COATS OF MANY GATEWAY TO THE
COLOURS 30 years of Class 91 liveries
CHANNEL ISLANDS Remembering the Weymouth Tramway
Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast
NEW LOOK FOR‘66s’ i h Maritime i i as DB teams up with
RAIL EXPRESS No. 276 MAY 2019 £4.40
No. 276
MODELLING SECTION ■ ‘91s’ & Mk.4s
New models in N and OO
■ NBL ‘Warships’
Kernow D600s reviewed
■ Class 37 bogies Closing the gap in N
UK Off-sale date - 17/05/2019
Printed in the UK
NRM LOCO REVIEW w No more main i line diesels
CONTENTS
Issue No. 276 May 2019
A stunning drone shot, taken from adjacent fields, of Felixstowe North Dock intermodal terminal on April 5 with (from left) Nos. 66732, 66531, 66770, 66517 and 66503 waiting to leave on various workings to the likes of Hams Hall, Birch Coppice, Lawley Street, Coatbridge and Doncaster. Amongst the wealth of detail are some damaged containers on the grass and a traverser at the far end instead of a headshunt. This would make a superb modelling project. Rob McRorie
FEATURES
NEWS
17
6
24
30 33 34
COATS OF MANY COLOURS 30 years of Class 91 liveries.
WEYMOUTH QUAY
Remembering the gateway to the Channel Islands, which was last used 20 years ago.
ON THE HUNT: 47222
One enthusiast’s search for an elusive loco.
PRESTON BLUE PULLMAN
A rare ‘Footex’ working in May 1964.
0-60: CLASS 465
Third-rail but not third-rate.
REGULARS 22 37 38
77 78
REVIEWS & MAILBAG
Telephoto shots; Eastern matters.
MODELLING
There’s news of Class 91 and Mk.4 models in both ‘N’ and ‘OO’ gauges, plus a CIE Class 121. Kernow’s blue and green NBL ‘Warships’ get an indepth review, as do new wagons from Accurascale and Dapol, while our techniques section takes a look at improving a Graham Farish Class 37.
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LU WORLD
Sub-surface resignalling goes live.
RAILTOURS
Charity tours mark changing times.
PRESERVATION
87
POWER BY THE HOUR
88
POWERSCENE
98
UNITS
The best ways to get Rail Express every month.
TIME TRAVELLER
Maritime Intermodal launched; New stock delays hit services; Brush rescues Freightliner; Electrification essential to meet carbon-free target; Journey numbers continued to grow in 2018; May launch for LNER ‘Azumas’; FirstGroup orders Hitachi AT300s, Light Rail round-up; NRM issues loco review; ‘50s’ get GBRf livery; ‘Grids’ to get new engines and become Class 69s.
82
SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS
Looking back to decades past.
HEADLINE NEWS
Dean Forest is new base for ‘47’; Butterley launches ‘Rat’ appeal; Ex-GWR ‘08’ moves to South Wales heritage line.
Long-stored ‘92’ returns to work.
Notable workings class by class, Name Game, Spectrum and Shed Talk.
ScotRail withdraws Class 365 fleet.
101 SHUNTERS
Last ‘Gronks’ leave Landore.
102 COACHES
GWR's four-coach ‘classic’ HSTs.
103 WAGONS
Washwood Heath Rover ‘Cubes’ cleared.
104 IRISH ANGLE
Historic Sorting Van saved.
DB Cargo’s No. 66047 Maritime Intermodal Two is one of three so far to have gained a new look and name for the new joint intermodal operation. It is pictured at Wakefield Europort on March 29 with classmate No. 66135. Paul Bickerdyke
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 April 18, 2019 Next issue May 17, 2019 Advertising deadline May 3, 2019 ISSN No 1362 234X
Paul Bickerdyke Rail Express Editor
A bold step
T
HE Science Museum Group has issued its long-awaited review of vehicles in the National Collection, most notably at the National Railway Museum in York, setting out which locos and units will be kept for display or operation (see page 13). The big disappointment for some is that ‘Deltic’ No. 55002 is to be taken off main line duties and put in the museum along with pioneer locos Class 20 No. 8000, Class 31 No. D5500, Class 40 No. D200 and other iconic vehicles. The NRM takes the view that its job is to tell the story of railways, and to do so properly needs all of its key exhibits on display where most people can see them. It is a view this magazine supports and, although seeing the above locos in action again would undoubtedly be welcome, these vehicles are too precious to put at risk – especially when there are many excellent preservation groups already running similar locos on the main line and heritage railways. Work will be done to make the locos complete again, while significant parts of the collection will continue to see passenger use,
© 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.
including the prototype HST power car and Class 101 DMU. The museum has taken a bold step that will not please everyone, but ultimately it is one that makes the most sense for the long-term future. Do let us know your views, however.
