Welcome
Firstly,Iwould liketosay asincereheartfelt thanks to allofyou whogot in touchwith positive commentsabout my firstissueas editor.Itseemsthe nostalgiclook at green diesels went down well, and Iplan to run asimilar pictorial everyissue lookingatthree distincteras, the 1960/70s, the 1980s, and 1990/00s– or,ifyou prefer,green,blueand sector/early privatisation eras. If you’dliketocontribute, then pleaseget in touch with your ideas or submissions forthis.
Severalpeople haveasked if I’mbringing back the rumourscolumn. Forthose who don’tremember, duringmyfirst tenure at this magazine,I included alight-hearted collection of some of thegossip Ipicked up while out and about.Some rumours proved true, othersmostdefinitely didn’t,but like the football transfer hearsay thatthe newspapers print,itwas fun, and people liked it.So, if agree thatitshould return, letmeknow.
Summer is definitely coming… as Iwritethis, the oficewindowisopen, it’s T-shirt weather forthe dogwalks, and the gala season has started,soI’ll be looking forwardtogetting to afair fewevents. May is always one of the busiestmonthsinthe calendar,and all being well, I’ll beheadingto Oban behind twoClass 20s, spending acouple of days at the Severn ValleyRailway’sdiesel gala and,assumingall the right ducks getinthe right row, doing ashootwith twopreservedClass37s andtwo restored Scania trucks!
But May also sees the superb Swanagediesel gala, which Iunfortunately can’tmakethis year,and the planned return of aClass 45 to St Pancrasfor the first time since2004 –although, sadly,not resting under Barlow’strainshedroof.Still, it will be nice to see and hear aPeakbackonthe Midland Main Line. There’sstill much to seeand photograph or film on therailwaysthese days.And becausecamera phones givesuch good results, youdon’t even have to take out aheavy SLR cameraifyou don’t want to.And the information out there is superb.Boththe Real Time trains and Opentime Trains websites are greatresourcestoknowwhere atrain actuallyis. I regularly check the movementsthrough my home town of Spalding andplanmydog walksaccordingly!
In fact,inone week I’venipped out to see two 66s leading two69s –including‘brand-new’ 69014 in itsstrikingnew livery, a47onarouteprovingrun, twoHST powercarshauling twoClass 555 T&W Metrounitsontheir deliverytothe NorthEast, and then an unusual GBRf double-headerofResearch red/blue 69004 and Trainload Petroleum 66794 Idowish Ilived on aroutewhereClass 37s regularly undertakestock moves, but the many thatgo to andfromEastAngliatendtoheadvia Stamford, though Iwas pleased to havea meeting in that beautiful town about half an hour before Balfour
Beatty’stwo Class 20s passed through withthe Drain Train.Yes, Idetouredfor apic!
If youhaveany comments, photographic contributions,featuresuggestions, or constructivefeedback,please contact Pip Dunn by emailat rieditor@mortons. co.uk or via the postal address provided on page 4. During aperiod of extended diesel operation at the North YorkshireMoorsRailway duetoasteam banfollowing sustained hotweather,47077 North Star passes AbbottsHouse Farm, afer leaving Goathland with the 14.10 Whitby-Pickering on April 12. Ian Dixon
Ifind it kind of staggering that Class20s, 37s,47s and50s canstill be seen working on themain line ‘most’ days on all manner of work,beitfreight, ECS, or stock moves. This year,Class 20s celebrate 68 yearsonthe rails,Class37s mark 65 years, and Class 47s 63 years–remarkable achievements. Ican’t imagine whenIstarted my railway hobby back in 1981 thatthere would havebeen some locos still in regular main line use dating from 1913! Utterlyinconceivable and unthinkable. So,for locos builtin1957 stilltobeonthe main line showswhat greatdesigns someofthoseearly dieselsreallyare
And with longer daylight hoursand warmer temperatures, I’msuremanyofyou will, likeme, head out to getsomepictures. Maybetakethe dog, visit acountrypub,and pop out forapicture… or do all three in one excursion!Ifyou getsome niceimages, feel free to send themintorieditor@mortons.co.uk
Finally,this issue is tinged with some sadness, however, as at theend of March we lost my good friend Mark Hare.Mark worked with me on Railways Illustrated during my first stint,and he wasalovely,knowledgeable and helpful man.
He wasverypassionate about Class47s andhad amassed hundreds of thousands of miles behind the type, andhad been pretty much everywhere aBrush Type 4has ever been. I’mnot surehow many miles he had behind them, butifitwasn’t a million, it wasn’t farofthat.
This issue is dedicated to Mark, and areminder thatIappreciate the help he gave me in those years.
Coming up in thisissue
This issue, we look at the fascinating storyofthe DRS fleet. Imustadmit,I didn’t quiteenvisage howmuch
KEEP IN TOUCH
research this wouldtake, and Iended up going down many arabbit hole to find out datesand transfers. Our Nostalgia featurelooks at the FarNorth line from Inverness to Wikand Thurso,asphotographed by Paul Shannon inthe 1970s and early 1980s, back when Class 26s reigned supreme. I caught the very tail end of Class 26 operations on this line although neverwentnorth of Invergordon with them,and getting of aWick-boundpair at Dingwall to return south to the central belt is still one of those decisions Iregret 40 yearson!
Stuart Rileypresentshis 10 Pictures –ifyou’dliketo contributetothis section, please do drop me aline. The brief is simple: 10 top-drawer images you’ve takenwith abit of narrativebehind them and how youbecame interestedinrailwayphotography I’vealso been out to interviewthe team behind SRPS Railtourstofind out about itscoach refurbishment,its tie-up with LSL, and plans for2026 and beyond. The return of itsMk. 1s to thecharter market is amassive boostand itsaccess to such varied traction based at Crewewill be aboon the promoterinyears to come In the meantime, enjoythe issue!
Editor
Pip Dunn
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4RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED June 2025
26 The good times arereturning It’sbeen achallengingfew yearsfor theScottish Railway Preservation Society’scharter operations,but it has been working hardand is now coming through the other side. Pip Dunn finds out more.
42 Deal or no deal
DirectRail Services has always been one of the mostinteresting freight operating companies over the years. Afer three decades in business, Pip Dunnlooks back at the changing fleetithas operated.
52 And the winnersare…
The Phoenix RailwayPhotographic Circle runs an annual photography competition, and these arethe 2025 entries.
60 North to Thurso in the BR blue era
Paul Shannon presentsaselection of images of operations on the Far North line from Inverness to Wick in the1970s and 1980s, when Class 26s reigned supreme.
66 10 Pictures: StuartRiley
This month’s 10 Pictures comes from Bristol-based photographer and enthusiastStuart Riley. His interest in railways started from averyearly agethanks to his father,who would takehim to see trains at weekends and during school holidays.
to
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Nine newtri-mode Hitachi trains forGrand Central
FOLLOWING ITS grantingofOpen
Acce ss rightsu ntil 20 38, G ra nd Central, through itsparent company Arriva,announcedonApril 3thatit has ordered nine five-carHitachi AT300 tri-mode multiple unitsbased on the Class 800 platform.
The or der is wo rth about £300 million and will increase seats by 20%, which means 400,000additional seatsper year willbeavailable between theNorth East,Yorkshire and London.
The 45 vehicles will be manufactured at Hitachi’sfactory at Newton Ayclifeand havebeen financedby Angel Trains. Hitachi will maintain them on an initial 10-yearcontract. Arrivahas an option to buy more
trains if other proposed newservice applications areapproved.
The batteryhybrid trains will replace the entireGrand Central fleetof10 Class 180and twoClass 221 DEMUs, althoughthe latter arecurrently acting as coverfor unavailable 180s.
The trains will run under the 25kV AC when possible, so from Northallerton and Shafholme Junction (near Doncaster) to King’s Cross, but theywill havebatteriesand aback-up diesel when working on non-electrified lines.
The trains, which haveyet to be allocatedaclass number but areexpected to be Class 81x,will be delivered in 2028 under a10-yearleasing arrangement.
Managing directorofArriva UK Trains, Amanda Furlong, said: “This major
Hotweatherprompts Moorssteam ban
ANUMBER of heritagerailways had to implement steambans in mid-April due to the excessively hotweather, while some main line steamcharters were worked with diesel assistanceto reducethe risk of lineside fires.
The worstafected wasthe North YorkshireMoors Railway. Theinaccessibility of the line whereitcrosses Ne wtondalemeans it is hardfor emergencyser vices to reach fires. With this in mind, the NYMR always errsonthe side of caution and runs
with diesel instead of steamaferany sustained dryperiod. 31128 Charybdis,31466, 37264and 47077 North Star were all pressed into ser vice, with the 31/1 working the Whitby trains forseveral days
By April 16, some sustained rain had eased the issue and by Good Friday steamwas running as bookedonthe NYMR, buta lineside fire on April19 meant it wasback to diesel powerand EasterMonday saw all trains operated by thetwo 31s, 37 and 47.
investment underscores our commitment to theUKmarket.Weare proud to connectunder-servedcommunities with regional and national centres, helping makesustainable train travel theeasy choice.
