Rail Express February 2019

WR DIESELS

The changing face of the Western Region

MAN VIC

175

A milestone year for this northern hub

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

FREIGHT IN FLUX

RAIL EXPRESS No. 273 FEBRUARY 2019 £4.40

■ Freightliner takes over Mendip stone ■ DB loses market share ■ Colas sells loco fleet

MODELLING SECTION

■ HORNBY 2019

Large new range announced

■ TRAIN TAIL-LAMPS How to fit working lamps

■ TARA MINES ORE

IRM’s 4mm wagons reviewed

47712 TO GO MAIN LINE

Former push-pull loco goes on hire to Locomotive Services

CONTENTS

Issue No. 273 February 2019

TRAIN OF LIGHTS: Not trick photography, but No. 37275 and its carriages were actually decked out in Christmas lights for seasonal services on the Dartmouth Steam Railway – the ‘37’ pictured after arriving at the line's southern terminus at Kingswear on December 17. Robert Sherwood

FEATURES

NEWS

15

A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

8

16

MANCHESTER VICTORIA 175

22

WESTERN DIESELS

28

0-60: CLASS 444

30

THEN & NOW: MILTON KEYNES

Using virtual reality to train rail engineers.

The station celebrates a major milestone.

60 years of change on the Western Region.

Third rail but second rate?

Spot the difference over 10 years.

REGULARS 26

SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS

31

TIME TRAVELLER

32

REVIEWS & EXPRESS MAILBAG

71 72

More on First Generation DMUs; plus a selection of new books.

MODELLING

Hornby has announced its plans to make 2019 a bounce-back year, with plenty to interest the modern traction modeller, and we have a full round-up. We have guides to fitting flashing tail-lamps, improving Dapol’s ‘73’ and fitting ‘O’ gauge track cleaners, then reviews include IRM’s Tara Mines ore wagons.

Could there be a return to the ‘Big Four’?; Class 50s commemorate Waverley Route closure; DB’s share of freight continues to fall; Freightliner to take over Mendip Rail stone trains; Colas sells locos to Beacon Rail; Cumbrian ‘Tractors’ bow out; Damaged tramtrains laid up; South East drives rail growth; Bi-modes for ROG postal trains; Barking Riverside contract awarded.

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LU WORLD

Finances affect Piccadilly Line upgrade.

RAILTOURS

‘Deltic’ to visit Harrogate and Cleethorpes.

74

PRESERVATION

79

POWER BY THE HOUR

80

POWERSCENE

90

UNITS

93

SHUNTERS

94

COACHES

95

WAGONS

96

IRISH ANGLE

The best ways to get Rail Express every month.

News headlines from decades past.

HEADLINE NEWS

No. 47712 will return to the main line; ‘Whistler’ suffers boiler problems; IDRS acquires EM2 bogies; East Lancs Railway Sulzer event kicks off 2019 gala season.

Preparations for TPE ‘68s’ continue.

Notable workings, Name Game and Spectrum.

Northern receives more units from ScotRail.

NS ‘08s’ still proving useful.

GWR hands back more HSTs.

New livery for Freightliner MWAs.

‘Santa Specials’ provide traction variety.

Freightliner is taking over the Mendip Rail stone operation and locos from November – with the fleet including No. 59101, which is seen passing Cholsey on October 12, 2015 with a diverted Appleford Sidings to Whatley Quarry working. James Bushnell

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 January 18, 2019 Next issue February 15, 2019 Advertising deadline February 1, 2019 ISSN No 1362 234X

Paul Bickerdyke Rail Express Editor

The changing face of freight

P

RIVATISATION of British Rail in the mid-1990s saw the bulk of its freight businesses acquired by what became EWS, somewhat nullifying the intention of creating competition between different companies, apart from in a few relatively niche areas.

Step forward to today, however, and the situation has changed dramatically.

EWS is now DB Schenker, although it can still be regarded as the spiritual rump of British Rail’s freight operation in many ways.

