Welcome
Well, Iwon’t makethatmistake again! I postedapictureofAvanti’snew 807010 in itsdiversity wrap onthe Railway Illustrated Facebook page and abun fightensued, with the word ‘woke’ used rather alot
I’mall forpeoplehavingoptions,but when they getnasty,spiteful, and borderline racist, then I draw the line. By all means say whether youlike it or not, but really,morethan athousand comments, some of which were abit unnecessar y about aharmless wrap?
Iplan to use our Facebook page abit moreand I’mall forinteractions, opinions, debate, input, ideas, praise, criticism –whatever. But keep it niceand polite,folks FWIW…Ilike807010’snew look.It’scolourful, and Avanti has probably one of the worstand dull liveries I’veeverseen on the privatised railway, so anything to brighten it up has to be welcome. May is alwaysone forthe busiestmonthsinthe railway calendar,and even afer acouple of chartertrain cancellations, Istill managed to getto Oban behind apair of Class 20s on asuperb SRPS tour –with perfectweather,Mk. 1coaches,great company and great traction. When we gotback to Leven, afew minutes early afer 329 faultless miles from the veteranType 1s, Iwas pleased to see howmany Joe Public passengersalighted. It’s good to see these train being supportedsowell Then it wasoftothe Severn ValleyRailway for itsdiesel gala the following weekend. It’sbeen a challenging time forthe SVR with the landslip,and accordingly trains could only run as farasHampton Loade, so sadly no visit to the Railwayman’s Armsat Bridgnorth thistime. But it wasgreat.Some people moan about the use of modern locos at this event, but Ican’t seewhy.Theyare amassive draw and will turn the event from making, potentially,just asmall profitintoa very decent one thatwill help repair thatclosed section of line.
Ialso say this –thereare typically fiveorsix trains in use at any time, so if 57s and 66saren’tyour thing, there’salways another train runningwith aClass 20, 33, 46, 50 or 52 to occupy your time So,I thank Freightliner,GBRailfreight,WestCoast Railways,Colas andRailAdventure forsending their locos to support this popular event.Icould have filledthe magazine with images from both the eventsatthe SVR and Swanage.
And talking of submissions, Iamkeen to receive them. Obviously,wecan’t use themall, andit’s my duty as an editor to use the bestand most newsworthy submissions. All Irequestisyou send high-resolution images with as muchinformation as possible –date,train,location (and aclue to wherethe location is if it’snot awell-known place) andany other relevant information. Rest assured, Ilookatthem all –and the bestalways getmoved intothe shortlistfolder…thenI’m at themercy
of what spaceI have.I’m always lookingout for creativeand diferent pictures anddiferent locations,and I’venoissues with the use of poles, stage lightingorevendrones.Andhereare some tips on getting your imagespublished;send your best pictures and if you haveaduplicateofthe same train, eventorwhatever– just send thebest. If youhave lots to send, send them via wetransfer or wesendit Hi resesare better,but if youchoose send lo reses, please letmeknowifyou aregoing of for twoweeks in the Seychelles so Idon't requesta hi reswhileyou aretopping up your tan! Send submissions straight away,ideally within 24 hours, if youcan.And please letmeknowif the imagehas gone elsewheresodiferent magazines don’t duplicatethe same image. And don't assume I’ll haveevery eventorworkingalready covered, Imay well not!
Anddon’t be putoffromcontributing if your images aren’t used, Idoget aheck of alot of submissions, which is great!Wedon't have ‘favourites’when it comes to photographers, but obviously,as I say,I need to usethe bestimages forthe benefit of the readers. Andifyou want morehelp and guidance, justdropmeane-mail andI’llget back to you.
And finally,ifyou’dliketosubmit acontribution forour TenPictures, nostalgia, well, indeed anything, again, justsendmeane-mail with your suggestions and we’ll look to work it in.
Coming up in thisissue
Ontowhat’sinthis issue. I’vebeen to see some of the teamorganisingThe GreatestGathering event at Derby Litchurch Lane in early August, and while theystopped short of 100%confirming it,ifIwerea betting man, Iwouldplace a fewquid on therebeing some more ticketsbeing released. If youhaven’t already secured aticket,thenkeepa look-out foranannouncement highlighting more ticket availability.Meanwhile, there’sahandy guide to the event on pages26/27.
Deltics arealways popular,especially blue ones, and at York,and John Whiteleypresents six pages of just that –BRblue55s in andaroundYorkduring theirlifeonBR. I’mgladthe NostalgiaPictorialswe arerunning aregaining so many positivecomments.
An article Ihavebeen planning forsome time has been tips on identifying locos in photographs. Do you havepic youtookyears ago, but youforgottorecord theloco? Then haveareadand hopefully getthe hints and motivation to ID it.It’sactually much easier than youthink,but even if youcan’t ID it,you canomitthe word ‘unidentified’fromthe caption. It’s notnecessary! During thepandemicIpublished From Wick to Penzance: Thehistoryofthe Class 37/4s,abook thatcame out in early 2021 but has recently just sold out (atlast!), and much has happened to the fleetsince, so as part of its40th anniversary, I’ve
KEEP IN TOUCH
If youhaveany comments, photographic contributions, featuresuggestions, or constructivefeedback,please contactPip Dunn by email at rieditor@mortons.co.uk or via the postal address provided on page 4.
brought the storyup-to-date.
Chris Perkins presentshis selection of Ten Pictures –ifyou want to makea contribution to this feature, then please do getintouch.
Funnily enough, when Iwas proof reading this featureIsuddenly noticed the Class 31 featured waslistedasalocoitcouldn’tbe; 31135. Ispotted the fact it wasvacuum braked only and 31135 was dual braked in 1978 when the photowas taken. Ineeded to ID it! So Idrewupa shortlist. And it waslong. 71 locos long! Realising this could take some time,IpoppeditonFacebookfor an ID from aClass31expert
Then Ie-mailed the photographer who wasable to confirmed it was, indeed, 31211.And to that wasbackedupbya comment on theFBpost! I would havelooked a‘bit silly’ if I’dnot spotted thatitcouldn't be 31135 in light of the feature thathad run beforeit!
As always, there’slotsgoing on in thenews, and in the past fewweeks acoupleofClass 20s havebeen sold, ofered forsale, and reportedly sold again! GBRfisre-gearing–and renumbering –moreofits Class 66s, while at lastitlooks likea newhome has been found forthe CAF Mk.5sinexplicably binned of by the Df Tfromthe Transpennine franchise. Theylook to be moving to Chiltern, and with it will come an increase in locohaulageonthe Marylebone to Stourbridge route, which will be agreat boost.
Arriva wantstoexpandits open access operations andislookingtogo‘cross countr y’ from NewcastletoBrighton, while GreaterAnglia will return to public ownership in October
Looking ahead to June, there aresome great eventstoenjoy at the North Norfolk,West Somerset, North YorkshireMoorsand SpaValley railways, while the highlight forme, assuming it all goes to plan, willbeenjoying apairofClass 20s to Kyle of Lochalsh forthe first time ever.I’vebeen badgering various promotersand TOCs to deliver this forthe last15years or so,and it looks likeit might finally happen on June 22. Fingerscrossed… Meanwhile, enjoythe issues, followusonFacebook (but keep it nice!), and see youagain in amonth!
On Sale Date: Usually first Thursday of the month
This Issue On Sale: June 5, 2025
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EDITOR: Pip Dunn
ARTEDITOR: Kelvin Clements
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Contributions to this magazine should be clearly typedand ideally sent by email. Please contactthe editor by email with any possible featureideas beforesubmission. Photographssubmitted to Railways Illustrated areacceptedonthe basis that they arethe copyright property of the person submitting them, or afertheyhave received suitablepermission from thecopyright owner. Please do not submit pictures to Railways Illustrated thathavebeen senttoother publications. Opinions expressed in this magazine arenot necessarily those of the editor or publisher.
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4RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED July 2025
26 Greatthingsahead
The Greatest GatheringatAlstom’s DerbyLitchurch Lane in August promises to be the bestrailway show in years. PipDunn talks to twoofthe organisingteam, GusDunster and James Dobson, to find out more about the three-dayevent.
44 Still going strong, 40 yearson
It wasJune 1985 whenthe first ETH-fittedClass37/4s emergedfrom Crewe Works and four decades later, 13 of the fleetare still in mainline use.Pip Dunnlooks at theirlater livesand why they stillhavearole to play
50 Identity parade
There’srarely any needtosay ‘unidentified’ in acaption because identifyinglocos from photoscan actuallybe, in many cases, quite easy.Equally,itcan sometimesbe
challenging, bafling,frustrating and bemusing. But getitright, it becomes satisfying! Pip Dunn ofers some tips on IDing those unIDd!