“These best- in- cla ss, gr eener trains willdeliver morecomfortable journeys and astep-change in capacity on our popular Grand Central ser vices. We look forward to announcing further rolling stock orders, providing jobs and wider economic benefitsasand when our network grows.”
The pioneering technologywill cut emissions and fuel consumption by about 30%. The trainscan enter and exit stations in zero-emission battery
mode,helpingimprove airquality and reducenoise in urban centres. Arrivahas welcomed the swifdecision-making by regulatorthe Ofice of Rail and Road and the backing of the Department forTransport and NetworkRail to extend itstrack access rights. It has twofurther outstanding applications currentlyunder consideration which, if granted, would extend existing routes to bringdirecttrains between Cleethorpes and London. It is also seeking twoextra daily return tripsbetween Bradfordand London and an early-morningand late-evening return from York to London, together with services to Seaham in Country Durham,which wouldbethe town’s first and only directconnection to the capital.
An artist’simpression of the new Hitachitrains thatwill be delivered foruse by Grand Central. They arethe AT300 design used by LNER, HullTrains, Lumo and GWR.
Hotweather bringing drylineside vegetation and the risk of fires from steamlocos led the North YorkshireMoors Railway to use diesel locos forseveral daysinApril. 37264 wasin action on the 12th and passes Thomsson Foss with the 10.55 Pickering-Grosmont Ian Dixon
Chiltern to runthe East West Line
ON MARCH 25,ChilternRailways wasconfirmed as the Train Operator forthe newEastWestrail line from Oxford to Milton Keynes, which start laterthis year
Rail MinisterPeter,LordHendy,said: “Appointing Chiltern Railways to run the first EastWestRail services isone of the crucial laststeps in getting the line up and running laterthis year andmeans localpeopleinthe area arecloser to experiencing the benefits of this transformativeproject.”
Abrand-newstationatWinslow will reconnectthe town to therailnetwork forthe first time sincethe 1960s, with trains also stopping at Oxford Parkway and BicesterVillageand arevamped Bletchleystationalongthe newline Chiltern will manageWinslow.
ChilternRailways managingdirector RichardAllan added: “The first stageof EastWestRail will provide fast,direct trains between Oxford andMilton Keynes and we aredelighted thatChiltern has been announced as operator
“Chiltern has a proud track record of delivering newservicesand infrastructure,including ourLondon to Oxford connections, and the introduction of newstationsatOxfordParkway and BicesterVillage.Weare looking forwardtocarryingpassengers on this newroute.”
The timetable will be operated with Class 196 DMUshired from West Midlands Trains, but the Government is aiming forhybrid battery-electric trains to eventually be used on the 32-mileline.
ROG’sClass 373Orion parcelsEMU sent forscrap
RAIL OPERATIONS Group said itstrials withClass 313 Orion unit 319373 is over and thatthe unit has beensent forscrap It wasused as ademonstrator for the High Speed Logistics projectto showcase the concept’spotential to the wider industry, rather than serve indefinitely in trafic oncethe proofof the conceptwas established.
ROG said: “The unit,alongside the broader trial flow, demonstrated that High Speed Logistics could play a significant role in the futureofthe railwayindustry. Moreover, this mode of
transportfor lightfreight highlightsrail’s immense potential indriving decarbonisation efortswithin this sector.
“Rail Operations Group gained valuableinsightsfromthe trialand continues to exploreinnovative, eficient solutions to tapintothis emerging market.Other operators havealso joined the movement,initiating or preparing high-speed logistics flows of their own.
“With itsmission nowcomplete, 319373 nolongercontributes to the overall High Speed Logistics initiative. As aresult,the unithas been deemed
surplustorequirementsand subsequently retired.”
ROGCEO DavidBurley said:“Rail Operations Group is proud to have spearheaded the industry’s explorationofthe opportunities HighSpeed Logistics presents. This projectisa testament to ROG’songoing commitment to innovation in rail operations
“Behind thescenes, we arediligently working to develop robust and diverse traffic flows, building upon thelessons learned from our pioneeringeforts.”
Class67diversionsplanned forsummer
SEVERAL TRANSPORT forWales trains booked to be worked by Class 67 and Mk.4 sets aredue to be diverted over some weekends in May and June.
Fr om May 6-9 ,1 W11 will be diverted viaEastUsk,while 1W13
will start at Cardif,which will also apply to thelattertrain from June 9-13/23-27.May 13-16 sees 1V31 diverted via Chesterand again in June 24-27.
June 22 sees trains diverted via
theVale of Glamorganline and the Mk.4trains will start or terminate at Cardif,and thesamewill applyon July 6. Finally,onAugust2-23, due to the Stockport blockade, trains will be diverted via Styal.
IN BRIEF
ScotRail has awarded Hitachi aseven-year contract extension to maintain the Class 385 commuter fleet. The deal includes both heavy and light maintenanceand will see an improved serviceregime to keep trains operating forlonger. This will result in moretrains available forservice.
On April 2, 47815 Great Western rescued 66502 which had failed at Newark Northgateworking the diverted 4E51, the 23.31 Southampton MCT-Leeds FLT.
Ex-DRS68029 has been added to the MBDL pool, indicating its use on hiretoEurophoenix could be happening. It joins 68020/022/026028/030-032 currently in the pool, of which 68020/027-029 areat Loughborough; 68021/023-025 remain in the XHTP pool.
The National Railway Museum’sClass 03 shunter D2090 has been movedtothe Gwili Railway foralong-term hire, whereitjoinsclassmateD2178.
RSS’s08511 has been movedfrom Eastleigh to Tyseley, Swietelsky’s 08653 has received acoatofgrey paint,and 08799 nowhas Swietelsky branding on its HNRC orange.
The first Class 67s could be heading forscrap with heavilystripped 67003 likely to be the first movedawayfromToton for breaking up.The class dates from 2000 but has seen itsworkload steadily decline in recent years.
Freightliner’s 66517 has been added to theactive fleetafter a period in storeand is nowinthe DFIM pool. DB Cargo has also reactivated 66119, which has had aspell in store.
Afterthe delivery of 93006 to Worksop in mid-March, three more93s were expected to be delivered to Avonmouth in April or May,with 93003/007/010 due to dock from Spain. Theirarrivalwill leavejust 93004/005/008/009 to be delivered later thissummer.
London Overground’sfive-car 378227 wascollected on April 12 from Widnes TransportTech by 37510 Orion after its refresh. It wastaken back to NewCross GateCSD and thenthe 37 headed back north with 378214, the next unit forupgrade. MoreClass 465 Networkers havebeen sent forscrap,with 465244/246 takenby37800 Cassieopia from Ely Papworth Sidings to KingsburyEMR on April 8. 37884 Cepheus then took 465245 fordisposal on April 10 from Ely to CF Booths at Rotherham.
LNER’s91119 Bounds GreenInterCity Depot and91107 Skyfall pose outside Neville HilldepotonApril 19 during acharity fundraising photoshoot. Nigel Cockburn
Noscrapping plansfor damaged66
EMD HAS no plans to scrap the remains of 66048, which is totally stripped and stood on accommodation bogies at itsLongport site.
The locowas writtenoff by DB Cargo afer it derailed and hit atree at CarrbridgeinJanuary2010. It had just been outshoppedinStobart Rail liveryaferDBC secured thecontract to work intermodal trains forStobart to Inverness. However, on itsfirst run the trainfailed to stop on thedescent intoCarrbridgestationinheavy snow and wasderailed on trap pointsto avoid crashing intothe station.
The locohas beencompletely gutted internally and the bodyshell pained black.However, EMD said: “Wedon’t scrap Class 66s,”indicating therecould possibly be afuturefor it.Atthe time, GBRf wasactively seeking moreClass 66s; it wasunderstood to have enquired about thepossibility of returning it traffic, but nothing waseverpursued.
Meanwhile, the feasibility study into repowering Class 60s has quietly been put on the backburner.GBRf’s spares
donor,60014, which is also at Longport minus keycomponents,was used formeasurements, butasyet nothinghas come of any longer-term
rebuilding of Class 60s, although EMD said it could be done.
Therewas talk thatthe 12 Land Recovery Class 60s couldperhaps be
repowered, but as yetthereisnonews as to whatthis company’splans for the locos it bought from DBC in 2024 might be.
On March 26, 66316 arrived at Longport forthe rest of itsconversion to UK operations. It still retains itsEuropean grey livery, andas it will be the final GBRf 66, it wasnot painted at Loughborough. The plan is foritto be painted in aspecial liverywhich has yettobedecided upon.
