Rail Express - August 2018 - Issue 267

WORTH VALLEY

JUBILEE

50 years of diesels on the KWVR

CLASS 710

LAUNCH

First look at new units for London Overground

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

LOCO-HAULED FOR NEXT CRO CROS CROSSCOUNTRY?

RAIL EXPRESS No. 267 AUGUST 2018

as other operators plan to take on spare Mk.4s

MODELLING SECTION ■ Heljan Class 25

‘OO’ gauge 'Rat' announced

■ EMU conversion

Making a 2-HAP from a 2-EPB

■ Fleet survey

Departmental bogie bolsters

ON SHED 4 Covering purposebuilt depots in the South-East and Wales

CONTENTS

Issue No. 267 August 2018

THE BRANCH LINE SLEEPETH: This is a view of Haworth on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in the summer of 1963 – a year after it was closed by British Railways but still five years away from reopening as a heritage line. Happily, that happened on June 29, 1968 and the line has gone from strength to strength since then, recently celebrating its golden jubilee (see news and feature on pages 19-23).

FEATURES

NEWS

16

8

19

26

33

WINDERMERE ‘DIESEL GALA’

Loco-hauled trains returned to the branch for two weeks at the end of June.

KWVR AT 50

How diesels have featured over the last five decades on the West Yorkshire heritage line as it celebrates its golden jubilee.

ON SHED PART FOUR

Surveying purpose-built depots in East Anglia, the South-East and Wales.

75

0-60: CLASS 221

78

Putting a Virgin ‘Voyager’ on test.

REGULARS 24

SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS

35

TIME TRAVELLER

76

REVIEWS

76

EXPRESS MAILBAG

82

The best ways to get Rail Express every month.

News from the past five decades.

East Coast Pullmans; Railway woes.

MODELLING

Departmental bogie bolster wagons get an in-depth focus this month, while there’s news of a 4mm Class 158 and Class 50 in both ‘N’ and ‘O’ gauges – plus we review Heljan’s Class 07, Bachmann’s coal subsector ‘37’ and Kernow’s exclusive ‘31s’.

HEADLINE NEWS

CrossCountry revamp plan to combat overcrowding; GNWT to use Mk.4s; No Mk.3s for TPE; More Wales & Borders plans revealed; East Midlands changes ahead; CAF and HitachiBombardier to bid for HS2 fleet; Improvements at Northern but GTR faces losing franchise; ‘50s@50’ event shaping up nicely; First look at London Overground Class 710 EMUs.

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LU WORLD

Siemens to build new Tube trains in Goole.

RAILTOURS

Including a full diary of tours for August.

PRESERVATION

NRM begins review of its diesel and electric fleet; Final EMUs leave Coventry; 125 Group launches depot appeal; Diesels replace steam.

86

POWER BY THE HOUR

88

POWERSCENE

96

UNITS

99

SHUNTERS

GBRf acquires Class 56 fleet; Coals ‘Tugs’ sold in surprise deal.

Notable workings from around the country.

‘Networkers’ enter service with ScotRail.

RSS helps out at Ketton.

100 COACHES

ERS acquires Caledonian Sleeper coaches.

101 WAGONS

First ‘production’ HRAs enter service.

102 IRISH ANGLE

Cross-Border development plan announed.

CrossCountry Class 220 and 221 ‘Voyagers’ have been in service since 2001, but growing passenger numbers mean they now struggle to cope and the next franchise could see a return to loco-hauled workings (see page 8). This is CrossCountry's four-car No. 220019 at Banbury on May 15, with a working from Manchester Piccadilly to Bournemouth.

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 July 20, 2018 Next issue August 17, 2018 Advertising deadline August 3, 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.

Locos back in fashion

T

HOSE that were around before the turn of the century will likely remember a time of widespread diesel loco-haulage. In fact they were pretty much everywhere until the mid-1980s and the ‘Sprinter’ revolution, when second generation DMUs began to replace traditional hauled stock on many long-distance routes. But it was not until 2002, when CrossCountry withdrew its last loco diagrams, that a nationwide network finally came to an end.

Since then there has slowly been something of a revival – such as the Arriva workings between North and South Wales; the former Wrexham & Shropshire’s trains, which morphed into Chiltern’s Main Line workings; Greater Anglia’s ‘short set’; and Northern’s Cumbrian diagrams.

Very soon now we will have the prospect of loco-hauled sets entering service across the North of England with TransPennine Express. A planned preview service using ex-‘Pretendolino’ Mk.3s will not now happen, but it won’t be long until we get to sample the new Mk.5s with DRS Class 68 power.

Now with the CrossCountry franchise due for renewal next year, there are indications

that loco-hauled stock could be reintroduced as a solution to overcrowding. CrossCountry is not only one of the biggest networks, in terms of geographical coverage, but also one of the most used by leisure travellers, and so has to cope with seasonal peaks in demand to holiday destinations that fixed-formation ‘Voyagers’ cannot handle.

For the enthusiast, CrossCountry locos would restore a degree of national coverage sorely missed, linking in with many of the other loco-hauled routes. Add in the Cornish and Scottish overnight sleepers, which have always used diesels, a commitment to locos in Wales by taking on Mk.4s cascaded from the East Coast Main Line, plus a question mark over what will be used on the Midland Main Line post-2020, and it could be something like old times again.

Paul Bickerdyke

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Simon Bendall

Editor Rail Express Modeller

Christopher Westcott

David Russell

Power by the Hour Shunters Name Game Spectrum

David Rapson

Preservation Units Coaches

Gareth Bayer Wagons

LU World (with Piers Connor)

Powerscene

William Watson Irish Angle (with Alan McFerran)

‘Industry Witness’ News Writer

‘HOOVER’ HEAVEN: Pathfinder Tours’ ‘Mazey Day Cornishman’ on June 23 took

two Class 50s back to their spiritual home in Devon and Cornwall. The tour started at Tame Bridge Parkway behind No. 66149, but Nos. 50049 Defiance and 50007 Hercules (renumbered and renamed on one side as Nos. 50011 Centurion and 50006 Neptune respectively) took over at Worcester Shrub Hill for the run through to Penzance.

No. 50007 headed the return trip, which is seen looking the business at Cockwood Harbour heading towards Exeter. Both these locos will be in action at the Severn Valley Railway’s Class 50 gala in October – see page 13 for more details. Phil Chilton

HEADLINE NEWS

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CrossCountry revamp plan to combat overcrowding

The next franchise could see route changes, new stock and even loco-hauled trains in an effort to overcome the limitations of the current fleet of fixed-formation Class 220/221 ‘Voyagers’.

By ‘Industry Witness’ A NEW CrossCountry franchise is to be awarded with operations commencing in December 2019, and the Department for Transport has commenced public consultation about the future pattern of train services.

The main challenge is to counter overcrowding, which is caused by two factors. One is that passengers often use long-distance services for short distance journeys as they are quicker than the alternative stopping trains, and the other is the large summer peak in travel to holiday destinations. The use of CrossCountry services for leisure purposes is its largest market with 64% of users; commuting makes up 24% and business travel 13%. Some 40 million passengers are carried annually, which is 28% higher than in 2010.

NETWORK CUTBACKS

If overcrowding is to be avoided just by using the existing fleet of ‘Voyagers’, the options include concentrating on express services that cease to call at many intermediate stations, and/ or cutting back geographic reach by terminating trains short of their current destinations.

Reducing the size of the network would, however, bring a requirement to change trains to reach some destinations in Scotland, the South Coast and the West Country. Changing trains is not an attractive proposition for many passengers, particularly in the leisure market when travelling with luggage, and the reliability of connections has always been an issue. So it is likely this idea will be rejected, as it is at odds with high-level policy to improve connectivity between population centres rather than see it diminished.

Stakeholders are also pressing for an extension to the destinations served to include cities such as Liverpool, Bradford and Swansea.

One idea to retain the benefit of intermediate station calls is to use the ‘pick up’ or ‘set down’ only practice to prevent trains being crowded out by passengers making local journeys.

There is a query as to how this would be controlled in practice, as ticket barriers would accept tickets as valid and, in any case, it is difficult to prevent

passengers from joining or alighting at the stations concerned.

It has been acknowledged that the CrossCountry franchise has generally been well run by Arriva since 2007, with a good record for performance and customer satisfaction. However, the recent innovation of allowing advance ticket purchase on the day of travel, which is available until 10 minutes before departure time, has resulted in quality of service issues. This occurs when passengers have occupied an unreserved seat at the start of the journey, but find they are required to move to make way for users holding late-booked advanced tickets. This is not good practice and it is suggested that short notice advance ticket sales should not include a reserved seat so that passengers occupy vacant seats as if they were ‘turn up and go’ customers.

“The return of locohauled stock to TPE may be a pointer to more suitable resources for West Country services”

REPLACING ‘VOYAGERS’

There are issues with the design of the ‘Voyager’ trains in use where electrical

control equipment is mounted on the roof and cannot operate on the route through Devon to Cornwall during times when high waves impact on the sea wall at Dawlish. With the evident current shortage of capacity, replacing these trains with alternative vehicles so they can be used to strengthen other services elsewhere would be a sensible direction to take.

The imminent return of locomotivehauled rolling stock to TransPennine Express services may be a pointer to the provision of more suitable resources for West Country services, where there would be the advantage of the ability to add more carriages at busy times.

Fixed formations have been the favoured operational style in recent times, but they have the drawback of lacking flexibility to cater for peaks in demand.

The availability of bi-mode locomotives for haulage would also allow a reduction in the use of diesel traction over long sections of electrified route. However, this would need a more powerful traction unit to be fitted to the current Class 88 type of loco, which has a 12-cylinder engine limited to a 950hp output rather than the 16-cylinder 3,750hp unit installed in the diesel-only Class 68. E

GNWR to use Mk.4s on West Coast GREAT North Western Railway has been given the go-ahead to run open access services between Euston and Blackpool North.

The company will run six return trains on weekdays, five on Saturdays and four on Sundays. It will use four trainsets formed of a Class 91+six Mk.4s+DVT displaced from the East Coast Main Line by Hitachi IETs. Rights have been given from May 2019 to December 2026 – ending just before HS2 is due to start operations.

Virgin Trains currently operates four return trips between Euston and Blackpool, meaning there will now be up to 10 trains a day to and from the Lancashire resort. GWNR says it will differentiate its service with a different calling pattern (Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Preston, Kirkham & Wesham and Poulton-le-Fylde) and discounted fares in both First and Standard Class.

GNWR had been given the go-ahead in 2015 to run services using mini-‘Pendolinos’, but these could not be procured in time and the approval ran out in June 2017. While the ‘91s’ and Mk.4s are non-tilting stock, proposed stops at Crewe, Tamworth and Lichfield Trent Valley have been taken out of the application to keep overall journey times down.

8 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

NO MK.3 SETS FOR TPE: TransPennine Express has announced it will not now use trains formed of ex-Virgin

‘Pretendolino’ Mk.3s in public service, only for staff training purposes. Two sets of Mk.3s were due to enter service this summer ahead of the new Mk.5s currently being delivered, but this has been scuppered following discussions with the Department for Transport and Rail North Partnership. It is understood to be because the carriages do not meet current disability regulations. Staff training continues, however, and a set is pictured on June 7 ‘top and tailed’ by Nos. 68020 and 68027 at Euxton (Lancashire) working from Crewe to Carlisle. Jack Taylor

HEADLINE NEWS

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How the CAF DMUs for Wales & Borders could look.

More Wales and Borders plans revealed p

Ex-East Coast Mk.4s will feature in Wales alongside new build stock.

By ‘Industry Witness’ MORE details have emerged about the future rolling stock to be provided by KeolisAmey during the new 15-year Wales and Borders franchise, which begins on October 14. There will be something old and something new, but mostly the latter.

To list the old, Mk.4 coaches displaced from LNER by Hitachi IETs will be transferred in for the North-South Express service, which is to have three

rakes of four vehicles. Twelve Class 170 DMUs are also to be acquired for the Ebbw Vale line, which will come from Greater Anglia when they are displaced by new rolling stock, and there will be five additional single-car Class 153s transferred from GWR for use on rural services.

NEW TRAIN ORDERS

A partial solution for the low-cost replacement of ‘Pacers’ has seen a commitment to acquire five three-car

Stadler ‘Flirts’ will feature a diesel ‘module’ between the passenger cars.

LNER ‘AZUMA’: A driving car from Hitachi-built IET No. 800107 was displayed at the Great Exhibition of the North in Newcastle from June 22 to July 2 wearing LNER logos – the company which has taken over from Virgin Trains East Coast – and retaining the ‘Azuma’ branding (meaning ‘East’ in Japanese). While the driving car has since moved on, the free exhibition continues at the Discovery Museum until September 9, featuring other rail-related exhibits such as the original Stephenson’s Rocket. Hitachi

Class 230 units from Vivarail. These ‘D-Trains’, converted from former London Underground stock, will operate local services in North Wales such as the Blaenau Ffestiniog branch.

The headline element of the new fleet will be 36 three-car tramtrains to be supplied by Stadler for use on newly-electrified Core Valley Line routes. These will allow services to be extended to run on proposed light railway tracks in the Cardiff Bay area. They will use hybrid power –

conventional 25kV overhead wires, diesel engines and battery power. The cost of electrification is to be reduced by using battery power where any restricted clearances would involve costly work to install catenary.

New trains will also be procured to replace older DMUs, with a total of 313 cars built by CAF using the ‘Civity’ platform and by Stadler using the ‘Flirt’ platform. Trains will be made up of two, three and four-car formations made up into 112 sets.

Vivarail is to supply five Class 230 conversions for North Wales.

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HEADLINE NEWS IN BRIEF HYDROGEN-POWERED ‘321’

ALSTOM and Eversholt Rail are to convert a Class 321 EMU to run on hydrogen, with entry to service expected by 2022. This matches the plans Alstom has to introduce hydrogen-powered units to Germany.

The ‘321’ will be fitted with gas tanks, the hydrogen combining with oxygen to produce electricity that will charge fuel cells. Eversholt owns 107 four-car Class 321s operated by Greater Anglia and Northern, but all are due to go off-lease by the end of 2019.

SCOTRAIL TO GET DEDICATED BIKE AND LUGGAGE CARRIAGES

FIVE Class 153 units are to be transferred to ScotRail to carry bulky luggage, camping equipment and bikes on the scenic West Highland route. The single cars are expected to be formed in the centre of Class 156 sets and will be deployed on services from Glasgow to Oban, Fort William and Mallaig. The five DMUs, Nos. 153305/70/73/77/80, are currently in temporary use with Northern, having transferred from GWR. They are expected to begin use in Scotland in summer 2019.

‘385’ WINDSCREENS APPROVED

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East Midlands changes ahead Three bidders will have to solve the thorny rolling stock problem.

By ‘Industry Witness’ THE invitation to tender for the next East Midlands franchise, which will commence in August 2019, was published by the Department for Transport on June 7.

The main problem faced by the three remaining bidders – Stagecoach (the current operator), Arriva, and Abellio after a bid proposed by a consortium made up of First Group and Trenitalia failed to materialise – will be what rolling stock to use.

Previous assumptions that the route would be electrified beyond Bedford to reach Nottingham and Sheffield were abandoned by the Government in 2017 due to rising cost estimates and the transfer of express services to HS2 in 2033.

The extension of wiring to Corby was retained, which will allow a new hourly semi-fast service to be established from December 2020 using EMUs. The intention of these is to serve

intermediate stations that have seen an erosion of service frequency following the start of the May 2018 timetable, which has provided more paths for Thameslink services south of Bedford.

TRICKY GAP TO FILL

There is a requirement by 2023 to replace the current HST fleet on services to Nottingham and Sheffield with bi-mode rolling stock, which allows the benefit of using electric traction where overhead wires are available. This leaves something of a guessing game to assess what will happen in the interim, however, as the HSTs either have to be withdrawn or modified by December 2019 due to their lack of compliance with mobility legislation.

A change in the current pattern of services will see through trains between Norwich and Liverpool discontinued. These will instead run as far as Nottingham with the likelihood of a different operator providing the onward service. The issue has been there

A NEW flatter type of windscreen has been approved for use on the Hitachi-built Class 385 EMUs, which will work on the newlyelectrified lines across the Central Belt in Scotland. Problems occurred earlier this year during testing, when drivers reported a fishbowl effect from the initial curved windscreens that could lead to seeing double signal aspects. The units should have been in service by the end of 2017, but their role has been filled temporarily by ex-Great Northern Class 365s. The new windscreens will be fitted to all 70 ‘385s’, with the first expected in passenger service by the end of the summer.

FIRST TPE BI-MODE ARRIVES: No. 802201

was unloaded at Southampton Docks on June 11, after travelling from the Hitachi factory in Japan via Panama, it being one of 19 five-car sets due to enter service with TransPennine Express next year. These ‘Nova 1’ trains will be joined by 12 five-car EMUs from CAF (‘Nova 2’) and 13 five-car sets that will be powered

by Class 68 locos (‘Nova 3’). Hitachi

HIGHLAND RESIGNALLING

NETWORK Rail has awarded Siemens a £20 million contract for resignalling sections of the Highland Main Line, which will replace many of the semaphores still in use along the route. Work will include significant resignalling at both Aviemore and Pitlochry – two of just over 40 signal boxes in the whole of Scotland that still operate semaphores. The project will also see three private level crossings near Pitlochry upgraded as well as further work at Inverness, Kincraig and Slochd. This phase of work on the Highland Main Line is scheduled to be completed next March ahead of the introduction of the new timetable in May 2019.

Hitachi-Bombardier and CAF join list of bidders for HS2 train fleet

MAGNULL NORTH OPENED

LIVERPOOL Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram officially opened the new station at Maghull North on June 22 (four days after services began), hailing the benefits that improved rail links will bring the local community.

The new station is located between the existing Maghull and Town Green stations on the Ormskirk branch of Merseyrail’s Northern Line. Operated by Merseyrail, it is the 68th station on their network.

10 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

is a much greater demand between Nottingham and Liverpool than between Nottingham and Norwich, leading to inefficient use of rolling stock.

Commercial aspects have not been ignored, as the DfT is looking for innovation in ticketing options, including barcodes, print-at-home, and smart cards. Delay compensation is to be enhanced, with eligibility for payments as a result of late arrivals set at 15 minutes rather than 30.

■ The Department for Transport will ask the builder of HS2 to electrify a 15-mile section of the Midland Main line from Clay Cross (south of Chesterfield) to Sheffield so that HS2 trains can serve the city via a connecting spur line.

This means the electrification gap on the MML will be just 80 miles between Kettering and Clay Cross – but the Government’s decision to cancel this work in July 2017 means the inter-city route will have to make do with bi-modes or older diesel-powered trains rather than a new fleet of electrics. E

FIRST NORTHERN CLASS 195 ARRIVES: No. 195001 was unloaded at Royal

Portbury Docks, Bristol, on June 25 – the first of 55 ‘Civity’ DMUs being built for Northern by CAF (25 two-cars and 30 three-cars). The unit was then moved by road to Edge Hill to undergo finishing works on Merseyside before testing begins later this summer. CAF is also building 43 Class 331 ‘Civity’ EMUs for Northern (31 three-cars and 12 four-cars), the first of which should arrive shortly. Northern

SPANISH firm CAF is to compete to build the HS2 train fleet to ensure there is sufficient competition from a newly-announced joint venture bid from Hitachi and Bombardier. The latter two companies have already worked together to build the 400kph Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains for Trenitalia. Alstom, Siemens and Talgo are also bidding for the contract.

The HS2 deal will be worth £2.75 billion for a minimum of 54 trains to run on Phase 1 between London and the West Midlands. The fleet will be compatible with Network Rail lines, meaning they can go beyond HS2 to serve destinations such as Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The tendering process is due to start later this year with contracts awarded in late 2019.

HEADLINE NEWS IN BRIEF EMU TRUST FORMED

THE Heritage Electric Trains Trust (HETT) has been formed following closure of the Electric Railway Museum near Coventry.

It has the aim of preserving the former Merseyside Class 503 and 4-SUB No. 4732, which have been moved to safe, undercover storage at Locomotive Storage Limited’s warehouse in Margate (see photo on page 83).

HETT has also announced its trustees include Ian Brown CBE (former head of TfL’s surface rail division and part of the Railway Heritage Committee) and Neil Bennett, CEO of Beacon Rail’s UK operations.

LMMR OPEN DAY

THE Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway at Cynheidre, Carmarthenshire, will be open to the public on bank holiday Monday, August 27, from 2-5pm. Sentinel 0-4-0DH No. 10222 will be in service providing brakevan rides along the operational section of running line and ex-Nederlandse Spoorwegen Class 600 locomotive No. NS625 will be on static display for photographs.

The railway’s other rolling stock, including Class 122 ‘Bubble Car’ No. 55019 will be available to view, and there will be access to the main and small stock sheds and heritage centre. Train rides during this event will be accessible by advance ticket purchase only, via the railway’s website.

MID-NORFOLK STORAGE

THE Mid-Norfolk Railway has entered into a three-year contract to store rolling stock for Greater Anglia. This will involve some infrastructure changes to the railway in the coming months, and most of this work will be carried out by Sonic Railway Services to deliver the required rolling stock storage capacity on time.

The work will involve: completing the double-track between Hardingham and Kimberley Park, installing four sidings on land north of Kimberley Park, and providing a connection into Hardingham Yard.

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Improvements at Northern but GTR faces losing the Thameslink franchise Timetable woes continue as major December changes abandoned.