60 Deltics around York
Renowned railway photographer John Whiteleyreturnswithsome memoriesofclassic British Rail locos at work on iconic railway routes. For this instalment,helooks at the Class 55 Deltics in action in and around York,aplacesoclosely associated with the class.
66 10 Pictures: Chris Perkins
This month’s 10 Pictures comes from occasional Railways Illustrated contributorChris Perkins. Born in theWestMidlands but nowalongtime resident of the WestCountry, in this issue he presents10favourites fromthe many images he’s taken overthe years.
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Latest Greatest Gatheringguests announced… andmoretocome
MORE EXHIBITS fordisplay at the Rail 200 GreatestGathering at Alstom’s LitchurchLane factoryinDerbyon August1-3 havebeen revealed by theorganisers,with ahostofextra heritageand mainline locos and units nowattending.
Many freight operators, passenger TOCs and severalkey preservation groups haveagreed to send vehicles forthe show, which will be amix of steam, diesel and electric.
Steamlocos due to attend areFurness Railway No.20, 1054, 4930 HagleyHall, 6023 King EdwardII,13268, 35018 British India Lines,35028 Clan Line,WCR Black 5, 45596 Bahamas,46115 Scots Guardsman,46203 Princess Margret Rose,73129 and 92214.
Diesels due to attend are20007/205, D5910, D5054, 26007, 31108, D6515 Lt JennyLewis RN,D7076, D6700, 37501 Teesside Steelmaster,WCR Class 37, D213 Andania,40106 Atlantic Conveyor,821 Greyhound,43159, two RAUK 43/4s, 44004 Great Gable,45133, 46045, WCRClass 47, 47593 GallowayPrincess,47715,50033 Glorious, 50035 Ark Royal,50044 Exeter,50049 Defiance,D1015 Western Champion, 55009 Alycidon,D9015 Tulyar,55019 RoyalHighland Fusilier,58023 LeicesterDepot,WCR Class57/0, 57307 Lady Penelope,DCRailClass 60,66004, 66301 Drax PowerStation 50,66501 and 67005 King’sMessenger,70008. Electric locoexhibitsconfirmed so farare No.12 Sarah Siddons,83012,
85006, 86101 Sir William AStanier FRS, 87002 RoyalSovereign,90018, 91101 Flying Scotsman,91110 Battle of Britain Memorial Flight,92011 and ROG Class 93.
Themultipleunitline-up is aClass 108, 142013, 323221, Class 331, Class 350, 390119 Progress,3417 Gordon Pettitt,465908 ChrisGreen,507001, 720506,Class 730/2, Class755,799201 and LT 4-TC set.
Other exhibitsare LMS Inspection Saloon45029,JNA-T Wagon, IIA-D Biomass Hopper and aNetwork Rail helicopterG-NLSE and an Aerospatiale AS355F2 Ecureuil II.
Moreexhibits arestill to be announced in the remaining 10 weeks running up to the event.Some of the exhibitsmay
changebypainted numberand all are subjecttoavailability.
Thenight beforeThe Greatest Gathering, aspecial charter train will run directly intothe works complex. The deliveryof390119 by 57307 will be opened up as aone-way charter train promotedbythe BLS.
The ‘Creighton-Wa rd Ex plorer ’ runs on Thur sday,J uly 31 and passengerswillalso enjoyearly-bird access to the sitebeforethe main event opens to the public the followingday.The ticketalsoincludes a ride on theworks’1.6km-longtest track. Thetrain is expected to leave Creweat14.50 and arriveat17.15 and faresare £75standardclass and £125 first class
Moorsaddst wo more to diesel gala line -up
THE NORTH YorkshireMoorsRailway has announced that33202 Dennis G Robinson and 37688 Great Rocks are attendingits June 12-15 diesel gala Theywill join previously-announced gu ests 50 021 Ro dn ey an d5 50 09 Alycidon. In addition, the NYMR’sown fleet of heritagediesellocomotives will be in action, including 31128 Charybdis, 31466, 37264 and 47077 North Star
The plan is forthe Grosmont to Goathland shuttlestobetop-andtailed, as running round at Goathland is not possible. Therewill be no trains running to Whitby.The Class 50 and55will each do tworound trips perday,exceptonthe Sunday when the 55 will do one and ahalf round trips.
Therewill be pairsof31s and 37s, andtop-and-tail31s and37s,and the Saturday eveningrun from Grosmont to Pickering willbeworked by the 50 with two31s on rear.The timetables areexpectedtofinish at 7pm or 7.30pm; therewill be no late-evening trains due to signalman hours. Cla ss 04 D220 7i sexpe cted to give brakevan ridesatLevishamin
between other trains. The 47 and 55 will start and finish at Pickering,but the other locos will be based out of Grosmont
The 50 will come in by road, while the 33, 37 and 55 arelikely to arriveby rail. The 37/5 will also stay beyond the gala as it is main line compliant and will providemuch-needed coverfor the Whitbyoperations.
55019 RoyalHighland Fusilier is one of threeClass55s to attendthe Greatest Gathering event in DerbyinAugust. It worksthe 13:20 Loughborough Central-LeicesterNorth at KinchleyLane on April 27. GarethGrifiths
Four more Class93s arrive in theUK
ANOTHER FOUR Stadler tri-mode
Class 93s arrived at PortburyDock in April and May,meaning sevenofthe fleetare nowinthe UK.
IN BRIEF
Swietelsky hires 20stoR AUK
SWIETEL SK YH AS re ac tiv at ed 20302/311 to main line use and they havebeen on hiretoRail Adventure.
On May 14 the yran light from Worksop to Crewetomovebi-mode units769006 to Long Marston afer it ss hort-t erm hir et oN ort he rn en ded. The yt hen re mained on hirefor afew moredays, undertaking various movesfor RAUK, which had prev iously hired 20007/ 205 regularly.
Mor em ain line te st ing on the
On April 28, 93007/010 arrived from Spain, followedby93003/004 on May 15, so nowseven of10-strong fleethas been delivered foruse with Rail OperationsGroup.Just93005/008/009 are yettoarriveand delivery is expected very soon.
WC ML wa sa nticipated in June, and the fact the fleetisnow being shipped to th eU Ks uggests th at acceptancebyNRcannotbetoo far away,sometwo yearsafer93001 arrived in July 2023.
In mid-May,Swietelsky’s20302/311 were hired to Rail AdventureUKfor anumber of moves. On May 17, they pass through Barrow-on-Trent on 6X39, the 12.22 Doncaster Wood Yard-Burton-on-Trent WetmoreSidings, with an HOBC wagonsandwiched in between the Type 1s. Paul Waring
Arriva submit sNewcastle to Brighton open access application
AN APPLICATION foranew direct open ac ce ss oper at io nf ro m Newcastle to Brighton viaBirmingham NS and Gatwick has been made by ArrivaGroup.
Arrivasaid the application makes use of existingunder-utilisedcapacity on the network and proposesfive trains per day in each direction.
The servicewouldbeoperated by its established open access rail operator,
GrandCentral, andcould start as soon as December 2026.
If approved, the newoperation would call at Durham, Darlington, Northallerton, York,Doncaster,Sheffield, Derby, Burton-on-Trent,Birmingham NewStreet, Warwick Parkway, Banbury, Oxford,Reading, Wokingham, Guildford, Redhill, Gatwick Airport and Haywards Heath.
Each train would ofer 300 seats,
including luggagespace forairport travellers, as well as on-board catering, wi-fi, andchargingpoints.
Other GC applications currently awaiting approval from the ORR include two extradaily return trains between Bradford and London and an early-morning and late-evening return from York to London, as well as the introduction of adirectLondon connection to Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
Greater Angliawillbethe next franchise to be returned to state ownership on October 12, 2025.
TwoDBCargo locos havebeen stored in theWQAApool, namely 66140 and 67012.
Long-time resident at Meldon Quarry, 08937 has been movedto Merehead.
One of DC Rail’sClass 60s, 60057, has been movedto Colwick forstripping to donate sparepartstothe other Class 60s, the first twoofwhich arenow undergoing overhaul, 60013/099.
Because 50008 Thunderer wasundertaking charter train commitmentsonMay 17, Hanson &Hall hired Class 33 D6515 to perform itsnow regular Saturday move of GWR stockbetween Eastleigh andReading.