The latest GBRf Class 66 to haveits headlightsmodified is 66735 Peterborough United and it has returned to trafic with standardWipac-style light clusters GBRf boss John Smith also told RI thatanother Class 66 will be named after afootball club,w ith PrestonNorth End following on from Sunderland, Shefield Wednesday, WolverhamptonWanderers,Derby Countr y, Huddersfield Town, Peterborough United and mostrecently Ipswich Town. Despitewinning a major trophyfor thefirst time in 70 years, thereare definitely no plans forGBRftonamea Class66afer Newcastle United…
CouldsomeClass 99s be Dellner-fitted?
RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED understand thatconsideration is being given to fitting up to adozen Class 99swith upgraded ETSand Dellner couplings in lightofa recent requestfromCaledonian Sleeper to havenew bi-mode locos forits ‘sleeper’trains. No contracts havebeen signed for either theprovisionof99s forCS trains or indeed fitting them with Dellners. Also, the number series
forthe ETS-fittedClass 99s may nownot be 99/1 and instead may justcarry on the numbersseries with 99001-020 the 75mphfreight locos, 99021-030with ETSand 100mph capability,and 99031-042 forthose with Dellner anduprated ETScapability
Modifications forenhanced ETS would be asofware upgrade, so very easy to implement.
Class56s forwarmstore
COLASHAS decided to put moreof itsClass 56s intowarm starepending adecision on their long-term future. At leasttwo locos, 56090/094, will move to the Severn ValleyRailway and could be used from timetotime. Colas has previously had 43301/303 in warm storethe SVR, wherethey were used forspecial events.More56s could followthem to Kidderminster. 56113 has recently been stood down as well, following on from 56094, and used forshunting or restrictedduties. OtherColas56s stooddownrecently
were 56078/096/105, with 56087 having been out of traffic forfour yearsnow.Itleavesjust56049/051 in the activeColas Class 56 fleet, with 56302 beingrepairedfor aplanned return to trafic.
Meanwhile, DCR has finalised the purchase of Class 56 56301 from the Class 56 Group afer aperiod of ‘faultfree’running with itsnew owner.The locohas duly movedintothe DCRO pool. The Class 56 Group will retain ownership of preserved56006, which remains based at the EastLancashireRailway
The final Class 66 to enter the GBRf fleet, 66316, arrived at EMD Longport on March 25 forthe final work on itsconversion it UK spectobecompleted. It will be repaintedatArlingtoninaspecial livery PipDunn
wThe bodyshell of 66048isnow owned by EMD, which says it has no plans to breakitupany time soon. Pip Dunn
Class37unveiledinSwietelsk y’snew livery
HNRC SWIETELSKY has unveiled its first locoinits newlivery, ahalf-and-half orangeand deep blue scheme. The loco wasreleasedfromUKRL’s Loughborough siteonMarch 31 sporting orange windowframes at one end, but these havesincebeen changed to blue.
On April 9, the locowas named Pegasus, the fifh to carrythis name afer Class43 WarshipD835 inthe 1960s ,47298 in 1990, 47839 in 2006 and 37611 in 2017.
The next 37/4 forreactivation is expectedtobe 37419, while on April 9, 37424 wasmoved fromBarrow Hill
LNER Azumavisit sStPancras on routeclearance trialrun
LNER ROUTE-TESTED aClass 800 Azuma BMMU between Leeds and St Pancras during theearly hours of March28aspart of ongoing work to keep passengersmovingduring significant engineering work when partsofthe EastCoast Main Line (ECML) areclosed.
LNER is currently exploring options to divert intoalternativeLondon terminalstationswhenKing’sCross is unavailable to it.Hull Trains already runsits Class 802/3s intoStPancras when King’sCross is closed
Bi-mode 800108 ranvia Doncaster to Chesterfield and then headed Up the MML to St Pancras, with LNER staf carrying out various safety and validation checksbeforereturning north. Wh il ef urther wo rk to op erate in to St Pa nc ra sw it hpas se nger s would be required, thetestisa step towardsusing it as an alternative. Presently, when Peterboroughto King’sCross is closed, passengers usually haveto transfertoabus to take them to Bedford to join an EMR train into St Pancras.
to Worksop by D213 Andania in readiness forworktostart in returning it to use. Once37419/424 areback in trafic, HNRCSwill havefiveClass 37/4s in its activefleet–37405/419/422/424/425. Meanwhile, 37716 is being reactivated to star at the EastLancashireRailway’s July dieselgala, andittoo could be returned to the main line; it has had itsDRS ‘compass’brandingremoved. HNRCS’sactivemain line Class 37 fleetalso includes 37607/610/612, although 37612 has been stopped forrepairs forsome time.
BalfourBeatt y’sClass 20s enjoyminor upgrades
THE TWO Class 20s ow ned by Ba lf our Be atty hav eb een upgraded with acouple of minor modific at ions to assis ts ta ff working on thespecialistdrain clearing train that is used on the network
The locos havehigh-intensity lights fitted belowthe buferbeam to lightupworksites as themajority of the train’s wo rk is ov ernight .These arenow powered via aT-shaped conduitsonthe cabfronts.
maintenanceofits seasonal fleet.
The other changehas been fitting afall arrestsystemalong the length of thebodysides to ofer protection forstaffromground levelworking on the solebar.This wasdesigned to use bolt holes thatwerealready part of thebody design so as to notdamagethe locomotives. The bodyside tophandrails remain. The twolocos have been back at Barrow Hill forsomeroutine heavy maintenancethathas also seen newfuel gauges on all the tanks and newdoor locks fitted.
DB CARGO has been notified by Ne tw ork Ra il thati tw ill notb e used to run any of the Ra ilhead Treatment Trains (RHTTs) planned forthe next control period starting laterthis year
While DBC has notresponded to RI’s requestfor acomment,adocument issued to employees said: “Network Rail hasnotified DBCargo UK that we havebeen unsuccessful in the recent tenderprocess forthe operation and
“Despiteour exceptional performanceinrecent yearsduring the spring weed-spraying, autumn leaf-clearing and winter iceprevention seasons, Network Rail informed us late thatitdoes notintend to maintain our services.”
Thereisnow astandstillperiodwhen NR will discuss the fine detail of its
proposed contract awardwiththose companies it has selectedtoappoint, understood to be GBRf,Colas and DRS. Freightlinerisalsounderstood to have been excluded from the contracts DBC added: “Wewill nowneed to consider the implications forour business should nothingchangeatthe end of the standstill period.”
On March 31,37422 stands ex-works at the UKRL siteat Loughborough afer outshopping in the in Swietelsky livery. It has sincebeen named Pegasus RobReedman
Plentyoftractionand track on recent railtours
ANUMBER of charter trains haverun of late,visiting amix of freight lines andscenicroutesand using interesting traction.
On March 15, Pathfinder Railtours visited anumber of freight lines inthe Home Counties with its‘Thames Valley Wanderer.’ Top-and-tailed by 57009 GJ Churchward and 57315, it made appearances at Colnbrook and Brentford in WestLondon and Appleford, near Oxford
Thefollowing weekend, March 21-23, The Branch Line Society rans its ‘Because We Can 3’ tour from Linlithgow to Wick.The train setofonthe Friday with 37401 MaryQueen of Scots and 37403 Isle of Mull top-and-tailing eight SRPScoaches and went to Inverness via Levenand atrip on the Strathspey Railway,where37674 wasadded.The next day wasa trip to Wickand Thurso, while Sunday saw the train return home via Aberdeen and laterGrangemouth.
Th en extS at ur da y, 37 66 8a nd 37676 Loch Rannoch were out on the Central Wales line with Pathfinder on an Ea st leigh-Ll andrindod charter,while on the same day, UK Railtoursheaded to Dungeness and used 57310 as the main tour loco, to p- and-ta iling wi th 66725 Sunderland ,a nd ab rief appearanceby66795 Bescot LDC forthe ‘newengine men.’
UKR used WC Ra sTOC fo ri ts Euston-Holyhead charter on April 5 andhad 47812/848 top-and-tailing; however, an issuewithone of the47s saw 57314 Conwy Castle scrambled from Carnforth to work the return train.
Thatday saw Pathfinder run from GloucestertoWolsingham with47813 and 47832 from the WCRstable used to top-and-tail the train all day Trackbashing wasonthe agenda of theApril 12 ‘Thames Meanderer’ forUKR,which saw 57310 onceagain in charge throughout–and it was named afer the promoteronarrival at Southend Central in theafernoon Also used were 66753 EMD Roberts Road and 66787 Three Bridges ASC,
and the train also visited Shoeburyness and Tilbury. Afour-day Landcruise forPathfinder Railtoursran overEasterwith47848 workingfromCardiftoPreston with 47746 Chris Fudge ‘deadintrain’on April 18. There37516 Loch Laidon and 37518 Fort William took over to work to Falkirk Grahamston.
On theSaturday thetrain visited Oban andthenwenttoInverness on th eS unday be fo re returni ng
home via the EastCoast Main line to Newcastle then the Tyne Valleyline to UpperbyJunction and then to Prestonwhere47813/848 took over forthe return.