By ‘Industry Witness’ THE introduction by Northern of an emergency timetable on June 4, just two weeks after the start of the summer timetable, had the desired result of bringing predictability to services – although significant compensation will still be paid to passengers that had their journey arrangements disrupted.

The devolved Transport for the North organisation negotiated a four-week period of free travel for passengers in areas where the train service has failed to operate reliably, which will be in addition to individual compensation claims.

The late delivery of projects including electrification by Network Rail has been the cause of the failure, and so NR will fund the compensation. This will include providing support for tourism marketing campaigns for destinations that have suffered from poor services or, in the case of the Lake District line to Windermere, non-existent trains until open access services were provided by West Coast Railways (see pages 16/17).

GRIM DOWN SOUTH

It is a different story for the other operator in difficulty implementing the new summer timetable, however, as Thameslink services have seen little improvement during the seven-week period since changes were made.

An extensive replacement bus service had to be implemented given the inability to run trains between Peterborough and Horsham, which are the only trains in the timetable serving intermediate stations on the Great Northern route. An example of the many bus services introduced is a half-hourly shuttle between St Neots, Huntingdon and Peterborough, which is scheduled to take 90 minutes rather than the 28 minutes of a journey by rail.

Another revised timetable was due to be introduced on July 15, which follows the earlier attempt to stabilise services after 160 trains were removed from the schedule. Network Rail continues to be the focus of criticism by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) for the late delivery of timetables, but this assertion has become discredited as the period of disruption lengthens.

An inquiry into what went wrong and actions taken in mitigation has been initiated by the Office for Rail and Road, with ORR chairman Professor Stephen Glaister at the helm.

GTR will do well to argue it has not breached the licence conditions under which it provides services. For example, the operator is not meeting the needs of the Assisted Travel scheme contained in its Disabled People Protection Policy, and it is disrupting the journeys of schoolchildren, leaving the company in

breach of its safeguarding duty.

It is unusual that the failings of a rail service become subject to high level debate in Parliament, including questions to the Prime Minister, but that is what happened on July 4 and now the July 15 timetable is a last chance for GTR to demonstrate it has the management capability to restore services. If it fails this time, it is highly likely that the franchise will be terminated.

ROUTES REDISTRIBUTED

If the contract does end early, the decision to break up the current area of operation in 2021 is likely to be accelerated. This could result in the Thameslink franchise being retained only for the services it operates with Class 700 trains, a restored standalone Southern Railway, and Great Northern outer suburban services amalgamated with the LNER franchise, with the suburban Moorgate services transferred to Transport for London.

■ The Rail Delivery Group announced on July 9 that there will be no major changes to the timetable this December, meaning the current timetable will effectively be in use for 12 months rather than six. The move is supported by a number of train operating companies and Network Rail to bring more stability to the service after the recent chaos caused by the May 2018 change in some parts of the country. E

ELECTRIFICATION REPORT

A COMMITTEE of MPs has called for a rethink over electrification schemes cancelled over the past year. The Commons Transport Committee published a report entitled Rail Infrastructure Investment, which says the Government must do more to help the regions that have been ‘short-changed’ on rail spending.

Electrification schemes that were set out in 2012 but later cancelled include Kettering-Nottingham/Sheffield, CardiffSwansea, Didcot-Oxford, ChippenhamBath-Bristol Temple Meads and OxenholmeWindermere. These schemes should now be placed in the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, says the report, for further development and design work ‘with a particular focus on reducing the costs’.

ALSTOM REDUNDANCIES

AROUND 200 jobs could be lost across the business that maintains West Coast ‘Pendolinos’ at five sites as the company looks to reduce costs. None of the sites will close, but the 1,200-strong workforce is being consulted on the proposals.

12 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

Three vehicles of the Robel multi-purpose engineering trains. TfL

The Linsinger rail milling machine. TfL

GB Railfreight wins Crossrail contract GB Railfreight has won a five-year contract to operate and maintain yellow plant for Crossrail/Elizabeth Line from September, bringing the company full circle after being involved with moving the spoil away from the tunnelling under London.

In connection with this, Transport for London has ordered three maintenance trains: a Linsinger MG31 rail milling train and two Robel multi-purpose engineering trains with bespoke machinery attachments. All three are fitted with

the Elizabeth Line’s signalling system, enabling them to move around the railway while passenger trains are still running, rather than in a possession.

The milling process is claimed to eliminate the problems of sparks, fire and dust created by traditional rail grinding trains while leaving a smoother surface.

It carries the number DR79101 (99 70 9127 006-3).

The Robel multi-purpose engineering trains can be configured in various lengths from two to four vehicles

depending on the task, with a number of modular attachments including cranes, a scissor lift for working on overhead line equipment or cabling, and a water tank and jet for drainage clearance and tunnel cleaning. Vehicle numbers are: power cars DR97509 (99 70 9481 009-7), DR97510 (99 70 9481 010-5), DR97511 (99 70 9481 011-3), DR97512 (99 70 9481 012-1); transport wagons DR92944 (99 70 9310 944-2) and DR92946 (99 70 9310 946-7); and measuring wagon DR92945 (99 70 9310 945-9).

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The Severn Valley Railway gala will see an even greater gathering of ‘50s’ than at the final Old Oak Common open day on September 2, 2017, which had seven attending – No. 50035 and this line-up of (from left) Nos. 50007, 50017, 50026, 50044, 50049, 50050 – all of which should also be at the SVR event. Paul Bickerdyke

‘50s@50’ event shaping up nicely More details have been released on the locos taking part in what will be the diesel event of the year this October.

THE Class 50 Alliance has confirmed the latest additions to the line-up for the Severn Valley Railway’s Class 50 Golden Jubilee gala event on October 4-6.

Garcia Hanson’s No. 50008 Thunderer, Neil Boden’s No. 50017 Royal Oak and No. 50050 Fearless, and Paul Spracklen’s No. 50026 Indomitable are the latest to join this one-off event to mark the 50th year of the class The addition of these four should

see 10 Class 50s in operation over the three days. The line up so far includes: Nos. 50007, 50008, 50017, 50026 (subject to completion of engine repairs), 50031, 50033 (subject to completion of overhaul), 50035, 50044 (subject to completion of engine repairs), 50049 and 50050.

Class 50 Alliance director Jon Dunster said: “The event is shaping up well and we’re delighted that Garcia, Neil and Paul have confirmed their

locos will attend, alongside the home fleet. To have 10 Class 50s at the one event will be a great achievement and something we doubt will be repeated.

We’re still in discussions to see if one or more other locomotives could attend, and finalising the programme for the three days.”

Tickets for the event – which is supported by Rail Express and The Railway Magazine – have now gone on sale at www.svr.co.uk.

SPECIAL DVD PRODUCED AN exclusive DVD has been produced for the Severn Valley Railway as part of the Class 50 celebrations. It covers the period from 1992, when No. 50031 first arrived on the SVR, right up to this year and includes every Class 50 that has visited the SVR, plus home fleet locos on other heritage railways and main line workings. The DVD will go on sale at the event in October but is limited to just 1000 copies.

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 13

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First look at LO Class 710

London Overground showed off its first Class 710 EMU at Willesden in mid-June, although the unit was later returned to Bombardier in Derby.

FOUR-CAR EMU No. 710261 became the first of the class to be delivered to its new future home at Willesden depot, North London, when it was hauled there ‘top and tailed’ by Nos. 57305 and 37884 on June 13.

The unit was then used for the press launch on June 20, giving the first chance to look inside the newlycompleted train. The ‘710s’ are due to start work on the London Overground route between Gospel Oak and Barking from November, before also taking over on the Euston-Watford Junction and Liverpool Street-Chingford/Cheshunt routes.

The fleet will comprise 48 four-car units (Nos. 710101-131 and 710256272) plus six five-car units (yet to be allocated numbers). The ‘710/1s’ are AC only while the ‘710/2s’ are dual voltage (AC and third-rail for use on the Watford DC lines). The five-car units will seat around 200 passengers with standing room for nearly 500 more.

The units feature longitudinal seating, ‘intelligent’ lighting and temperature control, free wi-fi, USB charging points and digital information screens showing real-time travel information. Externally they sport a new colour scheme that does not include any yellow on the cab front, which is allowed by new regulations.

Despite a year’s delay in electrifying the Gospel Oak to Barking line, Network Rail says it is now finished and ready for active testing to begin, which will be aided by a Class 710 driving simulator at Willesden depot.

If testing and training go to plan, the first unit should enter service in November, replacing the present two-car Class 172 DMUs, which are due to move

Not a spot of yellow in sight – the distinctive cab front of No. 710261 is dominated by London Overground orange.

All pictures by Paul Bickerdyke

to the West Midlands. However, London Overground says it will not introduce the new trains until everything is ready, as a rushed introduction will spoil the positive impression new trains should make.

The first eight units will be allocated to the Barking line (six in service and two spare), followed by Euston-Watford Junction (which will see a frequency increase to four trains per hour) and then the West Anglia routes from Liverpool Street. They will also be used on the planned 2.5-mile extension to Barking Riverside when it is completed in 2021.

Static testing of the units is now underway until Network Rail gives approval for active main line tests to begin. In connection with this, No. 710261 was returned to Derby on June 21 between Nos. 37601 and 37611. E

 Tip-up seats allow space for prams and wheelchair users, while each carriage end has USB charging points (next to handrail) positioned to minimise the chance of trailing leads.  Longitudinal seating creates space for standing, while the grab poles are positioned to encourage passengers to move into the middle of the carriages rather than congregate in doorways.

14 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

The cab layout of the ‘710s’ has a central driver’s seat.

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WILLESDEN IMPROVEMENTS:

£10 million has been spent improving the North London depot for the new trains – including an automated visual inspection system (AVIS) on the wash road (above right), which takes measurements and videos of key components from the wheels to the pantograph as the train passes through, then feeds the data into maintenance scheduling software.

The depot building was extended a couple of years ago to handle five-car units, with internal features including lifting jacks, pits, and pantograph-level walkways. Paul Bickerdyke

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 15

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Windermere ‘diesel gala’ A loco-hauled shuttle worked the Cumbrian branch in June after Northern replaced its own services with buses.

A SURPRISING, but welcome, move saw West Coast Railways operate a loco-hauled shuttle on the Oxenholme to Windermere branch in Cumbria for two weeks at the end of June. These were the first locos to work timetabled

WINDERMERE LOCOS June 17-21 June 22-24 June 25-28 June 29-30, July 1

37669+57316 33029+57316 57314+57316 47245+57316

16 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

passenger trains on the branch since it was singled and downgraded as part of the West Coast Main Line electrification project in 1973.

The shuttles resulted from a campaign led by local MP Tim Farron to reinstate train services to the important Lake District railhead after franchised operator Northern had replaced its trains with buses in a temporary timetable from June 4.

Northern had been struggling to implement the new timetable introduced across its routes on May 20,

and temporarily axing the branch was seen as a way to stabilise the situation.

LOCO-FEST

WCR was chartered to test the viability of a shuttle service, running an empty three-coach on June 17 that was ‘top and tailed’ by Nos. 37669 and 57316.

The first passengers were then carried that afternoon on an unadvertised service before a timetable was introduced the following day that saw the locos work six return trips over the branch every day until July 1. Trains

left Oxenholme at 09.25, 10.40, 12.40, 14.40, 16.35 and 17.50; returning from Windermere at 10.00, 11.30, 13.30, 15.30, 17.10 and 18.30.

The service was funded by the Department for Transport at a cost believed to be in the region of £6,000 per day. Tickets were not required and so passengers could travel for free.

Northern’s replacement bus service continued to run alongside as planned.

The train began and ended the day at WCR’s Carnforth base. No. 57316 was used throughout the period, paired

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 Amazingly, No. 37669 was replaced by ‘Crompton’ No. 33029 on June 22 and for the following two days – seen on June 23 departing Windermere at the head of the 15.30 to Oxenholme with No. 57316 on the rear. David Dockray

 From June 25-28, No. 57316 was partnered by classmate No. 57314 – the latter seen approaching the Hollins Lane level crossing, to the east of Burneside station, with the 13.30 Windermere-Oxenholme on June 25. The two signals protecting the crossing here are the only two semaphores left on the line.

Steve Sienkiewicz

 Not all of the branch can be described as scenic – witness this scrap alongside the line to the west of Kendal station as No. 57316 leads with the 10.00 Windermere-Oxenholme on June 26. Note the formation has been reversed. Paul J Berry

 The first full day of the WCR shuttles was June 18, when the three coach train was ‘top and tailed’ by Nos. 37669 and 57316 – the Type 3 seen approaching Staveley with the 15.30 WindermereOxenholme. David Rapson  The final three days saw snowploughfitted No. 47245 take over from No. 57314, the train seen on the approach to Burneside on June 30 with the 17.50 Oxenholme-Windermere. Phil Chilton

with Nos. 37669 (June 17-21), 33029 (June 22-24), 57314 (June 25-28) and 47245 (June 29-July 1).

Northern resumed a limited train service to and from Oxenholme from July 2, supplemented by continued use of buses.

The temporary timetable was due to continue until July 31. E

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 17

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KWVR celebrates 50 years The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway began heritage operations at the end of June 1968, and to mark the golden jubilee this year it organised a week of special trains and events culminating in a diesel gala.

THE KWVR was one of the first standard gauge heritage lines in the country, running its first official trains on June 29, 1968 – a few years after the Bluebell Railway (1960) but ahead of its nearby neighbour the Middleton Railway in Leeds (1969), as well as lines such as the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Severn Valley Railway (1970) and the Great Central Railway (1973).

The five-mile branch runs up the Worth Valley in West Yorkshire from Keighley (where there is a main line connection) to Oxenhope, with intermediate stations at Ingrow, Damems, Oakworth and Haworth. It is best known to the general public as the setting for the 1970 film ‘The Railway Children’, as well as countless other appearances in film and TV productions.

The branch was built to serve local mills, opening to the public in April 1867. It thrived for most of the following century, but growing competition from motor vehicles saw the passenger service end on December 30, 1961 and goods traffic soon after on June 18, 1962.

Fortunately, with the end of main line steam then in sight, the preservation movement was getting underway and a society was formed in 1962 to reopen the full length of the branch. Agreement was reached with BR to buy the line, which was done in annual instalments over the 25 years from 1967, and the first train ran on June 29, 1968 – the same day as BR was hit by a national railway strike.

Jubilee celebrations

To mark 50 years of operation, the KWVR organised eight days of special events from June 24-July 1.

Much of the week was centred

Two days after being named after the line, GBRf’s No. 66784 poses at Keighley with home fleet No. 25059 during the diesel gala on July 1, at the end of week-long celebrations marking 50 years of heritage operations on the line. Dafydd Whyles

around steam workings with visiting locos, but the exact anniversary on Friday, June 29, saw GBRf loco No. 66784 named Keighley & Worth Valley Railway 50th anniversary 19682018 in a ceremony at Keighley station.

This follows the style of the name given to DRS Type 3 No. 37087 in 2008 to mark the line’s 40th anniversary (see page 21).

The ‘66’ then hauled a round trip special working for invited guests, but as it only has air brakes, the GBRf machine had to be paired with another loco at all times to act as a translator for the line’s vacuum-braked stock.

'Deltic' No. 55019 (seen on July 1 with No. 20031 )was a fitting visitor as classmates Nos. 55015 and 55016 took part in the line’s first diesel gala in 1988. David Russell

On Saturday, June 30, the day began as a steam gala but gave way to diesels from mid-afternoon and these worked right through to 23.45 that evening. Sunday, July 1, was a dieselsonly gala, with the home fleet taking part alongside guest locos Nos. 37401, 50035, 55019 and 66784.

The ‘50’ and ‘55’ had arrived at Keighley on June 13 ‘top and tailed’ by Type 1s Nos. 20007 and 20205 – the ‘20s’ then being parked up at Keighley for the duration of the gala but not actually taking part in it. No. 66784 arrived under its own power on June 29 and No. 37401 did the same on June 30.

KWVR DIESEL GALA LOCOS Guest locos 37401 50035 55019 66784

Home Fleet 32 (industrial) D0226 20031 25059 37075

After the gala was over, No. 37401 left on the evening of July 1 for York, while newly-named No. 66784 hauled the ‘50’ and ‘55’ away as far as Doncaster on July 3. E

Visiting DRS loco No. 37401 Mary Queen of Scots, the company previously being a regular supporter of diesel events at the KWVR, is paired with home fleet classmate No. 37075 on July 1, with the 15.20 Keighley-Oxenhope. Ben Bucki

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 19

KWVR 50

Worth Valley diesels Regular home fleet workings, railtours, galas and visiting locos have all contributed to the first five decades of diesel history at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

A

LTHOUGH primarily known as a steam railway for enthusiasts and tourists, diesels have been a key part of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s heritage operations from its beginnings in the late-1960s.

At weekends, and on weekdays through the main operating season, the railway runs a diesel railbus or DMU service that is used by local residents travelling by train to avoid the busy road traffic in the surrounding tourist area.

Today the KWVR operates public

rail services on more than 200 days per year. The railway has also been proposed for a more formal commuter service on a number of occasions, connecting into main line services at Keighley for residents of the valley to access the cities of Bradford and Leeds. West Yorkshire Metro funded a study in 2009, which concluded that neither suitable funds nor rolling stock were available. However, another study in 2011 on behalf of the Worth Valley Joint Transport Committee found that it would be feasible to run up to four

The final years of BR ownership saw the branch worked by DMUs. This is a view of the terminus at Oxenhope in April 1961, just a few months before passenger services were withdrawn at the end of that year, with a Class 108 waiting in the platform amidst a very rundown air.

20 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

commuter trains each way in the morning and evening. It would be possible to run these as a ‘one train working’ operation with minimal signalling, the only stumbling block being the manual level crossings at Damems and Oakworth.

EARLY DIESELS

It was the original intention of the founding KWVR Preservation Society to operate a regular passenger and freight service for the communities in the valley, and to that end a diesel loco and two

railbuses were purchased in 1966 and 1967 respectively.

The loco was the 500hp English Electric prototype 0-6-0 No. D0226 Vulcan, which in British Railways use was too powerful for regular shunting work but not versatile enough for main line use, but which has since proved ideal for mixed traffic work on a branch line like the KWVR and so is still in regular use today.

The railbuses were Waggon & Maschinenbau Nos. 79962 and 79964, which had only just been withdrawn

EE prototype No. D0226 was the first diesel to arrive on the nascent heritage line, and in August 1966 it was used to drag steam loco No. 46115 from Keighley to Haworth, the move pictured passing Oakworth station.

KWVR 50  A view looking north towards Keighley of the line’s locomotive depot at Haworth on November 17, 2012, with the running line just off to the left. Although it is shared by both steam and diesel locos, this view shows (from left) the Class 101 DMU, W&M railbus No. 79964, Hunslet 0-6-0 No. 32, Type 3 No. 37075, Class 25 No. 25059 and Class 20 No. 20031, shunter No. 08266 and (in the shed) the Class 108 DMU. All photos DC Collection unless stated

W&M railbuses Nos. 79962 and 79964 were acquired in 1967 fresh from withdrawal by British Railways, with the KWVR Preservation Society hoping to use them for a regular passenger service. No. 79962 is pictured on shed at Haworth in April 1967 – this one is now in store awaiting overhaul, but its classmate is still active.

The line’s first dedicated diesel gala in 1988 featured two ‘Deltics’, and then the following year one of them No. D9016 (55016) returned for the follow-up event – the Class 55 pictured on shed at Haworth on November 5, 1989.

A surprise visitor on June 2, 1984 was one of the newly-introduced Class 141 ‘Pacer’ railbuses, which was used on a promotional trip from Leeds and pictured at the KWVR’s Oxenhope terminus. New Class 150 DMUs and prototype railbus LEV1 have also visited the branch.

Diesel galas over the years have produced a number of interesting visiting locos – including No. 26004 for the 1999 event, seen awaiting departure from Keighley for the 1-in-56 thrash up the valley.

DRS began sponsoring the galas from 1998 and supplying a number of locos each year. In 1999, these included ‘Choppers’ Nos. 20902+20903 – seen about to run round at Oxenhope on August 1. Neither of these two had worked a passenger train since withdrawal by BR. David Russell

DRS sponsorship resulted in its Type 3 No. 37087 being named after the heritage line for its 40th anniversary in 2008 – the loco pictured with classmate No. 37037 (D6737) heading away from Haworth with the 09.15 Keighley to Oxenhope on June 8, 2008. Andy Mason

by BR after the 10-year experiment to cut costs on rural branch lines (see ‘Experiments in Bustitution’ last month).

The railbuses have been used on the early services at weekends and also on weekday services through the main operating season, although No. 79962 is currently out of traffic and under restoration by the Vintage Carriages Trust at Ingrow.

Next to arrive was 0-4-0 industrial shunter No. 32. This diesel-electric loco was built in 1944 by the Hunslet Engine Co. for the Mersey Docks & Harbour Board, and named Huskisson in memory of the Liverpool politician killed in 1803 on the opening day of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. It was withdrawn by the MD&HB in 1970 as docks traffic declined, being sold to a KWVR member

and arriving there the following year, but is currently stored out of action.

Ex-BR 0-4-0 No. D2511 arrived at Haworth in 1977. The diesel-mechanical shunter was built in 1962 by Hudswell Clarke for use on the docks at Barrow and Workington, but was withdrawn as non-standard in 1968. After industrial use with the National Coal Board, the loco was purchased by members of the KWVR in 1977 and returned to service in 1980.