Pathfinder Railtoursisplanning to take Class 47s back to Newquay on September 20 on its ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ charter from Dorridge. Class 47s were regular visitors, mostly on summer Saturdays, in the 1970s and until 1987 when Newquay station wasrationalised which meant loco-hauled trains were not easytooperateonthe branch
ANetwork Rail ‘steam ban’ due to the hotweather saw LSL’s 45118 TheRoyal Artillerymanfill in forasteam locoonthe Carlisle to Edinburgh return legs of aSaphos Trains charter from Leeds on May 21. It ranvia the WCMLboth ways. 47593 and 57311 worked the train south of Carlisle via the S&C.
On the night of May 14, 66738 Huddersfield Town and 66719 Metro-Land worked 3Q00, the 23.41 Ferme Park-Ferme Park weed sprayingtrain. Part of theitinerarywas a rare trip along theStAlbans Abbey branch, wherethey pausefor areversal. Callum Laing
More loco haulagefor Chiltern as Mk.5 deal nearscompletion
CHILTERN RAILWAYS will vastly increase the numberofloco-hauled turns on the Marylebone to Birmingham/Stourbridge routeonceitfinally rubber-stamps adeal to take 13 sets of Mk.5CAF coaches.
The coaches were previously ordered through Beacon Rail by Transpennine Express, but when it wastaken intopublic ownership in 2023, the DfTordered the end of their use on cost grounds. Their use ended in thatDecember.
CR has been using Mk.3 coaches for severalyears now, operatedinpushpull mode first by DB Cargo Class 67s and forthe lastdecadebyDRS Class 68s.
CR has wanted to take enough vehicles to make nine six-coachrakes,but this will notbepossible so insteaditwill take all 13 five-carsets,which include a DVT. This means theyare unlikelytobe used on peak hour trains due to insuficient seats. It is likely they will continue to work to BirminghamMoor Street, with some latertrains going throughto Stourbridgeasthatiswherethree sets currently stable overnight forservicing. It is possible thatsome sets may therefore be used between Maryleboneto both Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon, as well as to Birmingham
The use of Mk.5swill also necessitate achangeinthe locopool used by CR. Presently,ituses 68010-015 (with 68008/009 as contingencyspare locos) but these will notbecompatible to work with the Mk.5swithout modifications, and therewould be insufficient locos. However, the ex-TPE locos, 68019-032, which have all been modified to work with Mk.5s, also went of-lease at the same timeas
the stock, so it is inevitable theywill be transferred to Chiltern.68033/034 were also modified to work withthe Mk.5s but would need the reinstatement of this equipment to do so again
The reason forthe switch is mainly based on thepoorcorrosion afecting the Mk.3coaches, whichare now nearly 50 yearsold, combined with the Mk.5s notonlybecoming available, but also in need of anew user
It is likely four sets couldbeinuse by March 2026 to allowthe withdrawal of the Mk.3sand then the remaining sets would be introduced in theDecember 2026 timetable. The coaches have been kept in warm storeatLongsight and Long Marston but would need some work on them to makethe fit foruse again.
The Class 168 DMUstheycould replacewouldbeneeded to strengthen
some peak hour trains to six cars,but some could also possibly be transferred ontothe newEast WestRaillink from Oxford to Milton Keynes to allow the hired-in Class 196s to be returned to WestMidlandsTrains.
Chiltern has been unwilling to confirm the speculation, merely confirming that it wasengaged in constructive discussions with the Department forTransport
NR signsRHT Tdeals with GBRf,BBand Colas
AN EW fiv e- ye ar de al has been signed to run Network Rail’sfleet of autu mn and wint er ra ilhe ad treatment andweedkilling trains, keeping tracks clear and passengers and freight on time.
The £850 million contractcovers weedkilling, leaf-blasting, anti-iceand snowploughing trains, with optional three-yearly extensionslikely.The
services will begin from August2025 and run through until 2030 and possibly beyond.
GB Ra ilfr eight will ru nt he NR multi-purpo se ve hicles (MPV s) inthe northofthe countr y, with
Balfour Beatty doing the same in thesouth. The contracts includethe introduction of six re -engineered MPVs,redesigned from overhead
line use to seasonal vehicles with brand-ne ww ate rj etting equipment to ease pressureonthe existing fleet.
Amix of Colas and GB Railfreight will look after locomotive-hauled rail head treatment trains (RHTTs), with each operator running diferent circuits. RHTTsare designed for water-jetting leaf mulch in autumn on
longer runs than the MPVs. Network Rail has 32 MPVsand 29 RHTTsaround the country.
The company’sfleetof10snowand icetreatment trains will be looked after by GB Railfreight,and Colas will be responsible forrunning snow clearanceservices, ranging from snow ploughs to Scotland’ssmall fleetof twosnowblowers
BritannicExplorertohavet wo dedicatedlocos
TWO GBRF Class 66s areexpected to be re -liv eried to ma tc ht he co ache so ft he ne wB rit a nnic Explorer luxury charter train about to entertraficfor Belmondthis summer
66744/745 arethe locos earmarked forthe duty and 66744 has been repainted into GBRf coloursand de -n am ed in preparat io n. It wi ll then haveanew vinylwrapapplied to matchcoaches. Unnamed 66745
will also be re pa inted and the n wrapped.
Belmond acquired 10 Mk.3 coaches from Ireland whichhavebeen overhauled and internally refittedfor the special train thatwill undertakea
series of toursaround the country. Belmond additionally offersthe RoyalScotsman, also operated by GBRf since2015, and the British Pullman, which remains aDBCargo operation.
The inevitable swap from Mk.3 to Mk.5coaches in 2026 means 68010-015willend their decade-long association with working for ChilternRailways. On February27, 68013 PeterWreford-Bush leads 1R17, the 09.02 Marylebone-Birmingham Moor Street,through Princes Risborough. AnthonyHicks
On May 1, Wick welcomes theraresight of aClass47 under itstrainshed roof,as47832 Wick arriveswiththe 05.18 charterfromInverness. Passengersonboard the train, the ‘GreatBritain XVII,’ then departed southbehind‘BlackFive’ 45407. Tony Streeter
Commemorative47charter in memor yofMarkHare
LSL’SINTERCITY arm is running a memorial train forMark Hare,who died in late March. The ‘A Little Bit of Mambo’charter is setfor July 19and will take twoClass 47s to Mark’s home town of Aylesbury.
KnownasMambo to his many friends, Mark was driver manager forChilternRailwaysand an avid
followerofClass 47s. He wasalso Railways Illustrated’s sub-editor in the early 2010s.
The tour originatesatCrewe and passes through their original birthplaceatLoug hboroug h. It then ventures to the ChilternstoAylesbury, whereMark lived andworked.
Thetrain,formed of theScotRailset
Last summer of Castle HSTs star ts in Cornwall
THE FEW remaining GWRClass 43 Castle Class HSTsetshavestarted anew setof diagrams forwhatislikely to be their last summer in use with the TOC.
The May 19 timetablehas seen some changes to their duties in Devonand Cornwall,with anew daily daytime turn betweenPenzanceand Exeter St David’s allowing photography of the trainson the famous Dawlish seawall. Thereis also the return of aSunday duty,which includes areturn trip to Exeter
Three turns areonMondays to Fridays, which are: turn 1, 2C00 05.33 Plymouth-Penzance; 2E06 07.45 Penzance-Exeter;2C2011.27 Exeter-Penzance; 2P20 15.15 Penzance-Plymouth; turn2,2C11 10.14 Plymouth-Penzance; and 2P16 13.15 Penzance-Plymouth; and turn 3, 2C26 13.40Plymouth-Penzance; and 2P21 15.52 Penzance-Plymouth.
On Saturdays, they are: turn 1, 2C05 05. 15 Pl ym ou th -Pen za nce; 2P 10 07.40 Penzance-Plymouth; 2C49 12.41 Plymouth-Penzance;and 2P24 15.15
Penzance -Plymouth; turn 2, 2C40 08.08Plymouth-Penzance;2E1610.39 Penzance-Exeter;2P5614.22 Exeter-Plymouth; 2C56 16.38 Plymouth-Penzance; and 2P95 19.30 Penzance-Plymouth; and turn 3, 2C42 09.10 Plymouth-Penzance; and 2P18 11.50 Penzance-Plymouth.
The Sunday turn is: 2C06 08.45 Plymouth-Penzance; 2E13 11.49 Penzance-Exeter;2C32 15.27 Exeter-Penzance; and 2P28 19.15 Penzance-Plymouth.