A new web resource
Mortons Media has launched The Railway Hub at www.therailwayhub.co.uk, a central point for all rail news from Rail Express and its ‘shedmate’ titles The Railway Magazine, Heritage Railway, and The Railway Magazine Guide to Modelling. Covering diesels, electric, steam, modelling, freight and everything in between, it offers news, features, great images, competitions, reviews and more. There is also a free and easy to use app, so I would urge you to check them out. Paul Bickerdyke
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EDITORIAL
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Nigel Burkin Editor Rail Express Modeller
David Russell
Preservation Units Coaches
David Rapson Powerscene
William Watson Alistair Grieve Shunters
Gareth Bayer Wagons
Irish Angle (with Alan McFerran)
Christopher Westcott LU World (with Piers Connor)
‘Industry Witness’ News Writer
HEADLINE NEWS
Maritime Intermodal launched DB Cargo has signed a long-term agreement with Maritime Transport Ltd to operate a new rail freight operation called Maritime Intermodal. The 10-year deal which started on April 1 sees Maritime take over the day-to-day running of DB’s freight terminals at Trafford Park (Manchester), Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal (Birch Coppice) and Wakefield Europort. These will be
served by one DB train each day from Southampton, plus a fourth from Felixstowe to Wakefield. Trains will also serve the new East Midlands Gateway rail terminal currently under construction near Castle Donington, Leicestershire. The operation was launched at Wakefield Europort on March 29 when Class 66s Nos. 66005 and 66047 were unveiled in Maritime
The full Maritime look as worn by No. 66005 Maritime Intermodal One.
6 RAIL EXPRESS May 2019
blue livery with the names Maritime Intermodal One and Maritime Intermodal Two respectively. DB Cargo UK’s chief executive officer Hans-Georg Werner described the deal as more of a marriage, and shows “that road and rail need not be in competition but can deliver more through collaboration”. He added that there would soon be more locomotives in
Maritime livery – maybe up to 10 – and indeed two days later No. 66142 was out and about carrying the new look and named Maritime Intermodal Three. Maritime Transport’s group executive chairman John Williams said he had spent 40 years as a road haulier trashing rail, but it was now very much part of his company’s future.
DB Cargo chief Hans-Georg Werner (left) was presented with a model lorry by Maritime boss John Williams.
HEADLINE NEWS
No. 66047 sports the new blue look and name Maritime Intermodal Two at the launch event at Wakefield Europort on March 29. DB’s redliveried No. 66135 is alongside.
The event was attended by DB Cargo’s management train, which arrived at Wakefield Europort from King’s Cross powered by No. 67029.
The style of nameplate as worn by No. 66005. Up to 10 such namings are currently planned. The junction to the new EMG terminal has been installed on the freight-only line at Castle Donington, this being the view there on March 31. Jack Taylor The third loco to get the new look is No. 66142 Maritime Intermodal Three, which leads No. 60062 and the 6B03/11.00 Castle Donington to Bescot Up Engineers Sidings at Stenson Junction on March 31. Red-liveried No. 66192 was at the rear. Steve Donald
May 2019 RAIL EXPRESS 7
HEADLINE NEWS
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New stock delays hit services
Failure to commission new trains on time is leading to rolling stock shortages across the country. By ‘Industry Witness’
THERE is a growing list of new rolling stock which is late entering service due to a variety of operational and safety compliance issues. One factor is that the past approach of building a prototype for testing has been abandoned, with fleet orders being placed for untried types. This is reminiscent of British Railways’ Modernisation Plan error in the 1950s, where large numbers of diesel locomotives required subsequent modification to bring them up to acceptable levels of reliability. The flagship Class 800 IET trainsets that were due to commence LNER services in December 2018 have yet to turn a wheel in revenue earning service, and problems persist with the signalling interface north of York. It is not hard to reflect on the amount of work that was done to test and evaluate the original High Speed Train design in the 1970s, which covered everything from technical features to the seating layout of the coaches and provision of catering services. Before that, the XP64 trainset in the 1960s provided a template for the future Mk.2 vehicles that were used to launch the InterCity brand. At least in the example of LNER, the existing fleet is not scheduled for an immediate cascade, so there has not been any service disruption (and the first IET services are now scheduled for the May timetable change, see page 10).