Also on April 19, 37403 Isle of Mull and 66749 Christopher Hopcrof OBE top-and-tailed an SRPScharter that visited Tweedbank,Ayr and Largs. Howeveraplanned trip to the mothballed Killoch line waspulled by NR acouple of daysbeforethe train ran.
ThirdClass 33 looksset to move to Harr yNeedle?
RA ILWAYS ILLUSTRAT ED un derstands Harr yNeedle has acquired 33019fromNemesis Rail’sMartin Sargent to join 33053 and D6593 (33208), which arebothundergoing restoration at Worksop,and whileMr Needle has refuted the claims, hehas form fornot wanting to talk about his acquisitions.
The 33 has notworked atrain for many years, and aferseveral years based at the Battlefield Line, it was movedfromShackerstone to Burton in September 2021.
33019 wasreportedly traded for 47703, which joins Mr Sargent’sfleet of heritagelocos, and is the latest in what seemstohis questtobuy
back as many of the old locos he onceowned as part of Fragonset Railways.
Mr Sargent has recentlyacquired 31190, 31454 andnow 47703, all ex-Fragonsetlocos. Between himself and other Nemesis Rail staf,heowns 25067, 25265, 26004/011, 31190, 31454/461, 37255, 45112, 47488,
47640, 47701/703/744 and73119, fewofwhich areactually operational Additionally,mainline-registered 31128 Charybdis is also part of the Nemesis Rail fleetand on hireto the North YorkshireMoorsRailway Thereistalk that 31190 and 47701 could be intended fora return to the main line.
Online Class31databaselaunchedbythe RCTS
THE RA ILWA Y Corr espondenc e and Tr av el Socie ty (RC TS )h as lau n ch ed an ew int er ac ti ve web-based Modern Traction LocomotiveDatabase,accessible to all at locodata.org.uk
In the next stageofthe project, the RCTS has published the first
of anew series of titleswhich will coverall Modern Traction locomotives from 1890 to the present day, the first beinga 120-pagecardcover book detailing the complete life history of ever yBrush Type 2, the Class 31s, listing everyallocation by shed name and date,all storageand
reinstatement dates, renumberings, and full disposal details.
Preservation histories, whereappropriate,are based on the data originally used in the RogerHarris Allocation History of BR Modern Traction, which has been reformatted to make formuch easier reading and updatedtoJanuary 2025. Some 40-plus photographs are included, showing many of thelivery variations seen on the class.
The book canbepurchased on line at https://rcts.org.uk/shop-for-books/ or by postfromRCTSSales,16Welby Close, Maidenhead SL6 3PY, priced £15 plus £4 P&P
West CoastRailways’37518 Fort William and 37516 Loch Laidon pass Settle Junction on April 18 working the07.39 Cardif-Falkirk Grahamston‘EasterHighlander’Landcruise forPathfinder Railtours. ChrisGee
Obituary:MarkHare1970-2025
FORMER RAILWAYS Illustrated contributor and Chiltern Railways driver manager Mark Hare unexpectedly died on March 22 aged just54. He wasan RI sub-editor andproof-readerfor several yearsinthe late 2000s and early 2010s.
The magazine’s editor,Pip Dunn, said: “I wasina stateofutter disbelief when Iheard my good friend Mark had passed away at such ayoung age. He worked on RI duringmyfirst tenure as editor and wasexceptionalinhis attention to detail and my ‘safetynet’
on many occasions. His love of Class 47s wasamazing, and he wasalso a superb photographer and acommitted career railwayman
“Asyou getolder,you getused to losing friends,but youdon’t expect to lose someonelikeMarkwho was still in the prime of his life and liveda well-balanced lifestyle. My thoughts arewith his partner Sarah.”
Apictorial tributetosomeofMark’s photography will appear in an upcoming issue of Railways Illustrated
EMRunveils firstrevampedClass 170Turbostar
EAST MIDLANDS Railwayunveiled itsfirst fully refurbished Class 170 Tu rbosta ro nA pr il 15 at Derb y station, marking “the beginning of at ra nsformativeyea rfor th e company and asignificant upgrade in co mfort and co nv enien ce fo r regional customers.”
Thefirst overhauled unit is 170501, which has emergedinasimilar EMR purple thatTurbostarfleetalready sports. It is the first in a£23 million programme to modernise EMR’sfleet of 27 two-carand 16 three-carPorterbrook-owned Class 170s which date from the turn of the century.
The unitshavebeen acquired afer their use with WestMidlands Trains, Southern, ScotRail, Transport for Wales and CrossCountryand so have amix of internal layouts. This project will bring uniformitytothe fleet; the unitswillbeStandardClass only.
The improvements seebrand-new seatsand tables, modern powerand charging facilities (including 230V, Type-C and dual USBsockets), refurbished toilets, upgraded flooring, and anewly installed passenger information system.
The refurbished trains will also include adedicatedbikestorage area and redesigned interiorsthatecho the aestheticofEMR’snew Aurora trains which areset to enter servicelater this year.
EMR said 170501 is the of the 44-strong Class 170 fleettoberefurbished,whichimplies 171201 will finally be transferring to EMR, where it will revert to being170421. Thenext train in the programme is scheduled to enterserviceinMay.Followingthat, a refurbished unit is expected to join the
fleeteachmonth.ArrivaTrain Care is undertaking the overhauls at Crewe. EMR’sClass 170 fleetoperates regional services in the EastMidlands and South Yorkshireand also now work some turns on the Liverpool to Norwichroute.
The Class 170 fleetrefurbishment is part of awider£60 million programme which will also include the refurbishment of EMR’sClass 360 EMUsand Class 158 DMUs.
Will Rogers,managing directorof EastMidlands Railway,said:“This refurbishment is morethan justa lick of paint –it’sa complete transformation thatputsour customersfirst
“We’ve focused on creating an environment thatiscomfortable andfunctional,and it’s just thebeginning.Over the next year,customerswill startto see real, tangible improvementson our network.”
Railwaymanager Gordon Pettittdiesaged90
CAREER RAILWAYMAN Gordon Pettittdied on March 31, aged 90. He joined therailway aged 16 at Knebworth stationand worked his wayupthe ranks in various sectors, both passenger and freight.Hewas pivotalinsettingupofthe Network
SouthEastoperation withChris Green and laterbecame manager of another BR sector, Regional Railways.
In June 2004, 4-VEP unit 3417 was named afer him, anditstillcarries the nameplatestoday.
EastMidland Railways released itsfirst refurbished Class 170 Turbostar, 170501, on March 24.
LSL’s‘Chairman’s Train’ overcomes severalchallengesonUKtour
AFIVE-DAY specialtrain run by LSLfor itschairman, Jeremy Hosking, visited various destinations in Englandand Wales –but had itsfair shareof challenges.
The train started at Paddington on April 17 behind 57002, which had just been named Winston Churchill, with SouthernRailway-style light blue nameplatesand oversizecrest
It wo rked as 1Z2 9, the 10.42 Paddington-Kingswear,and at BristolTMsteam loco 5029 Nunney Castle and 57311 The Institution of MechanicalEngineers took overfor the run to the Devonterminus.
Afterovernighting, the10-coach train lef behind the same 57+Castle combinationas1Z29, the07.50Kingswear-Taunton, which experienced some very choppyweather as it passed the famous Dawlish seawall. 37521 and 37667 Flopsie then were on hand to work 1Z30, the 11.00 Taunton-St Germans,and then ranempty to Lostwithiel to work forwardas1Z31, the 15.53 Lostwithiel-Penzance. 37667 then led 1Z32, the 22.50 Penzance-St Ives, wherethe train stabled overnight again. The following day,April 19, 37521 worked back intoPenzance as 1Z33, the 06.00 St Ives-Shrewsbur y, but acoolant issue with 37667 saw the train finally leaveCornwall some
188 minutes late at 10.28 insteadof 07.20. En routethe 37s were struggling, so at BristolTM, 47810 Crewe Diesel Depot wasadded to pilotthe train to the Shropshiretown, running via Hereford.
The triple-header continuedon 1Z34 ,the 16.02 Shrewsbury-Llandudno,as farasCrewe,where45118
The RoyalArtilleryman took over for the run along the North Wales Coast, arriving some 75 minuteslate.