Another 0-6-0 industrial shunter arrived in 1984, Hudswell Clarke No. 23 Merlin, initially to be used as a source of spares for No. 32. The loco had been built in 1951 for the Port of Bristol Authority before moving to the English China Clay Group at Carnforth. Once at the KWVR, however, more spares were sourced and it was returned to service.

BR Class 08 No. 08226 (originally 13336/D3386) was built at Darlington Works in 1957 and delivered to Sheffield Darnall shed. It survived in service until 1985, when it was withdrawn from Shirebrook and sent for scrapping at Swindon, from where it was acquired by the KWVR.

FIRST MAIN LINE DIESEL

The first main line diesel to be based at the KWVR was Class 25 No. 25059 (D5209) which, after 24 years of BR service, was bought from the scrapyard by a private group and donated to the heritage line. It entered service in October 1987 and is now one of the mainstays of the line, being used on diesel services throughout the main operating season as well as ‘Santa Specials’ at Christmas, ‘top

and tail’ with a steam loco.

Another ex-industrial shunter was acquired in 1990 through members of the Bahamas Locomotive Society. Ruston & Hornsby James (No. 431763 of 1959) was built for the Stewarts & Lloyd steel company, where it received its name.

After being sold for scrap in the mid1980s, it was overhauled for resale back into industrial use, but after no buyer was found it was offered for heritage use instead at a fraction of the cost.

The next main line loco arrived two years later in the form of Class 20 ‘Chopper’ No. 20031 (D8031). The loco was built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn in Darlington in 1959, entering service in early 1960 in Scotland but moving around the country over the next three decades before being

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 21

❯

KWVR 50

The KWVR re-created the last BR train 50 years later on December 30, 2011, using the line’s Class 108 DMU, pictured at Keighley about to be flagged off by the town’s then mayor Tony Wright.

UK Railtours and East Midlands Trains ran the ‘Worth Valley Wanderer’ on November 3, 2012 which took a HST set from St Pancras onto the branch for the first time ever. Power car No. 43082 is pictured after arriving at Oxenhope, and No. 43059 was at the other end.

The line’s ‘Santa Specials’ are often ‘top and tailed’ by steam and diesel locos (which saves time by not having to run round at each end), with the diesel usually at the Keighley end for the downhill run from Oxenhope. KWVR stalwart No. 25059 is pictured on such duties at Keighley on December 8, 2012.

No. D0226 still finds regular use on the line more than 50 years after it arrived. It can often be found on gala shuttles between Keighley and Ingrow, where it is pictured on April 26, 2013 reversing stock out of the yard and into the platform.

❮ withdrawn from Toton in 1990. It was

The terminus at Oxenhope is where the line’s main carriage sidings are, and on April 26, 2013, Nos. 25059+25278 deposit their stock into the shed at the end of the gala day. The Type 2s would then run light engine to the loco shed at Haworth. Ex-BR shunter No. D2511 lurks in the background on the right.

This is the view looking north-west at Keighley showing the connection to the Leeds-Skipton main line, which allows visiting locos to arrive by rail and through-workings by railtours. The station is behind the camera, and No. 26038 is pictured at the KWVR’s limit whilst running round its train on April 26, 2013.

 To celebrate the arrival of cut-down cab shunter No. 08993, a running day on June 18, 2016 featured both locos double-heading up and down the branch all day. No. 08993 is pictured with classmate No. 08266 leaving Haworth for Oxenhope.

The line’s Type 3 No. 37075 was painted in a non-authentic green livery in early 2013 for a filming contract on the line, and is pictured during the diesel gala on April 26 that year departing Keighley for Oxenhope. The steep 1-in-56 gradient and tight curve here combine to test any loco.

22 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

then purchased by a private consortium of KWVR members and arrived at Haworth in August 1992.

The first ‘proper’ DMU to arrive was Class 108 Nos. 50928+51565, which was bought by Bradford Metropolitan Council in 1992 for use on the railway. It put in 15 years of service on the KWVR, the two-car replacing the railbuses at busy times, but is currently out of traffic pending an overhaul.

HIATUS

There’s a limit to how many locos and vehicles a branch like the KWVR can handle, and so there was then a 20-year gap in diesel acquisitions until Type 3 No. 37075 (D6775) arrived in 2012. Like the KWVR ‘20’, this loco was built by English Electric at its Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Works in Darlington, being released into traffic in 1962 and based initially at Thornaby on Teeside. The loco was stored in 1994, but sold to the Class 37LA group in 1999 and moved to the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) and then the Great Central Railway at Loughborough in 2000. It was bought by the 5C Locomotive Group in 2002 and moved to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in 2004 and the Churnet Valley Railway in 2007. But in 2012 it was

KWVR 50 Superbly-restored Class 101 DMU Nos. 51189+51803 head down the gradient towards Keighley with a working from Oxenhope on April 28, 2013. Although most of the branch is single track, the first mile out of Keighley was formerly double-track as it was shared with the exGreat Northern routes to Bradford/Halifax via Queensbury, which closed shortly before the branch at the start of the 1960s.

sold again to a consortium of KWVR volunteers and moved to Haworth.

The Class 101 DMU pair of Nos. 51189+51803 never ran together in their British Rail career, No. 51189 being a Midlands vehicle and No. 51803 mainly a Scottish one. Class 101s were the final first-generation DMU fleet to be withdrawn, the last examples going in 2003, but these two were acquired for the KWVR in 2007 to allow the Class 108 set to be taken out of traffic for overhaul.

The final diesel acquisition to date is cut-down cab Class 08 No. 08993. This began its BR career in 1959 as standard Crewe-built machine No. D3759, but was withdrawn as No. 08592 in 1985 and then picked to be modified for use on the restrictive Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley line in South Wales. Passing into EWS/DB Cargo ownership at privatisation, final withdrawal came in May 2015 when it was put up for sale. The loco arrived at Howarth in October 2015 and was soon pressed into action.

DIESEL GALAS

Although diesels have featured throughout the past 50 years, the KWVR held its first dedicated diesel gala in 1988, when the visitors were Class 24 No. D5054 (24054), ‘Western’ No. D1041 and ‘Deltics’ Nos. 55015 and 55016.

Another gala followed in 1989, but then there was a gap to a low-key home fleet event in 1995.

The next major gala was in August 1998, the first of a series to be sponsored

by Direct Rail Services, which that year sent Type 1s Nos. 20308+20311 and Type 3 No. 37609. Pete Waterman also supplied Class 25 No. D7659 (25309) and Class 37 No. 37029. Class 08 No. 08436 also visited for the event.

1999 saw DRS supply ‘Choppers’ Nos. 20902+20903 for the gala, neither of which had worked a passenger train since being withdrawn by BR, plus ‘Tractors’ Nos. 37604 and 37612. Other visiting locos were Nos. 08788, 26004, 27001 and 31162.

August 2002 proved to be a bumper year, with DRS visitors Nos. 20303, 20308, 33025, and 37190 plus preserved Nos. 33201, 47401, 50007 and main line No. 56088.

Galas continued at times through to 2014, which were so poorly attended that the railway decided to cancel future diesel-only events. DRS was no longer sponsoring the event, and trouble sourcing suitable visiting engines (not least the associated costs) meant that enthusiasts stayed away.

Instead of dedicated events, the railway increased its use of home-fleet

KWVR HOME FLEET DIESELS Ex-British Railways locos D2511 D0226 Vulcan 08266 08993 Ashburnham 20031 25059 37075

0-6-0 Class D2/12 0-6-0 Prototype EE shunter 0-6-0 Class 08 0-6-0 Class 08 Bo-Bo Class 20 Bo-Bo Class 25 Co-Co Class 37

Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational

Class 101 Class 108

Operational Stored

Waggon & Maschinenbau Waggon & Maschinenbau

Under restoration Operational

Units 51189+51803 50928+51565

Railbuses 79962 79964

Ex-industrial shunters James (431763) 23 Merlin 32 Huskisson

0-4-0 Ruston & Hornsby diesel-electric 0-6-0 Port of Bristol Authority diesel-mechanical 0-6-0 Mersey Docks and Harbour Board diesel-mechanical

diesels on timetabled services throughout the operating season. However, 2016 also saw a running day with the line’s two Class 08s to mark the entry into service of newly-acquired No. 08993, and a major gala took place on July 1 this year as the

Stored Operational

final day of a week-long celebration of the line’s Golden Jubilee. This included the use of No. 55019, classmate to the two ‘Deltics’ used in the first gala back in 1988, and (of course) the line’s first diesel No. D0226. E

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 23

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GBRf’s No. 66732 powers south through Banbury on May 18 with the 6M04/13.22 Kineton-Bicester MoD working. Paul Bickerdyke

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DEPOT SURVEY

On shed

In the fourth and final part of our series, Dave Richardson looks at purpose-built depots operational in the London area, Southern England, East Anglia and Wales, plus a selection of locomotive stabling points.

A

FTER many years of decline, the number of modern traction depots is actually on the rise again to cope with the many new trains currently, or soon to be, entering service.

Recent openings have included the new depot at Reading and Hitachi’s depots at Stoke Gifford (Bristol) and Swansea, while the former Eurostar depot at North Pole in London has also been reopened by Hitachi for its Class 800 IETs. New EMU depots have also opened in the last few years at New Cross Gate (London Overground) and Three Bridges (Thameslink), while Greater Anglia is planning to build a major depot to maintain new-build EMUs. Manningtree was the site chosen by Abellio Greater Anglia, but problems over land ownership, plus rail and road access, seem likely to scupper that plan and a new site may have to be found.

EMU depots predominate on the former British Rail Southern Region, where long-distance electrification dates from the 1930s, whereas electrification is new to the former Western Region routes out of Paddington. Depots where you might find a significant number of locomotives are now few and far between in the areas covered in this article and, with the exception of the soon to be replaced Class 91s, only a handful of locomotives are now allocated to any London depot.

Purpose-built diesel depots that have passed into history include Finsbury Park in London and Margam in South Wales, while the list of closed diesel depots adapted from steam age sites includes Stratford in London, Bath Road in Bristol and Ebbw Junction in Newport.

This article includes purpose-built depots or conversions still operational in the southern and eastern parts of

East Ham depot serves the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line, and is situated between East Ham Tube station and Barking railway station. It is shown on April 10, 2017 with various Class 357 units being worked on. N Chadwick/Creative Commons

England and Wales, whereas steam age depots still used by modern traction were covered in Parts One (September 2017 issue) and Two (December 2017 issue).

LONDON AREA

Bounds Green (BN): The depot opened in 1976 before deployment of HSTs on the East Coast route out of King’s Cross, eventually leading to the closure of nearby Finsbury Park with its fleets of ‘Deltics’, ‘47s’ and ‘31s’. HSTs are still in evidence 40 years after they led to

a major decrease in journey times on the route, but not for much longer as they will be displaced by IETs from the end of 2018. The depot was electrified in 1987 and the Class 91 electric fleet is based here. It is particularly busy at night servicing East Coast, Hull Trains and Grand Central stock, with a resident ‘08’ provided by RSS. East Ham (EM): Opened in 1961 when the line out of Fenchurch Street was electrified, the 11-road depot is home to c2c’s Class 357 EMUs.

New depots have been built to service and maintain the fleet of Hitachi IETs on the Great Western and East Coast main lines.

This is an aerial view looking north of Stoke Gifford, which is the triangle of lines to the west of Bristol Parkway. Hitachi

26 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

DEPOT SURVEY

North Pole depot, opposite Old Oak Common at the London end of the Great Western Main Line, was built for use by Eurostar, but was mothballed in 2007 and taken over by Hitachi in 2015 for IET use. Paul Bickerdyke

After North Pole closed, Temple Mills International took over maintenance of the Eurostar fleet – this view on July 28, 2007 shows the newly-completed buildings on the site of the former marshalling yard. Ben Brooksbank/Creative Commons

Selhurst is Southern’s main depot in South London, handling mainly EMUs but also the Class 171s used on the Uckfield line. No. 171802 passes heading north on April 7, 2005 with a working to London Bridge. DC Collection

The fate of Willesden, North London, looked bleak after electric locos were displaced from the West Coast Main Line by ‘Pendolinos’ – but it was taken over by London Overground and now handles EMUs and DMUs used on the Watford and North London lines. It is also used by GBRf’s Caledonian Sleeper locos, with a Class 86 and two ‘92s’ visible in this shot on June 20 as No. 350249 heads past on the up slow line to Euston. The fast lines are to the right of this shot (see also pages 14/15 for more on Willesden). Paul Bickerdyke

Ilford (IL): Another, but much larger, EMU depot in East London, it is now operated by Bombardier (which undertakes heavy overhauls here), Greater Anglia and Transport for London, and is being adapted to service Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) stock. The original six-road depot opened in 1949 to maintain the first EMUs in the area, with a larger 16-road depot at the eastern end added in 1960 as electrification spread.

Ilford is home to Greater Anglia’s Class 317, 321, 360 and 379 fleets, with Transport for London coming on the scene in 2015 after taking over suburban routes operated by ‘315s’ and ‘317s’. TfL is also basing Class 345 ‘Aventra’ EMUs here in advance of Elizabeth Line services starting in December, but these will then be maintained at Old Oak Common. Other stock may visit to use the wheel lathe, and a shunter is provided by RT Rail.

New Cross Gate (NG): Opened in 2010 to maintain Class 378 EMUs operating London Overground’s East and South London routes, it consists of separate four-road and two-road buildings.

North Pole (NP): Mothballed for nearly 10 years, this large modern depot was brought back into use from 2015 to maintain Great Western’s new Class 800 IET fleet – a task shared with Stoke Gifford in Bristol. The depot opened in 1992 to maintain the Class 373 Eurostar sets that started operating through the Channel Tunnel two years later, which used Waterloo as the London terminus and had to use a new connection near Battersea to run to and from the depot via Kensington Olympia. Eurostar sets

is one of Southern’s main bases, home to some of its Class 377s and also the small fleet of Class 171 DMUs, and has extensive stabling sidings. It also had an allocation of shunters for many years.

Temple Mills International (TI): Eurostar had to uproot its London maintenance base when services were switched to St Pancras in 2007, and the replacement for North Pole was on a site once occupied by part of the vast Temple Mills marshalling yard in East London.

An eight-road running shed and threeroad maintenance shed were opened in October 2007, being home to the Class 374 fleet and remaining Class 373s.

Resident shunter No. 08948 moved over from North Pole at the same time. Orient Way carriage sidings, operated by Greater Anglia, are adjacent, on a site where EWS briefly operated a depot after the closure of Stratford. The whole complex can be viewed from the Stratford-Tottenham Hale line.

Wembley (Chiltern Trains): A tworoad depot, almost in the shadow of Wembley Stadium, was opened here in 2005 to service DMUs and later locohauled stock operating into London Marylebone. Class 68s can also be seen here.

Wembley Inter City Depot (WB): Also known as Wembley Brent, this complex of three buildings is operated by Alstom as the London base for Virgin Trains with

were not alone in using the depot as it also had a fleet of 12 Class 37s to operate overnight sleeper services that never happened, plus a Class 73 and Class 08.

This arrangement finished in 2007 when Eurostar moved to St Pancras International, and the depot fell into disuse when a new one opened at Temple Mills (see below). Hitachi took over in 2015 and ramped up activities in 2017 as Class 800s started to arrive in large numbers, which they will continue to do throughout 2018 and into 2019.

The depot consists of two main buildings – a six-road shed at the western end, opposite Old Oak Common, and a four-road heavy maintenance shed closer to Paddington and some considerable distance from the six-road shed. The two buildings are separated by the North London line which passes overhead (and over the Great Western lines) at this point.

Selhurst (75C/SU): An EMU depot first stood on this site as early as 1911, built by the London Brighton and South Coast Railway for overhead stock, later becoming a paint shop that was demolished in 2000. In 1928, what is now the largest of three buildings was built by Southern Railway, this now having nine roads. A five-road heavy maintenance shed was built beside it in 1958, and in 1986 a third shed was built for Thameslink close to the London Bridge line. Selhurst

“Depots where you might find a significant number of locomotives are now few and far between in the areas covered in this article...”

‘Pendolinos’ being serviced here, and it also handles Caledonian Sleeper stock with two shunters usually present. The two adjacent buildings date from the 1960s when built for loco-hauled stock, one of four roads and one of two roads.

The third building, on the eastern side of the London Overground/London Underground line from Willesden Junction to Wembley Central, dates from preGrouping days when built as an EMU depot called Stonebridge Park. This nine-road depot, partly roofless, is used for heavy repairs and had an allocation of GBRf ‘66s’ until maintenance was transferred to Peterborough and Doncaster Roberts Road.

Willesden (1A/WN): Closure beckoned for this North London depot when ‘Pendolinos’ displaced the Class 86, 87 and 90 locomotives that had been based here for so long. But salvation came in the unlikely guise of Silverlink, later London Overground, and even today AC electric locos can still be seen here. The depot opened in 1965 as electrification was completed into Euston, with WN initially being home to the entire class of ‘86s’ and also ‘87s’ when they were introduced from 1973. In addition to diesel shunters, it also maintained main line locos, including Classes 20 and 24 transferred here when Willesden (on the opposite side of the main line, now Euroterminal) and Camden steam sheds closed. Class 25s were later drafted in as part of the D01 (London division) allocation.

Main line diesels had left the allocation by 1977, but little else changed

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DEPOT SURVEY ❮ until some of the ‘86s’ were moved

away and ‘90s’ arrived. The depot gained third-rail electrification in 2007 to handle Silverlink ‘313’ EMUs and, after London Overground took over, WN became a base for the Class 378 units used on the Watford and North London routes. It later gained Class 172 DMUs used on the Gospel Oak-Barking line, but this route is now being electrified. New Class 710 ‘Aventra’ EMUs, similar to the Elizabeth Line’s ‘345s’, are due to take over both Watford and Gospel Oak-Barking services.

Caledonian Sleeper now also uses the depot, with its Class 92s allocated here as are the hired-in Class 86s and ‘87’ used for empty stock and standby duties. Resident shunter No. 09007, turned out in BR green as No. D3671, provides another link with the past.

Wimbledon (WD): Also known as East Wimbledon, this is South Western Railway’s main depot in the London area and home base of its Class 455, 456 and 458 suburban fleets, with new ‘707s’ having arrived recently. A new depot opened in 1974 adjacent to the site of Durnsford Road EMU depot, built by the London and South Western Railway in 1915. A 1936-built carriage shed used to stable EMUs, known as Wimbledon Park, lies slightly further to the west.

Major locomotive stabling points: Acton Yard is the London hub for construction traffic, receiving ‘jumbo’

stone trains from the Mendips quarries.

Mendip Rail and DBC ‘59s’ are often stabled along with DBC ‘66s’, while GBRf and Freightliner also use the yard.

Wembley Yard’s stabling point is used mainly by DBC ‘66s’, ‘67s’, ‘90s’and ‘92s’.

HSTs, Class 222s and EMUs can be found stabled at Cricklewood, on the site of the former diesel depot.

EMU carriage sheds: These are located at Clapham Junction, Grove Park, Strawberry Hill, Streatham Hill and Victoria (Grosvenor).

SOUTHERN ENGLAND

Ashford (AD): This Kentish town has a long and distinguished railway history, which continues with the Hitachi depot opened in 2007 to maintain the Class 395 ‘Javelin’ EMU fleet.

Aylesbury (AY): The heritage DMU fleet operating out of London Marylebone was actually maintained at Bletchley, but when the Class 165 ‘Turbo’ fleet took over, there was a need for a new depot.

Aylesbury was the chosen location, opening in 1991, and it is now operated by Bombardier for Chiltern. Class 168s and 172s later joined the fleet.

Bedford (BF): The future of this depot is uncertain now that the Thameslink Class 319 fleet has been replaced by Class 700s that are maintained elsewhere.

The depot opened in 2004 and has also maintained Class 377s.

Bletchley (1E/BY): This is another depot whose role has changed, being opened in 1965 as home base for the Class 310 EMUs operating on the newly-electrified route out of London Euston. It continued in this role after Class 317s then ‘321s’ took over, and also maintained Class 313 EMUs used in North London. DMUs operating out of Marylebone were also based at BY, although these were officially allocated to Marylebone’s carriage shed. Shunters were on the allocation, with Class 25s sometimes present, and Class 150s used on the Bedford line were also based here.

It closed in 2008 after Class 350s took over its core work, these being based at the new Siemens depot in Northampton.

However, it has since been used for commissioning EMUs built by Bombardier, most recently the Class 387 ‘Electrostar’ fleet.

Bournemouth (70F/BM): A carriage shed was built here in the 1930s, being adapted for EMUs when electrification reached the town in 1967, while a new four-road depot was built alongside in the same year. It was home base for the powerful 4-REP EMUs and their unpowered trailers, and was extended when the Class 442s arrived in 1986, whilst also hosting loco-hauled stock. Class 03 and 09 shunters were based here, with the latter lasting well into the 1970s, and it was also visited by ‘33s’, ‘47s’ and ‘73s’. The phasing

out of the ‘442s’ threatened BM’s future, as their Class 444 replacements were maintained at Northam (Southampton).

But it has continued to find a role under South West Trains and now South Western Railway, doing modifications on various EMUs and stabling stock overnight.

Brighton (75A/BN): Electrification reached the town early, with a former carriage works being converted into an EMU depot called Lovers Walk in 1933.

