road border crossing at Rasuwagadhi, around 75km north of Kathmandu.

China Rail is already extending the Lhasa to Xigase line in Tibet for 540km west to Kyirong.

The line opened in 2014.

China is also providing technical help in planning up to 945km of new railways inside Nepal.

Belgrade’s main station closes

THE historic terminus station in Belgrade closed at the end of June with services transferred to the newer Beograd Centar station (which despite its name is less central than the old station).

The original terminus station, which opened to trains in 1884, will be converted to a historical museum.

The river front land, previously used for platforms, depots and carriage sidings, will be redeveloped for housing.

Siemens launches lighter 'Velaro Nova'

SIEMENS has revealed details of its next-generation, high-speed EMU – the ‘Velaro Nova’.

The 8MW train will be capable of up to 360kph, but using less energy than current Velaro models (ie: the Eurostar Class 374), and will be offered to customers seeking new high-speed trains.

A single test coach has been used for dynamic tests at up to 331kph in the DB-operated ICE-S test train in Germany since earlier this year.

It will be exhibited at the Innotrans trade fair in Berlin in September.

Newly restored Class 26 No. 3450‘Red Devil’climbing Goree Heights, near Robertson, in the Western Cape, on July 14, with its first public trip in 14 years. Inset below: The loco now has new cast number plates showing it is part of the Transnet Heritage Foundation fleet. BOTH: PETER ROGERS

AFTER 14 years out of service the unique South African Railways (SAR) Class 26 4-8-4 No. 3450 – named the‘Red Devil’– returned to main line service.

This followed a overhaul at Worcester (180km north-east of Cape Town) on July 3.

Overnight steam tests were carried out on July 2, followed by yard tests in the morning, and after a few adjustments the locomotive ran on the main line to Cape Town in the afternoon.

The locomotive had last been used in 2004, being stored out of use, but cared for by private enthusiasts on behalf of the Transnet Heritage Foundation (THF) at Monument Station, in Cape Town, until this year.

Its four-month long restoration to working order this year was funded by Ceres Rail, a Cape Town-based steam tourist

train operator. The restoration included boiler and ashpan repairs and the replacement of boiler lagging and other fixtures.

The tender was refurbished at Voorbaai Depot, in Mossel Bay, east of Cape Town. When the overhaul woorkk was completed,, the‘Red Devil’ underwent a total repaint into the signature vermillion livery that givess it its nickname.

The Class 26 locomotive was converted in 1981 at the SAR Salt River Works in Cape Town from a conventional Class 25NC. The work was carried out

by British-born SAR assistant mechanical engineer David

Wardale with the intention of proving steam traction had a viable future. The original loco was built by Henschel in Kassel, West Germany (28697/1953).

Modifications made

by Wardale, based upon d l ment work developm undertaken by Arrgentine engineer L D Porta, included conversion to a gasprroducing box, the fitting fireb of a Lempor Lem exhaust, improved steam passage design, improved lubrication, and automatic feed water treatment.

Tests between 1981 and 1984 showed that compared to an unmodified Class 25NC the new Class 26 used 28% less coal and

30% less water while increasing power output by up to 43%.

Despite these positive results SAR did not convert any more locos and instead continued to buy new diesel and electrics instead.

Post-1984 the loco was partially converted back to standard 25NC format with the removal of some of the modifications.

After the official end of SAR steam in 1992 the loco was retained for rail tour use until its last run in 2004.

Ceres Rail, which has funded the restoration, will use the‘Red Devil’for special trains between Cape Town and Robertson in the Western Cape wine region.

For more details of future trips see: www.ceresrail.co.za.

■ Our thanks to Peter Rogers for some of the information in this report

RTC operates unique broad-gauge charter in Slovakia UKBASED Railway Touring Company operated the first passenger train to be hauled by Slovak broad gauge (1,520mm) Class 125 electric locos in July.

The train was formed of a unique preserved ex-Czechoslovak Railways (ČSD) variable gauge (1435/1520mm) axle two-car DMU, owned by a preservation group based in Haniska, near the Slovakian city of Košice.

It was hauled from Haniska to Matovce, near the Ukraine border, by locos Nos. 125820 and 125819.

Unfortunately, because of a planning error, half the passengers for the charter did not experience the whole line loco hauled (the group was split into two as the DMU has limited seats).

The locos had one normal UIC coupling and a buckeye on the other end meaning a run round at Matovce was not possible as the DMU could not join up to the buckeye coupling.

The Class 125 is normally exclusively used for freight traffic

98 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

(mostly iron ore from Ukrainian mines) to the steel works, now owned by US Steel, at Haniska, south-west of Košice.

The broad gauge line (known as the Širokorozchodná trať, abbreviated in Slovak to ŠRT) from what was then the Soviet Union (now Ukraine) to the steel works was built in the early-1960s at the same time as the steel works opening on May 11, 1966.

Initially diesel operated, the broad gauge line was electrified in the 1970s and the Škoda-built Class 125 electrics, which operate as back-to-back single cab locos, were built specifically for the ŠRT in 1975/1976 as ČSD Class E469.5.

The locos are mechanically similar to the standard gauge double unit Class EP40 supplied by Škoda to Polish operator PKP in 1975-1978, most of which are no longer in use.

Both double-unit designs have many similarities with the ČSD E479.0, now Czech Class 130 1520mm-gauge ZSSK Cargo locos Nos. 125820 and 125819 at Bo-Bo design, which is still widely Matovce ŠRT with the Class 125-hauled train on July 5. used by freight operators.

KEITH FENDER

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

New welded boilers for New Zealand steam locos

General Motors G8 diesel locomotive No. 50902 (EMD 19820/1955) with a passenger train from Zaza del Medio (only a few hundred metres from a viaduct) to Tunas de Zaza on March 18. This service, for Sancti Spiritus and Tunas de Zaza, is currently suspended after a viaduct was damaged by floodwaters at the end of May. CHRIS WEST

Extreme weather disrupts Cuba’s railways CUBA’S railways have been badly affected by severe weather several times in recent months.

During the second week of September 2017 the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade, Hurricane Irma, left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean and the southern USA. The north coast of the island of Cuba was particularly hard hit leading to all long-distance passenger trains from Havana to the east of the country being cancelled for some days.

Extensive damage

The Hershey Electric Railway, which runs close to the north coast from Casa Blanca, situated on the bay opposite from Havana, to the city of Matanzas, suffered extensive damage, especially to the overhead line equipment, and the operator decided it was not practical to restore the whole of the network.

The decision was taken to concentrate efforts on restoring services on well-used lines close to the town of Hershey, effectively abandoning much of the mainline.

Services are currently restricted to a 31km section from Hershey to San Antonio,

Former Spanish Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) – Catalan Government Railways – Hershey railcars Nos. 903 and 513 arrive at Jaruco on March 22, forming the 12.34 service from Callé 7. CHRIS WEST

15km east of Matanzas, with three daily return workings, plus the 13km Jaruco branch, which starts at Callé 7, next to the now closed Central Camilo Cienfuegos sugar mill in Hershey, which has a service of seven daily return workings.

All other electric passenger services have been withdrawn; it is not known if they will be re-instated in the future.

Torrential rain

Following the damage wrought by Hurricane Irma another storm (subtropical storm Alberto), at the end of May, led to torrential rain in the central regions of Cuba.

The Zaza reservoir, which is

the largest in Cuba, reached maximum capacity at around midday on May 28 and the resulting flood waters rushing down the Zaza river damaged the railway viaduct at Zaza del Medio, although the railway viaduct fared better than the nearby road bridge, a part of which was washed away by the flood.

All train services had to be suspended, including the overnight Havana to Sancti Spiritus passenger train, which can now only run as far as Guayos. Cuban Railways is currently repairing the viaduct, which was opened in 1902.

■ Our thanks to Chris West for information in this report.

TWO former New Zealand Railways (NZR) tank locomotives will be given a new lease of life with brand new welded boilers replacing the originals.

After discussions with Australian preservation groups, which had used new welded boilers, it was decided to buy two boilers as the joint cost was lower than buying one at a time.

The welded boilers were bought for Glenbrook Vintage Railway’s ‘Ww’ class 4-8-4T No. 480, dating from 1910, and sister loco No. 644, dating from 1915. The new boilers were received in 2016 and after repairs to ‘Ww’ 480’s frame the installation of the new boiler began with the new boiler ticket being obtained on May 24, 2018 just days before sister loco ‘Ww’ 644’s boiler ticket expired.

It is now being overhauled,

Both ‘Ww’ class locomotives were in steam at Pukeoware shed at the Glenbrook Vintage Railway on May 26 – ‘Ww’ 480 (left) for a test run, after receiving its boiler ticket two days beforehand, and ‘Ww’ 644 to run a charter trip that morning, being two days before its boiler ticket expired. ROBERT SWEET

Malaysia to Singapore high-speed line cancelled?

THE Malaysian Prime Minister announced in May that the planned high-speed line between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore was to be cancelled, although by July the Malaysian government announced they wanted to postpone, not cancel the project.

The change of heart appears partly because of the

Siemens ‘Chargers’ for California commuter operators FIVE new Siemens SC-44 ‘Charger’ locos have been ordered to operate ‘Coaster’ commuter rail services between San Diego and Oceanside, in southern California.

The new locos will be built in the Siemens factory in Sacramento, California, and delivered by June 2021 at a cost of $37million.

The order is being funded by the Californian state government.

The new locos will replace five older EMD-design F40PH-2C locos rebuilt by MorrisonKnudsen (now part of Wabtec) in 1994, and will enable ‘Coaster’ services to be expanded as the

which will include installation of its new boiler.

The 50 ‘Ww’ class locos were built by NZR’s Hillside workshops in Dunedin in two batches between 1913 and 1919; the first 20 were initially designated as the earlier WG class, but renumbered to WG class alongside the next 30 - the small “w” designating the fact they were designed for suburban work around Wellington.

Later, 14 of the earlier WG Class 4-8-4s built by NZR between 1910 and 1912 were rebuilt with larger cylinders and new boilers by NZR at Hutt workshops in Wellington as ‘Ww’ class locos in two lots between 1940/42 and 1950/52; ‘Ww’ 480 is one of these locos – originally built in 1910 and rebuilt in 1951.

■ Our thanks to Robert Sweet for some of the information in this report.

new locos are expected to be 16% more fuel efficient compared to the older ones.

In Northern California, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, which runs the ‘Altamont Corridor Express’ (ACE) commuter service from San Jose to Stockton, has also ordered four SC-44 ‘Charger’ locos.

Plans are being developed to expand ACE services to serve Modesto and Sacramento which, if implemented, will require additional trains.

ACE currently operates services ‘Coaster’ EMD F40PH-2C No. 2101, which will be replaced by a ‘Charger’, using six EMD-design F40PHheading north with a service to Oceanside, next to the Batiquitos 2C/3C locos.

Lagoon, south of Carlsbad, on December 26, 2013. KEITH FENDER

compensation they would have had to pay to Singapore.

A separate decision in early-July has led to all construction work on the 600km East Coast railway scheme being suspended.

The project was being built

by Chinese companies, funded by loans to the Malaysian government from Chinese banks.

SNCF buys COMSA

FRENCH Railways freight subsidiary SNCF Logistics is buying the remaining private shareholding in Spanish private rail freight firm Comsa Rail Transport.

SNCF had already bought a 25% shareholding in 2013.

The company will be renamed as part of SNCF’s international Captrain group of companies.

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August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 99

Traction & Stock Track Record COMPILED BY

CHRIS MILNER

Call: 01507 529589 email: cmilner @mortons.co.uk

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

GB Railfreight buys Colas 60s GB RAILFREIGHT has further expanded its loco fleet with an agreement to buy all 10 Class 60s from Colas.

There had been industry rumours for some time GB was seeking additional traction for forthcoming contracts, and this surprise acquisition comes after the purchase of up to 16 Class 56s from UK Rail Leasing. Industry sources are also indicating Colas is moving away from freight work to concentrate on infrastructure activities.

Colas bought the Class 60s from DB Cargo in 2014, and all have undergone substantial refurbishment at Toton depot, so GBRf has a ready-to-run fleet that it is expected to make use of from August.

What happens to current Colas freight contracts is at present unclear, but the ‘60s’are likely to be seen on aggregate work at some point, with a new livery.

Five of the 10 locos have standard 990-gallon fuel tanks – Nos. 60047/76/85/87/95 – and five have long-range, 1,150-gallon-capacity tanks – Nos. 60002/21/26/56/96.

Greater Anglia repair work improving reliability

Overground Class 710 makes London debut

THE first of 54 Class 710 EMUs destined for service with London Overground (LO) was shown to the trade media on June 20 at Willesden depot.

The EMUs are based on Bombardier's‘Aventra’platform, with Transport for London placing an order for 31 AC only four-car trains (sub-class 710/1) for the West Anglia Liverpool Street to Chingford and Romford to Upminster routes, along with 14 Class 710/2 dual-voltage (750V DC/25kV AC) for Gospel Oak to Barking services, where they will replace Class 172 DMUs. The dual-voltage units will also run on the North and West London lines (Stratford to Richmond and Willesden to Clapham Jct).

The interior of the Class 710/2 with a new moquette on the longitudinal seating. The video display panels are near the exit doors.

ALL PICTURES: CHRIS MILNER

Left: London Overground Class 710 No. 710261 inside Willesden depot.

Extra capacity

In addition, there are a further six dual-voltage units being built as five-car sets, which will be used to provide extra capacity on the North and West London Lines, with a 10-trains-per-hour service at certain times on the NLL. The new stock will allow Class 378s to be cascaded to the East London line to strengthen services. Finally, a further three four-car sets will be built to cover services on the Barking Riverside extension, due to open in 2021.

Each sub-class has been finished in blue, white and orange and has different seating styles. The Class 710/1 has a mix of longitudinal and transverse seating, while the 710/2 is longitudinal only, allowing plenty of standing room.

There are 175 seats, finished in a new moquette, but each train will have a capacity for 675 passengers.

Right: USB charging sockets in the cab wall.

As well as air conditioning and passenger information systems, the sets feature USB charging points near the corridor connections and on the cab bulkhead wall. There are also TFT screens that can show pre-uploaded video.

With the Class 378s, TfL noted certain‘touch' areas were subject to wear, and changes have been carried out to make these areas less susceptible to damage.

The AC units will be maintained at Ilford and the dual-voltage sets at Willesden depot, where £10million has been spent upgrading the facilities.

Introduction to service on Gospel Oak to Barking (Goblin) services is running late. The newly electrified line, which cost £100million, was approved for

use from June, and although 20 sets have been built, approval for use on the network is being hampered by software problems.

look for damper leaks and check other components as part of a 360° scan of each train.

The system, called AVIS, will take roof and underframe images Transfer using a 4K quality camera to TfL says the new units should compare for damage or missing be introduced from November parts, and also produce a as all the Class 172s are due to worksheet for a technician to transfer to West Midlands Trains carry out repairs. in December. However, the Data will be kept for up to 12 withdrawal of one Class 172 set months, and the system will help and the cancellation of five peakpredict consumable component time trains on the 'Goblin' route life, as well as helping to manage has led to severe overcrowding and optimise tasks. on the two-car DMUs. Willesden is also home to a TfL say the service will utilise six new driver simulator with life-like units, with two spare sets. graphics of London Overground As part of the depot routes. enhancements, a laser-based ■ After the press preview, set measuring system has been No. 710261 was returned to the installed which will measure Bombardier factory, Derby the wheel profile, brake pad thickness, following day.

More TransPennine Mk5s arrive

WORK by Greater Anglia to fix faulty doors and seal air leaks on West Anglia Class 317 EMUs is paying dividends with improved reliability.

These two faults are the main causes for trains being cancelled on the West Anglia route.

So far, 42 out of 58 trains have now been overhauled for Greater Anglia at Arriva Train Care's Cambridge depot, where four additional engineers have been recruited specifically for the project.

Running 38 minutes behind time, Rail Operations Group Class 47 Nos. 47813 and 47812 head 5Q32, the 09.00 Portbury Automotive

Like us facebook.com/ Terminal-Manchester through Ashchurch on July 18, hauling new Mk5 TPE carriages Nos. 11504/12710/12711/12712/12804, plus barrier TheRailwayMagazine vehicles Nos. 6330/6338/6344/6340/977087 and 975875. JOHN STRETTON 100 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

End is nigh for ‘Pacers' as Northern's first CAF Class 195 DMU arrives from Spain

THE first replacement unit for Northern Rail‘Pacers' – two-car Class 195 No. 195001 – arrived in the UK on June 25.

The set is the first of 25 two- and 30 three-car trains ordered by Northern and being built by CAF in Spain on its‘Civity' platform.

Bodyshells are fabricated in Zaragoza, with final assembly at Irun.

The first set was imported via Portbury Docks and taken by road to Merseyside. It is currently

at Edge Hill depot receiving the finishing touches, before entering the dynamic testing and certification modes, followed by a driver training programme.

The first units are due to enter service from December, with a phased introduction allowing the gradual withdrawal of Class 142 and 144‘Pacers’used by Northern, which is due to start in mid-September.

Five two-car Class 144s are the candidates for the first wave

of withdrawals, followed by the remaining eight two-car sets in the fleet in January, with the withdrawal of all 10 three-car sets by the end of March 2019.

The Class 142s will then undergo a phased withdrawal, the last due out of traffic by October 2019.

CAF has completed a further nine two-car sets that are awaiting delivery to the UK, while the first three-car set – No. 195101 – remains on test in the Czech Republic.

A driving car from new CAF DMU No. 195001 arrives at Portbury Dock. PICTURE COURTESY OF NORTHERN.

First Class 717s delivered to Ferme Park THE first two of 25 six-car Class 717 EMUs for Great Northern services from Moorgate arrived in the UK on July 11 and were delivered to Ferme Park depot.

Construction of the units is on-going at Siemens Krefeld factory, and at the beginning of July, further sets were under test at the Wildenrath track.

The 362-seat trains are fully

air conditioned and based on Siemens’‘Desiro City' platform.

They use the same bodyshell as the Class 700, but with a front emergency egress door.

The trains will replace the 44 Class 313s used by Govia Thameslink, which date from 1976, and are the oldest EMUs in use on the main line network.

The first trains should enter service before the end of the year.

