Rail Express - December 2018 - Preview

125 GROUP

DEPOT APPEAL Good progress made so far, but more help is needed to reach the goal

TRI-MODE LOCOS FOR ROG?

Class 93 would include battery mode

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

RAIL EXPRESS No. 271 DECEMBER 2018

FIRST-GEN DMUs The story of BR’s reluctant saviour

■ Call for GW ‘Thunderbird’ locos MODELLING SECTION ■ Mk.2s REVIEWED

Bachmann sets new standard

■ 4-VEP POWER!

Improving the Hornby set

■ ‘OO’ APT UPDATE Production is a step closer

NER AUTOCAR RESTORED Stunning work sees grandfather of all units returned to service

CONTENTS

Issue No. 271 December 2018

LITTLE & LARGE: When GWR introduced ‘mini-HSTs’, this is not what they had in mind! Power car No. 43002 appears to loom over classmate No. 43097 at Reading on

October 17 – but it is just an illusion caused by the perspective and the fact that platform 10 (right) is higher than platform 9 (left). Maybe it also suggests how HSTs could have looked had GWR broad gauge been retained? Gordon Kirkby

FEATURES

NEWS

14

6

16

1903 AUTOCAR RESTORED

The grandfather of all units is back in service after a magnificent restoration.

BR’S RELUCTANT SAVIOUR

The story of first generation DMUs.

24

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

26

0-60: CLASS 360

An update on the 125 Group, which is raising funds for a depot for its growing fleet.

How quick are these East Anglian EMUs?

REGULARS 22

SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS

28

TIME TRAVELLER

30 31

71 74

HEADLINE NEWS

Budget confirms rail spending plans; New NR chief says digital railway ‘oversold’; ROG announces Class 93; Call for Great Western ‘Thunderbird’ locos; First IET to Newquay; Cornish sand trial; Terms announced for rail industry review; Euro ‘66’ goes home; Scarborough ‘68s’; Tram-train trial gets underway but marred by first day crash; Battery Class 230 demonstrated.

RAILTOURS

80

POWER BY THE HOUR

REVIEWS

81

SHUNTERS

82

POWERSCENE

90

UNITS

94

COACHES

95

WAGONS

96

IRISH ANGLE

A selection of modern traction books.

MODELLING

A new series of ‘how to’ guides looks at remotoring Hornby’s 4-VEP, plus renumbering a Bachmann ‘47’. Reviews include Dapol’s ‘O’ gauge brake van and Bachmann’s latest Mk.2s, plus there is news of the impressive ‘OO’ gauge APT project that is getting close to the manufacturing stage.

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DPS considers main line return for ‘Deltic’.

EXPRESS MAILBAG

Leeds ‘Peak’; Slow trains.

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New line for Bank nearly complete.

PRESERVATION

News headlines from decades past.

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LU WORLD

76

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FROM ONLY

Mangapps acquires two Network Rail Class 31s; Restored ‘Hymek’ ventures out; South Devon gala moves to summer; ‘306’ moves to Shildon’.

RHTT Class 20s in trouble.

RSS and RMS move locos around.

Notable workings, Name Game and Spectrum.

First Class 315 EMUs go for scrap.

ScotRail HSTs start passenger service.

Pace of HTA disposals picks up.

Preserved loco restorations move forward.

First generation Class 110 DMU Nos. 51813+59701+ 51842 stand at Ramsbottom on November 4, 2017, during the East Lancashire Railway’s railcar gala. BR’s early DMUs are covered in our feature on page 16.

Emma Seddon

Editor’s Comment PRINT & DISTRIBUTION

Newstrade & distribution Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU. 0203 787 9001 Printed by William Gibbons and Sons, Wolverhampton Published Third Friday of every month This issue November 16, 2018 Next issue December 21, 2018 Advertising deadline December 7, 2018 ISSN No 1362 234X

Paul Bickerdyke Rail Express Editor

© Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Edwardian splendour

I

T’S not often I get to use the word ‘Edwardian’ in this magazine about modern traction, but I was privileged recently to see firsthand the amazing work done returning NER Autocar No. 3170 back into service at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway.