The dozenpower cars lef in use with GWRare 43004/042/092/093/097/098, 43156/186-189/198.Theyare due to be replaced by Class 175s laterinthe year, which will bring about the end of 49 years of HSTworkingsonthe Western region.
top-and-tailed by Class 47s, runs via Stoke, EastMidlands Parkway, Kettering, Bedfordand to Bletchley, where afurther pick-up will be available. It then reverses at Denbigh Hall Junction beforetraversing the recently reopened EastWestRailroutetoOxford.
Afer areversal, it heads to Princes Risborough, with afurther reversal
before arriving at Aylesbury, where it will visit AylesburyDepot Reception Line. It then heads south to Marylebone.
Afer a90-minutebreak in the capital, the train returns to Crewevia Bicester Village, the EastWestRail route, Milton Keynes Central, and back along the WCML to Stokeand on to Crewe.
Electric conversionfor more Positive Traction 08s
POSITIVE TRACTION has acquired four moreClass 08s forconversion intoelectric e08s following trials with 08308. The locomotivesbought from Swietelsky are08428, 08742/782/786 and theyhavebeen movedtoPT’smain base at Chesterfield from Worksop. The next e08 conversions is already underway, with 08296 having the major surgery which will seeits ageing 400hp EE 6KTdiesel engine removed
and replaced by batteries and anew lowheight body.The existing Class 08 cab, wheels,frame andtractionmotors areretained. It is expectedtobeused by Heidelberg fortrials. PT is also in talks with other potential customers, both at homeand internationally. The first e08 conversion, 08308, wasreturned to Chesterfield for attention to atractionmotor afer aspell on trial at Neville Hill.
Hitachiplans Co.Durhamopenday
HITACHI’S NEWTON Ayclife factory will open itsdoorstothe public foran open day on October 4aspart of the Rail 200 celebrations. This will be the first time the publichas had access to
the siteinthe 10 yearsofoperation. Tickets arenow on sale costing £15for adults, and£5for children, and admission is free forunderfives. All profitswill go to charity.
Owen sells20s to Romic –whichthen‘sellsthem on’
EARLYMAY saw an announcement by rolling stock trader Romic thatit had bought 20007/205 from Michael Owen, but within 24 hours Romic announced the locos were forsale, despiteitnot actually havingformally takenownership!
Then, af ew days la te r, am i d rumoursitwas no longer planning to sell them, it had on itswebsitethat theyhad been sold!
Balf our Beatty has dism i ssed rumoursthatithad bought them
to provide coverfor 20901/905 and indeed had already been awareof their availability beforetoRomicdeal wasconcluded.
Rail AdventureUKand Hansonand Hall had both been linked with the locos which Owen had been actively trying to sell forsome time, but again, neither said theywereinthe market forthem.
In apress statement, Romicsaid it was“pleased to announcethe successful acquisition of twoClass 20
locomotives, 20007 and20205. They will be integratedintoRomicGroup’s expandinghirefleetand will be available fora variety of hireapplications across the UK.”
Ju st 24 ho ur sl ate ri ti ss ue d another statement,saying: “Romic is pleased to be abletoofertwo Class 20s forsale. Alarge quantity of sparepartsare available by separate negotiation.”And then ‘SOLD’ wasput on the advert on itswebsite afew days later.
Ow en retains 20048, ba sed at the Se ve rn Va lle yR ailw ay,a nd 20142/18 9, which arem ain line co mplaint .W hile 20007/205 are currently air-braked only,20142/189 aredual-braked, which makes them popular forhiretoheritagerailways andalsotoVintage Trains.
As this issue of Railways Illustrated closed forpress, therewas no indication of who may havebought 20007/205 from Romic, which did not respondtoour requestfor acomment.
LSL’s37409 Loch Awe wasused to collectLNER A4 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley from theNorth YorkshireMoorsRailwayand take it as 5Z07, the07.42 Grosmont-CreweHS, seen approaching Northallerton on May 6. Chris Gee
GBRf unveilst wo more specialClass 69 liveries
GB RAILFREIGHT has unveiledtwo Class 69s in special promotional liveries. Justaferthis issue closed for press, 69016 wasunveiled at Waterloo station in aliverytopromote the British Transport Police’s 61016 text number forpeople to report railway issues.
It follows the unveiling of 69013 on April 28 in an all-overblack livery with whitewindowframes andsmall yellowpanels to promote the mental health charity Andy’sMan Club,which helps mendealwithissues. Thelivery has the club’s contactdetails and the hashtag #itsoktotalk on itsbodysides. 69016 arrived at Eastleigh forrepainting on the day 69013 wasunveiled. The lastClass 69 to be built is 69015, whichisexpected to also wear asintering liverybut is notlikely to be seen in trafic until laterinthe summer
Built using 56009 as the donor, 69015 –w hich is behind 69016 because itsbody wasina poorer condition and needed much more remedial work to address corrosion –isexpectedtobethe last Class69 built using aClass 56 body
More HSTs move to newcareers;WCR to take aset?
ON MAY 20, WestCoast Railways’ 47802/812 ranlight from Southall to Lairawith twoMk. 2barriercoaches to collectex-First Group’s GWRHST trailers 48102/110-112/130/149,49103/104.
Theythen departed on 5Z29, the 1531 Laira-Carnforth. It is being widely suggestedthatWCR has been looking to acquireanHST,possibly as a‘rival’ to LSL’sMidlandPullman, but if these vehicles aretofulfil thatrole theywill need acomplete refitting inside as theycurrently
havehigh-density airlineseating for commuter and people moverroles.
RI un derstan ds 43 09 4/ 12 2a nd tr ailer s4 8104/106/108, 49102, whi ch ha db een at the Se ve rn ValleyRailway,could also possibly beheading to WCR. Thesevehicles were collectedbyRailAdventureUK on May 2by43468/480 and taken to Nemesis Rail forpreparation for export throughRomic
The value of HSTs has increased in recent months with the Romicexport
GBRf locos at Severn Valley
GB RAILFREIGHT, the Severn Valley Railway and Modern Railways magazine areteaming up to hold acharity two-day diesel gala at the SVR on September 6/7 to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital GBRf is planning to sendlocos from itsfleet, namely aClass 47, 60, 66 and 69, which will work alongside
SVR locos such as the Class 50s/52s andothers. Steamlocomotive 4930 Hagley Hall will also be in action on both days.
The Branch Line Society will operate acharter to the railway on September 5and another from the eventon September 7. Therewill also be abeer festival at Kidderminster
programmes to Mexico andNigeria. Howeverthereare someother Class 43s still available and othersatheritagesites thatcould be sold on
On May 20, 43190/309/310 were movedfromEly Papworth to the Mid Norfolk Railway by 37501 and 37800 and these looks likelytobeamongst the next locos forexport
Theyare expectedtoalso head to Mexico foruse with Tren Interoc eá nic ow hich alr ea dy has takendeliver yof43007/022/027,
43 15 3/ 15 8/ 16 0/ 16 2/ 17 0/ 19 4, 43238/295, 43306/307/312/316/ 319/320/378. Ther eh av eb een another 11 powercarsexported, 43008-010/016/040, 43172/184/192, 43239, 43304/366, which arenow with First MetroinNigeria Ex-Porterbrook 43299, which was recently retired along with 43290 afer their extended hiretoNetwork Rail to coverfor overhaul and upgrades on 43013/014/062, has movedbyroad to Peak Rail on May 16.
More unit senter traf ic
MORE NEW trains haveentered trafic forTOCs, with Avanti adding 807009 into thepassenger fleeton May 20, following on from 807002 –which had been one of the two early test units–also carr ying passengersfor the first timeon the day before.
This leaves justnewly-wrapped 807010 to be accepted intotrafic to complete the deliveryofall 23 Class 805/807 Everounits. Transport forWales put both 197024/035inpassenger use on May 7, followedby756006on May 12.
73128 Kent &East Sussex Railway and73119 Paul Taylor arriveback intoTonbridgeYardon6Z73, the11.00 TonbridgeWestYard-Tonbridge WestYarddriver training run, on April 16. SteveGoodrum
GBRf regearsmoreClass 66s
GB RA ILFREI GHT has started a programme to regear eightmoreof itsClass 66s to increase their tractive efort andsomakethem better suited forheavy trainload work,and the locos arenow being renumbered in the 666xx number series.
It already has 66793-796 in the GBHH pool which were imported from Europe in 2020/21, and these areto become 66693-696.The newconversion will giveit12Class 66/6s
The first of itsstandardgeared 66stobemodifiedbyEMD at Longport is 66779 EveningStar, which is nownumbered 66689.All the l ocos built at Muncie in 201417, 66752-799, along with some of those imported from Europe, 66 790-792/797-799, ar ec andidatesfor themodification. The numberswould changefor any locos selectedtobeinthe 66661692/697-699 number series.