Set Nos. 717007/008 are seen passing Tonbridge as part of train 6X71 from Dollands Moor to Ferme Park, with GBRf's No. 66745 as the motive power.

Nos. 717005/009 arrived on July 18.

HOWARD LEWSEY

Overhaul for Sarah Siddons LONDON Transport Museum's Metropolitan Railway Bo-Bo No. 12 Sarah Siddons is undergoing a major overhaul to its bogies, brakes, traction motors, compressor and alternator at Eastleigh Works.

The veteran loco will also be repainted.

The project is being carried out

by Arlington because of a lack of capacity at London Underground’s Acton works, and there is a tentative target to complete the work by the end of September.

LU is relaxed about it taking longer and not being completed until the end of the year, as there are no plans for the loco until 2019.

RON COVER

More Crossrail work for GBRf with ‘yellow plant’ contract GB RAILFREIGHT has secured a Crossrail‘yellow plant' contract, covering a five-year deal and the potential for a three-year extension.

GB will operate and maintain the plant for Transport for London (TfL) on the newly built Crossrail Elizabeth Line.

Delivering this contract will

Class 323s on Bromsgrove training duties

see GBRf's involvement in the Crossrail construction project come full circle. In 2012, it supported the Crossrail tunnel excavations, taking London spoil from Westbourne Park to Northfleet, and has been heavily involved in the tunnel fit-out trains, providing up to 27 drivers a day, seven days a week.

GBRf buys two more Class 73s

CLASS 323 units continue testing and training over the Lickey Incline.

Here, set Nos. 323201 and 323219 sit at Bromsgrove on July 7 with a working from Soho depot.

The start of electric services to Bromsgrove was expected on July 30. STEVE WIDDOWSON

Class 385s ready for service after windscreen glitch THE key sign off for the Hitachi Class 385 EMUs following the redesign of a problematic windscreen has been granted by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

The original design of the curved windscreen created multiple images of signals for

drivers, so until this safety issue was resolved by the fitting of a flatter screen, the ORR was unable to give the units ‘type approval’.

Now that vital step has been achieved, and once completed units have been retro fitted

with the revised versions, driver training can be stepped up, with the aim of getting some of the new trains into service by the late-summer.

Ten Class 365s are being used between Edinburgh and Glasgow as a stop-gap measure.

TWO further Class 73s have been acquired by GB Railfreight.

Pullman- liveried No. 73101 and plain grey 73139 left Derby's Railway Technical Centre on

July 11 destined for Eastleigh Works, where they will be assessed for repair potential.

The pair are seen heading down London Road, Derby. RACHAEL BOTT

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 101

Traction & Stock Track Record Paignton to be served by Hitachi Class 800/3s INTRODUCTION of three Hitachi IET Class 800/3 trains on London Paddington to Paignton services on summer Saturdays was expected to begin on July 28 to coincide with school holidays.

The nine-car bi-mode trains are replacing reliable and well-used InterCity 125 sets, and are expected to work the 08.18, 10.18 and 12.18 from Paddington, returning from the Devon resort at 13.08, 14.50 and 17.00.

Services to and from Hereford and Worcester have seen use of 800/3s vice HSTs, which are

NAMINGS

Class 66 named after Keighley & Worth Valley

being cascaded to Scotland or going into store.

The recent spell of continuous hot weather has caused some problems across the IET fleet. It has led to some services being short-formed and driver training runs cancelled so the units could work timetabled services.

Individual vehicles from the four pre-series sets (Nos. 800001-004) have been noted at Wabtec Doncaster for remedial work. However, all four sets are to be fitted with the GWR interiors as opposed to the test ones shortly.

GB RAILFREIGHT has named Class 66 No. 66784 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway 50th Anniversary 1968-2018.

The ceremony took place at Keighley station on June 29 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (KWVR).

Formerly No. 66081 on DB Cargo's books, the newly painted loco worked to Oxenhope with the railway's Class 25 No. 25059, and also took part in the KWVR diesel day on July 1.

Worth Valley Railway chairman Dr Matt Stroh is pictured with John Smith from GBRf (left). PHOTOS: ANDREW DENNISON

Rail freight honours RM columnist Lord Berkeley

Class 180 on rare metals IT'S rare to see a Class 180 ‘Adelante' on third rail territory, but on July 9, Grand Central's No. 180103 passed through

Basingstoke on its way to Bounds Green after receiving a repaint at Arlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh. MARK V PIKE

TWO decades as chairman of the Rail Freight Group has seen Lord Berkeley honoured with the surprise eponymous naming of GBRf Class 66 No. 66755. Retiring from his position later in the year, the sterling work of The RM columnist to “enhance and support open access, modal shift and the future growth of rail freight” was praised by RFG executive director Maggie Simpson before Tony Berkeley and guests set off around Kent in a specially chartered train, hauled by No. 66744. Photo: RFG

WAGON REPORT TWENTY years ago EWS bought the rail assets of open access operator National Power.

Included in the deal were 85 bogie coal hoppers and Ferrybridge wagon repair depot, situated alongside the Swinton & Knottingley joint line.

The wagons had been supplied to National Power by Powell Duffryn Rail Projects.

As the company had recently closed its UK workshops at Heywood and Maindy, assembly was contracted overseas, with JMAs Nos. NP 19601-685 outshopped by OY Transtech Ltd, Finland in 1995 to design codes JM 001A/B. They were used to carry coal from the Selby mine complex at Gascoigne Wood to Drax.

National Power had sought to improve the efficiency of its rail workings, with a train of 17 JMAs being equivalent to 36 of the classic HAA ‘merry-go-round’ hoppers.

In addition, the wagons were fitted with pneumatic equipment to allow the hopper doors to be opened or closed remotely without the need for fixed lineside equipment.

Innovative LTF low track-force

by S F Lappage

Mendip Rail JNA box wagon No. 8170 5500 184-3 at Swindon on June 2. S F LAPPAGE

Ultrasonic test carriage No. 999606 was stabled at Bristol Temple Meads on June 2. S F LAPPAGE

bogies, featuring inside frames and disc brakes, were fitted.

However, these have been replaced with conventional LN25 bogies.

Problems arose when the hoppers operated from Liverpool Bulk Terminal and suffered frequent derailments.

Now part of the DB Cargo UK fleet they are largely used for the transportation of roadstone and other aggregates.

From 2009 they were recoded and renumbered, becoming HLAs Nos. 300601-685.

Alternative identities are Nos. 82 70 6723 601-4 to 684-0, wagon type Fabnoos.

A second fleet of wagons, delivered in 1995 by Transtech,

Pressed Steel was a joint venture between Morris Motors and the Edward G Budd company, later famous for its construction of stainless-steel passenger cars for American railroads.

The Swindon plant is still active producing body panels for BMW Mini.

Private owner disposals have included JTA/JUA iron ore tipplers Nos. VTG 26561/579/ 599/606/627/650/740 at European Metals Recycling and PAA sand hoppers Nos. WBB 30001-005/007-060, Nos. WBB 30101-112 by C F Booth.

DB Cargo UK has withdrawn the following: OBA ‘Bass' opens Nos. 110040/052/071/073/086/

102 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

consisted of 100 90-tonne KSA hi-cube vans.

They were designed to transport bulky but lightweight carbody panels from Pressed Steel, Swindon to Longbridge, and featured a central floor section, which could be lowered into a well between the bogies.

Because of the collapse of MG Rover the wagons had a relatively short working life.

KSA No. 33 70 4739 053-5 was seen at Bescot Down sidings on June 28. Most of the fleet remains stored at the increasingly derelict Washwood Heath yard.

Twenty-six wagons are grounded following the removal of their wheelsets.

109/170/198/243/285/291/313/ 474/555/589/628/669/681/717/ 749/750, OCA steel-bodied opens Nos. 112016/019/026/ 205/254/315, RRA runner No. 200659, HTA bogie coal hoppers Nos. 310336/337/360/ 378/419/501/624/625/694/737/ 739/767/913/924, Nos. 311006/ 090/116/124/161, MHA ‘Coalfish' spoil opens Nos. 394613/651/ 703/827/876/940/959, MTA opens Nos. 395016/078/ 083/094/130/171/188/254/258/ 263/276/297/ 301/306/341/ 350/363, FDA ‘Salmon’ flats Nos. 621494/514, FJA ‘Tench’ dropside bogie flats Nos. 621905/908/ 909/911/912, BBA bogie steel carriers Nos. 910055/060.

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Traction Portfolio Track Record

Freightliner’s pairing of Nos. 90041 and 90043 ascend Shap with the daily late-afternoon intermodal from Daventry to Coatbridge, running 30 minutes late because of problems in the Preston area on May 25. AIDEN FORT

A trio of DRS locos – Nos. 68025 with Nos. 57301 and 57308 – work 6K27, the 14.43 Carlisle New Yard-Crewe Basford Hall sidings, past Redbank, near Newton-le-Willows, on June 7.

DOUG BIRMINGHAM

104 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Hitachi IET No. 800007 works the diverted 1L51 09.23 SwanseaLondon Paddington past Gatcombe on the banks of the River Severn on June 28.

RON WESTWATER

DB Cargo Class 60 No. 60044 passes Pwll (between Llanelli and Burry Port) as the sun comes up, working 6B13, the Robeston to Westerleigh loaded Murco tanks on July 7.

PETER SQUIBBS

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 105

Metro Track Record COMPILED BY

PAUL BICKERDYKE

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@ mortons.co.uk

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

TRAM-TRAIN DAYLIGHT TESTING: This is a shot of the first inbound daytime tram-train driver training run on July 15, the 5A27/10.09 Parkgate-Cathedral, formed of No. 399202, as it passes Blackburn Meadows on the border between Sheffield and Rotherham. Late-July was due to see training ramped up using three tram-trains a day from 09.00-17.00. Service details can be found on websites such as www.realtimetrains.co.uk as they use Network Rail’s tracks. IAN AMBROSE

LU CELEBRATES WORLD CUP: To mark England’s football team reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup in July, London Underground temporarily renamed Southgate station after the team’s manager Gareth Southgate from July 16-18. The roundel was displayed on the Piccadilly Line station’s platforms and at street level.

And in Paris, the city’s Metro renamed six stations in honour of France’s World Cup-winning team, including changing NotreDame des Champs to Notre Didier Deschamps, in honour of after the team’s manager. TFL

Metrolink orders 27 new ‘Flexity’ trams

TRANSPORT for Greater Manchester has signed a £72million contract with Bombardier and Kiepe Electric for 27 additional Metrolink trams.

They will be the same ‘Flexity’ M5000 vehicles as the city’s

current fleet of 120 trams, and they should be delivered between February 2020 to June 2021.

Each tram can carry more than 200 people, and will be used to boost capacity by ‘doubling up’ on current services.

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“Greater Manchester is growing.

That means more jobs, more people and more demand on our public transport networks.

“These new trams will be a very welcome – and much needed – addition to the Metrolink fleet.”

Midland Metro becomes West Midlands Metro

Edinburgh outperforms

TRAMS in Edinburgh carried more passengers and made more profits than forecast in 2017.

Annual revenue grew by 24% to give an operating profit of £1.6million, while passenger journeys were up 19% to 6.6 million.

The company said much of the success was because of a new timetable that offered a 23% increase in services as well as reducing journey times between the airport and city centre to less than 35 minutes.

Designs are now being developed for an extension of the line from the city centre to Leith, which was part of the original plans more than 10 years ago, but dropped when delays and cost overruns meant the initial project had to be scaled back.

The order is being funded by the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund, which aims to raise productivity and prosperity by investing in public and sustainable transport.

Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said:

END OF THE ROAD FOR T69s: Several former Midland Metro ‘T69’ cars are seen awaiting their fate at Booth’s scrapyard, Rotherham, on July 6. The AnsaldoBreda ‘T69s’ were used on the West Midlands Metro from its opening in 1999 through to being replaced by a new fleet of CAF-built ‘Urbos 3’ trams in 2014/15. Two of the 16 Midland Metro ‘T69s’ have been preserved, while another was retained as an engineering vehicle. MIKE HADDON

TRAM services around Birmingham and Wolverhampton were rebranded as West Midlands Metro from June 24 after being taken over

by Midland Metro Limited (MML), a subsidiary of the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The move allows Transport for West Midlands, part of the WMCA, to put future profits back into the network.

MML has also lowered fares on some single and return journeys, and introduced a Metro day ticket.

Roger Lawrence, leader of City of Wolverhampton Council and WMCA transport portfolio holder,

said: “The network is expanding massively over the next few years, generating millions of pounds, which will be ploughed back into the tram system for the benefit of passengers and taxpayers.

“The tram network is a proven catalyst for economic growth and will be critical to best connect and feed into HS2.”

Metro-only day tickets cost £5.50 during peak periods and £4 after 09.30 on weekdays or all day at weekends.

There is also a Metro group ticket priced at £8.50 during the day and £5 after 18.00 or all day at weekends.

T&W control room upgrade THE Tyne and Wear Metro’s control room in South Gosforth, Newcastle, will receive a £12million upgrade.

It features new computerised signalling control that should make operations more efficient.

The work is part of the Metro’s £350million ‘all change’ modernisation programme.

The new Rail Traffic Management System (RTMS) is a computerised-signalling control system, supplied by Derby-based firm Resonate.

106 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

The scalable digital system, which offers features such as automatic route setting, will transform the current layout of the control room by replacing the current display board and button system with five 65-inch plasma screens controlled by a PC keyboard and mouse.

Work to install the RTMS is due to take place over the weekend of August 4-5, when Metro services will still run, but with some disruption.

A mock-up of how the Metro’s new RTMS will look. NEXUS

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HALTON JUNCTION: the smallest of the seven boxes has a manual lever frame; RUNCORN: this Grade 2 listed building also controls the Folly Lane freight branch; DITTON JUNCTION: has a large EntranceExit (NX) panel and handles shunting movements into and out of the two nearby freight terminals; SPEKE JUNCTION: with its 86 levers also handles plenty of freight traffic; ALLERTON JUNCTION: houses a delightful 70 lever frame; EDGE HILL: with its large and complex NX panel; LIVERPOOL LIME STREET: has a stunning Westinghouse 'L' type power frame with 95 miniature levers and handles a train movement every two minutes. The Signaller provides a live commentary while an axle counter failure at Huyton adds some drama to the non-stop action.

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Telephone enquiries and orders welcome Collections purchased August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 107

Operations Track Record COMPILED BY

ASHLEY BUTLIN

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway @mortons.co.uk

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

Driver training on HSTs continued during June and July and now includes the route between Dundee and Stirling.

On June 5, re-liveried No. 43036 stops at platform 10 in Stirling with the 15.09 from Dundee to Stirling.

IAN LOTHIAN

STORM Hector resulted in the closure of theWCML on June 14 because of strong winds blowing trees on to the wires. Virgin‘Super Voyager’No. 221113 was noted operating the 14.00 service from Glasgow Central to Carlisle only, because of weather-related problems south of Carlisle.

HIRED-IN EMT Class 43 Nos. 43075+43061 were seen at Doncaster on May 31 working the 17.18 King’s Cross-Hull service.

CLASS 801/1 No. 801103 worked 5X05, the 08.53 Doncaster Carr IEP Depot-Edinburgh test train as far as Newcastle only, returning 12 minutes later as 5X06, the 11.08 Newcastle-Doncaster Carr IEP Depot on May 28. On June 6, Class 800/2 Nos. 800201 and 800202 passed throughYork in diesel mode at around 17.10. Class 801/1 No. 801101 passed north and southbound through Doncaster during the afternoon of June 12.

Nos. 800201+800202 travelled north to Inverness on June 29.

STORM Hector impacted on VTEC services on June 14.The 10.00 King’s Cross-Aberdeen was one of several East Coast services hit by what VTEC described to passengers as‘strong winds’.

Obstruction on the wires between Darlington and Newcastle resulted in the service arriving at Waverley 51 minutes late.This

On-hire Class 90 No. 90036 Driver Jack Mills found itself on a King’s Cross to Newcastle working on June 24, the first day of LNER operation, and makes the station call at York. MICK AITKEN

delay increased to 55 minutes at Haymarket, and 61 minutes late by the time the train reached Stonehaven.

OBSERVATIONS of the Night Riviera on Sunday, June 3 found train 5C99, the empty stock from ReadingTraincare Depot to London Paddington, passing Reading station and later at Paddington, with Class 57 No. 57604 Pendennis Castle at the front and 57602 Restormel Castle at the rear.

A visit to London Paddington on the evening ofWednesday, June 27 found the Night Riviera stock at platform 1.This had worked

from ReadingTraincare Depot as empty stock train 5C99 with Class 57 No. 57306 Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate 175 at the front and 57604 Pendennis Castle at the rear.

Earlier on the same evening, No. 57603 had been seen with Class 08 No. 08836 at Reading Traincare Depot.The following day, Nos. 57602/03/05 were all seen on ReadingTraincare Depot. On Friday, June 22 the Down Night Riviera service was boosted to 10 coaches. As usual on a Friday night an extra sleeper coach was added to the normal four sleepers, two seated coaches and lounge car, but in addition, two coaches freshly back from refurbishment were in the consist, although locked out of use. One was No. 10217, the first of the redesigned buffet/lounge cars, on its way to the Long Rock depot for final acceptance and staff

A powerful telephoto lens captures Hull Trains’ Class 180 No. 180111 passing Gilberdyke on June 29 with the 19.12 Hull-King’s Cross. Resignalling at this location has been deferred. IAN LYALL

108 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

training before entering service.

Class 57 No. 57604 Pendennis Castle was in charge of the train from Paddington with No. 57605 Totnes Castle on the rear. However, concerns over whether the bigger load could get over the Devon banks led to No. 57605 running round the train and double heading the service from Reading after a 45-minute delay.

Much of this was regained

by Plymouth, but with slower acceleration the train continued to lose time with the frequent station stops in Cornwall and arrived in Penzance nearly 10 minutes late.

on June 18, with No. 800306 following the next day.

SIX Class 153 units have left GWR for pastures new on June 30.

Nos. 153368+153318+ 153382+153372 moved from Bristol St Phillips Marsh to Etches Park, Derby, while Nos. 153370+153377 ran from Bristol to Neville Hill.

THE first nine-car IETs entered traffic on services to Cheltenham andWorcester on June 13, with No. 800304 on the 14.21 Paddington-Worcester service.