LONDON EMUS
This is not the case for the delayed Bombardier Class 710 fleet of 45 fourcar EMUs built for London Overground, where all the vehicles were due to be in service by May 2018. For the Barking to Gospel Oak line, where electrification has been completed, it has not been possible to retain the existing fleet
The incredible sight of the sidings at Old Oak Common packed with Class 345 EMUs awaiting the start of the full Crossrail service in London. This is a view taken from a passing train on April 6. Phil Marsh
of eight Class 172 two-car DMUs, which have been transferred away to West Midlands Trains as the lease to Transport for London expired. No other suitable rolling stock is available and, although TfL has provided some alternative capacity with shortened Class 378s, this is insufficient to operate the full timetable and the frequency of services has had to be reduced with substitute bus services provided to fill the gap. Another fleet in design difficulty is the Class 717 type intended to replace the elderly Class 313 sets (built 1976/77) operated by Govia Thameslink on inner-suburban Great Northern services. Siemens has built 25 six-car units, the first of which was due to be in traffic in September 2018. The Class 313 EMUs had the benefit of prototypes, as BR constructed two four-car and one two-car sets (described as PEP units: Prototype Electro-Pneumatic) to test their technical and interior aspects. Although the ‘717s’ are similar in appearance to the large fleet of Class 700 trains already in use on the core Thameslink route, they have to be
provided with an evacuation ladder at the front and rear of the unit to allow access to the track on the former London Underground tunnel route between Moorgate and Finsbury Park, where side doors cannot be used for emergency evacuations. In tests it has been found that the ladder stowage arrangements obstruct the sighting of signals and the view for a safe platform dispatch. Greater Anglia also has a Class 720 fleet on order from Bombardier where the first deliveries were due in January 2019 but as yet the train management software problems that have delayed the Class 710 are preventing delivery.
NORTHERN DMUS
The 33 Class 195 three-car DMUs built by CAF for the Northern franchise have also failed to meet the deadline for service introduction in December 2018. This was due to the way in which the trains are coupled, which creates an infrastructure clearance problem or, put simply, they are out of gauge. A further setback concerns the introduction of Class 769 ‘Flex’ bi-
mode multiple units, which are being converted by Porterbrook Leasing from unwanted Class 319 EMUs by adding two diesel power packs. They remain as four-car sets, with eight allocated to Allerton depot (Merseyside) for use by Northern, with five further conversions for Transport for Wales and 19 for the Great Western Railway. As yet, their service introduction is some way off as the converted vehicles are out of gauge, with other train engineering issues to resolve as well. The delay with the Northern units has so far prevented a cascade of Class 150 DMUs to the Wales and Borders franchise to allow an augmented timetable from May. As a result of the continuing delays, some difficult decisions will have to be made by both the Department for Transport and the Railway Safety Inspectorate within the Office for Rail and Road about the continued use of a variety of vehicles types scheduled for withdrawal by the end of this year. This is rolling stock that does not meet the passenger mobility regulations due to come into force from January 1, 2020 and also stock that still discharges effluent direct to the track. It has therefore been suggested that the intended withdrawal of ‘Pacer’ units this year will not now take place as intended.
BRUSH RESCUES FREIGHTLINER:
When No. 70010 failed at the head of the 4O90/05.45 Leeds to Southampton intermodal on the approach to Leamington Spa on April 3, the line was cleared by Locomotive Services’ No. 47853 (as No. 47614), which by chance was on a route learning trip from Crewe to Stratford-uponAvon at the time. The ‘47’ pushed the train from the Warwick direction into the through lines at Leamington before carrying on its way light engine to Stratford. Matt Wilson
8 RAIL EXPRESS May 2019
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