The depot was later extended and rebuilt in 2006, hosting several generations of EMUs over the years and now home to many of Southern’s Class 377s, plus ‘313/2s’. Various shunters have also been based here with the last, No. 09026, departing only a few years ago.

Didcot: A one-road servicing depot and fuelling point was built adjacent to the West car park in 1994, and is now used by DB Cargo.

Dollands Moor: A one-road depot was built at the western end of Dollands Moor yard on opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994, situated between the original line and HS1. It remains in use despite the decline of tunnel freight traffic, with DB Cargo locos sometimes running light all the way from Wembley for fuelling and inspection.

Gillingham (GI): Although no longer having an allocation of EMUs, it remains in use as a light maintenance depot and so is included here. It opened in 1939 and

Wimbledon depot sits alongside the South Western Main Line to the north-east of the town – this view on October 22, 2013 shows Classes 450, 455 and 458 on shed and was just at the start of the 458/0 to 458/5 conversion programme. DC Collection

Ashford is home to the Hitachi Class 395 fleet, with the depot sited to the east of the station. This view on December 13, 2010 shows four unidentified ‘Javelins’ being worked on.

Aylesbury depot looks after Chiltern’s DMUs. It is just north of the station and visible by passenger trains heading to Aylesbury Vale Parkway. This view of No. 165028 and others was taken on September 5, 2009. DC Collection

Merehead services locos used on the Somerset stone trains, this view on June 21, 2008 showing various Class 59s and and ‘08’ shunter. Gareth James/Creative Commons

28 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

DEPOT SURVEY

St Leonards was built in 1957 for dieselisation of the Hastings Line, but the four-road repair shed was taken over by Hastings Diesels after closure in 1987. This view on December 30, 2009, shows various GBRf locos, a Southern Class 171 DMU and No. 47712 with charter train stock. DC Collection

handles mainly Class 465s.

Merehead (MD): Opened by Foster Yeoman in 1980, and rebuilt in 1985 prior to arrival of its Class 59 fleet, the depot is now home base for all Mendip Rail and also DB Cargo ‘59s’ plus a few of its own shunters.

Northam (NT): The Southampton depot was opened by Siemens in 2003 as home base of its ‘444s’ and ‘450s’, now operated by South Western Railway.

Reading (RG): When it became clear that the original Reading diesel depot – which was built on a steam age site – would disappear as part of a major revamp of the area’s infrastructure, the opportunity was taken to provide a new and expanded depot to take over from two existing sites. The new Reading Traincare Depot that opened in 2013 stands on the site of the former Reading West Yard, which had stood derelict since being used briefly as an engineers’ yard by Freightliner.

Plenty of space was available and this was utilised to the full, with extensive stabling sidings at both the western and eastern end of the main depot building.

Initially it hosted only the Class 165/166 ‘Turbo’ fleet that had been based at

Reading since new, but the whole complex was electrified in preparation for Great Western’s 45-strong Class 387 ‘Electrostar’ fleet, which is now based here.

A smaller fleet of ‘Turbos’ remains for non-electrified services, but these are due to be replaced in 2019 as tri-mode Class 769s (converted from redundant ‘319s’) arrive. Equipped with diesel engines, overhead and third rail power, this 19-strong fleet will supplant ‘Turbos’ on most routes where they are still operating.

An unexpected development at Reading is that GWR’s ‘Night Riviera’ stock is now serviced here during the day, having moved from the soon to be closed Old Oak Common. One of GWR’s shunters, No. 08836, moved too – and during the day it is possible to see three or even four Class 57s, including a spare and one either end of the stock.

The best view is from trains using the new flyover alongside, built as part of the Reading remodelling. The original diesel depot has been demolished, but still standing is a second building beside the Basingstoke/Newbury line built to service the new ‘Turbos’ in 1991.

Ryde (70H/RY): This depot was

The Isle of Wight’s self-contained system has a depot alongside the station at Ryde St John’s, where ex-London Underground stock No. 483004 is receiving attention on August 3, 2005. DC Collection

opened alongside Ryde station on the Isle of Wight when the remaining line was electrified in 1967, and now hosts the 1938-built ex-London Underground Class 483 sets. It was originally a carriage depot.

St Leonards (73D/SE): Dieselisation of the London-Hastings line led to construction of two depots along the seafront in 1957 – a repair shed, and a stabling shed now used by Southeastern to stable EMUs. St Leonards originally hosted DEMUs used on both London and coastal services, joined from 1963 by a dozen ‘Slim Jim’ Class 33s (later designated 33/2) with slimmed down bodies, like the DEMUs, due to restricted tunnels on the London route.

After closure in 1987, the fourroad repair shed was taken over by preservation group Hastings Diesels and its sister company St Leonards Engineering. Privatisation brought it much extra work as the southern servicing and refuelling base for GBRf, with Class 66s and 73s regularly running in convoy from Tonbridge. It also services Southern’s Class 171 DMUs used on the AshfordHastings route, acts as a paint shop, and handles Network Rail stock – another example of how Privatisation has led to a

depot renaissance.

Salisbury (SA): This depot opened in 1993 as Class 159 DMUs arrived to replace loco-hauled trains on the Waterloo-Exeter route. They have since been joined by a small fleet of Class 158s, and all are operated by South Western Railway.

Southampton Maritime: The everincreasing volume of container traffic at the port led to the construction of a oneroad wagon shop in 1996, but in 2003 this was adapted to service Freightliner Class 66s (and later ‘70s’), with two shunters also usually present. It is at the western end of the Freightliner terminal and easily viewed from passing trains.

Stoke Gifford: A site just to the west of Bristol Parkway station, in the fork of the South Wales and freight-only Avonmouth lines, was identified to house the new Hitachi depot to handle Class 800/802 trains for Great Western. This is a large complex with a long depot building and substantial stabling sidings, which will fully take over the inter-city work from St Philip’s Marsh shortly. It was opened in 2016 and became operational when the first ‘800s’ arrived in 2017.

Three Bridges (TB): A large new depot

Norwich Crown Point was opened in 1982 to replace the former steam-era shed at Thorpe, and today it handles the Greater Anglia Class 90-hauled Mk.3s plus DMUs used in Norfolk and Suffolk. This interior view was taken on October 2, 2013. Paul Bickerdyke

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 29

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DEPOT SURVEY ❮ capable of housing Thameslink Class 700

EMUs, which are eight or 12 cars long, was opened by Siemens in 2015 at this site near Crawley in Sussex. It is on both sides of the Brighton line, south of Three Bridges station.

Whatley: A small depot near Frome in Somerset was built here in 1990 by ARC to house its then new Class 59/1s. They moved away to nearby Merehead by 1995 when Mendip Rail took over, but it can still be used for servicing.

Major locomotive stabling points: Some distance from the depot is a stabling point at Dollands Moor in the virtually empty yard, built for a volume of Channel Tunnel freight that never materialised. Class 66s and 92s (DB Cargo or GBRf) are most likely to be present, and stock in transit. GBRf and Colas locos can be found in the holding sidings beside Eastleigh station, whereas DB Cargo locos stable mainly in the East Yard. Hinksey Yard in Oxford is used mostly by Colas and Freightliner, although the Class 66 pilot is still supplied by DB Cargo, this having been one of the last locations with a DB Cargo ‘08’. Up to 10 locos can be present prior to major engineering possessions.

Hoo Junction, near Gravesend in Kent, is also a major infrastructure yard usually with several ‘66s’, ‘70s’ and ‘73s’ stabled, being used mainly by GBRf, Colas and DBC. Taunton Fairwater Yard is an infrastructure hub for Freightliner, while Tonbridge West Yard is dominated by GBRf with ‘66s’ and a large number of ‘73s’ usually present. Westbury is another busy infrastructure yard used by Colas ‘70s’, GBRf, Freightliner and DB Cargo, Colas having its own stabling siding.

EMU carriage sheds: These are located at Farnham and Littlehampton.

EAST ANGLIA

Cambridge (31A/CA): The diesel depot opened in 1958 some two miles north of the station and the steam shed it replaced, initially maintaining shunters and

DMUs with main line locos also visiting.

Nothing was allocated after 1987, but it was used by parcels stock with Class 47s visiting until 1996 when it was shut down. Closure did not last long, however, as in 1998 it was reopened for overnight servicing of DMUs, this role continuing today with CrossCountry. More recently it has been used for contract work on EMUs and, as it is not electrified, this has required the presence of a hired-in shunter.

Clacton (CC): Opened in 1981, this EMU depot was home to the distinctive Class 309 ‘Clacton’ sets, Class 312s, and their successors Class 321s. Although it closed in 1994, it reopened in 2002 and has been used for various work on EMUs, while also stabling stock.

Colchester (30E/CR): A small tworoad depot was built here in 1961 and had an allocation of ‘03s’ and ‘08s’ until 1987 as well as servicing main line locos. It is now used by on-track plant.

Norwich (NC): A new depot at Crown Point was opened in 1982 to replace Thorpe, a former steam shed also used by diesels since the late 1950s. It was electrified in 1987 and, in addition to Class 90-hauled stock, it maintains Greater Anglia’s DMU fleet comprising Classes 153, 156 and 170, and services DRS locos used on local passenger services and stock transfers. Two ‘08s’ are based here.

Peterborough (DBC): A one-road servicing depot was built in 1969 and is used by DBC ‘66s’.

Peterborough (GBRf) (PG): This depot was built in 1987 as an electrification base, but in 2001 was taken over by GBRf to service Class 66s. They are officially allocated here although maintained at Doncaster Roberts Road.

Major locomotive stabling points: Freightliner operates the busy fuelling and stabling point beside Ipswich station, where locos are always present working container trains off Felixstowe. Class 66s, 70s, 86s and 90s can all be seen, with

The stabling point adjacent to Ipswich station has long been used by freight locos using the Felixstowe branch. This view on August 13, 2013, shows Nos. 66501, 66503 on the fuel road with another ‘66’ and a ‘70’ stabled in the sidings. DC Collection

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE author wishes to thank the Engine Shed Society (ESS) for its help with this series of articles, and in particular Philip Stuart who is joint author, with Paul Smith, of the book Railway Depots, published by Ian Allan in 2010. The ESS was founded in 1986 for people interested in depots old and new, and publishes a quarterly magazine called Link. Its AGM is usually held in autumn at a depot on the national or preserved networks. It is also seeking information on shed demolition dates. www.engineshedsociety.co.uk

Greater Anglia stock in sidings alongside.

GBRf ‘66s’ and sometimes Freightliner electrics are stabled on the opposite side of the main line. Whitemoor Yard, near March in Cambridgeshire, is the major infrastructure hub for East Anglia. GBRf is the main operator with a Class 09 based here and ‘66s’ usually present. Colas operates daily and DBC and Freightliner locos may also visit.

WALES

Swansea: A new depot for overnight servicing of Class 800 IETs was opened by Hitachi in 2017 on the site of Maliphant carriage sidings, near the station, and this will eventually replace Landore as HSTs

are phased out. Electrification masts were installed although the wires will not now reach west of Cardiff.

Major locomotive stabling points: DBC ‘60s’ and ‘66s’ can usually be found stabled in Margam Yard, near Port Talbot, following closure of the purpose-built diesel depot nearby. DBC ‘66s’ can often be found stabled at Alexandra Dock Junction Yard in Newport, or beside the spur leading to the docks. E ■ Part 1 (September 2017) and Part 2 (December 2017) in this series covered steam-age survivors still in use today.

Part 3 (April 2018) looked at purposebuilt facilities in the Midlands, Northern England and Scotland.

Landore has long been the main diesel depot for the Swansea area, but the introduction of IETs has seen a purpose-built depot constructed near the station on the site of the former Maliphant carriage sidings. On March 20, 2017, five-car No. 800002 is pictured there – note the masts for overhead wires which are no longer planned to go west of Cardiff. Martin Turner

30 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 31

32 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

PERFORMANCE

0 to 60!

Just how nimble are today’s locos and units, and what’s the quickest off the mark?

Neville Hill takes advantage of a signal stop to see what a Class 221 ‘Super Voyager’ can achieve.

T

HE tilting capability of the Holyhead-Euston ‘Super Voyager’ was of no benefit as it sidled up to a red signal at Colwich Junction, Staffordshire. After a brief wait, the aspect cleared to green and the Manchester driver had every incentive to recover the lost time.

Colwich Junction is a suitable location from which to make a 0-60 calculation, starting uphill at 1-in-452 before four changes within the range ‘down 408 to up 317’ until 125mph was reached around Elmhurst, just north of Lichfield. The GPS recorder was located in one of the few locations where it works on a train in the ‘Voyager’ family.

It is understood that the Class 221s that retain their tilt ability are about only 3½tonnes heavier than classmates with the mechanism isolated, but the average vehicle weight of the five-car sets is just over 56½tonnes compared to 48½tonnes for an otherwise similar Class 220 ‘Voyager’ – the main difference being the heavier style of bogie on a ‘221’. Power is of course distributed equally throughout the train and therefore proportionate to

the train length in both cases.

One would expect the lighter Class 220 to be faster through the speed ranges, and so they are, but by no more than 5sec to 60mph in our trials (53sec versus 58sec).

The Class 221’s RE Factor has been based on the full 750hp rating of the original Bombardier construction, whereas the CrossCountry Class 220s have been down-rated by 50hp. The previously recorded Class 220 RE Factor (12264) was based on 750hp engines, but recalculating using 700hp gives a figure of 13679, which looks fairer and directly comparable to the 13471 of this Class 221 within the accuracy of the parameters used.

Interestingly, our figures for a similar five-car Class 222 – which has the same lighter bogies as a Class 220 but the same length as most Class 221s – were both slower to 60mph (59sec) and with a lower performance (RE Factor 11181). However, all three Classes 220-222 in the ‘Voyager’ family are much quicker than the next best DMU in our series so far, which is a Siemens Class 185 with a 0-60 of 68sec and an RE Factor of 11088. E

COLWICH JCT TOWARDS LICHFIELD TRENT VALLEY Unit 221115 Vehicles/tare/gross tonnes 5/283/293 Train 08.53 Holyhead-Euston Date Recorder position 1st of 5 Miles

Location

0.00 0.16 0.41 0.60 1.16 1.66 2.41 3.41 4.66 6.41 8.41

Colwich Jct (sig stop)

MS 0 00 0 24 0 46 0 58 1 29 1 51 2 21 2 58 3 39 4 34 5 33

MPH 34 51 60 70 85 96 103 112 119 125

Notes: Timed to 1/100th of a second and rounded to nearest full second; *=Coaches/tare/gross tonnes/including power cars.

0-60 time RE FACTOR** COMMENT

58 seconds 13471 On full power

Note: **The RE (Rail Express) Factor provides a weighted comparison of performance, taking into account time, load and rated horsepower. A higher score is better.

An unidentified five-car Class 221 passes the site of our test at Colwich Junction, Staffordshire, on March 20 with an up Virgin Trains working to Euston. Gary Mitchelhill

TIMES AND SCORES SUMMARY Time

No.

Load

RE

Notes

36 38 39 46 50 51 53 54 54 56 56 58 59 59 60 63 66 68 70 70 70 70 73 76 79 83 83 84 87 91 96 97 98 100 102 103 103 108 114 115 115 116 117 121 124 148 151 152 156 174 179 325

345008 395xxx 380022 700111 357017/033 323224 220xxx 800025 350403 365529 387111/117 221115 317651/672 222020 334021/029 333013 314214 185113 319376 375606 3900xx 43016/187 507005 57603 68007 172103 180110 315822/845 90002 450126/019 43285/321 43xxx/xxx 158860 800008/009 166205 175104 168003 91125 170114 144010 142030/048 92014 143603 87002 156413 66184 50049+50007 73970 153369 D1015 67006 40145

265t 280t 136t 412t 320t 117t 195t 265t 178t 165t 355t 293t 280t 260t 254t 189t 105t 170t 153t 179t 486t 296t 103t 232t 215t 88t 265t 256t 452t 346t 391t 440t 80t 520t 122t 157t 185t 430t 95t 54t 102t 803t 52t 529t 79t 481t 730t 281t 45t 475t 460t 613t

13887 16302 12939 13470 15673 14658 12264 13619 12294 17515 14137 13471 17959 11181 14687 15755 18116 11088 15145 12715 10089 9444 15817 11078 9999 11000 8514 17276 10376 7043 9050 10086 11630 11603 11391 11297 10640 7806 9878 10412 9855 10331 9895 8775 11202 10122 8752 11568 10144 10110 8030 9430

Fastest AC EMU

Fastest DMU Electric bi-mode

Highest RE Factor

Fastest third-rail 2+4 HST Fastest diesel loco

Fastest electric loco 2+7 HST 2+8 HST Diesel bi-mode

Notes: Time=number of seconds to reach 60mph from a standing start on the level; Load=total weight in tonnes of train and passengers, including loco if relevant; RE=the RE Factor, our measure of performance based on time, load and power (a higher score is better).

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 33

TIME TRAVELLER YEARS AGO...

50

AUGUST 1968

BR OMITS PREFIX FROM DIESEL NUMBERS: With the elimination of steam locomotives from British Railways in August, the ‘D’ prefix that had been added to the serial numbers of diesel locomotives to avoid confusion with steam locomotives carrying the same numbers, was omitted as locomotives were repainted. Electric locos, however, continued to retain the prefix ‘E’ for the time being.

THIRSK ELECTRIFICATION: Masts for the electrification of the East Coast Main Line north of York had reached Thirsk by

August 1988 – this view of an unidentified HST heading south being taken on the 13th of that month. Electric-hauled passenger trains through to Edinburgh began running on July 8, 1991.

YEARS AGO...

When BR dropped the ‘D’ prefix from its diesel numbers, it was simply painted over them on the cast numberplate of many Class 52 ‘Westerns’, such as No. 1010 seen near the end of its career on February 13, 1977.

Barry Lewis/Creative Commons

YEARS AGO...

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AUGUST 1978

FREIGHTLINERS TRANSFER TO BR: The controlling interest in Freightliners Limited was transferred from the National Freight Corporation to British Railways Board on August 4 under the Transport Act 1978, which had received Royal Assent two days earlier. Though the Freightliner concept was developed

by BRB in the 1960s, since it was set up in 1969 the Freightliner company had been owned 51 percent by the NFC and 49 percent by BRB. The 36 terminals in 1967 handled seven million tonnes of traffic in 700,000 loaded container movements worth £50 million.

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AUGUST 1988

classicmagazines.co.uk/rmarchive

public by pulling those ‘Pacers’ that are working out of one metropolitan region to service another.” BR had earlier admitted that as many as half the 164 units had been out of service with defective gearboxes, leading to retention of old DMUs, but it expected modifications being carried out by manufacturer Self Changing Gears and Provincial engineers would solve the problem by that autumn.

YEARS AGO...

20

AUGUST 1998

‘33’ FOR REPAIR AT IPSWICH: In a development that would never have happened in BR days (although would not be unusual today), EWS Class 33 No. 33025 went to have collision damage repaired at the unlikely location of Ipswich carriage and wagon depot. The Type 3 was damaged in an accident on August 5 and the move was the result of an offer by depot manager John Randall and his staff to carry out repairs at ‘minimal’ cost.

The loco was moved to East Anglia on August 22.

YEARS AGO...

READ THESE AND HUNDREDS MORE EDITIONS IN THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

‘PACER’ DEADLINE: The Association of Metropolitan Authorities gave British Railways until October to ‘get its act together’ over ‘Pacer’ trains otherwise legal action would follow. Committee chairman Mike Simmons said patience was not exhaustible: “At any one time there are 25% of them out of action because of faulty gearboxes, and BR compounds the misery for the travelling

10

AUGUST 2008

LINCOLN SEMAPHORES GO: The city of Lincoln was no longer a haven of semaphore signalling as July and August

VIRGIN ‘DELTIC’: Preserved but main line certified Class 55 No. 55022 was hired

in by Virgin Trains CrossCountry for the Saturdays-only 1099/06.58 Birmingham New Street to Ramsgate and 1S87/11.26 return, which continued on to Edinburgh behind an electric. The green ‘Deltic’ is pictured making the Oxford stop of the northbound working on August 22.

saw Network Rail resignal the area, lay new track and begin demolishing the signal boxes. Pelham Street box, east of the station, went on August 18 and West Holmes box disappeared a few days later.

OLD DALBY REPAIRED: Conductor rails were laid along more than two miles of the Old Dalby test track as part of a £3 million refurbishment of the Leicestershire line in readiness to

start testing the new ‘S’ Stock being built by Bombardier in Derby for London Underground sub-surface lines. The line north of Melton Mowbray had been previously used to test Virgin ‘Pendolinos’ in 2005, but suffered a major embankment landslip in 2007 that required major engineering work. Some other sections of line were left in a worn condition to provide realistic results from test running.

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 35

SOUTHERN ‘07’ FROM HELJAN

No. 172 DIESEL AND ELECTRIC ERA MODELLING

A SOUTHERN

HAPPENING

5

Newsdesk: Latest developments

In a bumper month for news, there have been new announcements from Heljan, Accurascale and Dapol while Bachmann has at long last released the first image of its new 4mm Class 158. Pre-production Class 50 samples have also appeared in both ‘N’ and ‘O’.

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Modelling: Southern 2-HAP EMU

Although Bachmann has announced its intention to produce the 2-HAP in ‘OO’ gauge, this is still some way from release. This issue therefore details how to go about converting the existing 2-EPB model into one of the closely-related outer suburban Southern EMUs.