No. 800305 was reported in traffic

THE 15.45 Norwich-Sheringham and 16.49 return on June 23

TWO further new units – Nos. 802011 and 802012 – were moved north from Dollands Moor to North Pole by Class 66 No. 66745 on June 29.

With resignalling on parts of the Highland Main Line on the cards, Aviemore will lose its semaphore signals by March next year. On July 11, ScotRail ‘Turbostar’ No. 170425 arrives with the 12.53 Inverness-Edinburgh. ROBIN STEWARTSMITH

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk DRS Class 37 No. 37405 with short set and 37409 Lord Hinton at the rear ease away from Great Yarmouth past the signalbox on July 11 with 2P33, the 18.17 Great Yarmouth-Norwich Greater Anglia service. PAUL A BIGGS

was noted at Cromer, formed of Class 153/156 combination Nos. 153322+156402.

STORM Hector arrived during the evening of Wednesday, June 13, bringing with it exceptionally high wind speeds.

At the start of service on June 14, ScotRail were unable to operate train services to/ from Helensborough/Milngavie/ Balloch and Edinburgh/Airdrie because of problems with the OHLE between Garrowhill and Drumgelloch.

Problems also affected West Highland Line services because of trees on the line at Dalmally, services to Ardrossan Harbour and Largs were only operating between Glasgow Central and Kilwinning because of tidal/ wind conditions, leading to the sea water contacting the OHLE near Saltcoats, and further OHLE issues at Dalreoch caused suspension of Dalmuir to Whifflet, Larkhall to Milgavie and Cumbernauld-MotherwellDalmuir services.

The storms brought disruption throughout Scotland. Abellio ScotRail services were hit between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street via Bathgate as well as between Partick and Helensburgh because of overhead line problems.

On the Highland Main Line, trees had been blown down on the line immediately north of Perth.

HST power cars Nos. 43169+ 43183, now in ScotRail InterCity livery, moved north from Brush Loughborough to Craigentinny on June 15. Three days later, Nos. 43003 and 43142 moved a rake of three coaches from Doncaster Wabtec to Craigentinny.

CLASS 170 Nos. 170458-61 have all been de-branded, pending a move south.

FURTHER Class 365 units have moved north from Ilford, with Nos. 365521+365529 being towed by Class 37 No. 37884 on June 15. The next move followed on June 27 when the same Class 37 moved Nos. 365519 north. The last of the 10 units – No. 365533 – left Ilford behind Class 57 No. 57303 on July 2, arriving on July 4.

OBSERVATIONS from the Highland Main Line, at the north end of Aviemore, produced: Class 67 No. 67005 hauling the Inverness portion of the sleeper from at least Wednesday, May 23 to Tuesday, June 5.

No. 67030 took over on June 6 and continued to June 8. The following day the service was hauled by a pair of Class 73/9s – Nos. 73968+73969 – the first of this class our correspondent had seen for a long time. On June 10, Nos. 73966+73967 hauled the southbound sleeper. From June 11-14 Class 67 No. 67030 was in charge.

IT DOES not seem long since Scotland’s Railways had to deal with ‘the Beast from the East,’ yet on Wednesday, June 27 Glasgow Central was brought to a standstill by the extremely high temperatures, which had caused rail expansion on a number of points and crossings, rendering them inoperable.

Services between Glasgow and Ayrshire, Paisley Canal, Lanark, the Cathcart circle, Newton, Gourock, Weymss Bay and on the WCML, were all disrupted.

Probably the worst affected train was 1S69, the 13.30 Euston-Glasgow Central, which arrived 133 minutes late, having been trapped between Eglington Street Junction and Glasgow Bridge Street Junction for 95 minutes (a distance normally covered in 90 seconds!)

CALEDONIAN Sleeper Class 92 No. 92033 was towed south on June 6 by GBRf Class 73 No. 73961 as the 0Z73 10.15 Loughborough Brush-Willesden TMD, the electric making an usual sight passing Market Harborough.

THE new Mk5 sleeper coaches are being tested. On Friday, June 15, Class 92 No. 92038 and Class 73 No. 73971 top-and-tailed a rake of 15 coaches as the 5Z92/09.29 Polmadie T&RSMD-Mossend Up Yard.

FURTHER deliveries of new sleeper stock from Tees Dock to

Polmadie took place on June 21 and 22, both trains of five vehicles being hauled by Class 66 No. 66585.

CLASS 144 No. 144015 was observed on May 26 passing Healey Mills Yard, with the 08.38 Huddersfield-Wakefield Kirkgate service, during a Northern strike day.

FORMER ScotRail Class 170 No. 170475 was seen at York on May 31, working the 17.11 YorkLeeds via Harrogate service.

THE 15.26 service from Doncaster to Leeds on June 12 was cancelled as the doors on Class 321 No. 321901 suffered a power problem.

THE problems hitting Northern made national headlines following the closure of the Windermere branch, causing consternation among locals reliant on the railway.

After a Network Rail vehicle had been down the Oxenholme Windermere line in the early hours of June 17 the line was opened for WCRC to conduct some familiarisation runs.

The 5Z02 of three Mk2s, topand-tailed by Class 37 No. 37669 and Class 57 No. 57316 at the Windermere end, was the first to run very cautiously down the branch, returning as 5Z03.

The following run was changed to a passenger-carrier, arriving

at Windermere at 14.04, the first passenger train on the line for three weeks. The Class 37 was replaced by Class 33 No. 33029 on June 22, which in turn was replaced by Class 57 No. 57314 on June 25.

A further change took place on June 29 when No. 57314 was replaced by Class 47 No. 47245, which continued until the final train was operated on July 1.

Northern returned to running the service on July 2.

ON JUNE 15, Class 37 No. 37403 was noted working the 09.03 Carlisle-Barrow and 15.31 return, while Class 68 Nos. 68017 and 68003 worked the 12.08 from Carlisle and the return at 14.52 from Barrow.

VARIOUS Northern services along the former Midland Railway were delayed during the afternoon of June 20 because of a trespass incident in the Stourton area.

Class 158 No. 158795, forming the 14.17 Nottingham-Leeds, was held for more than 25 minutes at Stourton junction before advancing to the Freightliner sidings, then travelling back via the Wakefield stations. It arrived at Leeds an hour late via the old GNR route.

AN UNUSUAL sighting in Leeds station on the morning of June 27 was the appearance of Class 153 Nos. 153358+153305+153324 on a local working. The centre unit of these three individuals was a former GWR unit in all white livery with no brandings.

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 109

Operations Track Record June 30 found No. 37601 take No. 350264 to Long Marston and return No. 350256.

THE first of the new Class 802 units for TPE – No. 802201 – was unloaded at Southampton on June 11 prior to being taken north to Doncaster.

THE second rake of new Mk5a coaches, consisting of Nos. 11503, 12707-09 and12803, were moved from Portbury docks to Longsight on June 15 by Class 47 Nos. 47812+47813.

A COUPLE of hours in the afternoon on Banbury station on Friday, June 29 produced the following observations, all hauled by Class 68s: No. 68008 in DRS livery, propelling the 14.55 Birmingham Moor Street-London Marylebone; No. 68015 on the 16.15 London MaryleboneKidderminster; No. 68009, in DRS livery, on the 17.15 London Marylebone-Kidderminster; No. 68012 on the 17.21 London Marylebone, which terminates at Banbury in platform 1. It then returned to London Marylebone empty stock with the locomotive at the rear. Finally, No. 68008, again, on the 18.15 London Marylebone-Kidderminster.

A SIGNALS failure between Wolverhampton and Sandwell and Dudley brought trains to a stand around 17.00 on June 26.

The first train to call at Tipton was the 18.02 to Shrewsbury which was 10 minutes late and very crowded. It left Wolverhampton even more crowded. The 18.41 to Aberystwyth was ready to depart, having been terminated at Wolverhampton on its previous journey, but was held for connections from Birmingham and left 30 minutes late. It was still 15 minutes late at Machynlleth.

MOVEMENTS of Class 350 units to Long Marston for corrosion treatment found Class 37 No. 37601 taking No. 350266 to Long Marston on June 2, returning with No. 350261. The following week, No. 37611 was employed to take No. 350251 from Northampton, returning with No. 350266. On June 16, No. 37611 took No. 350252 to Long Marston, returning with No. 350251. The next week, on June 23, No. 37611 was again used to take No. 350256, returning with No. 350252.

A change of locomotive on

VIVARAIL D-Trains are scheduled to take over services on the Marston Vale line and there is interest in the last few months of operation by Class 150 or 153 units. On Friday, June 22, two Class 150s were running the service. The 13.01 Bletchley-Bedford was worked by No. 150105 and 14.55 BedfordBletchley by No. 150109.

NEW Class 710 ‘Aventra’ EMU No. 710261 was tripped north through Market Harborough on June 21 as the 5Q57 15.18 Willesden TMD-Chaddesden Sidings.

OFF-LEASE Class 365 units have been moved to Northampton for further storage. Class 37 No. 37884 moved Nos. 365531+365541 from Peterborough on June 19.

These were followed by those previously in store at Ely, with Nos. 365507+365515 being moved by Class 57 No. 57303 on June 28, the same loco moving Nos. 365501+365503

the following day. No. 37884 was used again on July 4 to move Nos. 365503+365527, followed by No. 365535 the next day.

OBSERVATIONS on June 25 found Class 345s Nos. 345013 and 345017 working the Paddington to Hayes & Harlington services.

While working 11.46 to Hayes & Harlington, No. 345013 came to a halt outside the Hitachi depot, with the driver telling passengers he could not release his brakes.

After 45 minutes he managed to release his brakes and the train made its way to Ealing Broadway, where the service was terminated.

Platform staff met the train with bottles of water for the passengers.

No. 345013 was taken out of service and later replaced by No. 345016.

ENGINEERING work on the South Eastern lines on June 24 saw the Hastings to Charing Cross services diverted via Redhill and East Croydon to regain the SED at London Bridge.

Among the Class 375s observed were Nos. 375603/04/06/ 12/13/15/17/25/30, 375704/05/10/15, 375803/05/06/09/10/18/21.

CrossCountry HST, with power cars Nos. 43301 and 43384, makes an unusual sight as it leaves Swindon with the diverted 06.11 Leeds-Plymouth on July 7. The HST had been diverted via Stroud and Bath because of engineering work between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway. DARREN FORD

London Overground Class 378 No. 378206 arrives at Willesden Junction High Level on June 20 forming the 10.53 StratfordClapham Junction service. CHRIS MILNER

Merseyrail Class 508 No. 508136 calls at Bromborough while working the 13.06 Ellesmere Port-Ellesmere Port via Liverpool Central on June 27. DOUG BIRMINGHAM

GBRf Class 66 No. 66774 passes Rimington in the Ribble Valley between Clitheroe and Hellifield with the Wembley to Irvine china clay train on July 2. GRAHAM ROOSE

110 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

BECAUSE of a shortage of Class 377s on June 12, Gatwick Express Class 387 No. 387215 was noted on a 377 diagram at Littlehampton working the 17.21 to Brighton.

RETURNING home after refurbishment and relivery on June 6 was Class 159 No. 159014, running as the 09.00 Loughborough Brush-Salisbury TMD. This was followed by No. 159011 returning home on June 18.

SERVICES were brought to a stand on the morning of Tuesday, June 19 when a trespasser was seen on the line in the Christchurch (Dorset) area, causing severe delays.

FORMER Wessex units have been reported on the move, with Nos. 442406+442417 running from Bournemouth to Eastleigh Works on June 25, and Nos. 442406+442413 returning to Bournemouth later in the day.

Charter Trains

PULLMAN-liveried Class 67 Nos. 67024+67021 top-and-tailed

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk the 08.46 London VictoriaChesterfield and 17.09 return British Pullman Chatsworth House excursion on June 6.

ON SATURDAY, June 9 the SRPS Paisley to Kyle of Lochalsh and return excursion was almost two hours late leaving the Kyle.

According to the railtour info website, it was to be hauled by a GBRf Class 47. However, when it passed the north end of Aviemore at 22.08, it was racing south hauled by two Class 73/9s.The website shows the train was only about an hour late by the time it got to Maxwell Park.

CLASS 70 No. 70811 was seen passing the closed Healey Mills Yard on June 7, double heading with Class 47 No. 47804 inWCR maroon livery, the 1Z25 05.07 Dumfries-York Holgate Sidings leg of the SSE. No. 70805 replaced No. 70811 for the return 1Z27 17.15 Scarborough-Dumfries, double-headed diesel leg from York Holgate Sidings.

THE Fellsman charter on June 12, hauled by‘Jubilee’No. 45690 Leander, needed assistance for the return journey as far as Hellifield from Carlisle. It’s thought a superheater element was failing. Class 47 No. 47580 took the train on to Lancaster, while the‘Jubilee’returned to Carnforth once Northern’s 17.25 LeedsMorecambe service had cleared theWennington line.

WEST Coast Railway’s 1Z16 05.46 Bedford-Ulverston and 1Z18 15.33 return‘Lakeside Express 2’ excursion was top-and-tailed by Class 47 Nos. 47580+47760 on June 14.

CLASS 86 No. 86259 was noted leaving Crewe on June 23 with the RailwayTouring Company’s ‘Cumbrian Mountain Expres’s from Milton Keynes Central to Carlisle.

The electric was due to come off at Carnforth in favour of a steam loco.

CLASS 57 No. 57305 was noted bringing e.c.s. from Ravenglass to Barrow CS mid-morning on June 15, with No. 57312 at the rear. The train had brought participants in the Three Peaks challenge from Bangor (predawn) to Ravenglass, and would later convey them overnight from Barrow to Fort William.

UK Railtours’‘Another Liverpool Docker’on June 23 was hauled from Reading toWarrington Yard top-and-tailed by Class 66 Nos. 66035 and 66133 at the rear.

The two locos then alternated for the various reversals in and around Liverpool, with No. 66133 hauling the train back to Reading.

THE Snowdonia Statesman from Stevenage passed Prestatyn a few minutes late on June 16 behind Class 47 No. 47826.

No. 47832 was at the rear for the final leg from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

WEST Coast Railway maroon-liveried Class 37s Nos. 37668+37516 worked the Fellsman from Lancaster to Carlisle on June 26, replacing the scheduled steam locomotive because of dry conditions posing a fire risk.

EMPTY stock for the‘Northern Belle’Ascot Ladies’Day train, running as train 5Z72 from Acton Lane Reception Sidings to Ascot, was seen at Old Kew Junction top-and-tailed by Class 57 Nos. 57314 and 57313 on June 21.

THE‘Scarborough Flyer’, operated for the Railway Touring Company, ran on June 23 from Scarborough to Ealing Broadway. It was seen at Peterborough hauled by former LNER‘A3’No. 60103 Flying Scotsman, with Class 47 No. 47804 at the rear.

‘THE Cathedrals Express’, operated for Steam Dreams, and running as train 1Z84 fromWorcester Shrub Hill toWest Brompton, was seen atTilehurst onThursday, June 28 double-headed by former LNER ‘A4’No. 60009 Union of South Africa and Class 47 No. 47580.

THE 11.51Tees NorthYard-Carlisle NorthYard light engine movement on June 9 produced Class 66

Nos. 66124+66075+66122.

CLASS 67 No. 67004 – newly refinished in plain DBC red – was moved from Doncaster

by Class 66 No. 66161 in a south-westerly direction on the afternoon of June 12.

OBSERVED on June 17, the afternoon’s Seaforth to Mossend container train was hauled by Class 66 No. 66120 with only three containers on the consist.

CLASS 66 No. 66119 was noted passing Hubberts Bridge on Tuesday, June 19 in charge of the 6M02/20.16 Boston Docks-Toton SteelTrain.

OIL tank trains offer opportunities to see DB Cargo’s Class 60s in action. No. 60100 was seen on Saturday, June 23 at Nottingham hauling a train from Lindsey Oil Refinery to Kingsbury Oil Sidings.

No. 60062 had charge of the regular Lindsey-Jarrow-Lindsey tanks on June 25. On Wednesday, June 27, 60007 was seen at Reading West heading fromTheale Murco to Robeston Sidings.

No. 60040 was employed on the Lindsey-Jarrow-Lindsey tanks on July 4.

OBSERVATIONS of stone trains, all hauled by Class 66s, produced No. 66096 on an Angerstein Wharf (Tarmac) to Woking Down Reception on June 11.

On June 25, No. 66094 worked

from ActonTerminal Complex to Moreton-on-Lugg (Tarmac).

Two days later, No. 66102 was seen at Reading West en route from Oxford Banbury Road Sidings toWhatley Quarry. A few minutes later, still at Reading West, No. 66094 was seen heading from Theale ARC to ActonTerminal Complex. No. 66057 was seen passing through Reading station from Churchyard SidingsTarmac to Whatley Quarry on Friday, June 29.

TRANSPORTATION of Jaguar cars by rail found Class 66 No. 66035+66120 on a Southampton Docks to Halewood empty service on June 26.The next day, No. 66106 was seen at ReadingWest heading from Southampton Eastern Docks to Halewood.The following day, No. 66118 was seen at Mortimer heading a loaded train from Halewood to Southampton Eastern Docks. Later the same day, at Tilehurst, No. 66183 was seen heading from Castle Bromwich Jaguar to Southampton Eastern Docks.

CLASS 66 No. 66112 was seen at Oxford on June 27 heading a container train from Southampton Western Docks to Wakefield Europort.

ONTHURSDAY June 28, Class 66 No. 66140 was seen atTilehurst on a rake of new rails from ScunthorpeTrentTC to Eastleigh EastYard.

NYMR Class 25 No. D7628 runs alongside the River Esk at Larpool, on the outskirts of Whitby, on July 2, with the 09.19 from Grosmont to Whitby service. TOM MCATEE

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 111

Operations Track Record

CLASS 67 Nos. 67015 and 67028 top-and-tailed Mk2 coaches Nos. 5924+9529+6152+5959 from Doncaster to the closed Healey Mills yard on July 3, in connection with an emergency exercise.

They returned to Doncaster the following day.

THE Leeds Balm Road toTyne SS/Millerhill SS light engine movement produced Class 66 Nos. 66509+66514+ 66562+66615 and 66507+66567+ 66607+66555 on June 2 and June 9, respectively.