The importance of this vehicle cannot be overstated. Built in 1903 at a time when steam was still dominant, the Autocar was the first ever to combine internal combustion with a generator and traction motors – the basis for all of today’s diesel locos and units, and thus rightly described as the grandfather of them all.

It has been the subject of a mammoth restoration job. No. 3170 was withdrawn way back in 1931 and only survived as the bodyshell was sold to become a holiday home. This meant everything else has had to be re-created, which granted means there are many modern touches – not least a diesel rather than a petrol engine as first built – but in many ways this only adds to its rich history.

I would urge anyone to seek out running

Rail Express is pleased to consider contributions for publication

days and give the Autocar a try, it is a magnificent vehicle in its own right, and also a testament to the dedicated and hard-working enthusiasts we have in railway preservation, in this case the NER 1903 Electric Autocar Trust.

An addition to the team

We welcome Nigel Burkin to the team this month, who is the new editor of Rail Express Modeller. Nigel is a life-long enthusiast with a passion for modern traction modelling, and has exciting plans to explore all aspects of the hobby while keeping you up to date with the latest news and reviews. Nigel, myself and others from the Rail Express team will be at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition in late November – do feel free to say hello if you see us there.

Paul Bickerdyke

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EDITORIAL

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Nigel Burkin

Preservation Units Coaches

Editor Rail Express Modeller

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William Watson Gareth Bayer Wagons

LU World (with Piers Connor)

Powerscene

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‘Industry Witness’ News Writer

HEADLINE NEWS

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Budget confirms rail spending plans More money for Crossrail, but Midland Main Line electrification north of Corby officially cancelled.

By ‘Industry Witness’ INCLUDED in the Government’s budget announcement on October 29 was a number of rail-related matters, one of the most significant being a £350 million loan to Transport for London to enable the completion of the Crossrail project. This is in addition to the budget for construction work being increased from £14.8 to £15.4 billion announced in July.

Extra money is needed because the intention to start running services between Abbey Mill and Paddington using the central section tunnels in December 2018 has been postponed as nine of the 12 stations involved will not be finished in time.

More time is also required to test Crossrail’s signalling interfaces as a result of the different technologies being used, with some sections of route controlled by lineside signalling and others by in-cab authority. There is now a question whether the complete route between Shenfield/Abbey Wood and Heathrow Airport/Reading will be in operation as planned in December 2019.

MIXED NEWS FOR THE NORTH

There was confirmation of continued funding for the East-West Railway, with £20 million being provided for enabling works between Winslow (on the out of use section east of Bicester) and Bletchley, Milton Keynes and Bedford. The Northern Powerhouse Rail organisation also received £37 million to continue development projects.

A decision has also been made not to proceed with the delayed

electrification of the route between Kettering and Nottingham/Sheffield, meaning that Corby will be the furthest point from London on the Midland Main Line that will be wired. It has been concluded that the ability to have bi-mode trains available by 2023, coupled with the expected reduction in passengers following the opening of HS2 to the East Midlands and Sheffield, means the investment cannot be justified. The HS2 cut-off to reach Sheffield is to be electrified, however, so there will be no requirement for bi-modes on the high-speed line.

CP6 SPENDING

So far as the overall network is concerned, the budgetary process is a responsibility of the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) operating within the expenditure ceiling set by the Government in the Statement of Funds Available for the five-year Control Periods. Control Period 6 (CP6) begins in April 2019, and the budget made no changes to the previously advised figure of £47.9 billion.

The ORR has recognised that the spending constraints imposed in the previous CP5 led to deteriorating infrastructure, which impacted on the performance of rail services as a result of equipment failures.

There has been a separation of the five-year budget between the current network and capacity enhancement projects, and the ORR approved the first element of NR spending for CP6 on October 31, at a figure of £34.7 billion.