Colas56s forRHT Ts
WHILE COLAS has been running down itsClass 56s andputting them in warm store, the fleet shouldbe
reactivatedtoallowColas to fulfil it
RHTT commitments thisautumn,with apair likely to be based out of Carlisle.
Alrea dy in fo rconv er sion are 66757/772/777, which will become 66667/682/687 respectively.The other locos haveyet to be decided, but it won’t haveescaped noticethatif66756 The Pavior is chosen, then it would become 66666.
DB Cargo,w hic hh as re ce ntly converted 10 of itsown 66/0sinto 66/6s, as 66651-660, had indicated another fiveconversionswereinthe pipeline, whichwould be 66661-665
and conflictwith twoofthe proposed GBRf numberings, but it is thought thatthese conversions arenow not likely to happen.
Freightliner has had 25 Class 66/6s, 66601-625, which it acquired new between 2000 and 2007, of which six,66608/609/611/612/624/625, have sincebeen movedtoPoland.
When the GBRf programme is completed, therewould41Class 66/6s across three diferent operators.
67005renamed
AS EXPECTED, DB Cargo hascompleted the repaint of 67005, which is nownamed King’sMessenger.Itwas previously
LNwR Class730/2 EMUs launched
APRESS and stakeholder event at NorthamptononMay 16 saw the Class 730/2 Av entraE MU s formally launched, and the first
public runs we re ex pe cted on June 6.
Unit 730220 wasopened to the press to take pictures andget afeel
forthe new110mph five-carunits which will be used on theWCML from EustontoBirmingham NS and Liverpool LS
named Queen’s Messenger, sinceDecember 6, 2000. It has had areapplication of itsexisting RoyalTrain livery.
The Wensleydale Railway has repainted47714 in the 1990s Rail Express System livery which it carried from December 1993 untilitwas painted intoAnglia Railways turquoise in early October 2003 following itssale to Cotswold Rail. It wasthatliveryitcarried afer itssaletoHNRC and then intopreservation lastyear. It made itsdebut in the new liveryatthe Wensleydale Railway’sMay 24-26 diesel event.
Coaching Stock News
Scotsman addition
The RoyalScotsman hasgained anew vehicle following the overhaul and conversion of afurther Mk.1Pullman coach, 315 being the newState CarNo. 4and replacing 99964 in the formation Registeredunder itsown number rather than in the 99xxx private owner series, 315 wasrefurbishedbyAssenta Rail at itsHamilton workshops and nowfeatures twogrand suites and a double cabin.
During May, theluxury trainwas formedas99969,99968, 315, 99963, 99962, 316, 99337,99960, 99967 and 99965, with the ousted99964 joining previously replaced 99961 at Hamilton.
Belle to Eastleigh
The part-overhauled and sheetedshell of Brighton Belledrivingmotor car No.93arrived at Eastleigh Works on May 12, having made the journeyfrom StewartsLane to the nearby yard by road beforethe transfer wascompleted behind 66310 Bo’ness& KinneilRailway. Owned by Belmond, the coach has been stored fordecadesand no longer has powerequipment,having been stripped out and remounted on B4 bogies in themid-2000s as part of a refurbishment projectthatwas never completed. The reason forits arrival at
the Arlington workshopsisnot being divulged by thecompany
ERSlatest
The lastMk. 3coach stored at Ely Papworth departed on April 15, TS 42569 having been sold to Eastern Rail Services. Collected by 37800 Cassiopeia and 37884 Cepheus,itwas transferred to Great Yarmouth between ba rrier coac hes 6344 an d6 348. Twodays later, generator van96371 departed Yarmouth by road, bound forChesterfield, whereitis undergoing abogie overhaul to enable a return to main line operation.
Throughout late April and the first half of May,aset of predominately Mk.3swas provided to GB Railfreight to allowcrewtraining to take placeon loco-hauled stock,57310 UK Railtours and then 57303 making regular forays betweenDoncaster Decoyand Derby. Initially,10229, 10413, 11078/095 and 12021/064/091/098 we re employed with Mk. 2f BSO9525 as the brakevehicle, withthe setbeing extended from May5 with theaddition of Mk.2f TSO6173.
Mexicoexports
The 10 Mk .3spre viously moved from the Mid-Norfolk Railway to
Shunter News
Swietelsky
Four of the Class 08s stored at Barrow Hill forsome yearshavebeen sold and transferred to the Chesterfield bus garage used by RMS Locotecand associatedcompany PositiveTraction as amaintenancebase. First to make the short trip by road was08428 on April 24,with both 08782 and08786
following the nextday and then 08742 on April 28.
Mendip Rail
Rather forgottenaboutinrecent years, 08937 emergedfromundercover storage atMeldonQuarryonMay 16 with transfer to Merehead. The shunterhas notseen usesince the Dartmoor Railway closed
Yarmouth Docks were loaded aboard the Morgenstond II on April 24/25, these being fo rmer CrossCou ntr ytrailers 41035, 41194,42097, 42370/072/076/077, 44012 and 45003/004. The ship then departed forMexico, it also carrying powercars 43027, 43153/160/162/194, 43238 and 43312/319.
Off-l ea se setGW0 2 ,forme do f 48104/06/08 and 49102, wasretrieved from the Severn Valley Railwayon May 2, along with powercars43094 and 43122. With traction provided by Rail Adventuresisters 43480 and 43468, the train headed to Burton to await developments, but sale to West CoastRailways has been mooted.
Second ‘Jacobite’
The stock forthe afernoon ‘The Jacobite’ servicebetween Fort William and Mallaig wasdispatched north from Carnforth on May 2, 47746 having charge of sevenblue/grey Mk .2f coachesinthe form of 1212,3356, 3364, 5985, 6054, 6158 and9526.
The setm ad ei ts de but th re e days laterbehind 47826 when the second train commenced itsoperating season, asteam banpreventing the use of a‘Black Five.’Notably,all three of the TSOs arethose previously
but remains in the ownership of Holcim UK (previously AggregateIndustries) despiteattemptstosellitinthe past
PositiveTraction
With afurther twomonths of trials achieved, batteryconversion 08308 departed Neville Hill In mid-April, it heading back to base in Chesterfield to await itsnextduty
Railway Support Services
Having sufereda shifedcrank,08511
modified with sliding ventilators on some windows.
GWRrepaints
The repaint of the Night RivieraMk. 3 stock is continuing at Eastleigh. April 19 saw 50008 Thunderer return newly completedRFM 10217toReading, beforetaking 10612 away.The ‘sleeper’ wasduly returned to itshome depotby the English Electric machineonMay 3, its placebeing takenby10594. On May 17, and with 50008 engaged on railtour duty,D6515 Lt JennyLewis RN wasprovided forthe transfers, first hauling10594awayfromEastleigh before returning laterthatday with 10584.
Miscellaneous moves
The latest exchangeofMk. 5sets between Longsight and Long Marston took placeonApril 15, 68023 bringing TP05 (11505, 12713-715, 12805) south beforereturning to Manchesterwith 11512, 12734-736and 12812, otherwise known as TP12.
On the same day,the electrification test trainbased around 91117 Project Electra wasreturnedtoLoughborough from DoncasterWestYard, this also featuring powercars43301 and 43303, along with hired-in LocomotiveServices Mk.3s41063, 41117, 42100 and42220. Meanwhile, thelastMk. 4for inclusion in Transport forWales’additional Mk.4 set, 12215, has arrived at Worksop from Landoretojoin the rest of HD08.
wastransferred north from Eastleigh Yard to TyseleyLocoWorks forrepairs during thesecond week of April.Fresh from itsown attention, 08507 was dispatched from Wishaw on April 30, it heading to the exchangesidings at Humber refinerytoreplaceanindustrial. Out of use formorethan three years, 08927 returned to Wishaw from the Avon ValleyRailway at the beginning of May,having been resident sinceFebruary2023 formajor enginerepairs
Unit News
Fixed formations forWelsh Class 153s
The futurelook of the Transport for Wales Class 153 fleethas begun to take shape with the creation of semi-permanent pairings,these featuringone fully accessible unit and oneofthe new ActiveTravelconversions.
These havebeen given an additional setnumberthatisphysically applied to both units, those ex isting by mid-May being AT02 (153353+153528, AT03: 153303+153531) and AT04 (153382+153552).The fourth initial pair,AT01, is duetofeature 153312 and 153507 oncethe latter emerges from conversion at Landore.