On April 20, 57002 worked 1Z37, the 10.00 Llandudno-Oxenholme,and
then ranECS to Carlisle.The next leg of Mr Hosking’smammoth trip was 1Z38, the 15.55 UpperbyUGL-Alnmouth, behind 37401 MaryQueen of Scots and 37409 Loch Awe, which then ranECS to Tweedmouth to stable. It returned empty to Alnmouth the fo llo wing morning and th e 37s then worked 1Z40, the 09.33 Alnmouth-Mallaig. The train stabled overnight at Glenfinnan. On the morning of April 22, the train rantoArisaig and then ranempty to Fort Willaim whilethe ownerofLSL travelledon
his restored bubble car, 55022 Flora, as 2Z21, the 12.05 Arisaig-Rannoch. The loco- hauled ECSfollowe d and picked up the travelling party at Corrour as 1Z42, the 17.00 Corrour-Craigendoran, wherethe train stabled overnight.Itwas then booked to continueonApril 23 as 1Z43, the 04.20 Craigendoran-Appleby, then run empty to Dent before working forwardas1Z44, the 11.46 DentEuston, with the 37/4s being replaced by electric 90002 Wolf of Badenoch from Crewe.
37401 MaryQueen of Scots and 37409 Loch Awe pass Greenheadonthe Tyne Valley line on April 20 with 1Z38, the 15.55 Upperbyrun on from Upperbyonthe previous lineAlnmouth legofthe LSL‘Chairman’s Train’.Overseven days thecharterused four Class37s,one 45, one 47, two57s,one 90, one steamlocoand aClass121 DMU. Dave McAlone
Newly-named 57002 Winston Churchill approaches Frodsham on April 20 with 1Z37, the10.00 Llandudno-Oxenholmeleg of the LSL‘Chairman’s Train.’ TerryEyres
FS groupplans high-speed rivalLondontoParis link
FS ITALIANE Group has announcedits plan to launch anew high-speedrail serviceconnecting London and Paris by 2029 to compete with Eurostar. With an investment of €1 billion, the link is part of the objectives of thefirm’s 2025-2029 StrategicPlan, whichplacesthe extensionofhighspeed connections in Europe among the FS Group’s priorities.
AMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) wassigned betweenitand Spain’s Evolyn to further strengthen theEuropean high-speed rail leadership project.
FS Group chief executiveofficer and general manager Stefano AntonioDonnarummasaid: “Thisinvestment is astepfor ward our vision of buildin gam or ei nt eg ra te d,
competitiveand sustainable European rail network
“High-speed rail networks arethe backbone of eficient and environmentally-friendlymobility,and by expanding our presenceonkey corridors, we arenot justinvesting in infrastructureand innovation,but also in the futureofEuropean transport. Morecompetition will help create a
moreeficient and customer-oriented industry, ofering arealalternativeto air travel.”
SVRtomove aheadwithmajor landslip repairs
THE SEVERN ValleyRailway has announced thatitcan move ahead with repairstothe damagecaused by alandslip at Mor Brook bridge in late January.
This follows adecision by the heritageline’sinsurer to payfor thefullreinstatement of the bridge’swing wall and stone arch, as well as the embankment itself.The railway said the finalcostwill
be significantly morethan £500,000.
SVRmanagingdirectorGus Dunster said: “Weare delighted with this decision by our insurer, which means we cannow move ahead withfixing things. Nevertheless, the SVR is still responsible forfunding asubstantial excessaspartofthe settlement
“Weare in negotiation with the insurer about the exactamount,but
thanks to the generous donations that supportershavemadetothe SVRResilienceFund and the SVR Charitable Trustsincethe landslip,weare confident thatwewill be able to coverthis. “What’simportant hereisthatour insurancecompany’sacceptanceof the claim means we will nothaveto launch afull-scale appeal forthe landslip repairs, which would havemeant
further delays beforewecould put things right.”
The SVR has appointed civil engineering contractorCML to carryout the work required to reinstate the line. The railway’sinfrastructuremanagement and permanent wayteams will partner with CML to provide logistical support and carryout work related to the track
The announcement comes after confirmation from the UK’s Ofice of Rail and Road (ORR) of the possibility foraccesstothe Temple Mills maintenancedepot, allowing the entry of anew operator betweenLondon and Paris. Swietelsky’shydrogen-powered08892 hasbeen repainted at Worksop in an all-over
HNRC orangelivery. ChrisGee
black with green branding and numbers. It wasatWorksop on April 9. Swietelsky branding has beenapplied to 08799’sold
Coaching Stock News
ERScharter debut
The long-awaited appearanceofthe Mk.2 charter setassembled by Eastern Rail Services finally took place during the second half of March, with 57310 first taking the coaches on atest run from GreatYarmouthtoLeicester and back on March 17
The formation featured Mk.2eBUO 9805 and eight Mk.2fs,namely RFO 1203 and 1220, FO 3295 and 3385, and TSO5919, 5937, 6046 and 6173. Of these, 5937returned to Yarmouth by road during Februaryfollowing its festivehiretothe Weardale Railway, while 1203 and 3295 were both newly repainted in the teal liveryused by Caledonian Sleeper but also adopted by ERSfor much of itsstock
Forthe test run, 3385 wasstill in InterCity livery, but itsrepaint was subsequently completedtoo.The first passenger use of the setcame on March 29 and UK Railtours’ ‘Kentish Maiden’tour from Nottingham to Clife and Dungeness, before reappearing for‘Thames Meanderer’onApril 12.
‘Jacobite’ coaches deployed Air-conditionedMk. 2f coachesare again in use on ‘The Jacobite’ workings between Fort Williamand Mallaig as West Coastcontinues to refuseto fit central door locking itsMk. 1stock
The fir st se to fcoa ches wa s dispatched north from Carnforth on April 4, with 47826 hauling the ‘Black Five’ pairing of 44871 and 45407, along with twoMk. 1s, RMB 1860 and BCK 21266, in additionto Mk.2bTSO 5453 and Mk.2fFO3350
and 3417, and TSO6000 and 6115. Also included were Mk.2asupport coach 35517, Super GUVstoresvan 94225 and, unusually,Mk. 3a sleeper 10718. The latter is forstaticstafuse at Fort William and still retainsthe First Group Caledonian Sleeper livery
‘TheJacobite’ commenced running on April 7but with 47826 in charge due to aNetwork Rail steamban, with the fivepassenger Mk.2 coaches formed in between 1860 and 21266. Meanwhile, the four Mk.1sonloan to the EastLancashireRailway since last November were returned to Carnforth on April 11, 37706 and 37518 Fort William collecting 4951, 5032, 99326 and 99329 from Castleton.
Mk. 3s forexport
Afurther 10 powerdoor Mk.3 trailers areset to be exported to Mexico, these all beingformerCrossCountry vehicles most recently stored at the Mid-Norfolk Railway on behalf of Romic. The end of Marchsaw road transferscommence between Dereham and Yarmouth Docks to position the coaches for loading ontoaship.The processwas completedon April 10.
Settomakethe triptoCentralAmericaonthis shipment are41035, 41194, 42097, 42370/372/376/377, 44012 and 45003/004.
Meanwhile, four moreformer XC coaches arrivedatthe Mid-Norfolk on April 9, 43423and 43467delivering 42051, 42234, 42290 and 42369 from Welwyn Garden City following the completion of aseries of overnight testsonthe ECML.
Electrification testing
The electrification test train based around Europhoenix-owned 91117 Project Electra and itsinstrumented pantograph made areappearance in late March to carr yout overhead line testingbetween ColtonJunction and Church Fenton following upgrades to makethe stretchsuitable for125mph running.
Coaching stock wa st his time provided by Locomotive Services, with stored HSTtrailers41063, 41117, 42100 and 42220 being retrievedfrom Carlisle UpperbyonMarch 20, 20118 Saltburn-by-the-Sea and20132 hauling the quartet to Loughborough and Mk.2eBUO 9804 and 9809 serving as barriers. The Type 1s then took the Mk.2duo to Crewethe same day.
The Pr ojec tE le ct ra te st train departed Loughborough forDoncasterWestYardvia Peterborough on March 24 with Colas powercars 43301 and 43303 in charge and
sandwiching the four Mk.3swith 91117 in the centre.
The setmoved on to Gascoigne Wood on April 2, from wherei t madeaseries of overnight test runs between Neville Hill WestJunction and York Holgateoverthe next week or so.The formation then returned to DoncasteronApril 11 to awaitits next assignment.
Worksop exchange
TheDVT earmarked forTransport for Wales’eighth Mk.4set,82220, was movedbyroadfromLandore to Worksop on March 17. Here it joins four of the Mk.4sdestined forHD08 in undergoing preparatory work
Meanwhile, the newly createdHNRC Swietelskyhas commenced theclearout of unwanted assets,this seeing Mk.2fBSO 9531 and Mk.3asleeper 10522 both depart Worksop on April 8 following sale by the company
Collectedby57009 GJChrchward, theywereincluded in the transfer of 47703 to Nemesis Rail at Burton.
Mk. 5latest
The latest exchangeofMk. 5sets between Longsight and Long Marston saw68019 deliver TP09 (11509, 12725727, 12809) back intostore on March 20 before returning to Manchester with TP11 (11511, 12731-733, 12811). Justseven days later, it wasthe turn of 68023tomakethe trip to Long Marston with TP02 (11502, 12704-706, 12814) beforeheading north with TP08 (11508, 12722-724, 12808). On March 31, 68023 took TP08 on a tour of itsformer hauntswith acircular outing from Longsight thattook in Liverpool Lime Street and Preston.