The CP6 plan is the first since NR was reclassified as a public sector body, which has limited its access to

private financing, and the first since it was restructured into geographical routes with devolved responsibilities – each route having its own budget, delivery plans and performance monitoring. ORR has strengthened procedures to allow the purchase of goods and services locally rather than centrally, where this offers better value for money.

The approved spending includes £7.7 billion for maintenance and £16.6 billion for renewals, with renewals spending up 17% on the current control period. The Performance Innovation Fund has been increased to £40 million from £10 million in the draft determination to support the testing and implementation of ideas to improve punctuality.

ORR has confirmed Network Rail’s plans for a significant funding and resource boost for its network-wide System Operator timetabling and planning functions, with forecast spend almost doubling to more than £270m.

It has also been a long-standing criticism of NR that it spends next to

nothing on research and development to improve performance and efficiency.

This is to be rectified with a fund worth £245 million to encourage innovation in the industry.

INDUSTRY RESPONSE

Darren Caplan, chief executive of the Rail Industry Association, which represents the rail supply industry, said “On major projects, we welcome today’s commitment in the Budget for further funding… all of which are vital and will unlock economic growth, investment and jobs in different regions of the country.

“The RIA is concerned that the Government did not use this opportunity to deliver on the key asks of the rail industry, namely smoothing out ‘boom and bust’ rail funding, providing a visible pipeline of enhancements, ensuring electrification remains on the table when decarbonising the rail network, providing match-funding for rolling stock R&D in Control Period 6 and ensuring the Rail Review does not stall investment in the rail network.” E

CP6 TOTAL SPENDING Function Operations Support Maintenance Renewals Other costs including traction electricity, industry business rates and compensation payments Total

£million at 2017-18 prices Great Britain England & Wales Scotland 3,426 3,186 239 2,609 2,314 295 7,692 6,977 715 16,642 14,581 2,061 4,328 3,966 362

34,696

31, 025

3,672

CLASS 19 ON TRIAL: Former Driving Van Trailer No. 82113, which has been converted into a self-powered vehicle dubbed No. 19001, was running trials along the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway in October. The Artemis-led project has seen the DVT fitted with a JCB engine and hydraulic accumulators, which store energy during braking for reuse during acceleration to reduce overall energy consumption. The vehicle is unlikely to actually carry No. 19001 or be allowed out on the main line. The front and rear ends are seen at Bo’ness on October 11 and November 1 respectively.

Ashley Butlin/Gordon Kirkby

New NR chief says digital railway benefits are ‘oversold’ THE newly-appointed chief executive of Network Rail Andrew Haines has set out his policy intentions at a meeting of the Parliamentary All-Party Rail Group, writes ‘Industry Witness’.

The transfer of signalling from trackside to the train will continue with commitment to the digital railway, but he warned the capacity benefits

6 RAIL EXPRESS December 2018

have previously been oversold and headways at major traffic centres are unlikely to be significantly improved.

The installation of the system on the East Coast Main Line is seen as an opportunity to demonstrate whether a Public-Private Partnership can form a template for network-wide adoption of the technology.

The devolution of decision-making to route directors will continue, which is supported by the regulatory decision to set financial budgets for each route, in effect creating regional infrastructure businesses.

The benefit of large projects is also questioned in terms of the cost and disruptive effect for passengers and

a tendency to result in the transfer of capacity problems to other locations on the route. Industry experts have long argued that small changes to track layouts, the design of signalling system overlaps, and turnback facilities can significantly reduce pathing headways compared to building additional platforms and running lines.

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IN BRIEF ‘TUGS’ FOR SALE

ROG ANNOUNCES CLASS 93: Rail Operations Group has let slip it is looking to acquire a fleet of brand-new locomotives subject to final negotiations. The fleet of 10 locos will be based on the dual-mode Class 88s in use with DRS, but with battery power in addition to AC electric and diesel. The tri-mode locos would be compatible with all modern unit and hauled stock currently in use or planned.