19

D&E Files: Departmental bolsters

Following revenue use, a large number of bogie bolster wagons were transferred into departmental service. David Ratcliffe illustrates a variety of types and loads.

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Reviews: Heljan Class 07 shunter

31

Reviews: Bachmann sub-sector ‘37’

The latest addition to Heljan’s collection of ‘OO’ gauge shunters is the Ruston & Hornsby Class 07, 14 examples being built for use in Southampton Docks.

Converting a HAP from the Bachmann EPB

ON THIS COVER The BR design 2-HAPs were constructed in several batches with detail differences between them. However, the defining features were the presence of a first class section and two lavatories in the driving trailer car, as shown by No. 6109 in classic BR Rail blue.

Another Railfreight triple grey Class 37 has been released

by Bachmann in the shape of Coal sub-sector No. 37049 Imperial. Also reviewed are several new items from the Airbrush Company, including the latest design of compressor and airbrush.

Simon Bendall

33

A breakdown of our Express rating system

Reviews: Kernow exclusive Class 31s

Now available from Kernow Model Rail Centre are two new Hornby Class 31s, these spanning the decades in depicting the experimental golden ochre and BR Research liveries. There is also a new book taking a pictorial look at British Rail coaching stock.

RAIL EXPRESS MODELLER EDITOR REMeditor@mortons.co.uk

RAIL EXPRESS MODELLER RATINGS good

poor

excellent

average

outstanding

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M3

M4 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

NEWSDESK

Heljan surprises with new ‘25’ The Danish manufacturer has announced its return to mainstream diesel types with an attempt at the ‘Rats’.

THE competition to produce the definitive re-creation of the BR/Sulzer Type 2s in ‘OO’ gauge took a further twist at the beginning of July, with Heljan joining Bachmann and Sutton’s Locomotive Works (SLW) in coveting members of the Class 24/25 family.

Specifically, Heljan is looking at the type in its final Class 25/2 and Class 25/3 guise, which featured the revised design of bodysides and cab fronts.

SLW has produced the ‘standard’ Class 24 in recent years while Bachmann’s long in gestation model of the headcode box fitted classmates is also tangibly progressing at last with the publication of a CAD image in its most recent collectors’ club magazine.

Bachmann has previously stated that its revamped tooling will cater for a new Class 25 while the design of the SLW model also allows for this as a future, but as yet unannounced, development.

For its model, Heljan has set a release date of next year, eschewing anything more specific for the moment, but as shown by these CAD images, work is well underway. The stated specification includes the expected allwheel drive, illuminated marker lights and headcode displays, 21-pin DCC socket and speaker provision.

ETHELs and ice cream

HELJAN will also be offering the new model in ETHEL form, re-creating the three locos that were converted into mobile train heating units, initially for use on West Highland sleeper services and then with InterCity’s charter unit. The company has yet to finally decide if the ETHELs will still feature a mechanism or be unpowered but retaining pick-ups and electronics to allow a sound chip to be fitted. The bufferbeam ETH fittings are due to be included in the accessory bag. Currently planned are No. 97250 in BR blue/grey and InterCity-liveried No. 97252.

Also to be produced is the type’s ‘celebrity’ loco, Tamworth Castle, which will appear as both No. 25912 in its BR blue ‘ice cream van’ livery with yellow cabs and silver roof along with its 1989-applied retro BR two tone green.

Regular green releases include Nos. D5244 (weathered) and D7645, along with No. D7550 which will have full yellow ends. In BR blue with half yellow ends will be No. D7661 while in ‘standard’ blue are Nos. D7667, 25093, 25155 (weathered) and 25252, these having a variety of differences, such as BR arrows position and headcode display. www.heljan.dk

Updated ‘08’ on the way from Dapol

Dapol confirms Pressed Steel ‘bubble’ in ‘O’

WORK is now underway on a second version of Dapol’s highly successful ‘O’ gauge Class 08. As promised, this will see the model modernised to represent later builds, alterations including pressed doors with short hinges, metal cab doors, air compressor cabinet and a reduced number of marker lights.

Expected around Christmas, fully decorated locos include No. 08717 in BR blue with Inverness stag emblems, InterCity-liveried No. 08795, Railfreight triple grey No. 08740 and the

Supplement No. 172

Privatisation era duo of Freightliner’s No. 08891 and EWS’ No. 08709.

These liveries will also be available in unnumbered form, the BR blue model also dropping the stag. All 10 of these models have a RRP of £225 with DCC sound versions also available at £400.

Also in Dapol’s 7mm range, livery samples of the BR standard brake van and HAA coal hopper have been shown, the initial batches of both being due for release in the next couple of months. www.dapol.co.uk

FIRST seen back in March, Dapol has now confirmed full details of the Pressed Steel Class 121 ‘bubble cars’ that are being produced in ‘O’ gauge alongside the already announced Gloucester Class 122s.

The specification is much the same as before, allowing for some of the detail differences to be catered for.

Five liveries are initially planned, covering the design's earlier years.

Thus there is BR green with whiskers or yellow panels as Nos. 55020 and 55027 respectively, BR blue No. 55023, blue/ grey No. 55029 and No. 55020 again, this time in its GWR150 chocolate/ cream garb. A DCC ready model is priced

at £299 with DCC fitted costing £329 and DCC sound for £499. In addition, DCC Supplies has commissioned a limited edition of Chiltern Railways’ No. 121034 in its BR green scheme, which is available to preorder now from www.dccsupplies.com.

Progress is also being made with the new range of ready-to-run 7mm scale Mk.1 coaches under the Lionheart Trains brand. First samples have now arrived, as shown by the Brake Second Corridor illustrated below, with some minor alterations now being made.

Livery samples are expected to be on display at the Guildex exhibition in September. www.dapol.co.uk

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M5

NEWSDESK

Bachmann unveils Class 158 at last

After years stuck in development, the manufacturer has given the first look at the all new 4mm BREL ‘Sprinter’.

IT has been some time coming, over six years in fact, but Bachmann has now received the first engineering prototype of the completely retooled ‘OO’ gauge Class 158.

The original model was one of the first D&E items to be produced by the manufacturer back in the late 1990s and, as such, is rather dated by today’s standards, lacking both DCC compatibility and the ability to cater for an increasing number of detail variations. A new version was announced back in 2012 but a decision part way through the project to completely redesign the chassis

to accommodate a new low-profile mechanism added to an already lengthy development.

Although it will likely be next year before the model hits the shops, the sample provides a taste of what is to come with a wealth of underframe detail on show and detail variations such as current light clusters and roof-mounted air conditioning equipment. The spec also includes switchable day and night lighting, illuminated destination displays and functional cab end BSI couplings.

Three liveries are planned initially, encompassing No. 158849 in Regional Express colours with DCC sound and

Class 70, this version of the ‘N’ gauge model featuring the additional bodyside air intakes and other tweaks. Like its 4mm cousin, this will appear in Freightliner and Colas Railfreight colours. www.bachmann.co.uk

First look at Heljan’s 7mm Class 50

New diesel hydraulics in two scales HELJAN has announced a new batch of Class 52 ‘Westerns’ in ‘O’ gauge.

These include the first appearance of the oddball chromatic blue with small yellow panels as No. D1043 Western Duke while there is a weathered ‘standard’ blue version as No. D1067 Western Druid. Completing matters are BR green/half yellow No. D1035 Western Yeoman, the maroon duo of Nos. D1061 Western Envoy (half yellow) and D1039 Western King (full yellow) and BR blue No. D1023 Western Fusilier.

twin speakers, East Midlands Trains’ No. 158773 and No. 158766 in GWR green, not to mention a three-car version as a Class 159 in Network SouthEast.

Also newly unveiled is the first sample of the modified Graham Farish

Meanwhile, due towards the end of this year is a new batch of 4mm scale ‘Hymeks’, the most interesting but conversely least useful being No. 35017 in its preservation era ‘Dutch’ grey/yellow livery of the 1990s.

The others are the BR green pair of Nos. D7015 (no yellow) and D7088 (half yellow), blue No. D7004 with half yellow ends and white window surrounds and ‘standard’ blue No. 7001 with the 'D' painted over. All have a RRP of £129.95. www.heljan.dk

JUNE saw Heljan release the first images of its under development ‘O’ gauge Class 50, which is expected to be released early next year. As ever, the model is said to be subject to corrections and improvements in several areas. Currently carrying an RRP of £699, six general release models will be produced in refurbished condition, including unnumbered examples in BR Rail blue, large logo blue and original and revised Network South East.

Completing matters are No. 50007 Sir Edward Elgar in Great Western green and No. 50149 Defiance in Railfreight triple grey with General markings. www.heljan.dk Hattons has also commissioned two exclusive limited editions of the ‘Hoover’ for release at the same time, these being the early 1990s ‘railtour’ pair of No. 50008 Thunderer in ‘Laira blue’ and ‘Dutch’ grey/ yellow No. 50015 Valiant. These are priced £599 each. www.hattons.co.uk

ScotRail Mk.3s on the way from Oxford THE end of June saw Oxford Rail release images of the first livery samples of its Mk.3a coaches in ScotRail colours. Pictured here is the Composite Open (CO), which was unique to the Scottish push-pull services, while also being produced

M6 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

are the First Open and Tourist Second Open.

Judging from the images, Oxford is currently set to persist with its own colours rather than colour match to Bachmann’s Class 47/7 and upcoming Mk.2f DBSO. www.oxfordrail.com

Supplement No. 172

M8 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

NEWSDESK

Accurascale increases in size

FOLLOWING on from the highly successful launch of its 24½ ton hopper, Accurascale has now unveiled the identity of its next ‘OO’ gauge model. This will be the well known PCV ‘Cemflo’ cement wagons, which were immortalised in miniature decades ago

by Triang-Hornby, and are remembered for the long distance Cliffe-Uddingston workings along the ECML, not to mention straying into the path of English Electric prototype DP2 with devastating results.

Operated by the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (APCM), the wagons wore Blue Circle Cement branding and were in traffic between the early 1960s and late 1980s. The Accurascale model will cover the second batch of wagons, which were built by Metro-Cammell, with CAD work already completed and tooling underway.

Expected in two batches between

October and December, pre-orders can be placed now. There are seven pre-TOPS and six TOPS era triple packs available at £73.95 each along with a solitary single wagon of each style at £25.95. As before, a bulk buy option is on offer with all seven pre-TOPS sets available for £500 and the six TOPS packs at £435.

GOING LARGE

In a second announcement, Accurascale is to scale the 24½ ton hopper up to ‘O’ gauge following many requests. This

will employ the same research as used for the 4mm wagon so will portray the same diagram 1/148 and 1/154 batches of the wagons. The larger size will allow some upgrades, such as compensated axleboxes, working Instanter couplings and a diecast chassis for weight.

Eight single models will be produced in BR grey, four pre-TOPS and four TOPS, each priced £49.95. Bulk buy options encompass four at £180 and all eight for £350 while a December release is planned. www.accurascale.co.uk

IN BRIEF ■ Hattons has added a further model to its initial batch of ‘OO’ gauge Class 66s after much demand. This is none other than GB Railfreight’s No. 66783 The Flying Dustman in its red and orange Biffa livery. Unveiled back in the spring, licensing permission to reproduce the ‘celebrity’ has been granted by both companies. Priced £150, it should be released with the other models next March. www.hattons.co.uk

■ Cavalex Models has announced that it is to produce an ‘N’ gauge version of its Redland/Lafarge PGA aggregates hopper following many requests. This will be a scaled down version of the forthcoming 4mm scale model and to the same high standard, with ordering options to be revealed in due course once design work is completed. www.cavalexmodels.com ■ Following on from the appearance of the pre-production sample of the 7mm Heljan Class 50, the Little Loco Company has announced that it has dropped its plans to produce the EE Type 4s as well. The company will now concentrate on other projects, including the much delayed Ruston 48DS shunter and Class 22. www.littleloco.co.uk

Class 50 makes progress in ‘N’

Bachmann receives regional exclusive Type 3 samples ANNOUNCED earlier this year, Bachmann has now received livery samples for four of its regional exclusive Class 37s. As with the recent Class 47s, these ‘OO’ gauge models will only be available from Bachmann retailers in specific geographical areas, the full

details of which are available on the manufacturer’s website.

Pictured are No. 37104 in Railfreight triple grey with General sub-sector markings, Railfreight Red Stripe No. 37032 with Mirage unofficial name and factory weathering, Mainline

Freight’s No. 37055 RAIL Celebrity and Departmental grey No. 37142.

Yet to arrive is the livery sample for the fifth loco in the series, InterCity Swallow shod No. 37685. All five models will be available with and without DCC sound. www.bachmann.co.uk

RECENTLY received by Dapol is the first sample of its ‘N’ gauge Class 50, which is now being evaluated and corrected as required. This will be produced in both as-built and refurbished forms, initial general release liveries being BR blue with either D or TOPS numbers, large logo blue and original Network SouthEast. More up to date is the Freightliner HIA aggregates hopper, where a first sample has again arrived. www.dapol.co.uk

Next batch of technicolour Dapol Class 73s unveiled

THE long-awaited second batch of ‘OO’ gauge Dapol Class 73s is edging closer to delivery with the appearance of these livery samples. Expected towards the end of the year, this new run will feature a significantly upgraded circuit board to allow improved control of the

Supplement No. 172

model’s lighting functions.

While there are two new Class 73/0s in variations of BR green, Nos. E6002 and E6004, it is this colourful trio that catch the eye, encompassing No. 73109 Battle of Britain 50th Anniversary in Network SouthEast and

No. 73235 in the colours of successor South West Trains. Completing matters is No. 73202 in Southern green/white, complete with dual Southern and Gatwick Express brandings. Images taken by and reproduced courtesy of Hattons. www.dapol.co.uk

READ THESE AND HUNDREDS MORE EDITIONS IN THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M9

MODELLING

A route to HAPpiness Eager to create a pair of 2-HAP Southern electric units before the release of the new Bachmann model, Graeme Elgar describes how he modified the manufacturer’s ‘OO’ gauge 2-EPB into the closely related outer suburban design, including altering the bodysides of one vehicle.

LOOKING at the Bachmann 2-EPB unit, it occurred to me that with a little work, I could possibly convert it to become a 2-HAP, the main differences being the provision of two lavatories and a first class section in the trailer car.

I had previously built a DC Kits 2-HAP and had another waiting in the wings, so measuring the lavatory section of this plastic kit against the 2-EPB, it was a perfect lengthways fit between the relevant passenger doors. Extra lavatory window body sections were duly sourced from DC Kits, two different

pairs of panels actually arriving, one pair from the HAP kit and the other from an Eastern Region AC unit.

Those from the latter set were not only longer overall but the distance between the two compartment windows across the lavatory window was greater than that of the HAP. While usable, the work required to fit them was different and is covered further on in this feature.

Roof alterations

As I was looking to create the later HAP builds with Commonwealth bogies, the

first phase of the surgery was to remove the unwanted roof conduit detail from the EPB donor vehicles and then replace the roof ventilators. Happily, the roof moulding can be unclipped from the rest of the body, making it much easier to work on.

Prior to removing the vents, I employed a 1mm drill bit in a pin vice to drill through the top of each vent, this giving a pilot hole and placement guide for the fitting of the whitemetal scalloped dome replacements from MJT. The conduit and vent detail was then carefully pared away on both cars but leaving the guard’s periscopes and air horns intact.

Fine wet and dry paper was then used to smooth off any remaining detail. The pilot holes were then opened out with a 2mm drill bit and the MJT vents glued in place (Picture 1). Other than repainting the roof and renumbering, this is all the work that is required on the DMBSO.

Body modifications

Illustrating the features that set a 2-HAP apart from the similar 2-EPB, No. 6109 shows off its first class section and lavatory window.

M12 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

Continuing with the DTCL, this needs to have its bodyside glazing and interior lighting strip removed as the next job. The replacement body panels from the DC Kits HAP are suitable for units Nos. 6001-6105 as they have a dividing bar across the lavatory window.

As I wanted to make a HAP from the Nos. 6106-46 series, this bar was cut

away on both panels to create a single large aperture (Picture 2).

The glazing for the new lavatory windows was taken from Replica Railways’ Mk.1 coach glazing pack (RA34). I used the frosted piece with a single dividing bar, which is intended for a guard’s compartment, and gently pared away the moulded bar.

Additionally, 1mm needs to be cut off the bottom of the glazing and it then requires gentle filing to shape, making regular checks until it fits neatly in the aperture.

The next job was to cut away the relevant section of bodyside from the Bachmann body on each side using a razor saw. Employing strips of masking tape as a guide, the cutting points are, from the cab end, along the door line of the third compartment and the fifth compartment (Picture 3). At the top of the body section, a sharp scalpel blade was used to cut along the inner side of the roof/side joint and all the cut edges were then cleaned up with a fine file.

The new body panel can then be test fitted on each side using Blutack (Picture 4) and it is useful to refit the glazing for the third and fifth compartments as a further test. If all is well, the glazing should clip neatly into the new compartment windows.

The glazing can be fitted as needed throughout the process of attaching the new body sections as it helps accurately place them.

Supplement No. 172

MODELLING

1

1: The modified roof after the removal of the conduits and fitting of MJT ventilators.

2: The DC Kits replacement HAP lavatory window panels, the upper one being as supplied while the lower has lost its crossbar and vent.

3: The DTCL body ready for cutting, with masking tape used as a guide.

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4: An initial test fit of the replacement panel, prior to tidying the edges.

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5: The two packing squares in place either side of the opening.

6: The styrene strip to support the new body panel in place.

Bracing the sides

In order to brace the new panels, two 5mm squares of 20 thou styrene sheet were cut out and glued directly under each door window next to the opening (Picture 5). Next, a strip of 5mm by 55mm 20 thou sheet was cut out and glued on top of the two squares across the body gap (Picture 6). This process was then repeated for the other side and then left to cure on a flat surface.

In the meantime, the replacement body panels were prepared. On the rear of each, the raised strip along the bottom edge and down both sides needs to be removed as the first job (Picture 7). The panels are thicker than the Bachmann bodysides and this will be noticeable when first inserted. Using wet and dry paper, the lower part of each panel was thinned until it lined up with the rest of the bodyside. Once happy with the fit, they were glued in

Supplement No. 172

7: The DC Kits body panels need to have the raised parts removed from the rear, as shown in white on the left hand section.

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❯ August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M13

MODELLING

❮ place with Butanone GLR (this is one of

the few adhesives that will work with DC Kits parts) and left to dry.

The new panels are also slightly shallower than the rest of the body by approximately 1mm. To overcome this, I used two pieces of 0.3mm x 0.5mm x 43.5mm styrene strip along the top and bottom of each panel. Once the glue had cured, filler was applied and then sanded down to match the body profile (Picture 8). Finally, on the chassis, the second pair of body retaining clips from the cab end were removed as these foul the new body section.

With a second 2-HAP required, it was decided to try a different conversion method, this utilising the aforementioned DC Kits body sections from an Eastern Region EMU again spliced into a Bachmann 2-EPB. As these had dimensional differences in the spacing of the compartments, just the lavatory window section would be fitted this time around.

To start, the centre line of the top

of the lavatory window was marked out as was both the top and bottom of the door window of the fourth compartment on each side of the body (Picture 9). The body was then further marked out using the edge of the compartment windows and by measuring 18mm from the top of the body.

Using a 1.5mm drill bit in a pin vice, a series of holes was made inside the marked out lines to make an easier cut with a sharp scalpel (Picture 10), while the cut along the top edge of the section should again be made from inside the body. This will leave you with a relatively square hole on each side that should be cleaned up with a file, not forgetting to remove the door stop and any remaining hinge detail.

Using the apertures as a guide, the new body panels were measured up to suit (Picture 11) and then cut to size. These can then be test fitted and adjusted as required (Picture 12). Once satisfied with the fit, Butanone was

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An alternative method

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8: The new body panels require small slithers of styrene strip to be added top and bottom to give the same height, which are then filled and sanded down 9: The first stage in the alternative conversion method is to mark out the centre lines of the lavatory window and compartment. As can be seen, the body panels from the Eastern Region unit kit have slightly different window spacing.

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10: Once fully marked out, the body section can be drilled out to aid with cutting away.

11: With the aperture created, the lavatory panel can be measured up to match.

12: Test fitting of the new panel prior to tidying up the edges.

13: Once happy, the panel can be glued in place and then filled and sanded.

M14 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

used to secure them in place and any gaps were filled and smoothed with wet and dry paper (Picture 13). As I discovered, the easiest way is to spray the area with primer as this will highlight any deficiencies and then repeat until you are happy with the finish. There is no need to remove the body retaining clips from the chassis for this method.

Bogies and underframe

The batch of HAPs being modelled were fitted with Commonwealth bogies at the inner end of both vehicles. In order to retain the pick-ups from the donor 2-EPB, I opted to convert the existing inner bogies rather than fit all new replacements.

Once dismantled, the existing sideframes were carefully and accurately cut off with a razor saw and the cut edges tidied up with a file. The brass pick-ups were then reattached to the bogie centres. Using a handheld 7.5mm drill bit, the bearing holes in the replacement Replica Railways Commonwealth sideframes were then gently opened out to accommodate the Bachmann pick-ups.

In order to attach the new sideframes, a piece of 0.40” x 0.40” Microstrip was cut into two 14mm lengths and glued to the sides of the bogie centre. The Commonwealth frames were then glued to these, ensuring they were level (Picture 14).