With GB Railfreight handling the MoD rail contract, No. 66728 Institution of Railway Operators nears Sherrington Lane Crossing on July 10, soon after departure, with 6Z83, the 15.21 Warminster MoD-Pengam Reception sidings moving vehicles. The train was routed via Salisbury, Basingstoke and Swindon. MARK V PIKE

Hired-in Class 37 No. 37025 Inverness TMD passes Saxondale on July 2 with the 3Q86 05.32 Derby RTC-Derby RTC (via Skegness) test train working, and DBSO No. 9703 on the rear. STEVE DONALD

DIESEL locos are quite rare at Euston so it was a change to note an engineers’train stabled in the station around 21.10 on June 2 top-and-tailed by Class 66 Nos. 66552 and 66566 CLASS 66 Nos. 66589, 66603 and 66618 were seen stabled at Earle’s sidings, Hope, during the morning of June 20.

OBSERVED onWednesday, June 27 were Class 66 Nos. 66510 and 66511 at Reading West doubleheading a Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton container service.

A little later, No. 66566 was seen heading a Southampton MCT to Trafford Park FLT. On the same day, at Oxford, No. 66563 was seen heading a Lawley Street FLT to Southampton MCT service.The following day, No. 66555 was seen at Mortimer heading train 479V fromWentloog to Southampton MCT. On the same day, No. 66562 was seen atTilehurst heading train 453V from Bristol Freightliner Terminal to London Gateway.

Moments later, still atTilehurst, one of the few operative FL Class 70 No. 70008 was seen on train 422W from Southampton MCT to Trafford Park FLT.Then, No. 66505 was seen on train 424W from Southampton MCT to Garston FLT, and finally, atTilehurst, No. 66564 headed train 408W from Lawley Street FLT to Southampton MCT. On Friday, June 29,‘Powerhaul’ No. 70008 was seen again, this time at Oxford on train 486Y from Southampton MCT toTrafford Park FLT. On the evening of Friday, June 29, No. 66588 was seen at Banbury on train 487Y from Southampton MCT to Hams Hall.

Then, No. 66555 worked train 455Y from Leeds FLT to Southampton MCT. No. 66518 then ran through Banbury station light engine as train 059G from Hinksey Sidings to Bescot Up engineers’sidings.

Finally, No. 66546, on train 494Y from Lawley Street FLT to Southampton MCT was held in the Up loop to allow a delayed CrossCountry service to pass.

TIME spent at Castleton (Rochdale) station on June 25 between 12.00 and 14.40 produced Class 66 Nos. 66604 and 66551 top-andtailing a Redcar High Level to Fiddlers Ferry power station rake of bogie hopper wagons. Also observed were DBC Class 66 Nos. 66207 and 66117,

Colas Class 67 No. 67027 Charlotte leads test train carriages Nos. 9481 and 977997 (RSC3) – plus 72631, 975091, with No. 67023 at the rear – through Torquay on June 29 as 1Z18, the 15.46 Paignton-Taunton. ANDREW ROYLE

top-and-tailing a Knowsley Freight terminal to Wilton bins train, while No. 66061 was in charge of a service in the opposite direction.

Class 66 No. 66758 was also seen on the Liverpool to Drax power station.

CLASS 66 Nos. 66572 and 66585 were noted in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard on the morning of June 26.They have been allocated to work on the HOBC unit, having been dispatched fromWhitemoor.

AVARIETY of flask trains have been reported in the period under review.

On June 12, three bogie-flasks for Sellafield passed Lancaster hauled by Class 66 Nos. 68034 and 68005.

Class 68 Nos. 68002+68018 powered a Crewe-Berkeley-Crewe on June 14.

On the same day, a pairing of Class 88 No. 88008 and Class 68 No. 68033 worked a SellafieldBarrow MarineTerminal-Sellafield diagram.

The following day found Class 68s Nos. 68002+68018 on a Crewe-Valley-Crewe diagram, while 68005+68034 were on a Crewe-Bridgwater-Crewe turn.

A further Crewe-Valley-Crewe diagram on June 19 was hauled by Nos. 68001+68004. Also on June 19, Class 88 Nos. 88002+88008 powered a Kingmoor-HunterstonKingmoor, with the same pair

112 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

working a Kingmoor-SeatonSellafield the following day, while on June 22 they ran from Kingmoor to Torness and back to Sellafield.

On June 21, Class 68 Nos. 68002+68018 worked a Crewe to Berkeley and return.

Nos. 68016+68034 worked the Valley diagram on June 25.

Three workings on June 26 found Class 68 Nos. 68001+68004 on a Crewe-Bridgwater-Crewe diagram; Class 66 Nos. 66303+ 66304 on a Kingmoor-Georgemas Junction; and Class 88 Nos. 88009+88010 on a Kingmoor-Hunterston-Sellafield.

It was the old order on June 26 when Class 37 Nos. 37606+37218 powered a Crewe-Valley-Crewe.

The pairing of Class 88 Nos. 88009+88010 were used again on June 29 on a KingmoorTorness-Kingmoor diagram.

THE morning northbound Tesco train of 38 vehicles passed Preston hauled by Class 88 No. 88004 on June 12.

CLASS 66 No. 66422, stabled in Doncaster West Yard in the early afternoon of June 12, was joined by classmate No. 66432, which had travelled light from the Sheffield area. Both were still present the following day.

Also on June 12, at 13.30, Class 88 No. 88006 passed through the station northbound with a short rake of ballast wagons.

Class 88 No. 88001 was also noted stabled at Doncaster on June 12 and 13, and two days later working the 13.26 Doncaster Up Decoy-Millerhill SS.

A colourful scene at Bagworth, Leicestershire, as GBRf No. 66721 Harry Beck passes with the 12.01 6M79 Angerstein Wharf-Bardon Hill empty hoppers on June 27. GRAHAM NUTTALL

CLASS 37 No. 37402 was observed passingThankerton on Wednesday, June 13 while working the 16.24 Kingmoor-Motherwell TMD light locomotive move.

CLASS 68 Nos. 68005+68034, hauling the Crewe to Sellafield flask train on the morning of June 14, also had Class 57 No. 57305 in the train.This looked most unusual as it is in Northern Belle livery.

THE 4N80/11.37 Doncaster Down Decoy-Tyne Coal was unusually double-headed on June 2 by Class 66 Nos. 66704+66749.

NOW that GBRf has taken over the cement trains to and from Clitheroe, more of the company’s Class 66s are passing through Euxton. On Monday, June 18, No. 66766 was noted heading south at Euxton at 11.11 on a Clitheroe to Avonmouth Hanson’s sidings cement working. Later in the day, No. 66750 was noted heading north at 17.52 on a Pengam to Clitheroe cement working.

CLASS 66 No. 66739, with a train of JNAs, passed through the Whitehall junctions for the Pennine quarries at 17.15 on June 20.

Meanwhile, classmate No. 66760 was stabled at Skipton.

MOD trains reported include Class 66 No. 66744 on a Bicester to Longtown on June 19, returning to Carlisle. Later in the day it

headed south, and was observed passing through Lancaster 69 minutes early at 21.35 en route to Bicester with just a single wagon. Two days later the same Class 66 was in charge of a Bicester to Marchwwod diagram. A change of locomotive on July 3 had No. 66754 on the Bicester-Longtown-Carlisle circuit, returning to Bicester the next day.

MOVEMENTS of Tube stock saw Class 20 Nos. 20901+20107 and 20311+20314 top-and-tail stock from West Ruislip to Derby Litchurch Lane. This was followed on June 21 with Nos. 20132+20107 and 20314+20096 moving a further rake from Derby to West Ruislip.

CLASS 66 No. 66770 was seen at Saltley scrap terminal on the evening of Friday, June 15.

MAKING an unusual sight passing through Market Harborough on June 19 was London Underground’s Class 491 4TC set Nos. 70823, 71163, 76297 and 76324, being towed south after its appearance at the Midland Railway Butterley’s Gala by GBRf Class 66 No. 66727 as the 5Z66 09.32 Butterley MRC-Ferme Park.

HOBC units have arrived back into Harwich Parkeston Quay yard for work on the Great Eastern network.

They arrived in the early hours of each morning from Whitemoor in two rakes on consecutive days of June 20 and 21, brought in by GBRf Class 66/7 Nos. 66748 West Burton 50 and 66751 Inspiration Delivered Hitachi Rail Europe, respectively.

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

With the Weetabix factory in the background, Colas Rail Class 70 No. 70811 passes Burton Latimer hauling 6E38 Colnbrook to Lindsey Oil Refinery empties on June 25.

RICHARD GENNIS

CLASS 60 No. 60087 was observed on May 22 heading the 6E32 Preston to Lindsey empty bitumen tanks past Horbury Junction.

THERE are regular moves of engineers’ trains between Eastleigh and Hoo Junction, either hauled by Class 66 or 70. The service was seen at Richmond on two successive days.

On Tuesday, June 12 and Wednesday, June 13 Class 70 No. 70815 was in charge. On Wednesday, June 20 the train from Eastleigh East Yard to Hoo Junction Up Yard was seen at Twickenham, headed by Class 70 No. 70810.

The engineers’ trains from Hoo to Eastleigh tend to run via the Brentford loop rather than through Richmond. On Saturday, June 30, the Hoo Junction Up Yard to Eastleigh East Yard was seen at Brentford and consisted of Class 66 No. 66846 and Class 70 No. 70817 on a short train.

CLASS 70 No. 70812, with Class 56 No. 56105 (DIT), were observed passing Thankerton with the 6S36/08.32 Dalston-Grangemouth Oil terminal on Friday, June 15.

SUNDAY, July 1 saw Class 60 No. 60047 haul an Euxton Junction to Crewe via Preston to run round autoballaster train.

Derby RTC & Network Rail

CLASS 43 HST Nos. 43062 and

A perfect pairing of large logo Class 37s as DRS Nos. 37424 Avro Vulcan XH558 (as 37558) and 37407 pass Ashley, Cheshire, with a Branch Line Society special ‘The Nosey Peaker’, which ran from Buxton to Crewe. TERRY EYRES

43013 top-and-tailed the 05.23 Derby RTC-Heaton NMT on June 2.

A NR test train, top-and-tailed by Class 73 Nos. 73961 and 73962, ran from Hither Green pre-assembly depot to Cricklewood Up goods loop via Ashford International, Guildford and London Victoria on Saturday, June 16. The test train returned to Derby RTC the following day, leaving Cricklewood at 19.25.

GBRF Class 66 No. 66786 hauled track machine No. DR76901 south on June 20 as the 6X01/09.16 Derby RTC-Tonbridge West Yard. The light evening of the longest day on June 21 allowed train observations late into the night away from stations, including Loram C44 Rail Grinder Nos. DR79501+DR79507 running as the 4Z76 21.46 Wellingborough-Welwyn Garden City.

COLAS-liveried Class 37 Nos. 37254 and 37099 top-and-tailed a Network Rail test train north through Ely at 17.00 on June 22.

CLASS 37 Nos. 37254 and 37099 were seen on Saturday, June 23 at Lincoln Central top-and-tailing a Network Rail train, running

from March Down refuge siding to Derby RTC. AT THE end of June, Class 67 Nos. 67023 and 67027 were seen several times top-and-tailing a Network Rail test train. On Wednesday, June 27, they were at Oxford, working from Derby RTC to Reading triangle sidings.

The following day they were seen at Mortimer, working from Salisbury to Reading triangle sidings. A visit to London Paddington on the evening of Friday, June 29 found the ‘67s’ and their train in platform 2 preparing to run to Derby RTC.

Our thanks

THE Railway Magazine’s thanks for information go to: Paul Atkinson, Tom Baardwyk, Gary Birnie, Andy Bower, Bill Brotchie, Bob Bunyar, Gordon Casely, Gene Collins, Mike Cooper, Kevin Driscoll, Paul Gilbert, Barry Knock, Anthony Krawiec, Sean Morris, Bob Morrison, Martin Osman, Roger Phillips, Phil Pollard, Dorian Porter, Anthony Prichett, Mark Reynolds, R D Richardson, Robert Riddell, Terry Smart, David Smithson, Mike Thompson, Roger Tozer, Craig Wellum, Chris West and Colin Woof.

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 113

Stock Update Track Record COMPILED BY

ASHLEY BUTLIN

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway @mortons.co.uk

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

LOCOMOTIVES Allocations 60017 TO/WCBT-WQ/WQAA 66086 WBAT-WBAE 67005 CE/WAAC-WQ/WQAA 67007 CE/WABC-WQ/WQAA 67008 CE/WAAC-WQ/WQAA 67013 WAAC-WAWC 67015 WAWC-WAAC 70003 DFGI-DHLT Liveries DB Cargo red: 66021, 67004 GBRf: 66785 Great Western Railway green: 43005/92/98 ScotRail InterCity: 43032, 43168/69/83 + Great Exhibition of the North vinyls: 91106

London Transport Metropolitan Railway Bo-Bo No. 12 Sarah Siddons undergoes a bogie overhaul at Eastleigh Works on July 6. RON COVER

Named 47727 Edinburgh Castle/Caisteal Dhun Eideann 60100 Midland Railway Butterley 66755 Tony Berkeley OBE RFG Chairman 1997-2018 66784 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway 50th Anniversary 1968-2018 Renumbered 66132 - 66785 Stored/stopped locations Leeds Midland Road: 70003 Longport: 56009/31/32/37, 56311 Longtown: 37603, 57011 Toton: 60017, 67005/07/08 Returned to traffic 56090, 56103

Europhoenix/Rail Operations Group Class 37 No. 37884 passes through Cambridge on July 5 hauling Class 365 No. 365535 from Ely Papworth Sidings to Northampton Up sidings for further storage. CALLUM HAYES

Disposals Sandbach Car & Commercial Vehicle Dismantlers: Cut date: June 19: 86901

802201 newly delivered HQ/ EAHQ Correction 802001-10 HQ/EFHQ

390046 Virgin Soldiers 390049 Virgin Express 390050 Virgin Invader

Liveries Arriva Trains Wales: 150264 Great Western Railway green: 158953/54, 165129-35, 800001/03, 800309-10, 802011/12 Greater Anglia: 170272 Northern: 150116, 150270/72, 158759, 319364/65, 319426/58 ‘Pendolino’revised: 390046/49/50 RAF: 156480 Saltire: 158734 South Western Railway: 159005/11, 442416

Stored/stopped locations Northampton: 365501/03/ 05/07/15/27/31/35/41

J Denham Metals \Ltd, Wolsingham, Weardale Railway: Cut dates: June 26: 31602, June 28: 31468

MULTIPLE UNITS Allocations 153318/68/72/82 EX/EFHQ-NM/ EMHQ 153370/77 EX/EFHQ-NL/EDHQ 195001 newly delivered HQ/ EDHQ 345001/02/04/08/18-21/23-42 ZI-OC 345043/44/46/47 newly delivered OC/EXHQ 365519/21/29/33 HE/ETHQ-GW/ HAHQ 800307-10/13 newly delivered NP/EFHQ 802011/12 newly delivered HQ/ EFHQ

Named 156480 Spirit of the Royal Air Force 800019 Johnny Johnson MBE DFC / Joy Lofthouse Names removed 156448 Bram Stoker Creator of Dracula

114 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Now in passenger traffic 365509/17/25/29/37 700059 800304-08 Disposals C F Booth, Rotherham: Cut dates: June 20: 71964/65; June 22 71952/60

HAULED COACHING STOCK Allocations 11503 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 12707/08/09 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 12803 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 15007/08 newly delivered HQ/ ESHQ

Willesden shunter No. 09007 sits outside the depot on June 20 in BR green with its former number of D3671, and its TOPS number 09007 on the solebar. CHRIS MILNER

15106 newly delivered HQ/ESHQ 15324/25/26/29/30/31 newly delivered HQ/ESHQ

Sold Riviera Trains: 94166/76/95/97, 94423, 95763

Liveries Blue & grey: 1691 East Midlands Trains: 41209, 42586

Stored/stopped locations Nemesis, Burton upon Trent: 94166/76/95/97, 94423, 95763 Wishaw: 40426/33

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500 LOTS INCLUDING NAMEPLATES (STEAM): 603 Squadron, Chale, Dick Turpin, Heveningham Hall, Knight of the Thistle, Loch Arkaig, Madoqua, Orion (GWR), Princess Beatrice, Shamrock (LNWR), Shanklin (Replacement), The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers, South Lancashire, Venus (Brit), Wootton Hall. (DIESEL): Cadeirlan Bangor Cathedral, Carmania (Cl 40), Clothes Show Live, Inst of Mech Engineers 150th Anniv 1847-1997, Lanarkshire Voyager, Pride in Huddersfield, Sir John de Graeme, Stewarts Lane 1860-1985, Tyne and Wear Metropolitan County, West Yorkshire Metropolitan County + Badge, Yorkshire Cricket Academy + Badge. CABSIDES: GWR 83, 1665, 2854, 3219, 3601, 3830, 4147, 4280, 4574, 4979, 5221, 5684, 6139, 6324, 6620, 6724, 6979, 7228, 8752, 9018, 9416, 9788, D1049 (Cl 52), E3040 (Electric), SNCF 141R 654. SAR: 1717, 2123, 2828, 2903, 3509, 3814. SMOKEBOXES: 3824, 5380, 5752 (L 91), 6427, 9788, 30792, 31848, 34077, 40656, 42662, 45232, 48374, 61259, 65862, 76075, 90095, 92231. WORKSPLATES (STEAM): Avonside GWR 1103, Bagnall (6710), (8447), Beyer Peacock, Brighton 1950 (42076), Brighton Works 1879 (Terrier), Dubs, Fowler, GCR Gorton 1911, GNR Dundalk 29 1905 + Cabside, Hudswell Clarke (GWR 2162), Hunslet (9491), Kerr Stuart, LMS 1886 St Rollox (57312), LMS Crewe (40656), LMS Horwich (42813), LMS St Rollox (57238), LNER (62468), (63774), LNER Cowlairs (69164), LNER Darlington (65068), LNER Doncaster (64203), LNER Sharp Stewart (68467), LNER Stratford (62551), Midland Railway 1902, NBL (44061), (61120), (90154), NCB Philadelphia, Neilson (30568), Neilson Reid (64308), Peckett, Sharp Stewart (31716), Vulcan (41168), (41199), (90565). (DIESEL): Andrew Barclay (D2435), Brush Sulzer (47541), Class 50 Lease Plate, English Electric (37046, (50043), Hudswell Clarke (D2519), NBL/GEC (D61XX). TOTEMS: Aylesford, Oldham Mumps, Oxford, Oxford Road, Bakewell, Banchory, Barrow, Bishopstone, Polegate, Reading General, Redcar Central, Brentford Central, Brettel Lane, Ripon, Shepherds Well, Silecroft, South Brimsdown, Bromborough, Brundall, Builth Merton, Steeton & Silsden, Todmorden, Wells, Cannock, Carshalton, Church & Walton-on-Thames, Whitecraigs. Wilmslow.