TwomoreActiveTravelClass 153s aredue to appear laterthis year in the form of 153568 and 153572, which are currently stopped at Creweand Landore respectively and still to be renumbered from 153968and 153972. Thesewill then be formed intoAT05 andAT06, with their current planned partners being 153327 and 153318 in thatorder
Although the six two-carformations areintendedtobelong-term pairings,aspare accessibility-compliant setwill be retained as amaintenancespare,this being 153362, which arrived at LandoreonMay 1.
All of the remaining Class 153s have nowbeen removedfromtrafic and gathered at Landore,153320/323/325/ 329/333/361/367/369 joining the previously stopped 153906/909/910/ 913/914/921/922/926/935.
Meanwhile, 150240has been withdrawn as it is due aC6overhaul, it alsoarriving at Landore on April29
to undergocomponent recovery,a fate thatmay also befall150235 as this tooarrived at the Swanseadepot from Canton on May1.Tomakesome spaceatLandore,bothcarsofearlier casualty 150250 were removedbyroad to the Unimetals scrapyard at Newport Docks on May 15 fordisposal.
On amorepositivenote, 150242 has returned to trafic, three yearsaferit wasextensively damaged in acollision with amini-digger and subsequent fire at Craven Arms. Nowformedof52242 and 57279, which were themostbadly damaged cars,the unit rantoCanton on April 22 and wasback in passenger servicefour days later.
Major Voyagerincrease for CrossCountry
Ahead of the summer timetable changeonMay 18, CrossCountr y introducedasignificant number of additional Class 221 Super Voyagers, these being former Avanti WestCoast sets that had beenout of trafic since the end of lastyear. These will allow asignificant recast of CrossCountry services with trains thatwerepreviously four cars increasing to fiveand thosethatwerefiveswitching to eight.
With 221114-116 already inuse for some months and morerecentlyjoined by 221109, the fifh former Avanti set, 221108, appeared on May 6, forming 1H13,the 06.30BirminghamNS-ManchesterPiccadillyand 1O10, the 08.25 Manchester Piccadilly-Bournemouth. Twodays later, 221113 resumed work on the same diagram and 221117 carried passengersagain on May 13.
The next day,221112 debuted for CrossCountr yon1H14, the 07.01 Birmingham NS-ManchesterPiccadilly, adutywhich areturning 221118 then handled 24 hourslater.Also on May 15 and just31minutes earlier,221107 had setout from BirminghamNSwith 1H13,the 06.30departuretoPiccadilly.
As aresult,just221110/111 had stilltoreappearfor CrossCountry by the first day of the newtimetable but were expectedtodosoimminently.O ft he re maining fo rmer Avanti Super Voyagers,221101-106 remain out of trafic at either Derby Litchurch Lane or Central Riversand areexpectedtofind employment with open access operators Anotable consequenceofthe timetable changewas the withdrawal of the celebrateddirectservicebetween Aberdeen and Penzance, which has been cut back to Plymouth.Thelast working of the724-mile 1V60, 08.20 Aberdeen-PenzanceonMay 16, was worked by 221128.
Electrostarshufle
Mid-May saw afurther increase in the use of Class 379s on GreatNorthern services, including the first passengerdiagram from King’sLynnand Cambridge. On thefirst day, May 12, newly reinstated379010/017 worked 1T03, the 05.14 King’sLynn-King’s Cross, and were laternoted on 2T92, the 16.19 Cambridge-Ely,and 1T47,the 16.48 Ely-King’sCross. Thefollowing day also saw 379001/027 back in traffic, bringing the activefleetto11units This in turn hasreleased further Clas s3 87s to Sout hern, with 387301/305 heading south of the Thames as 5O79, the 16.44 Hornsey-Brighton Lovers Walk,onMay 10. Afer aquick exam,bothwerein usefivedays later, as were 387127
and 387306, which had movedsouth prev iously and undergo ne their preparations at StewartsLane.
Comprising the thirdleg of the ongoing cascade, three moreClass 377s havebeenreleasedtoSoutheastern, these including 377127/129, while 377130 ranfromSelhurst to Gillingham on May 10.
South Western latest
Justone of the reformed Class 458/4 Junipershas still to carr ypassengers following the return to trafic of 458404 on May 9. The outstanding set is 458419, which wasbeing prepared at Wimbledon in mid-May.
Withthe summer timetable change due to bring afurther increase in Class 701 usage, 458536 hasbeen takenof-lease at Wimbledon, as has Class 455 5902, with the latter due to be strippedfor spares. Sisterunit 5725 has already sufered such afate, with the four cars being removedfrom Wimbledon by road forscrap at the beginning of May May 6saw DTS77775 and MS 62807 depart forUnimetals, Newport,where theyarrived the following morning with themotor carpromptlylifed of itsbogies, these being returned to Bournemouth depotfor overhaul and re-use. The low-loaders then returnedtoWimbledon to collect DTS77776 and TS 71541, which were takentoUnimetals’Nottingham yard at BeestononMay 8.
Rail Operations Group 93007aand 93010 stand in the M1 J24abnormal load bayonApril29whileenroute from PortburytoWorksop.They havesince been joined by 93004, leaving just93005/008/009 to arriveinthe UK. SteveDonald
Unit Focus
CLASS158
w/c5/5 –158856 Millenium Site Services, DerbytoNottingham Eastcroft by road, out of ser vicesince February2024 forcollision damage repairsaferhitting afallen tree near Thetfordand derailing.
CLASS168
24/4 –1681065U6810.04 Crewe CarriageSidings-Banbury, refurbished. 24/4 –1680045K68 14.55 BanburyCreweCarriageSidings.
CLASS170
11/5 –170112 5G70 11.12 Crewe CarriageSidings-Tyseley, refurbished. 11/5 –170113 5K71 14.33Tyseley-Crewe CarriageSidings.
CLASS175
23/4 –37510 +175006 +175011+37884 7Q70 00.50 Ely Papworth-Wolverton
CLASS197
7/5 –197035 intopassenger service, debuting on 1H79 05,52 Chester-ManchesterAirport with 197043. 10/5 –197024intopassenger service, it being added to 1W98 19.38Cardif Central-Llandudno Junctionat Chester, joining197051.
15/5– 66534 +197032 6G97 09.36 Donnington RFT-CreweCarriageSidings
CLASS321
15/4 –57303 +321302 +321314 5Q23
06.28 Walton Old Junction-Unimetals, Newport.
17/4 –57303 +321312 +321319 5Q26
06.28 Walton Old Junction-Unimetals, Newport.
24/4 –37800 +321316 5Q76 11.45
Wembley-Unimetals, Newport.
CLASS331
14/5 –37510 +331011 5Q17 11.17
Allerton-Neville Hill.
CLASS350
9/5 –350238 +350255 5A10 10.28 NorthamptonKings Heath-Wembley, both of-lease, 350238 having finished on 25/4.
CLASS378
3/5 –37800 +378214 5Q87 05.57
Alstom, Widnes-NewCross Gate
3/5 –37800 +378206 5Q36 13.31 New Cross Gate-Alstom, Widnes. 17/5 –37800 +378206 5Q87 05.31
Alstom, Widnes-NewCross Gate
17/5 –37800+378220 5Q36 12.48 New Cross Gate-Alstom, Widnes.
CLASS397
17/4 –397008 5N39 10.07 Wabtec, Doncaster-Longsight,ex-overhaul.
CLASS398
25/4 –43468 +43480 +3980227Q38 11.55Old Dalby-Pengam,398022 then under itsown poweras3Q50 02.30 Pengam-Taf’sWell early on 26/4.
CLASS465
1/5– 37884 +465240 +4652485Q76
08.58 Ely Papworth-Unimetals, Newport 8/5 –37800 +465243 +4652505Q76
08.58 Ely Papworth-Unimetals, Newport 15/5 –37884 +4652365Q76 08.58 Ely Papworth-Unimetals, Newport.
CLASS555
7/5 –66192 +555012 +5550146Q23
22.11 DollandsMoor-Wembley.
8/5– 43423 +43467 +555012+555014 6Q34 13.45 Wembley-Pelaw Junction.