Working methods have moved on, and the company was the instigator of the ‘Class 66 revolution’ now standard amongst freight operators – but it still owns many ex-BR locos and is based at the ex-BR ‘super depot’ at Toton.

More importantly, many traditional freight flows once operated by EWS/DBS have disappeared over the past two decades, such as countrywide mail traffic, parcels, wagonload and – most significantly – coal.

Meanwhile other areas, such as intermodal

containers and aggregates, have grown – opening the door to new entrants to the rail freight market.

All of which means that, on a measure of total freight tonne kilometres worked, DBS is no longer dominant – and, in fact, only holds a slender lead over its nearest rival Freightliner, with GBRf not too far behind either (see page 9). Now with Freightliner set to take over the Mendip Rail stone traffic, intermodal demand still rising, and sizeable HS2 construction contracts on the horizon, then we might soon see DBS lose its position at the top for the first time ever.

What is clear, however, is that the rail freight market does now have the competition that 1990s Privatisation set out to achieve.

Paul Bickerdyke

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Christopher Westcott

David Russell

Nigel Burkin

Preservation Units Coaches

Editor Rail Express Modeller

David Rapson

William Watson Gareth Bayer Wagons

LU World (with Piers Connor)

Powerscene

Irish Angle (with Alan McFerran)

‘Industry Witness’ News Writer

LONG ROCK FROM THE AIR: Here’s a new view of Britain’s most westerly main line depot at Long Rock, Penzance. This Boxing Day shot finds the sidings full with Great Western Railway HSTs and a CrossCountry ‘Voyager’. In the distance can be seen the newly-enlarged depot facilities, which have taken on the role of maintaining the ‘Night Riviera’ sleeper stock following the final closure of GWR’s Old Oak Common depot in December. The main line into Penzance, which is single track at this point, can be seen on the left. Dennis Clarke

HEADLINE NEWS

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Could there be a return to the ‘Big Four’?

More integrated track and service operations could be the way to fix the ‘broken’ franchising model.

By ‘Industry Witness’ THE Williams Review of the rail industry has become mired in intense lobbying from a generation of past experts about the future organisation of the network.

Those who never wanted or understood the need for the changes that Privatisation brought are pressing for a return to the days of the 1923 Grouping, when the ‘Big Four’ LMS, LNER, GWR, and Southern Railway companies were formed. It is recognised, however, that the reality of devolved Government is likely to result in separate organisations for Scotland, Wales, London and possibly other population centres that would preserve the likes of Merseyrail.

The original aim of Grouping was to provide well financed companies that would be able to invest in better services to counter the growth in the use of both private cars and road haulage. Much was achieved as a result of the availability of cheap loans from the Government of the day as a method of stimulating the economy after the years of depression.

The landscape is very different now though and, to counter a headlong rush towards an outcome that would stifle the gains that have been achieved by the passenger and freight operating companies, review chairman Keith Williams is talking to a much wider range of stakeholders. He has invited ‘a call for evidence’ about what might succeed today’s structure based on passenger franchising, which has been described as ‘broken’ by the Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling.

BROKEN MODEL

It could be argued that the franchising is broken because of the way the Department for Transport has continued to impose its views that would not be followed by the operating companies if they were allowed to act independently.

To take events in 2018, the failure to deliver timetable changes can be seen to relate to Network Rail’s lack of train planning capacity, which in turn meant that timings were not provided early enough for accurate traincrew diagrams to be produced. Some critical decisions led up to this – firstly in the regulatory process, where NR was

We already have the LNER brand back, could something like the ‘Big Four’ companies return? LNER Class 800 No. 800103 works the 5X91/15.03 King’s Cross to Doncaster test run at Greatford (Lincolnshire) on October 26, 2018. Aubrey Evans

required to reduce the cost of the train planning function. As a result, the activity was centralised at Milton Keynes and decades of experience at regional centres, where the work had been previously carried out, was lost.

A decision was also taken by NR to purchase a software system that was incompatible with pathing and timing methods used in the UK, resulting in excessive manual intervention.