Mk. 3movements
The visitso fG WR Night Riviera Mk.3 stock to Eastleigh forrepainting havecontinued, with March 22 seeing 50008 Thunderer return ashiny green 17174 to Reading beforetaking 10589 to the ArrivaTraincarefacility Then on April 5, 10217 wastaken away from Reading by the same Class 50, which laterdelivered 10589 back again. Meanwhile, twoofthe 125 Group’s Mk.3 trailers,42111 and42120, were transferred to UKRL at Loughborough on April 2, 43468 and 43480 providing the traction from Swanwick Junction.
Having been used on itsdebut charteronMarch 29, the rake of Eastern Rail Services’ Mk.2sishauled by 57310 as 5Z33, the 09.25 Chaddesden Sidings-Yarmouth CHS, and passes Copleys Brook,MeltonMowbray on March 31. SteveMadden
On April8, 57009 GJChurchward tows 47703, Mk. 3‘sleeper’ coach 10522 and Mk.2halfbrake 9531, throughChevin as 5Z57, the 15.54 Worksop Up ReceptionSidings-Burton-on-Trent Wetmore Sidings. Paul Waring
Unit Focus
CLASS150
5/4 –150238 5H71 10.54 Exeter St Davids-Wolverton, lastFirst Great Western blue DMU to be sent foroverhaul and corrosion repairs.
CLASS153
19/3 –153913 +153910 5Z13 10.30
Cardif Canton-Landore,lastClass 153/9 sets removedfromtrafic and nowstored.
CLASS156
1/4–1564675H7009.05 Corkerhill-Wolverton, forC6overhaul.
CLASS168
17/3 –168003 5A68 10.42 Crewe
CarriageSidings-Aylesbury,returning from rectification work afer refurbishment at end of lastyear.
CLASS170
21/3 –1704295Q2312.30Haymarket-Wabtec, Doncaster,for fitting of sanders.
23/3 –170501 5D72 10.56 Crewe
CarriageSidings-DerbyEtches Park, first EastMidlands Turbostartobe refurbished
23/3 –170503 5K72 14.53 Derby Etches Park-CreweCarriageSidings.
CLASS175
19/3 –3 7501 +1 75107 + 175108 +3 7608 8Q7 00 2. 08 El y Papworth-Wolverton.
CLASS196
24/3 –196009+196010 5Q77 13.36 Tyseley-Bletchley.
24/3 –196011+196012 5Q66 09.47 Bletchley-Tyseley, exchangeofunits foruse on East-WestRail drivertraining to allowexams to be carried out
CLASS197
17/3 –66572 +197026 6Q97 10.07 Donnington RFT-CreweCarriage Sidings.
8/4 –66554 +197037 6Q97 10.07 Donnington RFT-CreweCarriage Sidings.
CLASS221
4/4 –221109 introduced on CrossCountr yser vices, becoming the fourth formerAvanti settobe redeployedafergoing of-lease lastyear.
Wagon News
Newdeliveries
Adozen morenew BAAsteel wagons had emergedfromDBCargo’s Stoke wagonworksbyearlyApril,66096 hauling 900416-418 to Warrington ArpleyonMarch 17 beforetaking them onwards to Margamthe next day Aweek later, 66100had charge ofthe 6F52 trip from Stokewith 900419/420/425, which66656 then worked forwardtoSouth Wales on March 26. This pattern wasrepeatedon March 31 with the emergenceof900426428 and then 900429-431onApril7 By mid-April, acomp lete ra ke consisting of 25 newBAAswas formed andintraficbetween NewportDocks and MargamYard.
CLASS319 3/4 –37800 +319373 5Q76 11.06 Crewe South Yard-Unimetals, Newport
CLASS320
20/3 –37884 +320303 5Q10 15.15
Kilmarnock Bonnyton-Shields, ex-collision damagerepairs.
CLASS321
18/3 –37800 +321330 5Q76 10.07
Wembley-Unimetals, Newport. 20/3 –57303 +321317 +321322 5Q23
10.10 Wembley-Unimetals,Newport 1/4 –37800 +321307 +3213115Q76
08.28 Walton Old Junction-Unimetals, Newport 8/4 –57303 +321306 +3213085Q05
09.00 Walton Old Junction-Unimetals, Newport. 10/4 –57303 +321320 +321326 5Q33
07.24Walton Old Junction-Unimetals, Newport,cancelledatSwindon East Loop due to pointsfailure 11/4 –57303 +321320 +321326 5Q33
08.22 Swindon East Loop-Unimetals, Newport
CLASS378
22/3 –37501 +378229 5Q87 07.11
Alstom, Widnes-NewCross Gate 22/3 –37501+378227 5Q36 14.49 New Cross Gate-Alstom, Widnes, 12/4 –37510 +378227 5Q87 06.06
Alstom, Widnes-NewCross Gate
12/4 –37510+378214 5Q36 12.49 New Cross Gate-Alstom, Widnes.
CLASS397
12/4 –3 79004 5E23 0945 Lo ngsight-Wabtec, Doncaster, foroverhaul.
CLASS466
2/4 –37884 +466010 +4660245Q46 12.02 Worksop-Ely Papworth.
CLASS555
9/4 -66065 +555010+555011 6Q23
22.56 DollandsMoor-Wembley.
10/4 -43467 +43423 +555010 + 555011 6Q55 13.45 Wembley-Pelaw Goods Loop
CLASS701
18/3 –69009 +701503 +701504 5Q 89 12 .3 4L on gM ar st on -E astleigh Yard,5Q9218.17 Eastleigh Yard-Wimbledon.
24/3 –69009 +701059 5Q63 09.20 Arriva, Eastleigh-Long Marston. 1/4 -4 7739 +7 01509 +7 01512 5Q89 12.34 Long Marston-Eastleigh
GBRf steel flow
The use of the newly cut-down KEA boxwagons on GB Railfreight’snew steel flowfromPortbur yDocks to Margamwas short-lived, with the majority of the wagons red-carded within d ays a nd the re st st ood down.
On March 25, 66772 hauled all 25 of the modified wagons away from Cardiff Tidal to Exeter Riverside, whereremedial attention is due to be carriedout on the majority of VTG3173/80/82/84/92/94/96/98/99 and VTG3200/07-11/16/21/24-26/ 36/37/40/43/44.
Tanks forEastriggs
ArakeofTDA bogietankerspreviously employedout of Grangemouth was
Ya rd ,5 Q92 18.17 Eas tleigh Yard-Wimbledon.
8/4– 47739+ 701517 +7015195Q89 12.34 Long Marston-Eastleigh Yard, terminated in WorcesterYardwith brakeproblems.
9/4 –4 7739 +7 01517 +7 01519 5Q89 13.25 Worce ster Ya rd -Eastleigh Yard,5Q92 18.36 Eastleigh Yard-Wimbledon.
CLASS720
31/3 –57303 +720117 5Q35 10.34 Ilford-Central Rivers, fortyreturning. 3/4 –57310 +720117 5Q70 07.25 Central Rivers-Ilford.
CLASS730
18/3 –37884 +730232+ 7302335Q16 09.08 DoncasterBelmont-Gascoigne Wood.
19/3 –37884 +730230 5Q72 08.30 Gascoigne Wood-Willesden TMD. 21/3 –37608 +730211 5Q58 10.47 Bletchley-Old Dalby. 24/3 –37884 +730231 5Q72 11.18 Gascoigne Wood-Wembley. 25/3 –37501 +730216+ 7302215Q16 11.24 DoncasterBelmont-Gascoigne Wood.
26/3 –37501 +730205 5Q72 10.55 Old Dalby-Willesden TMD. 27/3 –37501 +730202 5Q59 10.16 Wembley-Old Dalby. 28/3 –37501 +730212+ 7302175Q58 08.24 Bletchley-Old Dalby, failed at Northampton with 37608 sent to recoverand re-routed as 5Q58 15.10 Northampton-Chaddesden 29/3 –37608 +730212+ 7302175Q58 10.00 Chaddesden-Old Dalby. 4/4– 37510+ 730212 +7302175Q72 08.57 Old Dalby-Willesden TMD. 4/4 –37608 +730226 5Q59 06.11 Bletchley-Old Dalby. 10/4 –37608 +730211 5Q72 11.17 Old Dalby-Wembley. 11/4 –37510 +730226 5Q71 10.57 Old Dalby-Bletchley.
CLASS756
31/3 –756110 intotraffic,working 1A08, the06.38 Merthyr Tydfil-Aberdare, which wasterminatedshort at Fernhill due to late running and then formed 1G08, the 08.58 Fernhill-Cardif Central. This wasthe lastofthe Class 756/1 sub-class to seepassenger use.