Liveries
The men’s suicide prevention charity Andy’sMan Club has seen asignificant increaseinits profile through there-liveryoftwo locomotives in recent weeks. April saw 69013 outshopped from EastleighWorks in ablack base livery adorned with the organisation’s logos and slogans, while 66502received similar logos on part of itsorangeFreightliner liveryatCrewe in mid-May
Some whats urpris ingly,7 0020 has seen the Freightliner orange liv er ya pplied at Lo ughborough in September lastyearmodified intothe 60th anniversar yversion already carried by 66501. The original applic at ion of the sche m e, with itsconsiderable use of yellow, hadbeenwidelycriticised,seemingly prompting the alterationsat Eastleigh Works with much of the yellowreplaced by black in addition to the brandingchanges.
CLASS701
23/4 –69008 +701048 5Q75 09.21
Arriva, Eastleigh-Long Marston.
29/4 –47739 +701009 5Q76 16.18
MoD Bicester-Willesden,5Q66 19.28
Willesden-Wimbledon
30/4 –47739 +701509+ 7015195Q75
09.21 Arriva, Eastleigh-Long Marston. 6/5 –69008 +701053 5Q76 16.18
MoD Bicester-Willesden,5Q66 19.29
Willesden-Wimbledon
7/5 –69008 +701052 5Q75 09.21
Arriva, Eastleigh-Long Marston. 9/5 –69008 +701060 5Q75 09.21
Arriva, Eastleigh-Long Marston.
CLASS720
16/5 –37800 +720505+ 7205685Q57 09.22 Ilford-DerbyLitchurch Lane.
CLASS730
15/4 –37608 +730224 5Q16 11.44
DoncasterBelmont-Gascoigne Wood 15/4 –37608 +730218 5Q23 15.24
Gascoigne Wood-DoncasterBelmont 17/4 –37510 +730230 5Q58 11.58
CreweCarriageSidings-Old Dalby. 22/4 –37800 +730207 5Q16 11.47
DoncasterBelmont-Gascoigne Wood 22/4 –37800 +730215 5Q23 15.24
Gascoigne Wood-DoncasterBelmont 25/4 –37510 +730230 5Q42 10.47 Old Dalby-CreweCarriageSidings. 30/4 –37800 +730228 5Q23 08.56 Old Dalby-Doncaster Belmont. 30/4 –37800 +730214 5Q16 14.08
DoncasterBelmont-Gascoigne Wood. 1/5 –37800 +730225 5Q58 12.25
Gascoigne Wood-Old Dalby. 2/5 –37800 +730232 5Q77 10.45
Gascoigne Wood-Bletchley. 7/5 –37611 +730229 5Q23 10.22 Old Dalby-Doncaster Belmont 8/5 –37611 +730219 5Q61 09.00
DoncasterBelmont-Old Dalby. 13/5 –37611 +730225 5Q23 09.11 Old
Locos
Andy’sMan Club black: 69013
DB Cargo: 66015
At Loughborough, 66744 has received the current GB Railfreight livery, losing theEuroporte livery elements in addition to itsobsolete Crossrail nameplates, while 70816 has been treated to afresh application of Colascolours. Abit furthernorth at Toton, 66015 is the latest to go redatthe DB depot, with67005also receiving areapplication of itsRoyal claret.Pictured last issue, 08892 has gained Swietelsky-branded plain black at Worksop,with the orangeduo of 08527 and 08799 seeing their previous HNRC logos replaced by Swietelsky diamonds.Another shunterwitha newlook is 08507, which has lostits previous Rivieradark blue forRSS grey at Wishaw Southeastern hascommenced the long overduere-livery of the Class376 fleet, this being undertaken at Gillingham using vinyls to achieve the dark
Dalby-Doncaster Belmont
13/5 –37611 +730218 5Q58 14.42
DoncasterBelmont-Old Dalby. 14/5 –37611 +730233 5Q77 11.12
Gascoigne Wood-Bletchley.
CLASS756
12/5 –756005 intopassenger service, debuting on 2T02 07.00 Cardiff Central-Treherbert
CLASS769
29/4 –43467 +43423 +769549 + 43480 +43468 5Q88 13.50 CreweElectric-LeicesterLIP
13/5–43467 +43423 +769959 +43465 + 43484 5Q88 05.01 Eastriggs-Long Marston. 14/5 –20302 +20311 +769006 + 43467 +43423 5Q88 12.25 CreweElectric-Long Marston.
CLASS802
28/4 –802017 5X80 09.41 Eastleigh Works-Reading, 5Z80 10.42 Reading-North Pole.
28/4 –802018 5Q81 14.25 North Po le -Rea di ng ,5 X8 11 5. 17 Reading-Eastleigh Works. 14/5 –802018 5X80 09.28 Eastleigh Works -R ea ding, 5Z81 10.32 Reading-Paddington.
CLASS805
16/4– 805002 5Q24 09.20 Oxley-Merchant Park 23/4 –805006 intopassenger service, debutingon1D80 06.04 Staford-Holyhead with 805003. 6/5 –805002 5Q23 08.20 Merchant Park-Wembley.
CLASS810 14/4 –810008 5Q30 14.27 MerchantParkOld Dalby, unit then employedoninitial driver training runs over the Midland Main Line to St Pancras from the following day.
Freightliner orangewithAndy’sMan Club branding: 66502
Freightliner orange60thanniversary: 70020
GB Railfreight: 66744
HNRC Swietelsky: 08527, 08799
Railway Support Services: 08507
Swietelsky black: 08892
BR Blue: 73129
Units
c2c: 357209, 357318/319
Chiltern Railways blue: 168106
London Overgroundrevised: 378214
Northern: 323209/18
Southeasternblue: 376017/018/027/035
Transport forWales: 57279 (150242)
Diversity art: 807010
Coaches
BR maroon: 4856
RoyalScotsman maroon: 315
bluelook.376027 wasthe first to be outshopped, with one unit being completedevery week thereafer. The application of the current c2clook is
also continuing at Ilfordwith further Class 357s completed, thisincluding 357318 which has lostits ‘Trainbow’ rainbowstripes as aresult.
Naming Update
The recent spateofFreightliner name alterations has continued, withboth 66501 and 66509 gaining newplates. Already finished in the orangeversion of the 60th anniversarylivery, 66501 nowhas nameplatestomatch afer being christened Spirit of ’65 at Crewe, the name being the winning entryin astafcompetition.
Meanwhile, the Freightliner Retirement Association namepla te s unveiled on 66509 duringthe first day of the Severn ValleyRailway’s diesel gala celebratethe body that supportsformer Freightliner employees via social eventsand welfare schemes. In addition, 66502 has lost itslong-standing BasfordHall Centenary2001 platestomakeroomon the bodysides forthe newly-applied Andy’sMan Club brandings.
At Toton, the cosmetic refresh of 67005 has been completedwith a fresh coat of claret,this being topped of with updatedRoyal cyphersand revised King’sMessenger nameplates. Recently repainted in Locomotive Services’LNWR-inspired black livery, 57002 has gained Winston Churchill nameplates, styled in the same fashion as those carried by ex-Southern
Wagon News
Newdeliveries
Thelatestbatch of HOAhoppers fo rM endip aggr eg ate ser vi ce s were brought north from Dollands Moor in the small hoursofApril 14, 66772 Maria providing the traction through to Wembleyfor 81 70 6774 246-278. Eightdayslater,the latest Plasser &Theurer Unimat08-4x4/4S tamper forColas Rail wasalso moved north to London, 66065 depositing DR73953atWestEaling forcommissioning at the Plasser &Theurer workshops.
Afurther 14 BAAslab carrierswere also released from Stokewagon works between April 14 andMay 13, 900423/432-435/437/438/440-446 all moving to South Wales via WarringtonArpley.
GBRf
steel flow
The 25 cut-down KEA boxwagons converted forGBRailfreightsteel slab traffic to Po rt Ta lbot we re collectedfromExeterRiverside on April20followingthe completion of modificationworkaferunspecified safetyconcerns were raised during their previous short spell in trafic. 66783 wasprovided to haul VTG3173/80/82/84/92/94/96/98/99 an dV TG 32 00/ 07 -1 1/ 16/ 21 / 2426/36/37/40/43/44 to Cardif Pengam and theyreturned to traffic out of PortburyDocks the next day
Railway ‘Pacific’ 34051. This includes the large coat of arms andlight blue background colour but with the ‘Battle of Britain Class’sub-lettering of the steamlocomotivereplaced by ‘The Roaring Lion.’
At Worksop,Swietelsky’srecently-repainted black Class 08, 08892, has received the seemingly inevitable vinylnameof Devious afer the antagonistcharacterofDevious Diesel from Thomas the Tank Engine.