Oswaldtwistle, Corby, Crowbrough & Jarvis TARGETS: Bond Street (LT), Brockholes Brook, Diggle, Dorchester West, Dundee (LMS), Eltham Park, Farncombe, Gilwern Tay Bridge,East Malling Halt, Fishergate Halt (LMS), Hampton Court, Hamworthy Halt, Fulbourne, Furness Vale, Giffnock, Junction, Parkstone, Penge West, Gowerton North, Halifax, Kensel Green, Southampton Central,Tisbury, Torrington, Kensington Olympia, Keswick, Kinross Virginia Water. STATION SIGNS: Carron, Junction, Lingfield, Magdelen Road, Coast Stations, Dorchester, Dunsland Maidstone Barracks, Maidstone East, Melton Cross, BR(S), Great Harwood, Kentish Town Mowbray, Merthyr, Minehead, Motherwell, West, Netherfield & Colwick, Nottingham

(ex Victoria), Powerstock, Rodwell, Tynmouth, Whitley Bay. SHEDPLATES: 1F, 2A, 2B, 5E, 6H 10D, 10F, 12B, 16D, 21B, 33B, 34A, 34B, 41D, 52A, 56A, 56B, 60C, 62A, 62C, 64G, 65B, 65J, 65K, 68C, 70B, 74A, 75E, 81A, 81D, 81F, 83A, 84H, 84K, 86A, 86E, 87B, 87C. TOKENS: Arrochar-Glen Douglas, Bewdley-Cleobury Mortimer, Caersws-Carno, Holt-Patney & Chirton, Hookagate-Westbury, Kings Nympton-Umberleigh, Llandovery-Llangadog, Muir of Ord-Clacknaharry, Penmaenpool-Dolgelly, Penwithers Jct-Penryn, Rannoch-Tulloch, Taynuilt-Oban, TullochFort William Jc, Tulloch-Spean Bridge, Upper Tyndrum-Rannoch, Whitstone-Bude. TABLETS: Annasgaul-Dingle, Barnstaple Town-Pottington, Bellarena-Limervady Junct, Bolsover-Glapwell, Camelford-Delabole, Forres-Dunphail, Limavady-Limavady Junct, Newburgh-Bridge of Earn, Whitchurch-Fenns Bank. STAFFS: Armagh South-Tynan, Bramley-Cranleigh, Crossbarry-Ballinhassig, East Grinstead-Forest Row, Oldcastle-Virginia Road, StreamstownCastletown. SIGNAL LEVER PLATES: From Dorstone (MR), From Swindon (MR), NER Stockton Darlington, Pilning Branch, Relief to Badminton (GWR). SEAT BACK PLATES: Crail, East Newport, Leuchars Junction, Maidstone West, Staveley Works (LNER). SIGNAL BOX DIAGRAMS: Kingennie LMS, Ruabon North Box (GWR), Tower Hill BR(S). HANDLAMPS: GER Harling Road, GER Norwich Victoria, GNR Colwick North Junc, LNER Pinchbeck, LNWR Banbury Goods, NBR Kingskettle, NBR Newburgh. PULLMAN: Car Lamp Aquila & Medusa, Car Window, Marquetry. GWR: 1713 1906 Tenderplate, Cambrian Porter Armband, GWR & LMS, To Railway Station Enamel, Weston Clevedon & Portishead Railway Coach Plate, Yard Lamp. LMS: Dundee & Arbroath Jt Trespass, Royal Scot Headboard. LNER: Edinburgh & Northern Ladder Bar, GER 12” & GNR 8” Clock, GNER Crest, NER Scarborough Cash Bag, Wetwang N.E.R Platform Lamp. SR: Platform Ticket Machine (LBSCR), S&DJR Holcroft Finial. GENERAL: Crumlin GNR(I) Lamp Tablet, Isle of Man Teapot, Post Box, Post Office Direction Sign.

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Great Central Railwayana Ltd INCORPORATING SHEFFIELD RAILWAYANA AUCTIONS & RAILWAYANA.NET 14, SCHOOL STREET, WOODFORD HALSE, DAVENTRY, NORTHANTS, NN11 3RL TEL: 01327 263633 (MONDAY TO FRIDAY 10.00 – 5.00)

Heritage Diary ABBEY PUMPING STATION

BRESSINGHAM STEAM & GARDENS

August 4, 14 Corporation Road, Leicester LE4 5PX (0116 299 51110). www.abbeypumpingstation.org/events.asp Museum open Feb-Oct (13.00-16.30).

Daily (until October 28) Bressingham Steam Experience, Diss (01379 686906). www.bressingham.co.uk Open 11.00-16.00.

ALN VALLEY RAILWAY

August 4-5, 25-27 M Shed, Princes Wharf, Wapping Road, Bristol BS1 4RN (0117 352 6600). www.mshed.org Museum open Tues-Fri (10.00-17.00), weekends (10.00-18.00).

August 2, 4-5, 7, 9,11-12, 14, 16, 18-19, 21, 23, 25-28, 30, September 1-2, 9, 16, 23, 29-30 Lionheart Station, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 2EZ. www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk Information line 0300 030 3311. Events: September 1-2 Model Railex, 29-30 Everything Goes Gala.

AMBERLEY MUSEUM & HERITAGE CENTRE

August 11-12, 26-27, September 15-16, 23 Houghton Bridge, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9LT (01798 831370). Museum open 10.00-17.30. www.amberleynarrowgauge.co.uk Events: August 19 Petrol Locos’ Day, September 15-16 Miniature Steam, 23 Bus Day.

AMERTON RAILWAY

August 1-September 2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Stowe-by-Chartley, Weston, Staffs ST18 OLA (01785 850965). www.amertonrailway.co.uk

APEDALE VALLEY LIGHT RAILWAY

(home of the Moseley Railway Trust)

August 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-27, September 1-2, 8, 15-16, 22, 29 Apedale Country Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 7LB (0845 0941953). www.avlr.org.uk Events: August 26 Classic Cars.

AVON VALLEY RAILWAY

August 1-2, 4-5, 7-9, 11-12, 14-16, 18-19, 21-23, 25-27, September 2, 5, 8-9, 15-16, 19, 22-23, 29-30 Bitton station, Bath Road, Bitton BS30 6HD (0117 932 5538/7296). www.avonvalleyrailway.org See website for dining trains.

BALA LAKE RAILWAY

August 1-September 6, 8-13, 15-16, 18-20, 22-23, 25-27, 29-30 Llanuwchllyn station, Gwynedd. www.bala-lake-railway.co.uk

BARROW HILL ROUNDHOUSE RAILWAY

August 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Campbell Drive, Barrow Hill, Chesterfield S43 2PR (01246 472450). Open: 10.00-16.00. www.barrowhill.org.uk

BATTLEFIELD LINE

August 1-2, 4-5, 7-9, 11-12, 14-16, 18-19, 21-23, 25-30, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Shackerstone station, Shackerstone, Leics CV13 6NW (01827 880754). www.battlefieldline.co.uk Events: July 27-29 Rails & Ales. Station open most Sats and Suns (11.45-17.00) and bank holidays.

BLUEBELL RAILWAY

Daily (until September 30) Sheffield Park station, East Sussex (01825 720800). www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/ Events: See website for Golden Arrow Pullman Dining, Afternoon Tea Lounge Car and Sunday Carvery dining train.

BODMIN & WENFORD RAILWAY

Daily (until September 30) Bodmin General station, Cornwall (01208 73666). www.bodminrailway.co.uk Events: September 15-16 China Clay Weekend, 21-22 Diesel Gala

BO’NESS & KINNEIL RAILWAY

Daily (until October 28) Bo’ness station, Bo’ness, West Lothian EH51 9AQ (01506 822298). www.bkrailway.co.uk

BOWES RAILWAY

September 1-2, 6-9, 13-16 Springwell Village, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE9 7QJ (0191 4161847). www.bowesrailway.co.uk Events: The museum is open every Tues, Thurs and Sat (10.00-15.00).

BRECON MOUNTAIN RAILWAY

BRISTOL HARBOUR RAILWAY

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE RAILWAY CENTRE

August 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 18-19, 22, 26-27, September 1-2, 5, 9, 16, 23-23, 30 Quainton Road, Quainton, Aylesbury, Bucks HP22 4BY (01296 655720). www.bucksrailcentre.org Events: See website for static viewing days.

BURE VALLEY RAILWAY

August 1-October 28 Aylsham station, Norwich Road, Aylsham, Norfolk (01263 733858). www.bvrw.co.uk

BURSLEDON LIGHT RAILWAY HNGRT

August 19 (Vehicles at the Brickwork), September 6, 9 (National Heritage Days), 23 (WWI Re-enactment) Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum, Coal Park Lane, Swanwick, Southampton SO31 7GW (01489 576248). www.hngrt.org.uk

CALEDONIAN RAILWAY

August 4-5, 11-12, September 1-2, 8-9 The Station, Park Road, Brechin DD9 7AF (01356 622992). www.caledonianrailway.com Events: August 25-26 Days Out With Thomas.

CAMBRIAN HERITAGE RAILWAYS

Llynclys: August 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-27, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16. Oswestry: August 4-5, 1112, 18-19, 25-27, September 8-9, 15-16 Llynclys South Station SY10 8BX and Suite 1, Cambrian Visitor Centre, Oswald Road, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 1RE (01691 688763). www.cambrianrailways.com

Where to go for steam & classic traction this summer DERWENT VALLEY LIGHT RAILWAY

August 5, 12, 19, 26-27, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Yorkshire Museum of Farming, Murton Park, Murton Lane, Murton, York YO19 5UF (telephone enquiries via Murton Park 01904 489966). www.dvlr.org.uk

DEVON RAILWAY CENTRE

August 1-September 9,15-16, 22-23, 29-30 The Station, Bickleigh, Tiverton, Devon EX16 8RG (01884 855671). www.devonrailwaycentre.co.uk

DIDCOT RAILWAY CENTRE

Daily (until October 7) Didcot, Oxon OX11 7NJ (01235 817200). www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk.

EAST ANGLIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM

Daily (10.00-16.30) for static viewing Chappel station, Wakes Colne, Colchester CO6 2DS (01206 242524). www.earm.co.uk

EAST KENT RAILWAY

August 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-27, September 2,9, 16,23, 30 White Cliffs Colliery Line, Station Road, Shepherdswell, Dover CT15 7PD (01304 832042). www.eastkentrailway.co.uk/

EAST LANCASHIRE RAILWAY

August 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-27, 29-September 2, 5-9, 12-16, 19-23, 26-30 Bolton Street station, Bury, Lancs BL9 0EY (0161 764 7790). www.east-lancs-rly.co.uk Events: August 4-5 Days Out With Thomas.

EASTLEIGH LAKESIDE STEAM RAILWAY

August 1-September 2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Lakeside Country Park, Wide Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 5PE (02380 612020). www.steamtrain.co.uk

EAST SOMERSET RAILWAY

CHASEWATER RAILWAY

August 1-2, 4-5, 8-9, 11-12, 15-16, 18-19, 22-23, 25-27, 29-30, September 1-2, 5, 8-9, 12, 15-16, 19, 22-23, 26, 29-30 Cranmore station, Cranmore, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 4QP (01749 880417). www.eastsomersetrailway.com

CHICHESTER & DISTRICT SOCIETY OF MODEL ENGINEERS

August 2, 7, 9-12, 14, 16-19, 21, 23-28, 30-September 2, 4, 6, 8-9, 11, 13, 15-16, 18, 20, 22-23, 25, 27, 29-30 Wirksworth station, off Coldwell Street, Wirksworth DE4 4FB (01629 823076). www.e-v-r.com Events: August 11-12 Diesel Weekend.

August 2, 4-5, 7, 9, 11-12, 14, 16, 18-19, 21, 23, 25-28, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Chasewater Country Park, Pool Road, Brownhills, Staffs (01543 412121). www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk Events: September 8-9 Summer Gala.

September 16 Blackberry Lane, off Bognor Road, East Chichester PO19 7FS. www.cdsme.co.uk

CHINNOR & PRINCE RISBOROUGH RAILWAY

August 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 27-28, September 2, 9, 16, 23,30 Chinnor station, Oxon OX39 4ER (timetable 01844 353535). www.chinnorrailway.co.uk

CHOLSEY & WALLINGFORD RAILWAY

August 25-27 Wallingford station, Hithercroft Road, Wallingford (01491 835067). www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com Events: Website has details of fish & chip and cream tea specials.

CHURNET VALLEY RAILWAY

August 1, 4-6, 8, 11-13, 15, 18-20, 22, 25-27, 29, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Station Road, Cheddleton ST13 7EE (01538 750755). www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/ Events: September 29-30 War in the Valley.

COLNE VALLEY RAILWAY

August 1, 4-5, 7-8, 11-12, 14-15, 18-19, 21-22, 25-27, 29, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Castle Hedingham, Essex CO9 3DZ (01787 461174). www.colnevalleyrailway.co.uk Events: September 22-23, 29-30 Days Out With Thomas

CORRIS RAILWAY

August 4-7, 11-14, 18-21, 25-28, September 1-2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Station Yard, Corris, Machynlleth SY20 9SH. www.corris.co.uk

ECCLESBOURNE VALLEY RAILWAY

EDEN VALLEY RAILWAY

August 1, 5, 7-8, 12, 14-15, 19-29, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Just off the A66, Warcop, Cumbria CA16 6PR (017683 42309). www.evr-cumbria.org.uk

ELSECAR HERITAGE RAILWAY

See website for 2018 running dates Elsecar Heritage Centre, Wath Road, Elsecar, Barnsley S74 8HJ (01226 746746). Open daily for static viewing. www.elsecarrailway.co.uk/

EMBSAY & BOLTON ABBEY STEAM RAILWAY

August 1-September 2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Bolton Abbey station, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 6AF (01756 710614). www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk Events: See website for details of dining trains.

EPPING ONGAR RAILWAY

August 3-5, 10-12, 17-19, 24-27, 31, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Ongar station, Station Approach, Ongar, Essex CM5 9BN (01277 365200). www.eorailway.co.uk/ Events: August 4-5 PAW Patrol, 10 Real Ale Train with added steam, 26-27 The Gruffalo Visits, September 2 Classic Car Rally.

See website for details of dining trains.

EVESHAM VALE LIGHT RAILWAY

August 1-September 2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Evesham Country Park, Twyford, Evesham, Worcs WR11 4TP (01386 422282). www.evlr.co.uk.

FAIRBOURNE RAILWAY

August 1-September 6, 8-13, 15-20, 22-27, 29-30 Pant station, Merthyr Tydfil CF48 2UP (01685 722988). https://www.bmr.wales/

DARTMOUTH STEAM RAILWAY

Daily (until November 3) Queens Park station, Torbay Road, Paignton TQ4 6AF (01803 555872). www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk

August 1-September 2, 4-6, 8-9, 11-13, 15-16, 18-20, 22-23, 25-27, 29-30 Beach Road, Fairbourne, Gwynedd LL38 2EX (01341 250362). www.fairbournerailway.com

BREDGAR & WORMSHILL RAILWAY

DEAN FOREST RAILWAY

FFESTINIOG RAILWAY

August 5, September 2 The Warren, Bredgar, Sittingbourne ME9 8AT (01622 884254). www.bwlr.co.uk/ Events: September 2 Classic Tractors & Farm Equipment.

August 1, 4-5, 8, 11-12, 15, 17-19, 22, 25-26, 29, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Norchard, Forest Road, Lydney (01594 845840). www.deanforestrailway.co.uk

116 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Daily (until November 4) Harbour Station, Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9NF (01766 516000). www.festrail.co.uk (Bookings: Porthmadog 01766 516024, Caernarfon 01286 677018).

FOXFIELD RAILWAY

August 5, 8, 11-12, 15, 19, 22, 25-26, 29, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Caverswall Road station, Blythe Bridge, Stoke-on-Trent ST11 9EA (01782 396210/259667). www.foxfieldrailway.co.uk Events: August 10-12 Rail & Ale, September 16 Vintage Vehicles, 22-23 Anything Goes Gala.

GARTELL LIGHT RAILWAY

August 27, September 30 Common Lane, Yenston, Templecombe, Somerset BA8 0NB (01963 370752). newglr.weebley.com

GLOUCESTERSHIRE WARWICKSHIRE RAILWAY

August 5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-September 2, 4-6, 8-9, 11-13, 15-16, 18-20, 22-23, 25-27, 29-30 The Railway Station, Toddington (01242 621405). www.gwsr.com Events: September 9 Classic Vehicles, 15-16 Days Out With Thomas.

GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY

August 1-2, 4-5, 7-9,11-12, 14-19, 21-23, 25-29, September 1-2, 5, 7-9, 12, 15-16, 19-23, 26, 29-30 Great Central Road, Loughborough, Leics (01509 230726). www.gcrailway.co.uk Events: August 4-5 & 11-12 End of BR Steam Gala, September 7-9 Diesel Gala.

See website for dining trains.

GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY NOTTINGHAM

August 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-27, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Mere Way, Ruddington, Nottingham NG11 6NX (off the A60) (0115 940 5705). www.gcrn.co.uk

GROUDLE GLEN RAILWAY

August 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29, September 1-2, 5, 9, 16, 23, 30 Onchan, Isle of Man (01624 670453). www.ggr.org.uk

GWILI RAILWAY

August 1, 4, 6- 8, 11, 13- 15, 18-22, 25-26, 28-29, September 1-2, 4-5, 8, 11-12, 16, 18-19, 22-23, 25-26 Bronwydd Arms, Carmarthen (01267 238213). www.gwili-railway.co.uk/ Events: See website for dining trains.