ROG currently uses Class 37 and 47 diesel locos. ROG

Call for Great Western ‘Thunderbird’ locos

HSTs in trouble can usually limp to safety, but IETs may need help.

By ‘Industry Witness’ THUNDERBIRD rescue locomotives have not previously been necessary on Great Western routes given the operational flexibility of the High Speed Trains that are now starting to be withdrawn.

It has been recognised, however, that failures of the replacement Class 800 series rolling stock – which have distributed power systems rather than power cars – will occur and a method to move disabled trains is necessary.

Such ‘Thunderbird’ capacity already exists on the East Coast and West Coast Main Lines, and it is inconsistent that the Great Western should not have a similar resource.

The case was illustrated following the introduction of new Class 802

IETs on West Country services when the failure of a 2x5-car formation between Exeter and Tiverton Parkway on September 14 resulted in a fivehour delay. There was no locomotive available to haul the defective train, and eventually a CrossCountry ‘Voyager’ set was used to evacuate passengers back to Exeter.

PADDINGTON DE-WIREMENT

A different type of incident involving a Class 802 trainset took place near Ealing Broadway on October 16 in the late evening, when there was a serious de-wirement that resulted in the closure of all four tracks and major disruption to Great Western services to and from Paddington until the following day. Unit No. 802016 was operating a 5Z65 North Pole

Depot to Stoke Gifford (Bristol) run and was testing the switch over from bi-mode diesel to electric power, with the pantograph being raised to the overhead wires.

There are designated places where this manoeuvre can be undertaken at high speed, with the design of the wiring being strengthened to allow for this, but for the most part there is a 20mph restriction when making the changeover.

Unconfirmed reports suggest the pantograph was raised on the test train when it was travelling at a higher speed and at a point not designated for changing the train mode, which resulted in significant damage to the overhead power lines. A full report into the event is still awaited.

DB Cargo has offered three more Class 60s for sale, Nos. 60004, 60014 and 60018, which are all currently stored at Toton and offered ‘sold as seen’ with an undisclosed reserve price.

Registrations of interest closed on November 7, after which tender documents were issued to interested parties. The move follows the sale of 20 'Tugs' to Wabtec Rail in August 2017.

STRANRAER RECONNECTED

RAIL services returned to Stranraer at the start of November after a two-month break caused by the former station hotel at Ayr being deemed a danger to passing trains and passengers. ScotRail said the services were reintroduced following a risk assessment by Network Rail engineers and changes to railway infrastructure.

The partial reinstatement sees two services each way at 08.08 and 18.13 from Glasgow Central and 07.00 and 16.59 from Stranraer. Bus services continue to run south of Ayr to supplement these.

South Ayrshire Council argued that reintroducing these trains will delay the work to make the hotel safe.

YORK DEPOT EXPANSION

WORK has started on modernising the Leeman Road maintenance depot in York, to make way for longer trains and more carriages. TransPennine Express and Siemens are investing £11 million in preparation for the additional carriages and new ‘Nova’ trains that are due to be introduced over the next 12 months.

The depot, which already provides maintenance for TPE’s existing Class 185 units, will also be able to offer overnight stabling. In the long term, the work will help secure highly skilled rail engineering jobs in the city.

‘350’ WITH BATTERIES

TRAIN leasing firm Porterbrook has announced plans to convert a Class 350 EMU to become a battery/electric bi-mode. It says that such a unit could match or outperform diesel trains on existing non-electrified routes, particularly in key corridors across the North of England such as the Windermere branch.

The company is now in discussions with battery specialists to create a demonstrator unit to showcase the technology to interested operators.

ESSENTIAL READING

FOR TODAY’S RAIL ENTHUSIAST...