The latest Class 197 to be named by Transportfor Walesis197119, b ecoming Mistar Ur dd after the mascot of Urdd G obaith Cy mru, this beinga Welsh youth organisationofering sports andcultural activities. The vinyl name includes apictureofthe character, which has featured in books and has its ownsong.
Meanwhile, South Western Railwa yh as applied af ou rth loc al sports-themed name to itsArterio fleet, 701043 becoming Thames Racer to commemoratethe annual Oxford-Cambridgeboatraces.This unitpreviously carried a‘Celebrating 175 yearsofWaterloo’logothat has nowbeen removed.
MoreRHTTMPVs
As part of the latest awardof Railhead Treatment Train contracts,six additional MPV sets aretobeintroduced to ease the burden on the existing 32-strong fleet. These will be formed of former overhead line maintenance vehicles DR98001-004/006/007/009014, which were originally built for the WestCoast RouteModernisation project, with somelater seeing useon theelectrification of theGreat Western Main Line. Many of the MPVsare at Balfour Beatty’sAshforddepotand already fittedwith the requisitewater tank and jetting modules.
Plant forstore
Tenofthe de -icing wagons from theSouthern-basedsnowand ice treatment trains were hauled away from TonbridgeWestYardonApril 24,73202 taking YXA99709594 001/005/009/011/015-017/019-021 to Sevington Sidings, Ashford, for seasonal storage.
Meanwhile, anumberofZZA independent snowploughs havebeen returned to Eastriggs forthe same reason, 37405 and56049 Robin of Templecombe running to Inverness on May 5tocollectADB965206 and ADB965241.
The formationspent the nightat Larbert beforereaching Eastriggs on May 6, with the locos then visiting Slateford the next day to likewise retrieve ADB965224and ADB965230.
Forthe next transfertoEastriggs on May 13, the WestCoast duo of 37516 Loch Laidon and37518 Fort William were entrustedwith moving ADB965203 and ADB965243 away from Fort William. Another snowplough, ADB965219, is currently at the unlikely location of Wolverton Works, having arrived by road from Norwich in late February.
Latest disposals
DB Cargo has disposed of the ‘Skako’ ballastdistribution train, this having latterly lain out of use at Kingmoor Yard aferyears of sporadic use in Scotland and the north-west. The forerunner of the autoballasterfleet, it was introduced during 1993 by Network SouthEastbeforepassing through the ownership of Mainline Freight and EWS.
The10YDA ‘octopus’hoppersfrom the set, DR92213-22,wereall delivered to EMR’sAtterclife yard from DoncasteronMay 6, although ZXA generator vanDC210306 currently survives at Kingmoorininternal use. Other disposals haveincluded the latest batchofJHA hoppers di sp la ce df ro mM en di pw ork , with 37423 hauling OK19307/310313/315/332/345/357/359/362/ 376/379/388/389/394 from Creweto AtterclifeonApril 15. Then,onMay 11, 66536 delivered 23 KFAcontainer flats to EMR’sLiverpool yard from storageatCrewe Gresty Green in the form of RLS92552, RLS92613/644,TIPH93300/302/308/ 333/340/349/351/375/388/389 and TIPH93402/403/426/433/434/444/ 456/458/476/484.
GBRf’s 69013 has been unveiled in aspecial livery to promote Andy’s Man Club.On May 7, the locoisatLeicesterDepot. RobReedman
Independent snowploughs ADB965243 and ADB965203 aremovedby37516 Loch Laidon and 37518 Fort William, passing Symington on the WCML south of Carstairsas they move as 7Z47, the 09.00 Fort William-Eastriggs. Robin Ralston
Crowds flockto Maybig diesel events
TWO OF the biggestdieseleventsof the year were held on consecutive weekends at the SwanageRailway (May 8-11) and theSevernValleyRailway(May 15-18). Both saw crowds flock to ride behind amix of heritage and mainline locos and benefitted from excellent weather too.
Swanagehad anine-strong line-up Colas sent 56090, andGBRailfreight prov ided 69007 RichardTrevit hick and 73128 Kent &East Sussex Railway.Theywerejoined by West CoastRailways’37706, Hanson& Hall’s50008 Thunderer,20066 from Barrow Hill,45108 from the East Lancashire Railway, Rail Engineering Solutions’47715 from Chinnor andthe line’s ownClass 33, D6515 Lt JennyLewis RN 37706 wasusedtobring in the20 and 45 south,while 50008 movedboth 47715 and 4-VEP 3417. The Class 20 wasthen rewarded withanextended stay to coverfor the line’s shortageof main line diesel locos, which otherwise couldhaveprovedproblematic if steambanswereenforceddue to the hotand dryweather
The Severn ValleyRailwayhad an impressive23-strong line-uptowork trainsatits gala,whichcould only operatebetween Kidderminsterand HamptonLoade due to alandslide severingthe line on the final four miles to Bridgnorth.
Again, main line FOCs supported the event.Colas sent 56094/113, Freightliner suppli ed 66509 and 70 020, LS Lgave5 7003 InterCity Railway Society 50th Anniversar y 19 73 -2 02 3 ,G BR ail fr eight sent 69014 Longport EMD,RailAdventure sent 43468/480, andWCR again supplied 37706, as well as arakeof six air-braked Mk.1coaches.
Home fleetl ocos in use we re 20048/142/189, 33108, 37263, 40106
Restored to trafic lastyear, and nowsporting the correctwindows, Shaun Wright’s20066 wasavisitor to theSwanageRailway’s Maydieselgala and approaches Harmans Crosswith the 13.45 Swanage-Norden on May 9. Ian Dixon ever ytrain ranasbooked and there were no locofailures.
Atlantic Conveyor,821 Greyhound, 46045, 50033 Glorious,50035 Ark Royal and 50049 Defiance,D1015 Western Champion,D1062 Western Courier and 58023 Leicester Depot. The intense timetable saw shuttles running between Kidderminster and Bewdley, while some trains ranthe full length ofthe open line and ot herst urned ba ck at Hi ghley. Therewas some late running, main ly due to delays in running roundthe shuttles at Bewdley, but
During the ev ent ,6 6509 wa s renamed Freightliner Retirement Association,having lostits Josiah’s Wish nameplates, while 50033 Glorious wasrededicated at Kidderminster on the Saturday lunchtime.
Clayton D8568 had to sit out the eventasitwas undergoing engine re pa irs, as we re 50007 He rc ule s and 55044 Exeter,while Class 14 D9551 was‘trapped’ at Bridgnorth so alsocould nottakepart.Shunter D3586, however, didgivecabrides at Bridgnorth forthose who visited therebycar D1048 Western Lady wasondisplay at Kidderminsterstation and those who paid forguidedtoursofthe depotcould also see D7029, D1013 WesternRanger,50031 Hood andthe line’s shunters.
➔ Moreimages of recent galas are on pages36/37.
Rare shunterhaulage on ofer at at Tyneside gala
THE STEPHENSON SteamRailway is running adiesel gala on July 5/6 which should seea return to servicefor unique locomotiveConsettNo. 10 following a thorough electricaloverhaul andthe installation of newbatteries.
No.10was builtin-house at the Consett Iron Company’sTempletown works, with the majority of componentsbeing either made on siteor salvaged from other locomotives. Along with sisterNo. 9, it was
designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the blastfurnaces and heavy loads of moltensteel.
The 0-6-0 diesel mechanic al shunter,which datesfrom1958, will be joined by avisiting locomotive
st ill to be announced and ex-BR shunter s0 3078 and 08915 from the home fleet. An intensivetimeta ble of pa sseng er and fr eight trains will run on the 1¾-mile line on both days
DBCType5tractiontoworktrainsatBut terley
THERE WILL be the nowrelatively rare chancetoride behind some DB Cargo Class 66s arethe Midland Railway –ButterleyonJuly 19/20 for itsAle On The Rails 200 event
The weekend will featuresteam and diesel locomotives from the railway’s home fleetalongside anumber of visiting locomotives celebrating 200 yearsofrailway development
DB Cargo will be sending“up to 10” locomotives fromToton,some or all of which should take part in hauling passengertrains alongside beingondisplay in
SwanwickJunction yard.Class 66 and 67s areexpectedtobeworking trains, while aClass 92 is hoped to be on display Also visiting will be the ETCS training simulatormounted on alorry trailer. Alongside this, therailwaywill featurea beer festival supported by TomSaid micropub It is also hopedtopubliclylaunch theBRMk. 3carriages into revenue servicewhich havebeen undergoing maintenancesincearrival at the railway and accompanied by aMk. 1 brake/goods vehicleinits brand-new BR Blue ‘Newspapers’ livery.