HAYLING RAILWAY

August 1-September 2, 5, 8-9, 12, 15-16, 19, 22-23, 26, 29-30 Hayling Island, Hants PO11 0AG (023 9 237 2427). www.haylingseasiderailway.com

HELSTON RAILWAY

August 2, 5, 9,12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, September 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30 Trevarno Farm, Prospidnick Farm, Helston, Cornwall (07875 481380). www.helstonrailway.co.uk/events

ISLE OF MAN STEAM RAILWAY

Daily (until November 5) Douglas, Isle of Man (01624 697457). www.rail.im Event: See website for dining trains.

ISLE OF WIGHT STEAM RAILWAY

August 1-September 13, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 The Station, Haven Street PO33 4DS (01983 882204). www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk Events: August 4-5 All Island Locos Together, 24-27 Island Steam Show.

KEIGHLEY & WORTH VALLEY RAILWAY

August 1-September 9,15-16, 19, 22-23, 26, 29-30 Haworth station, Keighley BD22 8NJ (01535 645214). www.kwvr.co.uk Events: August 5, 12, 19,26 Vintage Trains, 25 Diesel & Ale.

KEMPTON STEAM RAILWAY

August 5, 12, 19, 26, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Next to Kempton Park Pumping Station, Snakey Lane, Middlesex TW13 6XH (01932 765328). www.hamptonkemptonrailway.org.uk

KENT & EAST SUSSEX LIGHT RAILWAY

August 1-September 2, 4-6, 8-9, 11-13, 15-16, 18-20, 22-23, 25-27, 29-30 Tenterden TN30 6HE (01580 765155). www.kesr.co.uk

KIRKLEES LIGHT RAILWAY

August 1-September 2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Clayton West station, Huddersfield (01484 865727). www.kirkleeslightrailway.com Events: August 18-19 Days Out With Thomas, September 2 Vintage Vehicles, 8-9 Steam & Diesel Gala.

Continued on page 118

Heritage Diary LAKESIDE & HAVERTHWAITE RAILWAY

Daily (until October 28) Haverthwaite station, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 8AL (01539 531594). www.lakesiderailway.co.uk

LAVENDER LINE

August 5, 12, 19, 26, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Isfield station, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 5XB (01825 750515). www.lavender-line.co.uk

LEIGHTON BUZZARD RAILWAY

August 1, 4-5, 7-8,11-12, 14-15, 18-19, 21-22, 25-27, 29, September 1-2, 9, 15-16, 23, 30 Page’s Park station, Billington Road, Leighton Buzzard LU7 4TN (01525 373888). www.buzzrail.co.uk

LINCOLNSHIRE WOLDS RAILWAY

August 1, 4-5, 8, 12, 15,19, 22, 26-27, September 1-2, 8-9, 30 Ludborough station, Grimsby DN35 5QS (01507 363881). www.lincolnshirewoldsrailway.co.uk Events: August 12 Teddy Bears’ Day, 26-27 Children’s Fancy Dress Weekend, September 30 Diesel Day.

LITTLEDOWN RAILWAY

Every Sunday and Wednesday Bournemouth & District Society of Model Engineers, Littledown Centre, off Castle Lane East, Bournemouth.

3 1/2in-, 5in- & 7 1/4in-gauge raised track.11.00-15.00 weather permitting. www.littledownrailway.co.uk.

LLANBERIS LAKE RAILWAY

August 1-September 7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28, 30 Gilfach Ddu, Llanberis, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 4TY (01286 870549). www.lake-railway.co.uk

MIDLAND RAILWAYBUTTERLEY

August 1-19, 21-September 2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Butterley Station, Ripley, Derbyshire (01773 747674). www.midlandrailway-butterley.co.uk.

MIDNORFOLK RAILWAY

August 1-2, 4-5, 8-9, 11-12, 15-16, 19, 22-27, 29-30, September 1-2, 5, 8-9, 12, 15-16, 19, 22-23, 26, 28-30 Station Road, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 1DF (01362 690633). www.mnr.org.uk Events: August 4-5 1940s Weekend, 24-25 Ales by Rails.

MIDSUFFOLK LIGHT RAILWAY

August 5, 12, 19, 26-27, September 8-9 Brockford station, Wetheringsett, Stowmarket IP14 5PW (01449 766899). www.mslr.org.uk Events: August 5 Hornby Collectors’ Day, 26-27 Music at the Middy, September 8-9 Country Railway Gala.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

Daily (10.00-17.00) Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester M3 4FP (0161 832 2244). www.mosi.org.uk Free admission.

NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM

Daily (10.00-18.00) Leeman Road, York (0844 8153 139). www.nrm.org.uk Free admission.

NENE VALLEY RAILWAY

August 1-5, 7-9, 14-16,18-19, 21-23, 25-29, 31 September 1-2, 8-9, 12, 15-16, 19, 22-23, 26, 29-30 Wansford station, Stibbington, Peterborough (01780 784444). www.nvr.org.uk Events: September 29-30 Flying Scotsman.

NORTHAMPTON & LAMPORT RAILWAY

LLANGOLLEN RAILWAY

August 5, 12, 19, 26-27, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Brampton station, Chapel Brampton, Northants NN6 8BA (01604 820327). www.nlr.org.uk

LOCOMOTION: THE NRM AT SHILDON

Daily (until October 28) The Station, Sheringham NR26 8RA (01263 820800). www.nnrailway.co.uk Events: August 31-September 2 Steam Gala.

Daily (until October 31) The Station, Abbey Road, Llangollen LL20 8SN (01978 860979). www.llangollen-railway.co.uk Events: August 4-5 1960s Weekend.

Daily (10.00-16.00) Shildon, Co Durham. Free admission (01388 777999). www.nrm.org.uk

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM

Daily Covent Garden Piazza, London WC2E 7BB (020 7565 7299 -24-hour recorded information, 020 7379 6344 -switchboard). www.ltmuseum.co.uk

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM DEPOT

September 22-23 2 Museum Way, 118-120 Gunnersbury Lane, London W3.

Check the website for more open weekends and guided tours – www.ltmuseum.co.uk Tickets for guided tours (11.00 and 14.00) must be pre-booked – book online or telephone the booking office on 020 7565 7298.

LYNTON & BARNSTAPLE RAILWAY

Daily (until September 27) Woody Bay station, Parracombe, Devon EX31 4RA (01598 763487). www.lynton-rail.co.uk

MANGAPPS RAILWAY MUSEUM

August 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-27, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Southminster Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex (01621 784898). www.mangapps.co.uk/

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY

Daily (until November 4) Laxey Station (01624 861226). www.rail.im Check website for details of events.

MAUD RAILWAY MUSEUM

Open noon-16.00 (ring to confirm) Station Road, Maud, Aberdeenshire AB42 5LY (01771 622906).

Enquiries to bdp@scotmail.net

MIDDLETON RAILWAY

August 1, 4-5, 8,11-12, 15, 18-19, 22, 25-27, 29, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Middleton Railway Trust Ltd, The Station, Moor Road, Hunslet, Leeds LS10 2JQ (0113 271 0320). www.middletonrailway.org Events: August 19 Leeds Bus Run Day.

MIDHANTS RAILWAY

August 1-September 2, 4-6, 8-9, 11-13, 15-16, 18-20, 22-23, 25-27, 29-30 The Station, Alresford, Hants SO24 9JG (01962 733810). www.watercressline.co.uk Events: August 4-12 Days Out With Thomas, September 15-16 Open Weekend.

NORTH NORFOLK RAILWAY

NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILWAY

Daily (until November 24) Pickering station, Pickering YO18 7AJ (01751 472508). www.nymr.co.uk

PEAK RAIL

August 4-5, 7-8, 11-12, 14-15, 18-19, 21-22, 25-29, September 1-2, 4, 8-9, 11, 15-16, 18, 22-23, 25, 29-30 Matlock station, Derbyshire DE4 3NA (01629 580381). www.peakrail.co.uk Events: August 4-5 1940s Weekend.

PERRYGROVE RAILWAY

August 1-September 9, 11, 13-16, 18, 20, 22-23, 25, 27, 29-30 Perrygrove Road, Coleford, Gloucestershire GL16 8QB (01594 8349 191). www.perrygrove.co.uk

POPLAR MINIATURE RAILWAY

August 1-September 2 Poplar Nurseries, Coggeshall Road, Marks Tey, Colchester CO6 1HR (07780 603001). www.poplarminirail.co.uk/

RAVENGLASS & ESKDALE RAILWAY

Daily (until October 31) Ravenglass, Cumbria CA18 1SW (01229 717171). www.ravenglass-railway.co.uk Events: See website for fish & chip and museum specials.

RIBBLE STEAM RAILWAY

Where to go for steam & classic traction this summer RUSHDEN TRANSPORT MUSEUM AND RAILWAY

Open Friday and Saturday (14.00-16.00) and Sunday (10.00-16.00) Rushden Transport Museum, Rushden station, Station Approach, Rushden, Northants NN10 0AW (01933 353111). www.rhts.co.uk

SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY

Daily (until September 30) Bewdley, Worcs DY12 1BG (01299 403816). www.svr.co.uk Events: August 1, 15-16, 22 The Wizard Express.

SHIPLEY GLEN TRAMWAY

August 5, 12, 19, 26, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Prod Lane, Baildon, West Yorkshire, BD17 5BN (07773 001250).

Open 12.00-16.30. www.shipleyglentramway.co.uk/

SITTINGBOURNE & KEMSLEY LIGHT RAILWAY

August 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26-27, 29, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 29-30 Viaduct station, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 2XD (01795 424899). www.sklr.net Events: September 29-30 End of Season Gala.

SNAEFELL MOUNTAIN RAILWAY

Daily (until November 4) Laxey Station (01624 861226) Llanberis, Gwynedd LL55 4TY (0844 493 8120). www.snowdonrailway.co.uk

SOMERSET & DORSET RAILWAY

Open Sunday (10.00-16.00) for static viewing and Monday (13.00-16.00) Midsomer Norton South station, Silver Street, Midsomer Norton, Avon BA3 2EY (01761 411221). www.somersetanddorsetrailway.co.uk

SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY

Daily (until November 4) The Station, Buckfastleigh, Devon (0845 345 1420). www.southdevonrailway.org

SOUTH TYNEDALE RAILWAY

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday (until October 31) The Station, Alston, Cumbria CA9 3JB (01434 381696; talking timetable 01434 382828). www.south-tynedale-railway.org.uk/

SPA VALLEY RAILWAY

August 1-9, 11-12, 15-19, 21-23, 25-30, September 1-2, 4-6, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 West Station, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5QY (01892 537715) www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/ Events: See website for details of fish & chip, dining and murder mystery trains.

ST ALBANS SOUTH SIGNALBOX

August 12, 26, September 8-9, 23 Ridgmont Road, St Albans AL1 3AJ. www.sigbox.co.uk Opening times: 14.00-17.00 (except 10.00-17.00 on September 8-9).

STEAMRAILWAY MUSEUM OF THE GWR

Daily (10.00-17.00) Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2TA (01793 466646). www.steam-museum.org.uk The library and archive is open Mon-Fri (10.00-16.00) by appointment only (01793 466607).

STEEPLE GRANGE LIGHT RAILWAY

August 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-27, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Albert Edward Dock, Riversway Docklands, Preston. www.ribblesteam.org.uk Events: August 4-5 Tramway Weekend, 11-12 End of Steam Anniversary, 25-27 Mr Ribble’s Friendly Engines.

August 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-27, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Steeplehouse station, Old Porter Lane, Wirksworth, Derbyshire (DE4 4LS for sat navs) (07769 802587). www.steeplegrange.co.uk

ROCKS BY RAIL RUTLAND RAILWAY MUSEUM

August 1-September 2, 5-9, 12-16, 19-23, 26-30 Aviemore station, Dalfaber Road, Aviemore, Inverness-shire (01479 810725). www.strathspeyrailway.co.uk/

August 12, 26, September 16 Ashwell Road, Cottesmore, Oakham LE15 7BX (01572 813203 or 01780 764118 after 16.00). www.rocks-by-rail.org/ General opening hours on Tues, Thurs and Sun (10.00-17.00 – last admission 16.00).

ROMNEY, HYTHE & DYMCHURCH RAILWAY

Daily (until October 28) New Romney station, Kent (01797 362353). www.rhdr.org.uk

ROMSEY SIGNALBOX

August 5, 18 Brick Lane, Romsey, Hants SO51 8LG. 11.00-16.00. www.romseysignalbox.org.uk. (01794 500523)

118 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

STRATHSPEY RAILWAY

SWANAGE RAILWAY

Daily (until October 28) Swanage station, Dorset BH19 1HB (01929 425800). www.swanagerailway.co.uk Events: See website for dining trains.

SWINDON & CRICKLADE RAILWAY

August 1, 4-5, 8, 11-12, 15, 18-19, 22,25-27, 29, 31-September 2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Tadpole Lane, Blunsdon, Swindon SN25 2DA (01793 771615). www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org/ Events: August 11-12 Steam & Vintage Weekend, September 22-23 Kids for a Quid.

TALYLLYN RAILWAY

Daily (until November 3) Wharf station, Tywyn, Gwynedd LL36 9EY (01654 710472). www.talyllyn.co.uk Events: Museum open 10.00-14.00.

TANFIELD RAILWAY

August 2, 4-5, 9, 11-12, 16, 18-19, 23, 25-27, 30, September 2, 9, 13-16, 22-23, 30 Marley Hill Engine Shed, Old Marley Hill, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE16 5ET (for sat navs) (0845 463 4938). www.tanfield-railway.co.uk Events: September 9, 13-15 Heritage Open Days, 22-23 1940s Weekend.

TEIFI VALLEY RAILWAY

See website for running dates Henllan station, Henllan, Llandysul SA44 5TD (01559 371077). www.teifivalleyrailway.wales/

VALE OF RHEIDOL RAILWAY

Daily (until November 2) Park Avenue, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 1PG (01970 625819). www.rheidolrailway.co.uk

WEARDALE RAILWAY

See website for running dates Stanhope Station, Station Road, Stanhope, Co Durham DL13 2YS (01388 526203). www.weardale-railway.org.uk/ Events: All trains run to Witton-le-Wear.

WELLS TO WALSINGHAM LIGHT RAILWAY

Daily (until October 31) Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk NR23 1QB (01328 711630 - 08.0017.00). www.wellswalsinghamrailway.co.uk/ Events: See website for Santa Specials.

WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAY C

Daily (until November 4) Harbour station, Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9NF (01766 516000). www.festrail.co.uk (Bookings: Porthmadog 01766 516024, Caernarfon 01286 677018).

WELSH HIGHLAND HERITAGE RAILWAY

August 1-September 9, 12-16, 19-20, 22-23, 26-27, 29-30 The Station, Tremadog Road, Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9DY (01766 513402). www.whr.co.uk/

WELSHPOOL & LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY

August 1-September 2, 4-6, 8-9, 11-13, 15-16, 18-20, 22-23, 25-27, 29-30 The Station, Llanfair Caereinion, Welshpool, Powys SY21 0SF (01938 810441). www.wllr.org.uk/

WENSLEYDALE RAILWAY

August 1-September 2, 4-5, 8-9, 11-12, 15-16, 18-19, 22-23, 25-26, 29-30 Leeming Bar station, Leases Road, Leeming Bar, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9AR (Ticketline 08454 50 54 74). www.wensleydalerailway.com

WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY

Daily (until October 7) The Railway Station, Minehead, Somerset TA24 5BG (01643 704996). www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk Events: See website for Dining Trains and Murder Mystery specials.

WHITWELL & REEPHAM STATION

August 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-27, September 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Whitwell Road, Reepham, Norfolk NR10 4GA (01603 871694). www.whitwellstation.com Events: August 4-5 Ninth Steam Rally. Station and loco yard open every weekend. Steam days on first Sunday of each month. Midweek visits by appointment.

YEOVIL RAILWAY CENTRE

August 5, 7, 14, 19, 21, 28, September 2, 8, 16, 22-23, 28 www.yeovilrailway.freeservers.com Events: August 5 Tractor Show, August 5, 19, September 2, 16 Steam Train Days, 22-23 Craft Weekend. Static viewing every Sunday morning. Shop open every Sunday 10.00-12.00.

Your event should be in here.

The Railway Magazine is anxious to learn all about your rail-related events. Contact Jon Longman, The Railway Magazine, Mortons Media Ltd, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR or email railway@mortons.co.uk Event organisers – please ensure that your entry has contact details and let us have your entries by the deadline (see page 120 for details). It is advisable to contact the event organiser before setting out on your journey as we cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or changes in event details. Please note that many museums’ opening times may be subject to change on public holidays.

EVENTS STEAM GALA WEEKEND

Three days of action!

&

THE WELSHPOOL LLANFAIR

LRIGHT

AILWAY

01938 810 441 Welshpool SY21 7LT Llanfair SY21 0SF

WEST SOMERSET

RAILWAY

Ian le Suere

e Heritag y a Railw

nd in Engla

Late Summer Weekend

Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 September This weekend celebrates the end of the summer holidays. Throughout this event we run a more intensive timetable using a variety of steam and heritage diesel locomotives.

Don Bishop

The frequency of these services provide our passengers with the opportunity to make the most of their rover ticket. and explore.

Discover more and book online for advance discounts at: www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk or telephone 01643 704996

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 119

Meetings

ARE YOU STAGING AN EVENT YOU THINK SHOULD BE ON THIS PAGE? Send brief details, no later than the 10th of the month before the issue you wish the event to appear in, to: Meetings, Railway Magazine, Media Centre, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR. Alternatively, email to railway@mortons.co.uk

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bradford Railway Circle . Sedbergh Community

Leicester depot on July 10, where UK Rail Leasing is based.

Mark Winter, from UKRL, will explain hiring practices at Grantham Railway Society on August 16.

Centre, Huddersfield Road, Odsal, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD6 1DJ . 19.30.

‘The Cromford & High Peak Railway’: John Evans.

Pennine Railway Society . Club 39, College Road, Doncaster DN1 3JH. 20.00. TBA: Andy Barclay.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway .

Darlington Cricket Club, South Terrace, Feethams, Darlington DL1 5JD. 19.10. Monthly meeting.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Slough & Windsor Railway Society .