CLASS769
19/3 –43484 +43465 +769002 + 43480 +43468 5Q88 10.50 CreweElectric-Long Marston.
delivered to Eastriggs forstorage on March 19, 56049 working south with VTG86912/14/15/20/24/26-28/ 64/65/67/69.
Latest disposals
Another ba dm onth fo rh op per wa go ns co mmenc ed with the transfer of afurther 20HHA sto WH Davis, Shirebrook ,o nA pr il 1for bogie an db ra ke re co ve ry beforeremovalofthe bodies by road forscrapping, 66534 delivering 370052/059/073/084/091/099, 370152/165/169/176/182/187/199 and 370201/211/219/223/234/235/240 from York.
Meanwhile, the latest batchofJHA aggregateshoppersdepartedMerehead forinitialstorageatCreweonApril3,66516
20/3 –43468 +43480 +769452 + 43465 +43484 5Q90 08.43 Honeybourne Sidings-CreweElectric, actually started at Long Marston. 7/4–37884+ 7694345Q0811.29 Allerton-Kilmarnock Bonnyton,for C4 and C6 overhauls.
8/4 –37884 +769431 5Q37 10.21 Kilmarnock Bonnyton-Allerton, ex-C6 overhaul.
9/4 –37884 +769452 5Q42 10.53 CreweElectric-CreweSouth Yard. 10/4 –43464 +43465 +769006 +43468 +43480 5Q88 13.50 Eastriggs-Crewe Electric, forrefitting of pantograph and AC traction recommissioning. 11/4 –57303 +769549 5Q43 17.00 LeicesterLIP-CreweElectric.
CLASS777
3/4 –777035 intotraffic, working 2N05,the 07.23New Brighton-New Brighton via Liverpool Central, lastof the class to carrypassengers.
CLASS800
27/3 –800108 5Q98 23.20 Leeds-St Pancras via Doncaster, Chesterfield, Loughborough.
28/3 –800108 5Q99 04.42 St PancrasLeeds via Loughborough, Chesterfield, Doncaster, test runs to assess the viability of running LNER servicesinto St Pancras during engineering work
CLASS802
19/3 –802103 5Z81 14.27 North Po le -Rea di ng ,5 X8 11 5. 17 Reading-Eastleigh Works. 5/4 –8 02207 ret urned to traffic following the removalofits battery equipment, working9M0404.23 York-Liverpool Lime Street and9E08 07.54 Liverpool Lime Street-Newcastle.This wasits firstpassenger use sinceMarch 21, 2022, it sufering extensivederailment damageat Heaton the next morning 9/4 –802103 5X80 11.40 Eastleigh Works-Reading, 5Z81 13.13 Reading-North Pole.
10/4 –802017 5Z82 12.58 North Po le -Rea di ng ,5 X8 31 4. 03 Reading-Eastleigh Works.
CLASS810 10/4 –810008 made itsmainline debut,working5Q08 21.51 Merchant Park-York and then overnight test runs between York and Darlington, it returning thenextmorning as 5Q13 05.38 York-Merchant Park
working north with OK19305/07/08/ 10-15/19/26/32/39/44/45/49-51/ 54/57 /59/62/68/76/79/88/89/94/96.
Thirteen of these wagons were then forwarded on to EMR, Kingsbur y, on Apr il 10, 37800 ta king OK19305/08/14/19/26/39/44/49-51/ 54/68/96 on their final journey. Also on April 3, 66170 took eight MXALobsters, 950073/414/580/622// 671/887, 951020 and 965035, from DoncastertoEMR, Attercliffe, for disposal, thisalso including RRA runner wagon110679.
Further wagons havealso been scrappedonsiteatTeesYardin recent weeks, including BAA900259 and YSA/YWA‘Salmon’DB996102/ 117/121/247/314/655/867/955 and DB997000/006/009.
Unit News
Penultimate 720intrafic
The final Class 720 EMU remaining at DerbyLitchurch Lane wasreleased on March 18, with 57310 provided to haul 720504 south to Willesden.
Afer arelatively quick commissioning process, it made itspassenger-carrying debut partnered with 720544 on March 31, forming 2F06, the 07.32 Chelmsford-Braintree.
Just twodaysearlier,both720104 and 720534 had earned revenue forthe firsttime, working,respectively, 2Y02, the 05.34 Liverpool Street-Ipswich, and 2A06, the 06.36 LiverpoolStreet-Harwich International. As expected, this lef 720505 as the lastunit to be accepted by GreaterAnglia, with testing still ongoing in early April.
GN increases Class 379 use
SevenClass 379s arenow available for trafic with GreatNorthern afer three moreofthe former StanstedExpress unitswerereturned to serviceatthe end of March.
March 25 saw 379020 and 379023 back in action as apair,and theywere followedby379029fourdayslater,the trio joining 379002/016/022/026.
On March20, 379021 wastransferred from Hornseyto Wembley Yard by 57310 fortemporarystorage but sevendays later,69009 Western Consort collected379001 and 379010 from Wembley forreturn to Great Northern.
The formation initially rantoPeterborough Nene carriagesidings before heading back south to Hornseyon March 28. Also nowatthe GN depot are379004 and 379006,which arrived from Worksop on April 3behind 57303.
More465 disposals
The disposal of the Metro-Cammell-builtClass 465/2‘Networkers’ hascommenced in earnest, with complete sets dispatchedfromEly forscrapping.
On March31, 37800 Cassiopeia hauled 465249 to CF Booth, Rotherham, andthe journeywas repeated by 37884 Cepheus on April 10 with 465245.
In between, EMR’sKingsburyyard received both465244 and465246 on April 8,37800again providing the traction from Ely
Naming Update
The working relationship betweenGB Railfreight and Electro-MotiveDiesels has been commemoratedbynaming 69014 afer the latter’s Stokeworkshops, wherethe Class 69 conversion programme is drawing to aclose and which regularly seesGBRf Class 66s formaintenance.
Meanwhile, nowrepaintedinthe newHNRC Swietelsky livery, 37422 hasbeen named Pegasus,aferthe
winged horse from Greek mythology. It hasbecomethe fifh diesel locotocarr yt his name, fo llowing D835,47298, 47839and most recently 37611, the latter losing itsnameplatesupon repainting in March 2023.
Another GBRf locowith anew name is 57310, which waschristened UK Railtours during the company’s‘Thames Meanderer’ charter,thistaking in
The final week of March alsosaw the heavily stripped drivingmotor cars of 465235 removedfromtheir resting placealongside Doncasterstation, 65734 and 65784 departing Wabtec by road forCFBooth, to wheretheir centrecarswent lastyear.
South Western increase
The number of Class 701 Arterio sets acce pted fo rpassenger use has increased to nine following the debut of 701046 on March17and 701034 the fo llo wing day.B ot h made theirfirst public outing on the same diagram, commencing with 2U45, the 15.33 Waterloo-Windsor &EtonRiverside.
Meanwhile, the first visit of the reformed Class 458/4 sets to Windsor &EtonRiverside with passengers on boardtook place on March 29, 458405 and 45408working2U09, the 06.33 from Waterloo.
Of the ‘Junipers,’only 458404 and 458419 haveyet to work in their new form followingthe appearanceof 458414 on 2S07, the 05.52 Waterloo-Weybridge, with 458420 on March 25. The same duty wasthen worked by areturning 458402 on April 9, this timepartnered with 458407.
‘Evero’progress
The lastAvantiClass 805 bi-mode at Ne wton Aycliffe, 805002, wa s
various locations in Essexincluding Tilbury, Southend and Shoeburyness.
Ahead of the Chinnor &Princes Risborough diesel gala on April 4-6, 47715 wasnamed Rail Engineering Solutions afer theloco’snew owner, whichhas purchased the Network South East-blue locofromHNRC Swietelsky.However,atthe gala, it wascarr ying the nameplate on one bodyside only.Italso has‘Quality Assured’ on asmaller nameplate underneathits main name.
released on March 26 following the completion of work to prepareitfor passenger serviceand application of liveryvinyls afer aprolonged training role. It rantoOxleyand had still to enter trafic by mid-April, as had previous delivery805006.
Me anwh ile, among the electr ic-o nl yC la ss 80 7s ets, 80 70 05 took itsrevenue -earning bowon March24, forming 1F11, the 06.36 Euston-Liverpool Lime Street.Of the twosetsstill at Newton Ayclife as April began, 807009 wasnoted on overnight test runs between Darlingtonand York on consecutivenights on April 3and 4.
With all proving satisfactory,itran to Wembleyvia Edinburgh on April 7for commissioning to begin. This lef just807010 to appear,withthe sethaving received aspecial Avanti diversity and inclusion liverybeing kept underwraps pending apress unveiling.