FIRST IET TO NEWQUAY: A trial run saw nine-car No. 802101 traverse the Newquay branch on October 15, the first of the type to reach the Cornish seaside town and a foretaste of what is to come. The return trip to Stoke Gifford is seen at Chapel crossing on the outskirts of Newquay. It was found that a nine-car set is too long for the platform at Newquay as well as the branch’s passing loop at Goonbarrow, which would prevent two such sets crossing each other. Craig Munday

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IN BRIEF NORTH LINCS UPGRADE

WORK is underway to upgrade the rail route between Doncaster and Immingham in a project that aims to boost the local economy while keeping traffic off the region’s roads. The project will allow high cube shipping containers to run between Doncaster and Immingham/Killinghome on standard, rather than low height, wagons.

The project involves 29 “interventions”, including platform alterations at stations and trackside changes.

NRM TESTING

THE National Railway Museum has opened a new exhibition exploring innovation and engineering in the rail industry, bringing people face to face with technology from major projects such as Crossrail and HS2. Called Testing, the exhibition runs until April 28, 2019 and highlights include the UK’s first Hyperloop pod, a 170mph train catapult and an Elizabeth Line test station.

The exhibition invites people to go behind the scenes and to step inside the laboratories and test stations where new ideas and rail technologies are put through their paces. There are five themed areas to explore each featuring a different story and narrated by a real test engineer who works on the project.

LARBERT GOES LIVE

OVERHEAD power cables have gone live on lines from Larbert to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa. Electrification work on the line has entered its testing and safety validating process, which will enable the introduction of electric trains later this year.

A public campaign is underway to highlight the dangers an electrified railway poses to those who trespass on the tracks or accidentally make contact with overhead lines.

THIRD ‘195’ ARRIVES

NORTHERN took delivery of No. 195105 at the end of September, when the unit arrived at Edge Hill by road from Portbury. It is the third set to arrive at the depot. Training/test runs with the other two sets, Nos. 195001/103, continued through October and Northern hopes to have the first unit in service before the end of the year.

CORNISH SAND TRIAL: DB Cargo ran a set of box wagons to Burngullow, Cornwall, on October 29 as a trial for a new flow of sand to various terminals around London. Originally a set of MEA/SSAs was rostered, but they were replaced with a mix of bogie box wagons after some problems with the train. The 6V05/19.13 Didcot-Burngullow was headed by No. 66015 and formed of KEA Nos. VTG 3174/7/82-4/5/92, VTG 3209/10/1/21/6/41/6, JNA Nos. VTG 3162, VTG 3259 and JXA No. VTG 3146. After loading (pictured), the train was tripped to Exeter Riverside in two parts, with the loco being fuelled in between at St Blazey. NR

Terms announced for scope of rail industry review

Expert panel will look beyond franchising issues.

By ‘Industry Witness’ THE Department for Transport has announced the terms of reference for the forthcoming Rail Review set up as a result of the financial failure of the East Coast franchise, the inability to introduce reliable timetables in May 2018, and the late delivery of projects that now includes the postponement of Crossrail services.

The review will be led by Keith Williams, a former chief executive of British Airways, and now his team of expert advisers has been revealed. The DfT representative is Tony Poulter, who chairs the current East Coast franchise team provided as the ‘operator of last resort’. Others appointed are Tom Harris, a former transport minister;

Roger Marsh, chairman of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership; and Alice Maynard, a Transport for London board member with expertise in journey requirements for disabled passengers.

Two Network Rail Supervisory Boards are represented with Dick Fearn, chair of the Western route, and Margaret Llewellyn, chair of the Wales route.

Surprisingly there are no passenger or freight operating companies included, or the Rail Delivery Group which represents Train Operating Companies as a whole.

LARGE SCALE VIEW

The review is not confined to the franchising structure. The Government believes that radical change is necessary after the collapse of the

East Coast contract, and is looking to see how the whole industry can be improved to generate greater value for money for passengers and taxpayers.

Further devolution is to be considered, which suggests that a concession approach like Merseyrail may be extended to other areas as part of a drive for more integration of local transport networks.