The Manor, Brunel Way, Slough station, Slough.

19.45. Members’ film presentation

CHRIS MILNER

MONDAY, AUGUST 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Peak Rail Association (Sheffield branch) .

The Harlequin, 108 Nursery Street, Sheffield S3 8GG. 19.30.

‘The Sheffield-Dore Widening’: Ted Hancock.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chipping Norton Railway Club . Town Hall,

Market Place, Chipping Norton OX7 5NA. 19.30.

‘The GWR & LMS at Oxford’: Lawrence Waters.

Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts’ Society .

Emmanuel Baptist Church, Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1BB. 19.30.

‘Fell and Funicular Railways’: Ray Schofield.

Brunel Way, Slough station, Slough. 19.45.

Members’ film presentation.

Southwold Model Railway Exhibition . Waveney

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Basingstoke & District Railway Society .

Valley Model Railway Club, St Felix School, Halesworth Road, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6SD. www.wvmrc.org.uk Adult £7 12-17yrs £3, under 12s free. 20 layouts, societies, outdoor steam rides, trade support, disabled access.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bradford Railway Circle . Sedbergh Community

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Association of Bexley Charities ’78 Charity Toy and Train Fair . Falconwood Community Centre,

Wote St Club, New Road, Basingstoke RG21 7NG. 19.45. TBA

Centre, Huddersfield Road, Odsal, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD6 1DJ. 19.30.

‘Railway Travels’: David Wilkinson.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Stevenage Locomotive Society . Community

Brunel Way, Slough station, Slough. 19.45.

Members’ film presentation

Arts Centre, Roaring Meg Retail Park, Stevenage.

19.30. ‘The End of BR Steam 1968 - Photos from the Kidderminster Railway Museum Archive’: David Postle.

32 Falconwood Parade, The Green, Welling, Kent DA16 2PG. 17.30-21.30. Sales stands will feature new and pre-enjoyed model railways (Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol, Farish, Fleishmann) and spare parts; books; photographs; stamps; sci-fi; die-cast vehicles (Dinky, Corgi, Matchbox etc); Dr Who; teddy bears; puzzles; birthday cards. Refreshments. Adults £1.50, accompanied children free.

MONDAY, AUGUST 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Southern Electric Group (Sussex branch) .

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Slough & Windsor Railway Society . The Manor,

FRIDAYSATURDAY, AUGUST 1011 . . . .

Railwells Model Railway Exhibition .

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 Peak Rail Association (Sheffield branch) .

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bexhill Model Railway Club Annual Exhibition .

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Basingstoke & District Railway Society .

Wote St Club, New Road, Basingstoke RG21 7NG. 19.45. ‘Steam in Bulgaria’: David Plant.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Slough & Windsor Railway Society . The Manor,

Deall Room, Southwick Community Centre, Southwick BN42 4TE. 19.30.

‘Archive of Cini Films: Part 2’: Keith Carter.

Lincoln Railway Society . St Hugh’s Church, Harewood Crescent, North Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 8JG. 19.30.

‘125 Group - Preserving the HST’: John Zabernik.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS) (Merseyside, Chester and North Wales branch) . Visit to the Mid Hants Railway’.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bradford Railway Circle . Sedbergh Community

Centre, Huddersfield Road, Odsal, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD6 1DJ. 19.30.

‘Looking Back’: Bill Jagger.

Pennine Railway Society . ‘Club 39’, College Road, Doncaster DN1 3JH. 20.00. ‘The Up South Yorkshireman’: Ken Grainger (provisional).

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Grantham Railway Society . St John’s Church,

Station Road East, Grantham NG31 6BX. 19.30.

‘Loco Hiring in the Modern Railway’: Mark Winter, UK Rail Leasing.

RCTS . Saltaire Methodist Chapel, Saltaire Road, Shipley BD18 3HJ. Outside visit to Doncaster.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Great Western Society (GWS) . Village Hall, Stoke

St Mary, Taunton TA3 5DE. 19.30.

‘Members’ Present’: Francis Lewis.

Slough & Windsor Railway Society . The Manor, Brunel Way, Slough station, Slough. 19.45.

Members’ film presentation.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Leicester Railway Society . Cricketers Inn, Grace

Road, Leicester LE2 8AD. 19.30.

Members’ evening: ‘Anything Goes Railway Wise’.

RCTS . Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot OX11 7JN. 17.00. Observations at Didcot station.

Fixtures secretary Andrew Jenkins 01793 783749 or Tv-fixtures@rcts.org.uk

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Slough & Windsor Railway Society . The Manor,

Brunel Way, Slough station, Slough. 19.45.

Members’ film presentation.

The Harlequin, 108 Nursery Street, Sheffield S3 8GG. 19.30. ‘The Time Machine Visits Midland Metals’: Steve Armitage.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chipping Norton Railway Club . Town Hall,

Market Place, Chipping Norton OX7 5NA. 19.30.

‘History of the British Transport Police’: Bill Valley The Enfield Transport Circle (TETC) . First Floor Meeting Room, The Enfield Drill Hall, 1, Old Park Avenue, Enfield, Middlesex. EN2 6PJ. 20.00.

‘Transport Video Miscellany’: Peter Watson.

Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts Society .

Emmanuel Baptist Church, Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1BB. 19.30.

‘Life and Times of a Sussex Signalman’: Ted Cook.

The Railway Correspondence and Travel Society (RCTS) . Beechen Grove Baptist Church, Clarendon Road, Watford WD17 1JJ. 19.00.

‘German Miscellany – Part 3’: Rob Freeman.

Southern Electric Group (South Hampshire Branch), and Light Rail Transit Association (Southern Area) . Eastleigh Railway Institute, Romsey Road, Eastleigh. 19.30.

‘Railway Miscellany’: Martyn Davies.

EXHIBITIONS SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Train Collectors’ Society Summer Show .

The Stadium, Guttman Road, Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury, Bucks HP21 9PP. www.traincollectors.co.uk/ 10.00-17.00.

Adult £4.50, accompanied children under 10 free.

15 vintage and collectable layouts and displays.

SATURDAYSUNDAY, AUGUST 45 . . . . .

Redcar Model Railway Exhibition . Redcar &

Cleveland College, Corporation Road, Redcar TS10 1EZ. www.cmrc.club. Saturday 10.00-17.00; Sunday 10.00-16.00. Adult £4.50, concessions £3.50, child £3.50, family (2+2) £12.50. Disabled access. 14 layouts, demonstrations and displays.

120 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

Wells Town Hall, Wells, Somerset.

Saturday 10.30-17.30, Sunday 10.00-16.30.

St Richards Catholic College, Ashdown Road, Bexhill-on-Sea TN40 1SE. 10.00-17.00.

Adult £5, child £2, family £12. Layouts, sales stands, refreshments. Free parking.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Astolat Model Railway Circle Open Day .

National Trust Dapdune Wharf, Wharf Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4RR. www.astolatmrc.co.uk 11.00-17.00. Adult £3.95, child £2.30, family £11.50, National Trust members free. Layouts, test tracks.

Northampton Model Railway Exhibition .

Cogenhoe Village Hall, York Avenue, Cogenhoe, Northampton NN7 1NB. 10.00-16.30. www.ndmrc.org Adult £3, child £2, family 2+2 £8.

Layouts, disabled access

SATURDAYSUNDAY, AUGUST 2526 . . .

Ulster Model Railway Club Exhibition .

Methodist College, 1 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 6BY. Saturday 10.00-17.00; Sunday 13.0017.00. Adults £4, concession £3, child £2, family £10. Free parking, disabled access, local bus and train services. More than 20 layouts, trade and society stands, club sales table

Inverness & District Model Railway Club Annual Exhibition . Jurys Inn Hotel, Millburn

Road, Inverness, IV2 3TR. Saturday 10.00-17.00; Sunday 10.00-16.00. Ample parking, wheelchair access, refreshments in hotel, trade stands.

Seven layouts, second-hand stall many bargains.

Corris Railway Society Model Railway Exhibition . Y Plas, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8ER.

Heywood Model Railway Group Open Day . Unit

10.00-17.00.Adult £4, senior £3.50, child £2, family £10. 15 layouts. Trade stands.

Fundraising for Corris Railway. Refreshments.

Free parking nearby. enquiries@corris.co.uk

Silverfox Model Railway Club Exhibition .

FRIDAYSUNDAY, AUGUST 31SEPTEMBER 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bedford Model Engineering Society Gala .

3, Park Works, River Street, Heywood OL10 4AB. www.hmrg.co.uk 10.00-16.00.

Admission by donation. Club layouts.

Oakgrove School, Brickhill Street, Milton Keynes MK10 9JQ. 10.00-16.00. Adult £6, child £2. www.silverfoxdcc.org More than 35 layouts, trade support, outdoor train rides, refreshments, free parking, disabled access.

SATURDAYSUNDAY, AUGUST 1112 . . .

Ellesmere Model Railway Exhibition . Ellesmere

Town Hall, Willow Street, Ellesmere, Shropshire SY12 0AL www.ellesmere-modelrailwayclub. weebly.com Saturday 10.00-17.00; Sunday 10.00-16.00. Adult £3.50, child (12 -16) £1.50.

Accompanied child (under 12) free. Nearby parking, disabled access, refreshments, layout.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bishops Stortford Railway Society Annual Exhibition . Birchwood High School, Parsonage

Lane, Bishops Stortford CM23 5BD. 10.30-16.30. http://bsrs.webplus.net Adult £5, child 6-16 £2, family £10. More than 20 layouts, trade and society stands, steam rides in grounds (50p), childrens’ area, disabled access

SATURDAYSUNDAY, AUGUST 1819 . . .

Pickering Model Railway Exhibition 2018 .

Memorial Hall, Potter Lane, Pickering, YO18 8AA. http://sdrmweb.co.uk/Pickering_Show_2018. php Adult £5, concession £4.50, child free (accompanied by an adult). 12 layouts, five demonstrators, three traders. Disabled access; lift to all floors. A great day out for all the family as the NYMR’s Pickering station is just around the corner from the venue.

Summerfields Miniature Railways, Haynes, Bedford. Originally conceived as a visitors’ rally for 7¼in-, 5in- and 3½in-gauge locomotives, all gauges from 7¼ down to 32mm can now be accommodated. There are spaces available for caravans and camping. Early arrivals and later departures can be accepted for anyone wishing to stay longer than the allotted three days.

Full details and booking arrangements by email to gala@bedfordmes.co.uk and on the BMES website and Facebook pages.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tadworth Autumn 2018 Model Railway Exhibition (organised by North Downs Model Railway Circle) . The Good Shepherd Church Hall, Station Approach Road, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 5AE. http://www.ndmrc.info/Home/ Tadworth.htm 10.00-17.00. Adult £5, under 16 £3, senior citizen £4, family (2+2) £10. All profits to Good Shepherd Church. Free parking, venue is close to station and bus stop, refreshments, facilities for disabled visitors. Thirty layouts, demonstration and trade support.

SATURDAYSUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 Aln Valley Railway Model Railway Exhibition .

Lionheart Station, Lionheart Enterprise Park, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 2EZ. www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk 10.30-16.30 both days. Adults £4, concessions £2, family £10. 20 layouts, trade and society stands and displays.

EVENTS

SUPER-POWER 2018 'NOW WE ARE TWENTY-ONE'

EPPING ONGAR RAILWAY

Vintage Vehicle Rally 11 & 12 August

A great selection of steam and other vehicles – large and small – will be on display in addition to our regular steam and diesel services.

from

till

14th

16th

September

September

Join us for a very special weekend celebrating the 21st anniversary of the re-opening of the WHR featuring an intensive timetable with many types of train on the mainline, displays of large-scale model articulated locomotives, model layouts and more at Dinas, plus our star guest -

• L&BR Baldwin 2-4-2T LYN •

(More details will be added to our website as plans are finalised.)

RHEILFFORDD ERYRI • WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAY www.festrail.co.uk 01766 516024 facebook.com/festrail

‘THE RO

TICKETS AVAILABLE ON WEBSITE

eorailway.co.uk 01277 365200

DON’T M

CKET REISS IM

VIRTUA L EXPER AGINED’ IENCE

IT’S

ROCKET SCIENCE Robert Stephenson’s iconic steam locomotive Rocket returns to Tyneside, as part of the Great Exhibition of the North, 22 June - 9 September.

Tickets are free, but advance booking is essential via discoverymuseum.org.uk/rocket Part of the Get North Innovation Trail: GetNorth2018.com Donations Welcome (FREE ENTRY) OPEN Mon - Sun, 10am - 6pm

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 121

EVENTS

LEIGHTON BUZZARD RAILWAY

50th ANNIVERSARY GALA 15th and 16th September

Up to Eight locomotives in steam Passenger departures up to every 40 minutes and steam freight working

Full details at www.buzzrail.co.uk Page’s Park Station, Billington Road, Leighton Buzzard LU7 4TG

Guest Locomotives A4 60009 ‘Union of South Africa’* Catch her while you can! One of the last chances to see this magnificent locomotive prior to her withdrawal.

B1 61306 ‘Mayflower’* Fresh from a recent overhaul.

Supported by locomotives from the Bluebell Railway’s fleet. *With thanks to John Cameron and David Buck respectively

Special timetable each day

Giants of Steam 12th - 13th- 14th October 2018 Up to 5 locomotives in steam - frequent departures Special dining service hauled by 60009 ‘Union of South Africa’ Brake Van Rides - Full breakfast available at Sheffield Park Station each day Buffets at Horsted Keynes and East Grinstead Stations open early

Advance tickets available online at www.bluebell-railway.com 01825 720800

info@bluebell-railway.co.uk

The Bluebell Railway | Sheffield Park Station | East Sussex TN22 3QL 122 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

CHASEWATER RAILWAY Summer Gala Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th September 2018

Intensive passenger service Brake Van Shuttles Freight/Coal demo trains DUNLOP No.6 Bagnall 0-4-0ST wks no. 2648, built 1941

KENT No.2

Bagnall 0-4-0ST 2842, built 1946

Sentinel 9632

Ex Walsall Pleck Gas Works Sentinel 0-4-0vbt 9632, built 1957 (subject to new boiler certificate)

Industrial Diesel Fleet BR 08 D3429 North British 27876 Hunslet 6678 Vanguard 4wDH ‘HELEN’ Motorail (Simplex) 15097 & 15099

Heritage Centre, Accredited Museum, OO Model Railway, Bric a Brac Carriage Model & Gift Shop and The Sidings Tearooms at Brownhills West Station G Scale model Layout, Model & Gift Shop and Cafe at Chasewater Heaths (Please see website / Facebook for any updates, ticket prices etc. all services / loco’s subject to availability)

CHASEWATER RAILWAY

Chasewater Country Park, Pool Lane (off A5) Brownhills, West Midlands WS8 7NL Tel: 01543 452623 www.ChasewaterRailway.co.uk info@ChasewaterRailway.co.uk

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 123

EVENTS MID-SUFFOLK LIGHT RAILWAY

EPPING ONGAR RAILWAY

AUTUMN DIESEL GALA With Added On-Train Real Ale!

Open Summer Sundays & Bank Holidays 27th May - 27th August 11.00 - 17.00

15 & 16 September

G: FEATURIN

03170

Class 47 “Jimm y Milne” 47635 Class 17 “Clayto

n” D8568

8 Class 31 – 3143

Class 37 –

37029

AND VISITING LOCOS TO BE CONFIRMED

Class 20 D

8001

On Train Bar Intensive Timetable Driver for a Fiver Cab Rides

Heritage Buses from Epping and Shenfield

TICKETS NOW ON SALE £16 adults bought in advance £18 on the day All locos subject to availability

www.eorailway.co.uk 01277 365200

@eorailway

Epping Ongar Railway

Suffolk’s only standard gauge and award winning heritage railway - Recreating the atmosphere of a rural railway as it was 100 years ago.

5th August - Hornby Collectors Day and Vintage Tractor display August 26th & 27th - Middy Projects Progress & Music Plus 9th & 10th September - Country Railway Gala & Beer Festival

For full details visit www.mslr.org.uk or call: 01449 766899

Brockford Station, Wetheringsett, Suffolk IP14 5PW

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 125

Rail stays Keen to visit a railway but not sure where to stay as it’s off your normal beaten track? Let these pages help you find the ideal location near a great railway.

CUMBRIA

CUMBRIA

WORTH VALLEY

SCOTTISH BORDERS

KENT AND EAST SUSSEX

FIND US ONLINE! railwaymagazine.co.uk ra il ymag in k

NEW LOOK !

facebook.com/TheRailwayMagazine fa book /The il yM in

twitter.com/RailwayMagazine tw ter.com/Ra m/ ilwayMagaz e tw twitter.com/Railwa twitter.com/RailwayArchive

126 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

BRAND NEW!

Classified BOOKS The Spirit of the Borders Railway New Book

Describes the people and the stories behind the return of the Waverley Route.

Contains many fresh observations, anecdotes and reflections.

Full-colour paperback, 104 pp. with 54 illustrations.

Details at https://www.facebook.com/ spiritbordersrailway/ £12:00 including postage

T: 0131 440 4320 E: blball86@gmail.com

PROOF READER

Melrose Books

Do you have a book to publish?

Contact us today to turn your dreams into printed, bound and sold realities with full service partnership publishing

Rachel Hutchinson, Acquisitions Editor 18 St Thomas Place, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4GG www.melrosebooks.co.uk Tel. 01353 646608 Melrose Books specialist in railway history and fiction, biography and memoirs, among other genres

FOR SALE

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 127

FOR SALE

PHOTOGRAPHY

RAILWAYANA

RESTORATION

WANTED

JOB VACANCY WANTED

PADDINGTON TICKET AUCTIONS CHRIS DICKERSON & BRIAN MOAKES

3 MALLARD CLOSE PICKERING NORTH YORKSHIRE YO18 8TF

The market leaders in the auction of old railway tickets, bus and tram tickets, luggage labels and railway letter and parcel stamps.

Job Vacancy FITTER We have a vacancy for an experienced steam and mechanical fitter to join our small engineering team who is able to work to high standards safely, with minimal supervision.

The applicant should also be experienced in mig and arc welding and cutting equipment and be prepared to undertake a variety of jobs. Previous experience is essential but additional training will be available.