The start of Bradford’stenureas this year ’s Capital of Culturewas marked with the naming of 331004 at th ee nd of Ma rc h, whi le tw o moreClass 701s havebeen named by So ut hW este rn Ra ilway.T he vinyl names arepositioned next to the cabside Arterio branding and co mmemorate histo ric sporting venues on the company’sroute, with RedRose linking to the Twickenham rugbyground and Ace to the Wimbledon tennis championships.
69014 wasnamed EMD Longport on March 26 at theworkshops, whereitwas built using 56104 as abody donor.The liveryisbased on an EMD loco, but the tophalfis also the same colour usedontrial Brush/Sulzer locoHS4000 Kestrel in thelate1960s.
Freightliner
Mid-March brought atriple exchange of Class 08s, beginning with the departureo f0 87 85 from Nemesis Rail at Burton-upon-Trent.This returned to So uthampto nM aritimeonabout March 12, triggering the release of 08530 to Traford Park,and, in turn, allowing 08585to leaveManchesterfor the first time in twoyears
Afer spending the weekend at the haulier’s yard,08585 wasdelivered to Burton on March 17
HNRC Swietelsky
Recent weeks haveseen three Class 08s arriveatShackerstoneonthe Battlefield Line as the newownerofHNRC gets to grips with itsexpansive shunter fleet. First in waspart-overhauled 08765, the orangeshunter arriving from Barrow Hill on March21, andthis wasfollowed by inactive 08798 on April4.Nexttomovetothe LeicestershireLine was08502, this arriving from Worksop on April7
In return, 08653 lefShackerstone forWorksop on March 21, carrying
Liveries Shunter News
LSLhas had 47593 GallowayPrincess repainted back intoretro InterCity Executive liverybyArlington FleetServices. It wascollectedby57003 on April 10, and they pass Heamies Farm as they return to Crewe. Brad Joyce
Aparticularly busy period forlocomotiverepaintswas headlinedby the appearanceoftwo newliveries, including the first look at the HNRC Swietelsky coloursthat now adorn 37422. Repainted at UKRL’s Loughborough workshops in late March, the half-and-half dark blue and orangeliverywas subsequently tweakedatWorksop,mostnotably removing the derided orangewindscreen surrounditsportedupon initial release.
Meanwhile, 69014 has become t he la te st 69 to ca rr yas pecial liv er yf ollo wing re le ase fr om Eastleigh Works in March, the gold and black colourspaying tribute to Electro-MotiveDiesels and similar liveries thathavegracedAmerican locomotives.
Also at Eastleigh, 66601 hasbecome the thirdFreightliner locotoreceive arepaintinspecial 60th anniversary colours, sporting asimilar green and yellowscheme to 70008.
LocomotiveServices-owned 47593 ha ss wa pped one cl as sic 19 80s scheme foranother,losing its BR
grey undercoat afer undergoing an extensiveengine and bodywork overhaul over the past twoyears
Nemesis Rail
BR greenD3236 (08168)madea rare forayawayfromBurton-upon-Trent on March 17, it heading to theEcclesbourne ValleyRailway in advanceof the line’s diesel gala during theweekend of April 12/13.
Railway Support Services March 31 brought an exchangeofpilots
Locos
DB Cargo: 66091, 66112/136, 92011
DB Cargowith Freightliner logos: 90018
Electro-Motiveblack/gold: 69014
Freightliner green 60thanniversary: 66601
HNRC Swietelsky: 37422
InterCityExecutive: 47593
Undercoat grey: 43238, 43312/319
Units
Avanti WestCoast: 805002
CrossCountryred: 170112
London Overground revised: 378227/229
Northern: 323206/241
large logoblue forIntercity Executive instead, theworkagain being completedbyArlingtonFleet Services.
The Totonpaintshop wasbusy during March, outshopping former DRSblue 66091 in red, along with 66112 and 66136. The latter has received afresh application of the DB Cargo liveryand as aresult has lostits ‘Yiwu-London Train’branding.
Anotable visitortothe paintshop at the Nottinghamshire depotinearly April was92011tofinally lose its well-weathered EUK two-tone grey, while 90018 has returned to trafic with Freightliner still in DB redbut now with Freightliner logos added to the bodysidesinthe samemanner as 90040.
Destined forexport to Mexico, three HSTpowercarsunderwent preparatory work at Nemesis Rail’sBurton depotduring March, 43238, 43312 and 43319 being repainted in grey undercoat beforemoving on to Dereham and then YarmouthDocks.Notably,43312 waspreviously one of the LNERpair returned to original blue/ grey coloursfor the farewell tour,
at the south terminal at Felixstowe,with 08629 delivered from Wishaw to displace 08738, this headinginthe opposite direction forawell-earned exam.
Aday or so later, asimilar swap was undertaken at Peterborough Yard, with 08632 returning onceagain from repairsofits own, releasing hire-in 09106 to Wishaw.
AfifhSchoma/Clayton battery locomotivehas also arrived at RSS’s yard forstorage,No. 8moving north from London Underground’s West Ruislip depotinlate March.
Northernwith Bradford 2025 UK City of Culturevinyls: 331004
Southeastern High Speed withRailway 200 vinyls: 395015
Coaches
BR carmine/cream: 3115
Caledonian Sleeper teal: 1203, 3295, 3385
66601 in itsnew colours works 6M91, the 11.10 Theale Lafarge-Hope EarlesSidings, at Old Whittington on April 7. Mick Tindall while 43238 wasunique in itsall red LNER livery.
On the uni tf ro nt ,3 31004 has received vinyls on itsbluebody sections to prom oteB ra dford’s tenureasthe UK Capital of Culture, wh ile 39 50 15 al so ha sp icto ria l
vinyls to supportthe ongoingRailway200 celebrations. These feature landmarks anddestinations linked to the high-speed services and are part of awider revamp of theJavelinlivery, most notablythe appearanceofasilver waiststripe.
Hymeks on comebacktrail
Thisyearthe DEPG celebrates50years of owningtwo Class 35 Hymeks on whatisalso the50th anniversaryoftheir withdrawal from BR.OnJune9,2018, D7017 waitstowork the 12.03 Minehead-BishopsLydeard. Pip Dunn
BOTH THE WestSomersetRailway’s Class 35 Hymeks, twoofjustfour survivorsfromthe once 101-strong fleet, look settostaratthe line this summer in whatisthe 50thanniversarysincethe lastofthe class were withdrawn by BR.
Asuccessfulfundraisingappealfor D7017 has reached and surpassed itstarget. Following aflurryofdonations received at the end of March, itsowner,the Diesel &Electric Preser vation Group (DEPG), said it is “delighted to state thatour expectations havebeen shattered because the D7017bodywork repair fund wasaiming for£12,000 but has now topped £16,000.”Atotal of 86 people donatedensurethatthe locowill be back in serviceintime forthe WSR’s June 5-7 diesel gala.
The re pa ir wo rk on D70 1 7i s expectedtocostabout £16,000, so
the amount raised will fully cover that.The work will be subcontracted to ensurethatthe loco is repaired in time to be able also star in the celebration of 50 yearsof‘Hymek’preservation event on August30/31.
TheDEPGadded:“Don’tdespair if youhaven’t yetdonated, because we canstillacceptyour donation! All funds donatedvia this appeal will beallocated to returningD7017 to ser vice in timefor theforthcoming season, but any excess will be carried over to 2026 but still allocated to D7017.”
The DEPG’sother Williton-based Hymek ,D7018, has also received some good news of itsown. Amajor milestone in itsreturntoser vice to ok p laceo nM arch 29 when it passed itsthirdset of static transmission testsand wasthen cleared to move under itsown powerinboth
directions (under controlled conditions) forthe firsttime in morethan twoyears
The stringent setoftests were necessarytoensurethatthe control issues thatafected itsStone-Maybach ‘Mekydro’ transmission back in 2022 havebeen resolved. The ‘clean slate’result allows plans to progress forthe next stageoftesting, which will include atestrun on theWSR oncet he ne ce ssar yi ns pection s havebeen completedand permission obtained. These testswerethe culmination of severalrounds of other testingand theDEPG nowhas averyhighlevel of confidenceinthe repaired transmission. It nowneeds to focus on getting the locoready forits Vehicle Inspection and BrakeTest(VIBT), whichwill then allowD7018 to leavethe confines of the yard
The DEPG added: “Wealso need to give thelocoawashand polish because severalyears as a‘yard ornament’ havetaken their toll on the oncegleamingpaintwork.”
Of theothertwo sur viving Class 35s, D7076 at the EastLancashire Railway has been resurrectedfrom itswinterisation and wasdue to star at the line’s Western Region weekend on April 26/27. Sadly,itcannotattend the WSRinAugust.
D7029 at the Severn ValleyRailwa y, ow ned by the Diesel Traction Group,i sb eing wo rked on.
Nowthe Hydroshunter projecthas been completed, it is expectedit willregain itsspace in Kidderminster shed and work cancrack on. The DTGsaid: “Everyone is really keen to progress the projectasit will have been out of ser vicefor 40 yearsin2027.”