On the outer bogies of both cars, the third rail shoebeams need to be replaced with the later design, which are available from DC Kits as spares. To allow this, the Bachmann shoebeams need to prised off and the moulded shoebeam supports filed down until they are in line with the axleboxes. The raised line on the axleboxes also needs to come off, as shown by the white areas in Picture 15. Once completed, the new shoebeams can be fitted over the top and glued in place (Picture 16).

Finally, the underframe of the DTCL requires the addition of lavatory waste pipes. For this, I used 2mm thick wire cut to size and painted black.

Interior tweaks

The interior of the DTCL needs to be modified to reflect the first class compartments. However, the complete removal of the Bachmann interior requires the headcode lighting box to be interfered with. To avoid this, only the two small screws in the cab and the one in the first seating

bay should be undone.

Gently lifting the interior, a piece of scrap styrene sheet was slid between the chassis and the interior under the first bay. Using a razor saw, the interior immediately in front of the first seats in the leading seating bay was cut across and then again across the floor in the fourth seating bay. This cut section was discarded and the remaining seating secured to the floor again. At this stage, you may well notice that the chassis flexes and droops at each end but do not worry about this as it will regain its shape when the body is clipped back on.

To replicate the first class compartments, I picked up a Mk.1 compartment interior at a local exhibition and cut it to shape to have two compartments and a row of seats.

The compartment partitions were cut back to allow for the ‘false’ roof of the Bachmann body, while it should be noted that the corridor ran along the same side of the vehicle as the driver.

The compartment moulding I used was quite a light shade of grey, so it was painted with black seats and a shade of leathery brown for the woodwork before supergluing in place (Picture 17).

Finishing touches

I opted for BR Rail blue for both units which, as it turns out, is a livery not scheduled to appear on the initial batch of Bachmann 2-HAPs. This decision allowed for a straightforward repaint of the body and roof. The cab fronts were not repainted in order to retain the fine printing but the 2-EPB lettering and set numbers were removed using T-Cut and a cocktail stick.

First class striping was added above the relevant compartments as was a ‘1’ on each corresponding door, while the coach numbers were also changed, transfers coming from Nairnshire Modelling Supplies. Prior to refitting the glazing, no smoking and first class waterslide transfers from the Replica Railways range were applied, a mix of early and late styles being employed. I recall travelling in units that had both styles, sometimes on either side of the same compartment! The lavatory windows were painted with matt white from the Phoenix Precision range and then the units reassembled, giving, for the moment anyway, a couple of individual EMUs on my layout.

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MODELLING BR 2-HAP HISTORY

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14: A modified inner end bogie with Commonwealth sideframes; the white styrene packing pieces having yet to be painted.

15 & 16: Two views of an outer end bogie showing the white areas where the original shoebeam mounts have been removed and then with the replacement DC Kits versions in place.

THE initial batch of BR design 2-HAP electric units (Nos. 6001-42) were built at Eastleigh Works in 1957/58 to replace the Southern design 2-HAL units on the Gillingham and Maidstone lines.

The Driving Motor Brake Second Open (DMBSO) car of each set was identical to that found in the BR 2-EPB units in the series 5701-79 but upgraded with an express gear ratio.

In contrast, the Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory (DTCL) was an amended design in that it featured three first class compartments with a side corridor behind the cab, two lavatories (one for each class) and a five bay second class saloon. Units No. 6001-42 were classified as ‘1951 Stock’ as they employed electro-pneumatic control equipment.

Three more batches subsequently followed, beginning in 1958 with Nos. 6043 to 6105 for phase one of the Kent Coast electrification scheme and then in 1961, Nos. 6106-46 for phase two of the same project. The final build, Nos. 614773, arrived during 1963 for initial use on the central and south western divisions.

All three batches featured camshaft control equipment and were designated as ‘1957 Stock’.

The 2-HAPs operating sphere was over almost all Southern electrified lines, being used singly on secondary and branch lines such as the Sheerness branch and the Medway Valley line as well as in pairs and up to 12-car formations with solely other HAP units or a mixture of EPB/CEP/VEP stock during morning and evening peaks.

Detail differences

Units Nos. 6001-6105 were built with BR Mk.3/4 bogies on the DTCL and inner end of the DMBSO, while Nos. 6106-73 were fitted with Commonwealth bogies at the inner end of each vehicle with a view to improving ride comfort. The lavatory windows on Nos. 6106-73 lacked ventilators and the doors and windows had aluminium strip surrounds. Last built Nos. 6147-73 also had later design cab fronts, which had tapered windows and

a smaller square headcode display, along with angled rainstrips along the roof.

As the south eastern division started to receive new 4-VEP units, a number of 2-HAPs had their first class compartments downgraded to second class and their lavatories locked out of use. Reclassified 2-SAP, a total of 51 sets had been treated by the mid 1970s, all renumbered as Nos. 5901-51 and largely based at Wimbledon for suburban services from Waterloo.

The 2-SAPs reverted to their original condition and numbers during 1980 following the introduction of the new Class 508 units. They were also reallocated to Brighton for use on the ‘Coastway’ services variously between Ore and Portsmouth. In 1982, 48 sets were reformed as permanently coupled pairs with the brake ends formed in the middle. Reclassified as Class 413 and 4-CAP (Coastway HAP), the pairs were renumbered as Nos. 3201-13 and 330111 depending on their control equipment.

One first class section was soon downgraded while, later in the decade, the CAPs were transferred to Ramsgate for suburban and Kent coast services.

Later years

Withdrawals of the 2-HAPs based on the south eastern division began in 1982, the use of blue asbestos as insulation during construction meaning it was more economic to scrap the units than remove the hazardous material. Additionally, the banning of such non-gangwayed stock in passenger use from the narrow singlebore tunnels between Folkestone and Dover had made the HAPs less useful.

By the mid 1980s, the only 2-HAPs still in passenger service were based at Wimbledon, 1986 bringing renumbering as Nos. 4201 and 4301-22, the different number series again reflecting their control equipment variations. Like the 4-CAPs, these sets had seen enough asbestos removal to allow continued use. The start of the 1990s saw all the remaining HAPs and CAPs concentrated in Kent, from where the last sets were withdrawn in early 1995.

A look at the Commonwealth bogies on the inner end of the unit, the use of this design on Southern EMUs being limited to just the later batches of HAPs and CEPs.

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17: The finished first class interior section painted and in place, the partitions needing cutting down to clear the Bachmann body.

Supplement No. 172

On an unrecorded date in 1980, 2-HAP No. 6106 leads a 2-EPB away from London as the duo arrive at Eltham Park station. This unit was the first of the class to be constructed for phase two of the Kent Coast electrification project and featured Commonwealth bogies at the inner ends as well as aluminium window frames.

Eltham Park was closed in 1985 when a new resited station was opened. Colour-Rail

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M15

WEB WATCH

M16 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

The Railway Enthusiasts’ web directory

D&E FILES

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1. The Signal & Telegraph engineers (S&TE) made considerable use of bogie bolsters, and indeed in 1951 some 14 of the Bogie Bolster C wagons built by Metro-Cammell to diagram 1/471 were allocated to the department from new. Given the telegraph code of ‘Prawn’ and numbered in the departmental series, they became YNO on TOPS and were used to carry lengthy items such as signal posts and ladders.

No. KDB997643 was haphazardly loaded with a set of redundant level crossing barriers when photographed at Warrington in May 1979. Trevor Mann

Bolstering the

departmental fleet

British Rail’s large fleet of bogie bolster wagons was used to carry a wide range of loads, including a host of different steel products, aluminium ingots and lengths of both finished and round timber. This versatility would continue after many had been transferred into the departmental fleet, where they eked out their final years performing p a variety of tasks. David Ratcliffe illustrates a selection of wagon designs and loads.

2

2. The Signal & Telegraph fleet also included a large number of ex-revenue Bogie Bolster C, such as No. KDB944599, which was built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company in 1956 to diagram 1/475. When recorded at Liverpool’s Spekeland Road Freight Depot in April 1995, it still retained traces of its original grey livery as well as the more recent lettering ‘For S&T new works use only’. Although by then on its last legs, the wagon had recently been used to carry redundant signal equipment from a temporary salvage store in the nearby Wavertree Yard to Spekeland Road for final disposal. All photographs by the author unless stated

Supplement No. 172

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3. Many of the S&TE’s fleet of cable drum carrying wagons were also former Bogie Bolster C and, in the early 1980s, some were fitted with a mesh roof to provide protection for staff when working beneath overhead catenary. Now air-piped and TOPS coded YNW, No. KDB923040 was built at Swindon Works in 1959 to diagram 1/477.

Lettered ‘S&T BRB’ on its olive green livery, the wagon is pictured at Manchester’s Ardwick West Freight Depot in April 1986.

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M19

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D&E FILES ❮ 4. During 1989, the Signal & Telegraph

engineers adopted a new bright red and yellow livery. Amongst the wagons repainted in this colourful scheme were YVV No. KDB923176, a former Bogie Bolster C built at Swindon to diagram 1/477 in 1961 and, furthest for the camera, YRW No. KDB923962, an ex-Bogie Bolster E built at Ashford in 1962. As seen in this view, taken at Whitemoor Yard in September 1993, not all of the S&TE cable drum carriers were fitted with mesh roofs.

4

5. Also built at Swindon to diagram 1/477 in 1959 was Bogie Bolster C No. KDB923068.

When spotted at Ellesmere Port East Sidings in January 1993, it was coded YNW and finished in the blue livery given to wagons used by ‘Project Mercury’, which was a scheme to lay a new commercial telecommunications network utilising the railway’s right of way.

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6. Built by Metro-Cammell in 1961 to diagram 1/477, Bogie Bolster C No. DB924744 was one of four such wagons known to have been converted into ventilator wagons, it being recorded at Gloucester in February 1991. Fitted with guard rails along the sides and ends, the bolsters had also been removed and replaced by a generator set and fan, which was used to provide airflow to engineering staff during tunnel maintenance work. Coded as YXW, the lettering along the side read ‘Ventilator Wagon’.

David Ratcliffe collection/Colin Wright

7. Bogie Bolster C No. ADB944456 was another 30 ton payload wagon but built to diagram 1/473 by the BRC&W Co. in 1956. It had subsequently been modified, by the removal of its end planks and bolsters, in order to carry Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge rolling stock in need of repair from Aberystwyth to Chester Wagon Repair Depot. It was spotted awaiting departure from Aberystwyth loaded with open coach No. 14 in May 1978. TOPS coded YVV, it was one of two modified Bogie Bolster C allocated to pool 6001, while the pool also included a couple of Bogie Bolster E, similarly modified to carry VofR coaches and wagons, and a bogie Flatrol MDD, which was used to transport the Welsh narrow gauge line’s 2-6-2T steam locomotives to and from BREL’s Swindon Works. David Ratcliffe collection/Colin Wright

M20 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

Supplement No. 172

D&E FILES

8

8. The S&TE also inherited a number of the longer 42 ton payload Bogie Bolster D although, when recorded at Gateshead TMD in August 1994, No. KDB927854 had been borrowed by the Mechanical & Electrical Engineers to carry a bogie from a withdrawn Class 45 locomotive. Coded YNW, the wagon had been built by the Cambrian Wagon Company in 1961 to diagram 1/484. Mark Saunders

9

9. In 1984/85, some 17 Bogie Bolster D were converted into light-duty diesel electrical crane vehicles for the Electrification Department, being fitted with Mecan swing-jib crane units and other equipment for the carriage and off-loading of electrification structures. Originally built by Charles Roberts to diagram 1/484 in 1962, No. LDB928016, also now numbered LDRB96325 and TOPS coded YFW, is seen at Ashburys Yard, Manchester, in March 1993 when awaiting return to Doncaster Hexthorpe electrification depot.

11

11. Some of the relatively short Bogie Bolster E also found their way into the S&TE fleet where, after the removal of their bolsters and the fitting of low sides and ends, they were used as general materials carriers. No. KDB923365, also built at Ashford Works in 1961 to diagram 1/479, is pictured at Liverpool Spekeland Road Freight Depot in August 1989 when coded YRV. In the early 1980s, it had been based in Scotland and worked from the S&TE depot at Irvine.

Supplement No. 172

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10. Power for the Mecan swing-jib crane fitted YFWs was supplied by a generator wagon converted from a former 30 ton payload Bogie Bolster E. Originally built at Ashford Works to diagram 1/479 in 1961, No. LDB923797, now TOPS coded YYW, was also photographed at Ashburys Yard in March 1993. The lettering on the generator casing reads ‘D of M+EE (Electrification)’ and ‘Not to be hump or loose shunted’.

12

12. In the 1970s, a handful of Bogie Bolster C had their bolsters removed and eight new cross baulks fitted for the carriage of new wagon bogies between Dover and BREL’s Ashford Works. Also fitted with a through air pipe, they were lettered ‘British Rail Engineering Ltd Ashford’ and ‘Return Empty to Ashford Works 89422’. Recoded YSW, No. CDB940695 is pictured at Dover in June 1974 loaded with four Y25 bogies.

Trevor Mann collection

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M21

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D&E FILES 13

❮ 13 + 14. Between 1975 and 1979, British Rail modernised

1251 Bogie Bolster D by fitting new bogies and air brake equipment but a decline in steel traffic saw some transferred to the departmental fleet as early as 1984.

Recoded YAA with the Fishkind name ‘Brill’, No. DC950175 had been modified to carry a lifting beam when recorded at Crewe Gresty Lane engineers’ sidings in September 1997, while No. DC950840, repainted in Civil Engineers’ yellow and grey, was loaded with scrap rail when spotted at Liverpool Spekeland Road in May 1990. Due to the overhanging nature of the load on the latter, a runner wagon has been provided at each end.

14

Modellbahn Union offers ‘silver bullets’ in ‘HO’ GERMAN supplier Modellbahn Union is now marketing ‘HO’ scale versions of the 90-tonne ‘Zafns’ or ICA slurry tanks as built by Arbel Fauvet at the end of the 1980s. The first batch of models was released last autumn with a second run featuring different numbers and brandings appearing earlier this year, the majority of those pictured here being from this latter group.

Many may notice a strong similarity to the ‘OO’ gauge version of the same wagon produced by Dapol, particularly with regard to the highly reflective look of the pristine wagons and impressive finish on the weathered examples.

Unsurprisingly, this is due to the British manufacturer producing the tankers for the German company, having resized the CAD work with relatively few alterations.

Representing the most familiar look of the wagons is French-registered

No. 33 87 7898 034-6, this pristine example from the original batch featuring the ECC (English China Clays) International logos and no Channel Tunnel approved markings (reference No. 32007). These vehicles worked both domestically in the UK and abroad, making it of use to both continental modellers and the small band of British ‘HO’ supporters.

Second batch

The other five wagons pictured here are divided up between three leasing companies, including the familiar Nacco and VTG brands. For the former, there is clean No. 37 80 7898 113-1 (32011) and weathered No. 37 80 7898 114-9 (32012) while the current VTG logo is carried by pristine No. 33 87 7898 101-3 (32015), although a weathered version is also available.

A less familiar name will be French wagon leasing company Atir Rail, which

 Weathered Nacco ‘silver bullet’ (32012)

 Weathered unbranded tank with Atir Rail lettering (32014)

 Pristine VTG example (32015)

gets two unbranded tankers in the form of clean No. 33 87 7898 088-2 (32013) and dirty No. 33 87 7898 089-0 (32014). The only sign of ownership is EXPRESS RATING

H0 Trio of pristine ‘Zafns’, from back, Atir Rail (32013), Nacco (32011) and ECC (32007)

M22 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

GAUGE G

3.5mm:1ft 3

1980s2010s

ERA

Modellbahn Union, Inh. Daniel Mrugalski, Schliepstr 4, DE 44135 Dortmund.

Web: www.modellbahnunion.com

£

Price: €45.99 (pristine), €49.99 (weathered)

confined to the company name on the number panel.

Like its 4mm cousin, the ‘silver bullets’ sport a considerable amount of separate parts on both the tank and chassis, these being rendered in plastic and metal as required. The only contents of the accessory bag are bufferbeam pipes and dummy screw couplings while self-centring NEM coupling mechanisms are fitted.

The two weathered versions are undoubtedly the pick of the batch, although there is some scope to improve the white streaking from the filler cap, while each model is limited to just 200 examples. Review by Simon Bendall

Supplement No. 172

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August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M25

REVIEWS

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GAUGE G 4mm:1ft 4

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Working on the docks Heljan’s latest ‘OO’ model has now arrived in the form of the Southern’s Class 07s, as built for use at Southampton.

ANNOUNCED back in January 2016, the development of Heljan’s latest 4mm scale shunter has been a rather protracted affair but the first batch of Class 07s arrived in the shops during June. A total of eight models have been released to all retailers, these being

equally divided into two groups.

The first quartet covers the Ruston and Hornsby0-6-0s in as built condition and encompasses the BR green pair of Nos. D2985 and D2990 along with the BR blue duo of Nos. D2992 and 07010. The other

four depict the dual-braked version of the class with an additional cabinet on each bonnet side as well as related pipework and high level brake pipes.

Reviewed here is No. 07005 in BR blue and this is joined by No. 2993 in the same livery along with two industrial versions. Finished in all over Peakstone

yellow is No. 07001, this depicting its time based at Dove Holes Quarry (Peak Forest), while No. 07003 carries British Industrial Sand white/yellow, this working at Oakamoor in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The decision to tool up both versions is very welcome, given the modifications are quite substantial, but in return it allows a greater range of liveries to be offered. If a second batch is forthcoming, there are other industrial schemes that could be produced such as the dark blue and white colours of Powell-Duffryn Fuels and ICI light grey.

Slow mover

As ever, any model of a shunter needs to have good slow speed control and happily the Class 07 easily achieves this, both the models pictured here running without issue straight from the box.

Inevitably the top speed is excessive but both crawled along without stalling on test. Some purchasers have reported issues with misaligned pick-ups so these are worth checking if the loco is not running as expected, especially given the extremely short but prototypical wheelbase.

With only limited space beneath the body, a six-pin DCC socket is installed, while two working marker lights are provided at each end. These display a white and red aspect at one end only

HATTONS RELEASES PRIVATISATION ERA ‘07’ IN addition to the general release Class 07s, Heljan has produced a single model exclusively for Hattons. This depicts No. 07001 in its unique orange and grey HNRC colours as applied in the autumn of 2000 when the shunter was undergoing overhaul for industrial use. The loco was originally purchased from Peakstone by Harry Needle in 1989, it spending part of the next decade at the South Yorkshire Railway. However, between 1993-97, it was hired to Mayer Parry for use at its Snailwell scrapyard, near Newmarket.

Re-registered on TOPS at the end of 2000, No. 07001 was deployed to the Creative Logistics rail freight terminal at Ordsall Lane, Salford, in the spring of 2001. However, rail traffic to the site ceased around 2004 in the wake of the asylum seeker crisis that decimated Channel Tunnel freight. The shunter remained stored on site until July 2009, when it was returned to Barrow Hill.

Another three years passed at the roundhouse before No. 07001 was sold into preservation, it joining the Heritage Shunters Trust fleet at Peak Rail in December 2012, where it was repainted into BR blue the following year.

The model once again employs the dual braked tooling with all the necessary addition cabinets and pipes. A really

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nice job has been made of the livery with the shades of grey and orange being accurate while the dividing black line between the two colours and the additional wasp stripes on the cab fronts are well applied, especially given the complex surfaces they are applied over.

The cabside printing is the real highlight though, the company address, phone number, data panel and RESCO plate all being crisp and legible. Just the job for anyone looking for an early privatisation era shunter for their freight terminal.

Hattons Model Railways, 17 Montague Road, Widnes, WA8 8FZ. Web: www.hattons.co.uk

£

M26 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

Price: £111

Supplement No. 172

REVIEWS

in the direction of travel on DC but, typically, would be illuminated at both ends, while the mix of colours is correct for shunting locos of the time.

The coupling rods come across as chunky on first look but actually compare well to photos, while the oil pump crank found on one side only is functional and rather nice too. The tension lock couplings fit into NEM pockets mounted behind the bufferbeams, these having some sideplay but no springing.

Welcomely, blanking plates are provided in the accessory bag to fill the coupling holes if not needed. Some purchasers have commented that the cranked tension lock couplings fitted to the model are slightly too low to reliably couple to some rolling stock, so have substituted straight couplings instead.

Body of detail

A huge amount of separate detail has been added to the body, including a myriad of wire and plastic handrails, an etched radiator grille, plastic air horns (which were a bit loose on both samples) and end marker lights and lamps.

Indeed, the front end detail is superb in its execution, from the very fine and plumbed in high level brake pipes to the pre-fitted bufferbeam pipework

and functional screw couplings, not to mention the tiny angled brackets along the top edge of the bufferbeam, presumably for laying a shunter’s pole across.

Sprung buffers with metal heads are provided while the substantial air tanks beneath the running plate on each side include pipework at each end. Also in the accessory bag is a selection of white headcode discs, the numbered ones indicating which duty the ‘07’ was performing within Southampton Docks.

The entire cab is moulded in clear

plastic, which naturally allows for completely flush glazing and a good view of the detailed and painted cab interior.

With some screws released first, the cab is designed to pull upwards, which then allows the long bonnet section to be released to access the DCC socket, although the procedure is not for the faint-hearted given all the handrails and pipework on the dual braked models.

The finishing is to Heljan’s typical high standard and employs the company’s normal shade of BR blue.