Our normal working week consists of five working days over the seven-day week and some weekend and out of hours working will be required.

Salary is negotiable subject to experience.

Applications with CV’s should be sent to

Mr M Hills, Brecon Mountain Railway Company Ltd, Pant Station, Merthyr Tydfil. CF48 2UP or emailed to enquiries@bmr.wales 128 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

OUR NEXT AUCTION IS ON

SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER 2018

at The Royal National Hotel, Russell Square London WC1H 0JX at 11:00 (viewing from 08:00)

Including specially selected railway items from the Gordon Fairchild collection, Tram and Bus tickets from the collections of the late Graham Page, Peter Mitchell and Douglas Parker and tickets from many other collections.

We are now accepting items in all categories for this and subsequent events. Contact us now for a speedy valuation and advice on how to enter your collection for auction.

A colour illustrated catalogue of at least 500 lots will be published on our website at www.paddingtonticketauctions.co.uk at least two weeks before the auction.

If you require a printed copy please send your name and address to padtickets@aol.com or speak to us on 01751 474155 or 07703 350045

Reader Services How to order a subscription Have your RM sent direct to you each month!

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So simply complete the form below (you can photocopy it if you wish) and take it to your local newsagent today.

NEWSAGENT ORDER FORM ■ Please reserve/deliver* a copy of The Railway Magazine on a regular basis, starting with the .................................... issue (*delete as appropriate) Initials .............................. Surname.........................................................................................

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How to submit digital photos ■ For publication, take pictures at largest size, resolution and compression.

■ Hi-res JPEGs or TIFFs should be resized to min 7x5in at 300dpi with no layers or sharpening (with TIFFs, select byte order as ‘PC’).

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Friends of The Railway Magazine A link to The RM is included on the websites of several heritage railways and rail enthusiast organisations. Among the Friends of The Railway Magazine sites are: ALN VALLEY RAILWAY www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk BARROW HILL ROUNDHOUSE www.barrowhill.org.uk BLUE FIN INSURANCE SERVICES www.bluefingroup.co.uk BODMIN & WENFORD RAILWAY www.bodminandwenfordrailway.co.uk CONTINENTAL RAILWAY CIRCLE www.continentalrailwaycircle.org.uk CHASEWATER RAILWAY www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk CHOLSEY & WALLINGFORD RAILWAY www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com EAST ANGLIANRAILWAY MUSEUM www.earm.co.uk ENGINE SHED SOCIETY www.engineshedsociety.co.uk FFESTINIOG RAILWAY www.festrail.co.uk GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY www.gcrailway.co.uk GREAT WESTERN (SVR) ASSOCIATION www.gw-svr-a.org.uk INTER REGIONAL PUBLIC www.southdevonrailway.co.uk KEITH & DUFFTOWN RAILWAY www.keith-dufftown-railway.co.uk LNER (SVR) COACH FUND www.lnersvrcoachfund.org.uk

LINCOLNSHIRE WOLDS RAILWAY www.lincolnshirewoldsrailway.co.uk LOCOMOTIVE CLUB OF GREAT BRITAIN www.lcgb.co.uk MARLOW & DISTRICT RAILWAY SOCIETY www.mdrs.org.uk MID-NORFOLK RAILWAY www.mnr.org.uk NORTH NORFOLK RAILWAY www.nnrailway.co.uk RAILWAY CORRESPONDENCE AND TRAVEL SOCIETY www.rcts.org.uk RAILWAY PERFORMANCE SOCIETY www.railperf.org.uk SCARBOROUGH RAILWAY SOCIETY www.scarboroughrailwaysociety.org.uk SOMERSET & DORSET RAILWAY TRUST LTD www.sdrt.org.uk SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY www.southdevonrailway.org SWANAGE RAILWAY www.swanagerailway.co.uk TALYLLYN RAILWAY www.talyllyn.co.uk TONY COOK www.facebook.com/tony.cook1830 WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk

READ THESE AND HUNDREDS MORE EDITIONS IN THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

classicmagazines.co.uk/rmarchive

August 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 129

Prize crossword

£100 worth of Nostalgia Collection books to be won

Sponsored by

The crossword winner and two runners-up can choose books worth £50 and £25 respectively from the extensive Nostalgia Collection.

The NOSTALGIA Collection Visit us at www.nostalgiacollection.com

■ Puzzle compiled by WILL ADAMS Across

Down

9 ___ Grange, numerically the first of that class (9) 10 GNR junction station in Lincolnshire (5) 11 ___ Halt, on the LSWR Bodmin North branch (7) 12 Nickname for a Class 37 (7) 13 In short, a BR Standard loco in the 70xxx series (4) 14 Name of stations in Cardiff, Hampshire and Shropshire (10) 17 Junction for lines to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft (7) 18 North end of the Seaton Tramway (7) 20 Junction where the GNR and NER met north of Doncaster (10) 23 Nine ___, major south London steam shed (4) 25 GCR station between Sheffield and Penistone (7) 26 The ‘O’ of the pre-nationalisation French company Midi-PO (7) 28 and 27 down Junction just north of Briton Ferry (5,4) 29 City of ___, ‘Duchess’ No. 46243 (9)

1 Substance spread on the rails to improve grip (4) 2 Preserved ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35028 (4,4) 3 Underground station on the ‘Monopoly’ board (5) 4 LSWR station between Launceston and Wadebridge (8) 5 Happy ___, ‘A2’ No. 60533 (6) 6 GWR loco masquerading as Hogwarts Castle (5,4) 7 Josephine ___, reformer commemorated by Class 60 No. 60045 (6) 8 Name carried by No. D1671, and later

by Class 47 No. 47091 (4) 13 and 15 Reading-Newbury-Westbury, the ‘___ & ___ Line’ (5,5) 16 Central Line station west of Shepherd’s Bush (5,4) 18 Steam loco with both low- and high-pressure cylinders (8) 19 Cambrian station between Three Cocks and Talyllyn Junction (8) 21 Suffix distinguishing the LNWR station at Leamington Spa (6) 22 Station on the Wigan Wallgate to Liverpool line (6) 24 Composer commemorated by Class 92 No. 92009 (5) 25 First station north of Aberdeen (4) 27 See 28 across

August crossword entry form Name Address

Postcode Tel

Email

Send completed form (photocopies are accepted) to: August Crossword Quiz, The Railway Magazine, Mortons Media Group Ltd, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle LN9 6JR. Open to UK entrants only. Winners will be announced in the October 2018 issue. The winners will be the senders of the first all-correct solutions opened in our office.

DATA: Protection of your personal data is important to Mortons. Supplied data will be stored securely and will only be used for the purpose of processing this competition. Data will be stored for a period of three months then destroyed.

Where is it?

Solution to the June issue.

Across: 7 Tunbridge 8 Wells 10 Ogbourne 11 Lacock 12 Isle 13 Lansdown 15 Kentish 17 Emerald 20 Waterloo 22 Rose 25 Ripton 26 Explorer 27 Cupar 28 Fairfield Down: 1 Mungo 2 Abbots 3 Mirrlees 4 H G Wells 5 Pencader 6 Blackwell 9 Clun 14 Tenacious 16 Trentham 18 Maryport 19 Donegal 21 Link 23 Scotia 24 Belle June winner: Rob Skinner, Crowle, Worcs Runners-up: Rob Whelan, St Helens, Merseyside; Barry Jones, Loughton, Essex The closing date for this month’s crossword is Friday, September 7, 2018.

The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence can be entered into. No employee (including the immediate families) of Mortons Media Ltd or any subsidiary company, and The Nostalgia Collection or any subsidiary company, or any company associated with the production of The Railway Magazine, may enter this competition. No purchase necessary. No cash alternatives are offered and prizes are not transferable. Responsibility cannot be accepted for delayed, lost or damaged entry forms.

Our pictorial quiz, for fun only LAST month’s picture (right) was taken at Penistone and showed the station building, which is now used by private businesses, together with the remains of the platforms that served the Woodhead route to Manchester.

The passenger service to Manchester ended on January 5, 1970, and today the station is served by trains between Sheffield and Huddersfield, and is a passing point on the predominantly single line west of Barnsley.

For this month, can you identify where this tunnel entrance is (left)?

Answer next month.

Next month 130 • The Railway Magazine • August 2018

The September issue will be on sale on September 5, 2018. Thank you for choosing The Railway Magazine

Tel: 0151 733 3655 info@hattons.co.uk

17 Montague Road, Widnes, WA8 8FZ

Phones: Mon - Sat 7:30am to 6pm Sun 9am to 5pm Shop: Mon - Sun 9am to 5pm

24,000+ items available on www.hattons.co.uk OO Gauge (1:76 Scale)

3922 Class O2/4 Tango 2-8-0 63975 in BR black late crest flush tender (RRP £184.95). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . .£89

Bachmann Branchline - Steam locos

31-128 Class 30xx 2-8-0 ROD 3036 in BR black early emblem weathered (RRP £142.95). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . £72

H4-AB16-002 Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST 16” 2043 'No 6' in NCB green. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £99

R3086 Class A1 4-6-2 4472 "Flying Scotsman" in LNER apple green - Railroad Range (RRP £110.99)BARGAIN . . £55 3923 Class O2/4 Tango 2-8-0 63982 in BR black late crest R3060 Class A1 4-6-2 60163 "Tornado" in British Railways Apple Green flush tender (RRP £184.95) . . . . . . . . . .BARGAIN. . . . . £89 (Railroad Range) (RRP £100.99) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . £68 3921 Class O2/4 Tango 2-8-0 63983 in BR black early crest flush tender (RRP £184.95). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . .£89

32-227DS Class 3F Jinty 0-6-0T 7365 in LMS black - DCC sound fitted NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £182.71

Diesel locos

H4-AB16-003 Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST 16” 2226 “Katie” in lined maroon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £99

2503 Class 05 Hunslet shunter "Cider Queen" green wasp stripes (RRP £129.95). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . .£69 2500 Class 05 Hunslet shunter D2574 BR green (RRP £129.95)BARGAIN £69

R3676 Class A4 4468 "Mallard" in LNER garter blue - as preserved NEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£152

32-860 Class 9F 2-10-0 92211 in BR black late crest NEW .£161.46

R3338 Class B1 4-6-0 61310 in BR Apple Green (RRP £155.99)BARGAIN £87 R3171 Class P2 2-8-2 2001 'Cock O' The North' LNER Green (Railroad range)£84 R3419 Drummond Class 700 0-6-0 693 Southern Railway black (RRP £124.99). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . £69

2520 Class 05 Hunslet shunter D2592 in BR green wasp Diesel locos H4-AB16-001 Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST 16” 2244 ‘No.10’ in stripes (RRP £129.95). . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BARGAIN. . . . . £69 R3392TTS Class 40 40164 in BR blue - TTS sound fitted - Railroad Range (RRP £99.99). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . £74 NCB lined black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £99 2521 Class 05 Hunslet shunter D2600 BR green wasp stripes (RRP £129.95). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . .£69 R3491 Class 42 Warship D805 "Benbow" BR green - Railroad Range (RRP £64.99). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . £39

DMUs

32-850A Class 9F 2-10-0 92220 "Evening Star" in BR green late crest NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £161.46

32-360A Standard Class 4MT 2-6-4T 80104 in BR lined black late crest £114.71

Diesel locos

H4-P-001 SECR P Class 0-6-0T 178 in SE&CR full lined green (with brass). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £99 2930 Class 07 shunter 07001 in Harry Needle Railroad H4-P-007 SECR P Class 0-6-0T 31027 in BR black early emblem . . . .£99 Company - Exclusive to Hattons Model Railways. . . . £111 H4-P-008 SECR P Class 0-6-0T 31323 in BR black late crest . . . . . . .£99 R3665 Class 121 'Bubble Car' 121034 in BR green Railroad Range NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£56

EMUs

32-377A Class 37/4 37401 "Mary Queen Of Scots" in BR large logo blue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £117.26

R3341 Class 2-HAL 2 Car EMU 2677 in BR blue (RRP £130.25)BARGAIN £62

32-983 Class 66/7 66779 "Evening Star" in BR green GBRF branding . £144.46

Train sets - digital

R1126 Mixed Freight DCC digital train set Class 08 0-6-0 BR diesel electric loco, steam loco & 4 wagons (RRP £264.99)BARGAIN . . . . £170

H4-P-012 SECR P Class 0-6-0T 323 “Bluebell” in Bluebell 2911 Class 07 shunter 07005 in BR blue wasp stripes and Wagons Railway lined blue (2010s). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £99 air brakes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £111 R6884 Pack of three 6-wheel Milk Tanks "Express Dairy" . . . . . . . . . . £38

H4-P-002 SECR P Class 0-6-0T 753 in SE&CR full lined green (with brass) £99 H4-P-004 SECR P Class 0-6-0T A325 SR lined Maunsell green Maunsell lettering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£99

Oxford Diecast - Commercial vehicles

76ATKL004 Atkinson Cattle Truck - "J Haydon and Sons" NEW . . . . £13

Wagons

Oxford Rail - Coaches

31-590 Class 70 70015 in Freightliner air intake H4-BH-001 Beilhack snow plough (ex Class 40) ZZA ADB965576 BR yellow£43 modifications NEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £144.46 H4-BH-004 Beilhack snow plough (ex Class 40) ZZA ADB965579 BR

DMUs

OR763FO002B Mk3a FO first open 11046 in Intercity Swallow NEW . £29 OR763RM002B Mk3a RFM Restaurant First Modular 10242 Intercity Swallow NEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £29

yellow "Stratford Shark" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£43 H4-BH-007 Beilhack snow plough (ex Class 40) ZZA ADB965580 Railtrack Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£43

Heljan - Steam locos

O Gauge (1:43 Scale)

2901 Class 07 shunter D2990 in BR green wasp stripes £111

Corgi Collectables - Cars

Electric locos

Dapol - Steam locos

4780 Class 47xx 2-8-0 "Night Owl" 4704 in GWR green shirtbutton emblem£154 1409 Class 14 D9531 in BR green - as preserved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£110 VA12611 Ford Escort Mk2 1.6 Harrier, Strato Silver NEW . . . . . . . . . £24 4000 Hawker Siddeley Brush HS4000 "Kestrel" prototype diesel electric loco (RRP £155) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . .£129 VA11509 Triumph TR5 - Jasmine Yellow NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £24 7700 Class 77 EM2 Woodhead electric 27000 "Electra" in BR black early emblem - gloss finish - Ltd Ed for Olivias Trains (RRP £165)BARGAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£129

30-425 Class 251 Midland Pullman train pack in Pullman nanking blue - Collectors Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£490

Dapol - Diesel locos

4781 Class 47xx 2-8-0 'Night Owl' 4705 in GWR green Great Western lettering NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £154 7S-007-002 Class 57xx 0-6-0PT pannier 5700 in Great Western Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £199.75 7S-007-003S Class 8750 0-6-0PT pannier 9659 GWR green - DCC sound

4D-012-009 Class 22 D6322 in BR green small yellow panels and disc headcodes NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £127.46 4D-012-004 Class 22 D6325 BR green no yellow panels and disc headcodes NEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £127.46

fitted NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £357.60 7705 Class 77 EM2 Woodhead electric E27003 "Diana" in BR green half yellow panels - Ltd Ed for Olivias Trains Heljan - Diesel locos (RRP £165). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BARGAIN. . . . £129

Class 77 EM2 Woodhead electric E27005 "Minerva" in BR green 4783 Class 47xx 2-8-0 'Night Owl' 4706 in BR black early 7701 half yellow panels - Ltd Ed for Olivias Trains (RRP £165)BARGAIN. .£129 emblem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £154 7706 Class 77 EM2 Woodhead electric E27006 "Pandora" in BR electric blue - Ltd Ed for Olivias Trains (RRP £165) . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . .£129

2012 Class 20 in BR blue full yellow ends; pre-TOPS style double arrows on the cabsides and 4-character 4D-012-006 Class 22 D6327 in BR blue small yellow headcodes (RRP £599). . . . . . . . . . . . . .BARGAIN. . . .£360 panels and headcode boxes NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . £127.46 4782 Class 47xx 2-8-0 'Night Owl' 4707 in GWR green post-war GW lettering NEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £154 9007 Metropolitan Bo-Bo electric 11 "George Romney" in London Transport maroon (RRP £139.95)BARGAIN. . . £74 9009 Metropolitan Bo-Bo electric 12 "Sarah Siddons" in London Transport/ Metropolitan (1990s preserved condition) (RRP £139.95)BARGAIN . .£74 9008 Metropolitan Bo-Bo electric 12 "Sarah Siddons" in Metropolitan (As currently preserved) (RRP £139.95). . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . .£74

DMUs

4D-012-008 Class 22 D6332 in BR blue NEW . . . . . £127.46

EFE - Buses

8921 Class 128 parcels DMU 55992 Royal Mail Letters red (RRP £119.95). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . .£59

3912 Class O2/3 Tango 2-8-0 63948 in BR black early crest stepped tender (RRP £184.95) . . .BARGAIN. . . . . £89

Hornby - Steam locos

34112 AEC RT Bus 'London Transport' NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £29.71 3911 Class O2/3 Tango 2-8-0 63954 in early British Railways black stepped tender (RRP £184.95). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BARGAIN . . . . . .£89

Hattons - Steam locos

2013 Class 20 in BR blue full yellow ends; TOPS style double arrows on the bodysides and 'domino' headcodes (RRP £599). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BARGAIN. . . .£360

R3619 Class 4073 'Castle' 4-6-0 5013 "Abergavenny Castle" in BR green late crest NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £136 R3313 Class 4F 0-6-0 4323 in LMS Black (RRP £99.99)BARGAIN . . .£58 2010 Class 20 in BR green small yellow panels and 3920 Class O2/4 Tango 2-8-0 3962 in LNER black flush H4-AB14-004 Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST 14” 1863 in R3617 Class 8P Rebuilt Merchant Navy 4-6-2 35030 "Elder Dempster Caledonian Railway lined blue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£99 tender (RRP £184.95) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BARGAIN. . . . . £89 Lines" in BR green late crest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£136 4-character headcodes (RRP £599) . . .BARGAIN. . £340

£2 P&P for single diecast items £7 P&P Next Day (Orders before 2pm)

UK P&P £4

All items in stock when advert created Prices valid until 06/09/18 . Errors excepted

£20 £25

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