The DfT expects the review to make a number of recommendations, including structures that create clear accountability and effective jointworking; financial sustainability; good value fares that also keep costs down for taxpayers; improved industrial relations to reduce disruption; and future innovation to respond to new challenges. E

NORTH STAFFS ANNIVERSARY

THE North Staffordshire Railway has celebrated its ruby anniversary, having been incorporated as a charity on November 2, 1978. The railway marked the event with a three-day gala, the highlight of which was an appearance by diesel locomotive No. 33021 Captain Charles, operating for the first time since 2015 following bodywork repairs and a full repaint.

Also taking part were Nos. 08633, 33102 and shunter No. 6.

8 RAIL EXPRESS December 2018

EURO ‘66’ GOES HOME: Its spell at EMD Longport

complete, Captrain (part of French national operator SNCF) Class 66 No. 6601 – registered on TOPS as No. 66999 while in Britain – was hauled to Hull Docks by Europhoenix No. 37611 on November 2, the move pictured at Stoke-on-Trent. Brad Joyce

SCARBOROUGH ‘68s’: Nos. 68030 and 68023 had the

honour of being the first TPE-liveried Class 68s to arrive at Scarborough. They were involved in training runs on November 3/4 from York ahead of regular loco-hauled trains returning to the Yorkshire town, although no fixed date for these has been announced. Andy Mason

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No. 399202 approaches the Rotherham Parkgate terminus on October 24 with the 10.00 from Sheffield Cathedral, the second passenger carrying tram-train service. Mike Haddon

Tram-train trial gets underway

After many delays and budgetary issues, the two-year pilot scheme is finally carrying passengers.

THE long-awaited launch of Britain’s first tram-train service finally took place on October 25, when No. 399204 carried the first passengers as the 09.39 Sheffield Cathedral to Rotherham Parkgate. But the day was marred just a few hours later when this same unit was involved in a crash with a lorry, bringing a halt to services.

The project has been a long time coming, being first announced in 2008 as one running from Sheffield to Huddersfield via Penistone. This idea was later scaled back to run to Rotherham only, but still managed to come in late and over budget.

The importance of the two-year trial remains undiminished, however, as other cities around the country – such as Manchester and Bristol – await the results to see if the technology can be applied to their local lines.

Class 399s use the Supertram network from Sheffield to Meadowhall South, then travel over a newly-built

chord to run on Network Rail lines through Rotherham Central to a new terminus at the Parkgate retail centre.

The timetable sees three services per hour in each direction, although due to conflicts on the NR section, they are not quite at even 20 minute intervals.

The end-to-end journey time is 27 minutes and tickets can be bought from on board conductors.

PIONEERING SERVICE

South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive director Stephen Edwards said: “It’s been a real partnership effort to put the pioneering technology for tram-train in place. Services will provide reliable journey times and more connections for passengers in Rotherham and Sheffield, offering an alternative to the car.”

Rob McIntosh, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “The project has been a complex one, and it is genuinely exciting to welcome the

CRASH STOPS FIRST DAY SERVICES THE first day of services began with No. 399204 forming the final ‘shadow running’ trip from the Supertram depot at Nunnery Square to Sheffield Cathedral via Rotherham Parkgate before forming the first public service at 09.39.

No. 399202 formed the second public service at 10.00 from Cathedral and No. 399201 the third at 10.27 from Cathedral.

All was going well until just before

No. 399204 at Nunnery Square depot on the morning of October 24.

It formed the first public service at 09.39 from Sheffield Cathedral, but sadly in the afternoon was involved in a serious collision with a lorry.

Ben Jones

15.30, when No. 399204 hit a flatbed lorry on Stainforth Road in the Attercliffe area of the city, just north of Nunnery Square on the tram part of the route.

The tram-train was derailed and suffered significant damage, but passengers escaped with only minor injuries.