The wasp stripes are all crisply applied

with good density and are supported by fine printing of the limited lettering, the Ruston builder’s plate on each end being the undoubted highlight of the latter.

All told then, the Class 07 is another excellent achievement from Heljan, a few little quality control issues aside, and it is good to see these quirky machines finally available in ready-to-run form. Review by Simon Bendall Heljan A/S, Rebslagervej 6, 5471 Søndersø, Denmark. Web: www.heljan.dk

£

RRP: £139

CLASS 07 MINI-HISTORY A TOTAL of 14 Class 07 shunters were built by Lincoln-based Ruston & Hornsby, Nos. D2985-98 being taken into BR stock between June and November 1962. Designed specifically for use in Southampton Docks, they featured a short 0-6-0 wheelbase in order to cope with the tight curvatures in the sprawling complex and were equipped with a 275hp Paxman engine along with an AEI generator and traction motors.

Supplement No. 172

As traffic to Southampton Docks began to decline in the late 1960s with the advent of containerisation, examples of the fleet were deployed to work around Eastleigh.

As this included working with the Southern’s EMU fleet around the depot and works, six Class 07s, Nos. 07001/03/05/09/11/13, were fitted with air brakes and high level brake pipes. The other eight locos remained vacuum braked only until withdrawal

from BR service, Nos. D2988/91/92/98 being withdrawn in May 1973 before they could receive their TOPS numbers, unlike Nos. 07002/06/10/12.

The last seven examples were withdrawn together in July 1977 with a large proportion of the class going on to find a new life in industrial service.

Today, No. 07007 (D2991) remains in regular use at Eastleigh Works while Nos. 07001/05/10-13 all survive in preservation.

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August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M27

STORE FINDER

M28 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

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Bachmann releases unique Coal ‘37’

The only split headcode box EE Type 3 to receive the black diamond subsector logos is new in ‘OO’ gauge.

THE second half of the year should see a considerable number of Class 37s released in ‘OO’ gauge by Bachmann, with the standard catalogue items being joined by the recently announced ‘sales rep’ specials and a handful of more traditional limited editions. The first of this glut has now arrived in the form of No. 37049 Imperial in Railfreight triple grey with Coal sub-sector emblems (32-790).

An early recipient of the livery in June 1988 following overhaul at Doncaster Works, the loco was the fifth Class 37 to receive Coal logos and, in the event, would be the only unrefurbished split headcode box example to be treated. Bachmann’s model portrays No. 37049 as released from the South Yorkshire works with red nameplates and without any other embellishments, such as depot plaques, silver BR arrows and nose end numbers.

Quite why the Type 3 was given Coal logos is unclear as No. 37049 was part of the Motherwell-based Metals fleet at the time and continued to be until the start of 1991. As such, it was regularly found on the Hunterston-Ravenscraig iron ore workings, as well as other commodities such as steel, alumina and lime. By

the end of 1988, the loco had gained Motherwell salmon logos on the bodysides as well as non-standard large nose end repeater numbers.

Later appearance

Indeed, there is considerable scope to customise No. 37049 to suit subsequent years. By mid 1989, the nameplates had been repainted to have a black background and cast arrows, small nose end numbers and Motherwell anvil depot plaques substituted for the earlier embellishments. At some point in 1990, the headcode boxes were repainted black while the buffers were also changed from round to oval shortly afterwards;

all modifications that can be made with little effort. The start of 1991 brought a transfer to the Metals fleet at Cardiff Canton but that summer saw the loco join Immingham’s Civil Engineers pool, it receiving ‘Dutch’ grey/yellow in September 1991.

The model faithfully portrays the correct body appearance for No. 37049 at this time with plated-up boiler filler and steps, open boiler exhaust port and no sign of the ‘trench’ beneath the cantrail grilles that has blighted some other Class 37 models in recent times. Disappointingly this legacy tooling does still impact the ends though, which are the extended version with extra erroneous material

added between the body joint and the sandbox fillers.

Under the body, the specification is unchanged with all-wheel drive, cab interior lights and switches underneath to turn both these and the tail-lights off for DC users. The livery application is entirely fine and employs Bachmann’s usual triple grey shades while, completing the model, red-backed etched nameplates are included in the box. Review by Simon Bendall Bachmann Europe plc, Moat Way, Barwell, Leicestershire, LE9 8EY. Web: www.bachmann.co.uk

£

RRP: £159.95

New products available from the Airbrush Company THE Airbrush Company has released a further batch of high-end products for modellers at very reasonable or reduced prices. Beginning with the Sparmax GP-50 side-feed airbrush, this is a compact, lightweight and comfortable to use airbrush that provides good grip, all of which are essential requirements to achieve good results when spraying.

The workmanship is to the usual high standard expected from Sparmax, it being well packaged and including detailed instructions and everything you need to get going. Two differently sized side-feed cups are provided (7ml and 15ml), both with lids to avoid spillages, as are a cleaning tool and

Supplement No. 172

a 1⁄8 BSP fitting which screws nicely onto the air supply.

The case is sturdy, compact and provides protection for storage or travel.

The results are smooth and progressive, and I would definitely recommend this airbrush for beginners and professionals alike as it is just so easy to use because of the trigger action. It is ideal for repainting large areas such as locos and layout/ track weathering, down to finer uses like weathering. The set is priced £90 and comes with a five year warranty.

New compressor

Accompanying the airbrush is the new Sparmax Zeta oil-less single-piston compressor with Smart Stop hangar, which introduces some innovative but simple technology that will improve the modeller’s working environment. It is very simple as when you place your airbrush back on the stand, it operates a weight sensitive switch and turns off the compressor, while when you remove it, the compressor immediately resumes normal operation. This creates a really relaxed working environment and you can just get on with the job without worrying about the compressor.

Another handy feature is that the Smart Stop hanger can be attached either to the compressor itself or to your worktop, or indeed anywhere else you want, by simply clamping it on within the power cable length.

The compressor’s noise levels are really good with the Zeta producing only a whisper quiet 45db, so it is ideally suited to use in the home. Possibly the quietest top-end compressor I have used so far, it is also really compact (length 24cm, width 14cm, height 21.5cm) and quite lightweight at 4.6kg. A detailed specification and a list of compatible airbrushes can be found at www. airbrushes.com while it is priced £199

with a two year warranty.

Also newly available is a handy little gadget that rescues damaged and worn airbrush needles, the Sharpen Air Needle Repair System. Priced £49, it is compatible with most brands of airbrush needle and typically takes up to five minutes to restore a damaged or bent needle. It contains four customsized diamond grit coated stones that are precisely positioned within the casing and which reprofile needles to their factory angles. Review by Alex Carpenter

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M31

M32 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller August 2018

00 BOOK REVIEW British Coaching Stock

By John Dedman. Published by Amberley Publishing, The Hill, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 4EP. Softback.

166mm x 235mm, 96 pages. Price £14.99. ISBN 978-1-4456-7094-2.

AMONG the latest titles from Amberley is this pictorial look at BR coaching stock, a subject that is perhaps still rather neglected compared to locomotives and even wagons. With several books already to his name, including many of the much-liked ‘BR Blue’ series, author John Dedman again delves into his photo collection for this mostly colour look at Mk.1, Mk.2 and Mk.3 types.

Beginning with BR’s ‘standard’ stock, this is pictured from buffets through to half brakes with the period stretching from the corporate era through to privatisation. Mk.2s and, to a lesser extent, Mk.3s are tackled in much the same way with an assortment of Pullman types and the Royal Train getting more pictures than might be expected. Also included are the XP64 prototypes, Travelling Post Office and parcels stock, inspection saloons and some Network Rail test train vehicles.

Featuring two pictures per page, these are helpfully large enough to see a good amount of detail for modelling purposes with the roof shots of the Royal Train being particularly useful. On the down side, the reproduction is at times on the dark side but overall it is a useful reference source.

Reviews by Simon Bendall

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Kernow releases colourful Type 2s The retailer has further exclusive Hornby models available with a pair of Brush machines from across the eras.

FOLLOWING on from the pair of Class 50s featured last issue, Kernow Model Rail Centre has now released a similarly exclusive duo of ‘OO’ gauge Brush Type 2s, both limited to 350 examples and employing the Hornby tooling.

The first of these is No. D5579 finished in its well known golden ochre livery (R3674), as applied from new in an experiment to improve the visibility of the diesel fleet for lineside workers. Delivered to Stratford at the start of 1960, the model represents this initial look as, within a couple of years, the loco had gained overhead electrification warning flashes. By mid 1963, half yellow ends were in place and this remained its increasingly scruffy appearance until repainted in BR green around late 1965.

Welcomely, the model employs the little seen Class 30 tooling with the correctly-orientated Mirrlees exhaust ports as well as an open boiler port, filler hatch and bodyside steps. The bufferbeam cowls and bodyside door grilles are also in place as, unfortunately, is the still rather poor radiator fan and roof grille.

Reputedly the same colour as Stroudley’s Improved Engine Green from the London, Brighton & South Coast

DIARY DATES August 9 The Association of Bexley Charities Toy and Train Fair, Falconwood Community Centre, 32 Falconwood Parade, The Green, Welling, Kent.

5.30pm-9.30pm. Adult £1.50, accompanied children free.

August 11/12 Railwells 2018, Wells Town Hall, Market Place, Wells, Somerset. www.railwells.com 10.30am-5.30pm Sat, 10am-4.30pm Sun. Adult £6, unaccompanied child £4, accompanied child (under 14) free.

Layouts include Callaton (2mm), Mini-MSW (2mm), The World’s End (OO), Navigation Road (EM) and Pwllheli (P4).

August 11/12 St Andrew’s Model Railway Exhibition, St Andrew’s Town Hall, Queen’s Gardens, St Andrew’s, Fife. www.eastneukmrc.co.uk 10am-5.30pm Sat, 10.30am-5pm Sun. Prices TBA.

Railway, the golden ochre livery is a difficult one to judge given the quality of photos from the period. However, the shade comes across as a little on the dark side to this reviewer. The white waist stripe is printed flat on the body, with all of the white having good definition, while the other printing is well executed.

Research job

Moving forward in time, the other model depicts No. 97204 in the revised colours of the BR Research Department (R3675).

Long overdue an appearance on the Hornby model, the Class 31 received the livery in February 1988 as a replacement for sister No. 97203 which had suffered terminal fire damage. Widely used on a variety of test trains, the loco was renumbered as No. 31970 in August 1989, under which guise it was not adverse to passenger work as well.

Power unit problems in late 1990 saw

8

PIN

DCC

READY

the loco side-lined, never to work again, and it was eventually scrapped seven years later.

The tooling employed for No. 97204 is largely accurate while, as per previous unrefurbished examples, a layer of raised paint is used to represent the body banding. This works well enough but is missing from the cab doors and outer sections of the cab fronts.

The complex livery is well applied, particularly the dark grey stripe running around the cab fronts, but the white dots of the ‘domino’ headcode displays are rather on the large size. While both models have their niggles, it is good to see two new liveries on the Hornby model, especially as it continues to be rather neglected in the main range.

Kernow Model Rail Centre, 98A Trelowarren Street, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 8AN. Web: www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com

£

Price: £169.99

NEWSDESK EXTRA

GWR ‘Sprinter’ moves nearer A LATE addition to this year’s Hornby range was the ‘OO’ gauge Class 153 in the current Great Western green livery. Finished as No. 153368, a decorated sample of the DMU has recently been received by the company.

Originally scheduled to appear in the middle of next year, the model’s due date has advanced

considerably with a December release and RRP of £109.99 currently anticipated. www.hornby.com

Etched wagon walkways released by Stenson Models THREE further etched upgrade packs for wagons have been released in 4mm scale by Stenson Models, all providing replacement walkways. The first covers the Lima/Hornby PCA with enough parts for two of the depressed centre tanks (SM39D, £4) while there

are two slightly different kits to suit the Bachmann TTA. These cover different batches of the tankers built by Norbit Pickering with one etch slightly longer than the other (SM37D/ £6, SM42D/£6.25). www.stensonmodels.co.uk

August 18/19 National Tramway Museum Model Tram and Railway Exhibition, Crich Tramway Village, Crich, Derbyshire. www.tramway.co.uk 10am-5pm. Adult £17, OAP £13, child £10, family £40.

August 25/26 Border Rail 2018, The Auld Baths, Bath Street, Hawick.

10am-5pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun. Adult £4, OAP £3, child £2.

Supplement No. 172

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M33

LU WORLD

Christopher Westcott & Piers Connor

Siemens to build new trains for Piccadilly Line

The next generation of Tube trains will be built in Goole.

TRANSPORT for London has announced that Siemens has won the contract to build and maintain 94 new trains for the Piccadilly Line.

The new trains will be built at a brand new factory in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, and will replace the current fleet of 175 three-car half-trains of 1973 Tube Stock that currently operates the 41-mile line. They are due to be delivered between 2023 and 2026.

Five pre-qualifying manufacturers were invited to tender for the contract to construct the New Tube for London in January 2016: Alstom, Bombardier, CAF, Hitachi and Siemens. These bids were submitted to TfL on September 26, 2016.

The trains will be slightly longer than now, but will allow passengers to walk between cars and also feature air conditioning. They are designed to be in service for at least 40 years, and the initial order may be extended to 101 Piccadilly Line trains to further increase capacity. The Greater London Authority estimates that the population of London will reach nine million this year and pass 11 million in 2046.

The Siemens factory in Goole is projected to employ an initial 700 people, with an additional 250

How the new trains for LU’s Piccadilly Line could look when they are introduced in 2023. TfL

during construction and 1700 further jobs through various suppliers. The move follows political fallout when Siemens won the contract to build the Thameslink Class 700 trains, but opted to build them in Germany rather than the UK. The company subsequently withdrew from the bidding process for the Crossrail Class 345 trains, which was won by Bombardier in Derby.

FURTHER LINES

Although it intends to use the same manufacturer, TfL is retaining the right to separate orders for the Central, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City Lines. The award for replacement Bakerloo Line trains is expected in 2021, with the Central following in 2025 and finally the Waterloo & City Line a few months later.

This means that only placing an initial order means that TfL only needs to commit finances in stages and deliveries will continue over 10 years or more.

TfL is selling, and leasing back, the Elizabeth Line Class 345s to finance the new Underground trains. It is reported to be seeking to win a £2.6 billion, 10-year contract to operate the Buenos Aires metro system, which would raise around £650 million in needed income during this period. E No. 12 Sarah Siddons lurks in the background inside Eastleigh Works on April 25 as its bogie and underframe components have been laid out on the floor as part of the loco’s overhaul. Christopher Westcott

Rebuilding Sarah Siddons THE 96-year-old former Metropolitan Railway electric locomotive No. 12 Sarah Siddons is currently mounted on stands inside Eastleigh Works, undergoing a Level 4 & 5 overhaul by Arlington Fleet Services.

Inspections were undertaken last year, as reported in our September 2017 issue and, although the loco underwent an overhaul during the 1990s, work to this extent has not been carried out for 36 years.

The locomotive is normally overhauled at LU’s own Acton Works, but there is currently a lack of capacity combined with disruption due to the construction of a new workshop, and so the loco would not be ready in the desired timescales.

The overhaul to No. 12 is concentrating on the bogie, brakes,

rotating machinery (such as motors), compressors and alternator. The loco arrived at Eastleigh in March and was immediately stripped down, with both bogies being removed and dismantled.

Each part is being worked on in turn with the initial aim to have Sarah back in service for September 2018.

However, LU is happy for work to progress at a slower pace, as each item is stripped down, repairs undertaken and components rebuilt. The loco will also be repainted while at Eastleigh.

LU’s engineering technical services manager David Brabham reports that nothing of concern has been found so far. It is now expected that No.12 will remain at Eastleigh until the end of 2018, meaning it will be available to operate special trains during the 2019 season.

ESSENTIAL READING

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EVERY ISSUE!

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August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 75

REVIEWS Got something to review?

Send any books, DVDs or other items to the editor at: Rail Express, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR

Scottish Railways 1923-2016

By David Ross Published by Stenlake www.stenlake.co.uk 256 pages, colour, 280x215mm, hardback. £40

THIS is an ambitious piece of work trying to cover almost a century of a country’s railway history in one volume, but it has to be said it is well done. It picks up where the author left off with similar books about Scottish pre-Grouping companies, going through the Big Four into British Railways and then the Privatisation era.

Just under half the content deals

Express Mailbag Your letters, emails, feedback and other comments are always welcome.

Contact us at: Rail Express, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR; or email: railexpresseditor@mortons.co.uk. The editor reserves the right to edit all letters, and the views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine.

with the diesel and electric period from the 1960s. The text is well-researched with excellent photographs throughout – all backed up with appendices covering useful data such as timelines, major events, rolling stock, and open and closed stations – making it well worth the money for anyone interested in railways north of the English border.

London Midland Ten years of Service

By Andrew Cole Published by Amberley www.amberley-books.com 96 pages, colour, 234x165mm, softback. £14.99

THIS book aims to celebrate the decadelong LM era with a look back at the trains and workings covered by the franchise.

The reproduction quality of the picture-and-caption format is good, but perhaps the limited range of units

operated by LM leads to multiple shots of each type of DMU and EMU – and nearly all in the company’s green-based livery – but this could be useful for modellers looking for differences across the fleet or just as a record of recent history now gone.

‘37s’ ON BUXTON ICI WORKINGS I ENJOYED the article on the Buxton ICI stone wagons and workings in the July issue.

I enclose a picture of No. 37168 at Chinley on the ICI hopper empties on March 6, 1981, which we recorded as a Northwich-Tunstead.

My friend and I were surprised to

see a Class 37 on this working rather then a ‘25’ or ‘40’, so I wonder when they started using ‘37s’ at Buxton, as this was the first one I saw. Perhaps someone could answer that?

Roger Geach By email

SOURCES OF THE RAILWAY'S WOES I THINK there is far more to the railway’s woes than you suggest in your editorial (July issue). It is obviously true that passenger numbers have increased hugely, but for most businesses that would not be the catalyst for a worse customer experience. I think most companies would expand their facilities if they were proving successful, so that more customers could be accommodated.

I accept that major parts of the network are running at capacity and that it is not a quick fix to get more rolling stock to lengthen services, but in the longer term more could have been done to increase the capacity. However, I don’t think overcrowding is the main reason why rail travel is so unappealing these days.

The first major bugbear from my perspective is cost. Fares have gone up and up and up over the last 10-15 years.

This supposedly pays for improvements, but there doesn’t really seem to be much improvement in journey times, frequency, comfort or reliability on most lines. I don’t know whether fares have pretty much kept pace with inflation, but it is the subsequent lack of tangible improvements in my train services, and presumably the same goes for many others, that grates.

But the thing that is so disappointing, and for me the major cause of anger and frustration, is the appalling reliability.

The service literally falls apart at the slightest incident. I don’t know whether those running the railways these days

76 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

are simply not as resourceful or clever as used to be the case, whether insufficient resources are available, or whether those responsible for sorting out a mess simply don’t care, but the user experience is one of facing complete chaos with no one appearing to know what is going on and precious little being done to sort things out. And then the wonderful plans brought in to cope include things like missing out stations or terminating trains before the end of the advertised journey.

Such cavalier treatment just compounds the annoyance.

An aspect of unreliability that stands out is signalling, which these days appears prone to constant disruption. The huge amount of electrical equipment used to control the signalling and points appears to be incredibly vulnerable to both the elements and criminal activity. It really is time this Achilles heel of the railways was addressed.

So add in all the patronising messages on trains and stations, having to queue up at barriers which reduce the flow of people on and off stations, seating that becomes more cramped and uncomfortable as the years go by, rail staff who appear to know precious little about the railways, a lack of extra capacity when major events are scheduled, and you can see why I choose to stay at home rather than go somewhere on the train.

Robert Bromley By email

EXPRESS MAILBAG

EAST COAST PULLMANS HAVING long been an enthusiast of Pullman trains, I was delighted to see the article on the last Yorkshire and Hull Pullmans in the July issue. I was at sixth form college in 1978 and can still remember arriving home on that particular May Friday to hear a live feature from King’s Cross about the last Pullman departures, on the John Dunn afternoon show on Radio 2!

I would point out, though, that the caption to the bottom photo on page 19 is a little misleading, since it

fails to note that the seats shown in Murray Brown’s last day view are not the originals. When new in 1960-61, the First Class cars of the Metro-Cammell build were equipped with individual traditional Pullman armchairs, arranged 1+1 either side of the gangway. These seats were replaced during the cars’ refurbishment in the winter of 1967/68 by fixed 2+1 seating, as shown in Murray’s photo. These were of the type fitted in the Mk.2 Pullman cars built at Derby in 1965/66 for the new

electrically-hauled Manchester and Liverpool Pullmans running to and from Euston.

This of course blurred the distinction between first and second class Pullmans on the ER services, so it was perhaps not surprising that the Pullman seconds were withdrawn soon afterwards. The Yorkshire Pullman was the last to lose its second class Pullmans in May 1971.

Having said that, the eight-car ‘Blue Pullman’ sets introduced on the

Western Region in 1960 did feature 2+1 seating in both classes, at the same time their builder was turning out the loco-hauled cars with their 1+1 armchairs for the Eastern Region.

I am attaching a photo I took onboard car No. 328 Opal on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on August 3, 2008 (above left). It shows the same seats as seen in Murray’s photo.

So it came to pass and sometime later he was asked to supply the milk for the Bradford portion also.