The seemingly endless industrial dispute about traincrew duties continues to have a big impact on services operated by Northern and South Western Railway, and is a profound lesson in how not to conduct changes in working practices.

Announcements were made about the intended introduction of new trains designed for driver-only operation without any forethought about consulting with staff, who were bound to fear job losses and reduced status.

These operational failures are bad enough, but there is a far more threatening cloud approaching as the financial return made on a typical franchise is insufficient to reflect the risks taken on by a private company.

The average franchise profit has been in the order of 2% of turnover in the recent past, which has proved unattractive to UK-based companies.

The National Express Group has already withdrawn from bidding, and activist First Group investors are pressing for a similar outcome for that company.

The Government has filled the gap by persuading more overseas organisations to bid, but this has led to excessive premium payments being promised.

Abellio in Scotland has already had to rely on loans from its parent company, the Dutch National Railway (NS), to make payments and the same company is exposed by rash promises about what it can afford to pay to run the Greater Anglia contract.

VALUE FOR MONEY 2

As well looking at the industry structure, the Williams Review is required to examine how ‘good-value’ fares can be offered to passengers without increasing the cost to the taxpayer. This is the same sentiment behind the ‘value for money’ study that was undertaken

by Sir Roy McNulty in 2011, where it was suggested initiatives such as driver-only operation could reduce costs by up to £1 billion annually, which could then be reflected in lower fares.

Throughout the period since 2011, fares have increased by the level of the Retail Prices Index with controlled products such as season tickets rising by 3.1% at the start of 2019. Again,

the price rise is higher than the average increase in take-home pay, which was 2.6% in 2018. The Government response has only been that if the staff will accept lower pay rises, the index used to calculate rail fares could be switched to the Consumer Prices Index, which would have meant the most recent January fares increase would have been 2.5%.

There are severe practical problems to re-creating integrated companies like the ‘Big Four’, which would imply either abandoning the operation of train services by private companies or removing NR routes from state ownership. And there is also the principle of allowing access to the network by the wide range of non-franchised enterprises, such as open access and charter operators, while the freight operating companies have to be considered too.

There are pointers to follow, such as in Scotland where infrastructure and train operations have been formed into a single management entity. This also feels a workable proposition for the large conurbations in the Midlands and North West, but previous attempts to do something similar on the Great Western route do not appear to have produced a good outcome for passengers, with the integrated Supervisory Board approving excessive route closures for engineering work at peak holiday travel times. E

‘HOOVERS’ COMMEMORATE WAVERLEY CLOSURE: The Waverley

Route from Carlisle to Edinburgh via Hawick closed on January 5, 1969 and to mark the occasion exactly 50 years later, Pathfinder Tours ran a charter from Birmingham New Street along the reopened Borders Railway section from Edinburgh to Tweedbank. First choice loco No. 55009 Alycidon was unavailable, so Class 50s Nos. 50007+50049 stepped in to provide the power – which are seen hammering up Shap at Scout Green, Cumbria. John Hales

8 RAIL EXPRESS February 2019

HEADLINE NEWS

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DB’s share of rail haulage continues to decline Once the clear market leader, DB Schenker is now only just ahead of Freightliner with GBRf catching up fast.

By ‘Industry Witness’ THE dominant presence in the UK freight market held by DB Schenker, the successor organisation to EWS, has continued to fall. Its operations now account for 38% of total freight tonne kilometres (FTKM) after a 9% fall in activity over the last 12 months to 3.2 billion FTKM. As a result, the size of its traction fleet has reduced to 311 locomotives, but many of these are in store and the core resource is provided by the 161 Class 66 locomotives that remain in the UK after transfers abroad and sales.

The 30 Class 67 125mph locomotives, originally acquired by EWS for the Royal Mail contract that was subsequently lost, have seen their duties diminish and two examples have recently been sold.