The ‘399’ was said to be travelling around 20mph at the time, with one passenger reporting that the lorry just appeared out of nowhere.

first passengers on board. It’s also important to us at Network Rail, as the national infrastructure provider, as it gives us different options when we are looking to improve connections between communities across Britain.”

Stagecoach Supertram has trained 27 existing tram drivers to become tram-train drivers across the route. Seven Class 399 three-section tram-train vehicles have been built

by Stadler Valencia for the service, although only Nos. 399201-204 have the correct wheelsets to operate on both networks. Nos. 399205-207 are therefore ‘tram only’ at the moment, being used to boost Supertram’s existing Duewag-built tram fleet.

The first ‘399’ was delivered in 2015 and they have been in public tram service since October 2017.

Similar vehicles have been ordered by Transport for Wales for Valley Lines routes around Cardiff, although they will feature higher floors and the option of battery power.

From an initial budget of £15 million, it was announced in November 2014 that costs had risen to £44.9m. By July 2017 that had escalated by more than 400% over the original estimate, to £75.1m.

DUAL VOLTAGE

According to Network Rail, the belated decision to specify bespoke overhead line equipment (OHLE) capable of carrying both 750V DC and 25kV AC supply, and the subsequent need to raise overbridges to accommodate 25kV catenary, were significant contributors to the additional costs. On two occasions the Department for Transport considered scrapping the project, and as recently as 2016 it was overruled by ministers.

Tram-train operations have been hugely successful in several cities and regions in mainland Europe, most notably the Karlsruhe system in southwest Germany. E ■ Additional reporting by Ben Jones.

December 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 11

12 RAIL EXPRESS December 2018

HEADLINE NEWS

 The interior of No. 230002 with 2+2 and longitudinal seating. Ashley Butlin

Battery ‘D-Train’ offers greener future Ashley Butlin visits Bo’ness to sample the batterypowered version of Vivarail’s Class 230 ‘D-Train’.

I

T was perhaps fitting that during the week the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its report on the effects of global warming and climate change caused by increasing emissions of greenhouse gases, largely caused by burning fossil fuels, that Vivarail should launch its battery-powered Class 230 unit at the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway.

It was also fitting because Scotland was home to Britain’s first batterypowered DMU in the late 1950s when BR developed a two-car battery unit based on Derby Lightweight bodies.

Nos. 79998+79999 were converted at Cowlairs Works, Glasgow, and trialled on the Deeside line between Aberdeen and Ballater for four years from 1958.

Two-car unit No. 230002 was moved to Bo’ness on October 3 and gave public demonstration runs at Bo’ness on October 10-12. I visited on the middle day, and standing on the platform as the unit arrived was a little unnerving, as it came gliding into the station with no noise apart from the sound of wheels on rails. Particularly noticeable was the lack of the diesel fumes prevalent with DMUs. Internally, No. 230002 is configured with a mix of both conventional 2+2 seating and longitudinal seats commonly found on new suburban

stock – although Vivarail can rearrange these to suit customer needs.

No. 230002 also has four single leaf doors for suburban use, but a variation has seen two doors removed to increase seating. Other variations include the provision of fully accessible toilets and a buffet area.

GREEN APPROACH

The ‘230s’ have been converted from former London Underground ‘D’ Stock, and whilst it certainly felt like boarding a Tube train, the internal modifications – including USB points and customer opening door switches – all gave the ambience of being on a new build unit.

The wide vestibules also give plenty of room for cycles, a feature often asked for by Scottish passengers.

The acceleration was a real feature and proved that the train would be ideal on lines with frequent stops. Although the top speed is limited to 60mph, the acceleration compensates for this and so makes the unit compatible with existing units.

The unit has four battery packs, each with a capacity of 106kWh, and they require an eight minute charge at each end of the journey. Extending the charge to 10 minutes gives a 50 mile range, and as battery technology develops, so will the range of the units.

A mock-up of how Class 230s could look in ScotRail livery. Vivarail

 The mobile generator used to recharge the batteries. Ashley Butlin  No. 230002 ready for its public demonstration runs at Bo’ness in early October. Vivarail

Charging at Bo’ness used a mobile generator on a flatbed low-loader in the car park near the headshunt. Charging in regular service would either use existing infrastructure, such as overhead lines or third-rail, or with a static battery bank specially developed for non-electrified lines. Charging in service would also be automatic, with the unit connecting to the power source without the need for human intervention.

It is not always appreciated how much energy is required to build a new train, especially with regard to the raw materials needed for the bodyshells and bogies. The Class 230 is constructed using the redundant aluminium bodyshells of former London Underground ‘D’ Stock and bogies manufactured by Bombardier less than 10 years ago.

The bodyshells and bogies have been assessed to have a minimum of 25 years of active service left in them.

Whilst the number of ‘D’ Stock vehicles is limited, and Vivrail bought nearly all of them (156 driving motor cars and 70 trailing vehicles), the company sees a future well beyond their availability and is seeking to expand its present portfolio over the coming years.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

No. 230002 helped to demonstrate how Transport Scotland and ScotRail are determined to eliminate diesel trains from Glasgow and beyond in the near future. So far there are no confirmed orders for the trains in Scotland, although it is understood at least one line has been identified as suitable for their use.

Transport Scotland’s director of rail Bill Reeve said: “The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2017-18 included a commitment to trial hybrid self-

powered trains… and Transport Scotland welcomes this opportunity to support Vivarail in demonstrating this particular use of zero emission technology on heavy rail.”

Vivarail’s chief executive Adrian Shooter said: “I am delighted to bring this train to Scotland, I have long admired the stance and political will of the Scottish Government to reduce emissions in towns and cities. I am also very proud that Vivarail is the first to bring an operational battery train into passenger service.”

MORE TO COME

Set up in 2012, Vivarail has three key aims: to produce low cost, low maintenance rolling stock; to develop systems and designs that would make use of emerging technologies; and to bring innovative and smart ideas to benefit passengers, operators, the environment and the wider rail industry.

Over the past four years the company has grown to the point where it has the first of three two-car units, No. 230003, based at Bletchley for use on the Marston Vale line to Bedford from December. It has also won the contract to supply the first trains for the new Transport for Wales services for use on the Wrexham-Bidston line.

TfW has opted for a fleet of Class 230 diesel/battery hybrids to improve reliability and provide a comfortable ride for passengers. These low-emission trains are powered by two battery cars at each end with a diesel genset on the middle car that will charge the batteries and act as a range extender. Due to the modular powerpack design it would be possible in the future to change the diesel genset for a hydrogen fuel cell to create an emission-free train for North Wales. The trains will come into service in the summer of 2019. E

December 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 13

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Restored: the grandfather of all modern units!

In 1903 the NER introduced two ‘Autocars’ that were the first ever to combine an internal combustion engine with a generator and electric traction motors – the basis for all modern DMUs. Now the sole survivor has been returned to working order in a magnificent restoration project.

THE pair of Autocars introduced by the North Eastern Railway in 1903 can rightly be described as ahead of their time and the forerunner of all multiple units to follow.

Rather than go with conventional steam power, and having seen the superior acceleration being offered by recently introduced electric tramcars, the company opted to experiment with internal combustion.

The result was single cars Nos. 3170 and 3171, which each had a petrol engine driving a generator and traction motors – the first time this had been done in a passenger carrying vehicle. They were initially fitted with an 85hp Napier engine driving a Westinghouse multi-polar dynamo, but the following year were uprated with 92hp Wolseley engines.

Engine development allowed No. 3170 to be fitted with a 225hp pack in 1923, which was then sufficient

Autocar No. 3170 and trailer No. 3453 at Embsay on October 19, the first day it had carried passengers since being withdrawn in 1931. All photos

by Paul Bickerdyke unless stated

14 RAIL EXPRESS December 2018

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