A few Class 60s remain in use, although from a total of 100 locomotives, 30 have been sold and of the remaining 70 only 15 are currently operational. There is also an electric capability with 41 Class 90/92 types, but of these many are stored at Crewe Electric Depot.

In contrast, Freightliner has grown consistently since it became an independent company in 1996 – aided by the decision to set up a Heavy Haul

division as well as the continuing increase in domestic intermodal operations serving ports. It recorded a total of 2.9 billion FTKM in the 12 months to the end of September 2018, which meant a 34% market share was held.

Freightliner’s current UK-based fleet is made up of 127 Class 66 machines in various sub-classes and 19 Class 70 units. A fleet of 26 electric locomotives also continue in service, made up of 26 Class 86/90 types, the oldest having entered service in 1965.

OTHER RIVALS

GB Railfreight (GBRf) has been the most successful new entrant and now holds a 20% share of the market after FTKMs worked grew by 24% over the last year. The company commenced operations in April 2001 after Railtrack awarded a contract for the haulage of departmental trains, which allowed the purchase of seven new Class 66 locomotives. Its first contracts to haul commercial intermodal and bulk gypsum traffic were secured in 2002.

GBRf has built up a core fleet of 88 Class 66 locomotives, which are a combination of new units and acquisitions from previous owners, including DB Schenker.

One new contract picked up recently by DB Schenker is a movement of sand from Burngullow in Cornwall – one half of the loaded working is seen passing Langford Bridge (Devon) on December 14, behind No. 66050. Robert Sherwood

It has also continued to acquire what can be described as ‘pre-owned traction’ of a variety of diesel and electric types, with a notional fleet strength of 175 machines, although many are stored to provide a source of spares for older classes and as a contingency for growth.

Direct Rail Services has seen little change in activity and holds a

Freightliner to take over Mendip Rail stone operations FREIGHTLINER has signed a long-term contract with Mendip Rail Ltd to work stone trains from the Somerset quarries, taking over from current operator DB Schenker in November 2019. The deal will also see Freightliner acquire the fleet of eight Mendip Rail Class 59/0 and 59/1 locos Nos. 59001/2/4/5, 59101/2/3/4.

Mendip Rail is a joint venture between Hanson Aggregates and Aggregate Industries. Under the new deal, Freightliner will haul an expected eight million tons of stone per year, equating to 107,000 wagon-loads, to terminals in London and the South East of England from Hanson and AI quarries in the Mendips.

Freightliner’s chief executive officer Gary Long said: “By adding one of the largest bulk haulage contracts in the UK, we are adding to the foundation of our long-term bulk business as we have successfully replaced traffic losses caused by the collapse of the UK coal industry in 2015.” ● The move scuppers mooted plans for DBS to reinstate more Class 60s for the Somerset stone traffic to replace the Class 59 fleet, the oldest of which date back to 1985. DBS’ own Class 59/2s will be used on other operations.

5% share of the market, with Colas currently recording a 3.5% share.

A factor that is influencing the fleet strategy of the freight operators is the future requirement for moving construction materials to build HS2, which it has been estimated could require all the capacity available represented by stored traction units.

No. 37254 at Margam on January 6 for DB staff training.

John Headon

Colas sells locos to Beacon Rail CHANGES at Colas Rail have seen some of its loco fleet acquired by Beacon Rail, while at least some of its Network Rail test train work will be taken over by other operators.

The loco sale includes five Class 56s, five Class 66s, two Class 67s and seven Class 70s – but not its older Class 37s – and also includes locos used in Europe. These will be leased back to the company.

Meanwhile with DRS, DB Schenker and Freightliner expected to pick up the infrastructure monitoring work, in some cases supplying the crew, Colas No. 37254 was dispatched to South Wales on January 2 for DBS staff refreshers.

February 2019 RAIL EXPRESS 9

HEADLINE NEWS IN BRIEF EUROSTAR TO BE PRESERVED IN BELGIUM

CLASS 373 power car No. 3106, along with First Class coach number 9 from the same set (No. 731069), were moved by road from Saint Saulve in France to Steenbrugge (near Bruges) in Belgium on November 28. The vehicles will initially be stored at Steenbrugge before going on display at the Train World museum in Brussels. The remaining vehicles from set Nos. 3105/06 will be scrapped at Saint Saulve.

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Cumbrian ‘Tractors’ bow out The last public Class 37-powered service train on the Cumbrian Coast pauses at Harrington on December 28 with No. 37424 pushing the 2C40/17.45 Carlisle to Barrow. A special farewell working was due to run on January 11. Phil Chilton

‘CHOPPERS’ IN DOUBT

THE future of the DRS fleet of Class 20s is once again in doubt following the end of the 2018 railhead treatment train season, while the winding down of the LU Stock transfers between Derby and London means that other Type 1s are now available. Nos. 20302, 20303 and 20305 were returned to the XHSS stored pool in mid-December, with Nos. 20302 and 20305 being stabled at York station over Christmas.

EUROPHOENIX ‘37’ FOR STADLER TESTING

TYPE 3 No. 37601 ran light engine from Leicester to Norwich Crown Point depot on December 14, where it will be based to help with the commissioning of Greater Anglia’s new Stadler-built units and to act as a ‘Thunderbird’ for them in the case of failures.

NEW YEAR HONOURS

AMONG the railway-related New Year Honours list have been Barrow Hill’s Mervyn Allcock and the London Transport Museum’s director Sam Mullins.

Mervyn, who led the campaign to save the country’s last surviving operational railway roundhouse at Barrow Hill, is to be appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for ‘Services to Railway Preservation and Development’.

Sam is to become an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). He joined the LTM in 1994 and over the 25 years since he has expanded the museum, including opening the UK’s first publically-accessible museum store at Acton in 1999.

FRIDAY, December 28 saw the last loco-hauled workings by Northern on the Cumbrian Coast route following the cascade from ScotRail to Northern of three Class 156 and three Class 158 DMUs. Five different examples of the DRS fleet saw use in December, Nos. 37401/3/9, 37424/5, with No. 37425 in action on all but two of the 20 days that locos were used. The final day’s workings were powered by Nos. 37424 and 37425 – the former carrying a ‘Cumbrian Coast Express’ headboard for at least part of the day.

Northern arranged to run a special farewell trip from Carlisle to Carnforth and back on January 11, with money from the special tickets going to charity. The DRS locos and stock remain under contract until the end of January in the unlikely event Northern becomes short of units.

No. 37424, complete with ‘The Cumbrian Coast Express’ headboard, stands at Whitehaven with the 2C59/14.52 Barrow-Carlisle on December 28. David Russell

SIGNALLING MOVE

NETWORK Rail has completed a major project in York to move control of the signalling system from the Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC) to the Rail Operating Centre (ROC).

The move, part of the Railway Upgrade Plan, began after the last service on Christmas Eve and was completed ready for the first train service on December 27.

TFW ADOPTS DELAY-REPAY

TRANSPORT for Wales has announced it is moving to the ‘Delay Repay’ scheme to compensate customers for unexpected delays and cancellations to its services.

Compensation will now be based on the time that passengers should have arrived at their destination station and it will kick in after 30 minutes.

12 RAIL EXPRESS February 2019

Damaged vehicles from Nos. 399202 and 399204 at Nunnery depot on December 13. Ken Hartley

Damaged tram-trains laid up COLLISION-damaged vehicles from tram-trains No. 399202 and 399204 are currently awaiting repair at Sheffield Supertram’s Nunnery depot.

No. 399204 was in a collision with a lorry near the Woodbourn Road tram stop on the first day of tram-train operations on October 25, followed by

a similar accident at the same spot on November 30 involving No. 399202 and a car.

A hybrid unit has been formed using the undamaged vehicles from these two units to keep the new service between Sheffield and Rotherham going.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has written to Sheffield City Council advising that a risk-based review of the road crossing and traffic signals be carried out, and that prompt action be taken based on the findings of the review.

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