Apparently they were having problems with the keeping quality of the milk loaded there. Dad supplied the train well into the 1970s when one of the big dairies undercut him, and from then on it was loaded at Leeds. Apparently the quality issue raised its head again, much to dad’s amusement and satisfaction.

We used to take the milk, about 3-3.5 gallons a day Monday to Saturday, to the back gate of the station. These double gates were huge and one had a trapdoor cut into it. On a Saturday I used to help dad and I would

go through the trapdoor and open one of the big gates. The empties were just round the corner and there was usually a Class 24 or 25 ticking over along with the stock. In winter, or if there had been a failure, then it could be a BR Standard Class 4 tank engine or its ex-LMS equivalent.

When dad turned up, I would load the empties and he would shout the amount required. I would then put it back in the same place I had picked up the empties, close the big gate and exit through the trapdoor. Even though the train didn’t leave until around 9am, the milk had to be there before seven to give the kitchen staff plenty of time to do their preparations.

The empties used to come back in the most disgusting state, no rinse and return there! Also all manner of items were left in the crates, cutlery of all types, tea towels, antimacassars, menus etc. These all had the Yorkshire Pullman monogram on them, eventually we had a drawer full of them, but stupidly threw them out when dad passed away.

Dad only supplied ‘The Yorkshire Pullman’, different arrangements applied to ‘The Sunday Pullman’ while the ‘Queens’ were through trains so would presumably be supplied from their starting points.

Adrian Willats Waterlooville

PULLMAN MILK ROUND YOUR article in the July issue brought back many memories and reminded me of my family’s small but unique connection with The Yorkshire Pullman.

Around 1958 my dad bought a milk round from a chap called Bob Topham.

His wife was the cafeteria manager at Harrogate station, so no great surprise that deliveries to that establishment were included in the milk round. Dad kept this business until he retired in 1982. Sometime in the very early 1960s, Mrs Topham approached dad asking if he was interested in supplying milk for the Yorkshire Pullman.

Obviously the answer was yes, and the advice was “put in a sensible tender and it’s yours”.

Malcolm Fleming Knaresborough

‘WELLY BOOT’ MYSTERY DURING my time from 1977 to 1980 as CM&EE Maintenance Assistant at Perth, traffic on the Highland Main Line was increasing significantly. Due to the number of passing places available, particularly between Dalwhinnie and Blair Athol, much delay was occurring to all traffic, so the decision was made to redouble this section of the line.

This involved much machinery and manpower, and to transport the track gangs to the continually moving worksites, the Civil Engineer ran a daily train from Perth. This train ran early morning out of Perth and early evening back, and was formed of a Met-Camm Pullman car sandwiched between two Mk.1s and pulled by whatever was available – usually a Class 24/25/26 – and it was nicknamed the ‘Welly Boot Special’.

Can anyone identify the Pullman car in this shot?

Ian Foot Pickering

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 77

RAILTOURS

Birds and the bees on tours’ schedule

With the hundreds of railtours run every year, well done to UK Railtours for coming up with two fascinating tour names.

RAILTOUR operators have long come up with somewhat unusual tour titles, and UK Railtours is at the forefront of these. So, top marks to the operator for the following two, both of which involve extinct or nearly extinct species.

Taking off on November 17 from London Victoria is ‘The Return of the Short-haired Bumblebee’. This is a Forgotten Tracks tour embracing the Grain and Dungeness branches

in South East England, and it is at the latter destination that the title becomes apparent. The tour is dedicated to Bombus Subterraneus, a species of short-haired bumblebee thought to have become extinct in the 1980s but recently reintroduced to the nature reserves of Dungeness.

Also taking off from London Victoria, this time on December 8, is ‘The Festive Oozlum Bird’. This meandering tour takes in little used

freight lines, the highlights of which include the Kettering-Oakham line via Harringworth Viaduct (from which can be seen seven church spires), the Sheet Stores-Stenson Junction route and BR’s longest freight-only line (at over 30 miles) from Burton upon Trent via Coalville to Knighton Junction, south of Leicester.

To quote UKR: “This is a tour with a convoluted route, hence its dedication to the famous though mythical bird

that, when startled, flies round and round in diminishing circles before disappearing in a manner which is, if nothing else, conclusive. This soon contributed to its rarity and, before very long, extinction.”

One has to say that even if you think these tour titles are contrived, they do make a change from the hackneyed ‘Explorer’ and ‘Venturer’ tour titles, which are somewhat done to death. E

Single please – and the return GOOD news for Class 40 aficionados as the CFPS has announced No. 40145 will be running two one-way only charters in September as stock positioning moves.

Friday, September 14, will see a trip from Carnforth to Bury, operated

by West Coast Railways ahead of the following day’s Flying Scotsman charter from Bury. Starting at approximately 12.30, the train will run via Peak Forest, Hindlow, Warrington Arpley, Latchford,

Fiddlers Ferry, Edge Hill and Manchester Victoria. There will be about 235 miles with the Class 40 and a Class 37 in ‘top and tail’ mode.

The stock returns to Carnforth on Sunday, September 16, again hauled by No. 40145 ‘top and tail’ with a Class 37.

This trip runs from Bury to Carnforth via both Bradford stations, Ilkley, Skipton, the Rylstone branch, Blackburn and Preston – totalling around 230 miles.

Whistle-stop tour not far away PRIVATELY-OWNED Class 40 No. D213 Andania was due to be moved from Barrow Hill to Locomotive Services, Crewe, on July 10. The locomotive is being prepared for main line action following the completion of fitting of all the mandatory equipment.

The company, which is hiring the Class 40 for an initial period of three

KYLE ‘ED’ FIRST: The first ever Class 73s to run to Kyle of Lochalsh arrived at the head of a SRPS railtour from Paisley Gilmour Street on June 9. GBRf’s Nos. 73967+73966, in Caledonian Sleeper livery, are pictured arriving at the terminus hauling nine coaches.

Classmates Nos. 73969+73968 were attached to the rear at Inverness, although a technical issue with one of the locos’ radio signalling equipment saw the return depart two hours late. Graeme Elgar

READ THESE AND HUNDREDS MORE EDITIONS IN THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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78 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

years, told Rail Express there were no confirmed details of when and where its first charter would be.

Scarborough, Holyhead and Carlisle make up the three most likely destinations and, of course, there will be the mouth-watering prospect of No. D213 paired with the CFPS’ No. 40145 in the fullness of time.

‘DELTIC’ AT THE CROSS: Blue-liveried Class 55 No. 55009 Alycidon bursts out of Gasworks Tunnel into King’s Cross station on June 16, just as it did many times in its BR career, at the head of 52A Railtours’ ‘Albert Gilmour Memorial Charter’ from Linlithgow.

The train was worked both ways north of Newcastle by No. 67020. Alex Thorkildsen

RAILTOURS FORTHCOMING TOURS FOR AUGUST Date

Tour Name

From-To

Motive Power

Promoter

1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 7 9 9 9 9 10 10 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 14 14 15 16 16 16 16 17 17-20 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 19 19 19 19 19 19 21 21 22 23 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 26 27 27 27 27 28 30 30 30

Mad Hatter Historic Bath Spa Valley Railway Rare track Historic Canterbury Scarborough Spa Express Seaside Flyer Glorious Goodwood Western Lakes at Leisure Berwick/Lindisfarne Cumbrian Mountain Express William Shakespeare Dub and Grub Great British Sunday Lunch Waverley Forth Bridge & Scottish Borders Fellsman Historic Canterbury Dorset Coast Express Scarborough Spa Express Stratford Flyer Golden Age of Steam Shrewsbury Flower Show York/Harrogate Settle & Carlisle Golden Express 1 Waverley 50th Anniversary End of Steam Walsall Concerto Great British Sunday Lunch Forth Bridge & Scottish Borders Cathedral Express Dalesman Settle & Carlisle Golden Express 1 Historic Canterbury Exeter-Paignton Scarborough Spa Express Edinburgh Dalesman Murder Mystery Lunch Edinburgh Military Tattoo Sally Forth Scunthorpe Steeler 16 Bard of Avon Dinner Hosted by Raymond Blanc West Highland Lunch West Somerset Steam Express Sussex Coast Express West Highland Lunch Champagne Afternoon Tea Waverley Forth Bridge & Scottish Borders Torbay Express Inverness Cathedrals Express Fellsman Historic Canterbury Historic Canterbury Dorset Coast Express Scarborough Spa Express Golden Age of Travel Edinburgh Fringe Festival Deltic Retro Scot III Cotswold Venturer Great British Sunday Lunch Waverley Forth Bridge & Scottish Borders Canterbury Tale More and Mawr Marching Cromptons Dalesman Dalesman Cathedrals Express Scarborough Spa Express Conwy Valley Explorer

Darlington-Chester London Victoria-Bath Tunbridge Wells – various SVR lines London Victoria-Canterbury Carnforth-Scarborough Sheffield-Poole London Victoria-Chichester Chester-Ravenglass Manchester Victoria-Berwick Crewe/Manchester-Carlisle Bangor-Stratford-upon-Avon Birmingham International circular Birmingham International circular York-Carlisle Linlithgow-Tweedbank Lancaster-Carlisle London Victoria-Canterbury London Victoria-Weymouth Carnforth-Scarborough Leeds-Stratford-upon-Avon London Victoria-Shalford circular Swansea-Shrewsbury London King’s Cross-York/Harrogate Bristol-Appleby via Carlisle York-Carlisle London Euston-Carlisle London Euston-West Midlands circular London Paddington circular Linlithgow-Tweedbank London Victoria-Weymouth Chester-Carlisle Didcot-Appleby via Carlisle London Victoria-Canterbury Alresford-Paignton Carnforth-Scarborough Southport-Edinburgh via S&C London Victoria-Surrey hills circular London King’s Cross-Edinburgh Edinburgh-Fife circular Scunthorpe Steel Works tour Manchester-Stratford-upon-Avon London Victoria-Surrey circular Dumbarton circular London Paddington-Minehead Doncaster-Eastbourne Edinburgh circular London Victoria-Surrey circular York-Carlisle Linlithgow-Tweedbank Bristol-Paignton Edinburgh-Inverness London Victoria-Minehead Lancaster-Carlisle London Victoria-Canterbury London Victoria-Canterbury London Victoria-Weymouth Carnforth-Scarborough London Victoria-Kent circular Manchester Victoria-Edinburgh Huddersfield-Edinburgh London Paddington-Worcester Nottingham circular York-Carlisle Linlithgow-Tweedbank Peterborough-Canterbury Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway Crewe-Llanelli York-Carlisle York-Carlisle London Victoria-Chichester/Salisbury Carnforth-Scarborough Harrogate-Blaenau Ffestiniog

Steam 60163 DBC 67 Shunters DBC 67 WCRC Diesel & WCRC Steam TBA WCRC 47/57 DBC 67 WCRC 47/57 WCRC 47/57 WCRC 47/57 / Steam 60103 LS Class 47 & Steam TBA Class 50 x 2 WCRC 47/57 Steam TBA Steam LMS ‘Black Five’ WCRC Diesel & WCRC Steam TBA DBC 67 Steam 60009 WCRC Diesel & WCRC Steam TBA WCRC 47/57 Steam 35028 WCRC 47/57 WCRC 47/57 Diesel TBA/Steam 60163 Steam 45690 Class 86 & WCRC Steam TBA DBC Diesel TBA WCRC 47/57 Steam LMS ‘Black Five’ Steam 60009 WCRC Diesel TBA & Steam TBA Diesel TBA/Steam 60163 DBC 67 WCRC 37/47 WCRC Diesel & WCRC Steam TBA WCRC 47/57 DBC 67 DBC Class 67 DBC 67 Shunters Steam 60163 DBC 67 WCRC 47/57 Steam 60009 WCRC 47/57 WCRC 47/57 DBC 67 Steam 60103 Steam LMS ‘Black Five’ Steam 60009 DBC 67 Steam 61306 WCRC Diesel & WCRC Steam TBA DBC 67 DBC 67 Steam 60009 WCRC Diesel & WCRC Steam TBA DBC 67 WCRC 47/57 Class 55 D9009 Steam 60009 WCRC 47/57 Steam 45690 Steam LMS ‘Black Five’ Steam 60163 NS625 & Sentinel 10222 Class 33 x 2 WCRC Diesel TBA & Steam TBA WCRC Diesel TBA & Steam TBA Steam 61306 WCRC Diesel & WCRC Steam TBA WCRC 47/57

A1SLT BBP BLS BBP WCRC WCRC BBP NB NB RTC ST GBRFCR NB RTC SRPS SR BBP RTC WCRC WCRC BBP NB NB PT RTC RTC UKR NB SRPS SD WCRC PT BBP SD WCRC WCRC BBP UKR UKR BLS A1SLT BBP NB RTC SR NB BBP RTC SRPS TE UKR SD SR BBP BBP RTC WCRC BBP NB RR RTC NB RTC SRPS A1SLT BLS BLS WCRC WCRC SD WCRC WCRC

Promoter Codes: BBP – British Belmond Pullman, BLS – Branch Line Society, GBRFCR – GBRf Charity Railtours, NB – Northern Belle, NENTA - NENTA, PT – Pathfinder Tours, RR – Retro Railtours, RTC – Railway Touring Company, SD – Steam Dreams, SR – Statesman Rail, ST – Saphos Tours, TE – Torbay Express, UKR – UK Railtours, WCRC – West Coast Railways.

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 79

RAILTOURS

LARGE LOGO PAIRING: DRS Type 3s Nos. 37424 Avro Vulcan XH558 + 37407 hauled the Branch Line Society’s ‘Nosey

Peaker’ tour on June 14, ‘top and tail’ with classmate No. 37401. The tour began in Stafford and ran to Buxton via Manchester Piccadilly, Victoria and Stockport. It then went on via Peak Forest to Altrincham, Northwich and Sandbach before finishing in Crewe. The magnificent large logo duo and Riviera blue/grey stock are pictured south of Altrincham at Ashley. Phil Chilton

80 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

RAILTOURS

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 81

PRESERVATION IN BRIEF ‘04’ RETURNS TO UK

HAVING spent over 46 years in Italy, Class 04 No. D2289 has returned to the UK and was unloaded at Rowsley on June 13. Purchased by Mark Jones (see June issue), it has been placed in the custodianship of the Heritage Shunters Trust. At present, the loco is not on display.

Meanwhile, at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, No. D2207 moved under its own power for the first time in several years on June 25. Work is continuing at Grosmont to return it to service.

ELR-BASED ‘HYMEK’ TAKEN OUT OF TRAFFIC

THE Bury Hydraulic Group has withdrawn ‘Hymek’ No. D7076 from all its future running days owing to a substantial amount of coolant being found in the engine sump oil. A power unit lift/repair is likely to be required, indications being that a cylinder liner seal failure has occurred.

CLASS 37 PROGRESS

BODYWORK repairs are nearing completion on No. 37250 at the Wensleydale Railway in readiness for undercoating. The power unit, which has been rebuilt, should be reinstalled in the loco shortly.

‘Bubble Car’ No. 55032 has lost its Arriva colours and has emerged in BR green.

David Russell

NRM begins review of its diesel and electric fleet Non-steam fleet is put in museum’s spotlight.

THE National Railway Museum has begun a condition review of its entire diesel and electric fleet to decide the way forward for each of the vehicles in the collection.

A Conservation Management Plan will be drawn up individually for each item of rolling stock which will look at: the condition of the vehicle now; what the NRM wants to do with it (for example, is it at risk due to its condition? should it be a static exhibit? restored for use but limited to the NRM yard? or occasional or even regular use?); and how any of this should be achieved/done.

The fleet review is in its early stages and is being undertaken by the museum’s curatorial staff in conjunction with the diesel volunteer team. No timescale has been set for its completion.

Work is continuing on making

the NRM’s modern traction fleet presentable for display and the 2-HAP unit is nearing completion of an extensive restoration at Shildon.

Sums of money have been earmarked for the Class 71 loco and Class 306 EMU, and the latter is due to arrive at Shildon in the near future. E

The NRM is undertaking a review of its non-steam fleet to determine its condition and how best to use it as part of the overall collection. Included in this is pioneer ‘Chopper’ No. D8000 (20050), which is pictured at York on June 29 with some of its engine room access doors open. Paul Bickerdyke

‘WESTERN’ FIRED UP

FOLLOWING the fitting of a replacement power unit at the ‘A’ end, No. D1062 Western Courier was started for the first time this year on June 30.

GCR RAILBUS REPRIEVED

LESS than a month after a decision to dismantle AC Cars railbus No. 79976 as part of the clearance of the area north of Loughborough shed as part of the ‘Bridging the Gap’ project, the unit looks set to have a more secure future following its sale to new owners. The stripped vehicle, which was originally intended for use on the GCR’s Mountsorrel branch, is now set to leave the line and move to Nemesis Rail at Burton for restoration.

SALOON CHANGES HANDS

FORMER Medical Officer’s Saloon No. M45017M has been acquired by the LMS Carriage Association and moved to Peak Rail from its former home at the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester. It is partially restored, and once complete, it will be able to provide disabled access, being fitted with double doors. It will also be used for private hires.

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82 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

SOMERSET ‘PEAK’: Looking very much like a West Country holiday working of the past, Type 4 ‘Peak’ No. 45041 approaches Watchet on June 10 with a working from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard during the West Somerset Railway’s diesel gala. Robert Sherwood

PRESERVATION

125 Group launches depot appeal

4-SUB No. 4732 and the Class 503 unit undercover at the beginning of June in the former Hornby Factory, Margate, which is now owned as a storage facility by LSL. Heritage Electric Trains Trust

Final EMUs leave Coventry THE removal of the last remaining EMU cars from the now closed Electric Railway Museum at Coventry was completed on June 18, when the last vehicle 4-SUB DMBSO No. 12796 left the site for a new home at LSL’s Margate storage facility (the former Hornby factory).

The complete 4-SUB, No. 4732, has been moved to Margate, along with the sole-surviving Class 503 set and 4-EPB trailer No. 15354 (from set No. 5176), which is a donor for the ‘SUB’.

It is the first time that the 4-SUB and Class 503 units have been undercover for more than 20 years, and the newly-formed Heritage Electric Trains Trust has set a 10 year timescale for their restoration to display standard and heritage railway

operation, which it estimates will cost a seven-figure sum.

Other departures not previously recorded include the two-car Class 501 to Finmere on June 9, where it joins a number of other EMUs, including the Network SouthEast Railway Society’s 4-CIG No. 1753. Liverpool Overhead Railway trailer No. 7 has moved to Hope Farm at Sellindge in Kent, joining 2-EPB No. 6307.

It is quite remarkable, and thanks to the efforts of the team at Coventry and people at their new bases, homes have been found for all the vehicles, and none have had to be disposed of for scrap despite many regarding them to be ‘at risk’. The accompanying table (below) lists the whereabouts of all the EMU stock which has left the Coventry site in the past 12 months.

THE 125 Group has launched an appeal to raise £100,000 as its contribution towards the construction of a new diesel maintenance depot at Ruddington on the GCR(N).

A two road maintenance shed is to be built, capable of housing four vehicles, of which three of the berths will belong to the 125 Group.

Growing numbers of rolling stock owners are investing in covered maintenance facilities, and the 125 Group decision follows that by others such as the DPS, SRPS and Severn Valley Railway diesel groups who have all realised the long term benefit of having such accommodation.

With the likelihood of production HST vehicles becoming available in the near future, it will provide a base to undertake maintenance and restoration

work. The 125 Group already has prototype power car No. 41001 on loan from the NRM and six Mk.3 coaches.

Porterbrook, which owns around a third of the HST fleet, has made a sizeable contribution towards the depot appeal. The leasing company’s chief commercial officer Stephen McGurk said: “Porterbrook is an asset management business, so we understand the value of having facilities where maintenance and refurbishment can be professionally undertaken; therefore we are delighted to support the 125 Group’s plans to establish a centre of engineering excellence at Ruddington for HSTs in preservation.” Rail Express readers wishing to find out more information or contribute towards the appeal should visit www.125group.org.uk/depot.

Another ‘108’ unit put up for sale THE Swanage Railway has put its Class 108 unit up for sale as surplus to requirements. The fully-operational set, which was overhauled by Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh in 2015, is being made redundant as the line’s three-car Class 117 set and 121 ‘Bubble Car’ are due to return from overhaul at Eastleigh Works shortly – these four cars have been returned to main line standards to enable them to be used on services over Network Rail tracks to Wareham.

The closing date for sealed bids for the unit is July 31. It has been resident at Swanage since 1997, when it moved to the line from Peak Rail. At the time, it was one of several Class 108s owned by Mike Hancocks, but all were sold in 2008 and the Swanage Railway purchased the set. The ‘108’ is the second unit of its type to be put up for sale in recent months, the Bodmin & Wenford’s set having been sold to the Weardale Railway earlier this year.

CAMERA PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY Think you can do better? If you’ve taken something newsworthy, artistic or technically interesting on a mobile device, send it in to railexpresseditor@mortons.co.uk and we’ll pay our normal rates for any used in the magazine.

FORMER ERM EMU STOCK LOCATIONS Battlefield Line Colne Valley Railway Crewe Heritage Centre Darley Dale (Andrew Briddon Locos) East Kent Railway Hope Farm, Sellindge Lavender Line Locomotive Storage, Margate Tanat Valley Railway

2-EPB 5791/5793 (hybrid) 307 (75023), 308 (75881), 312 (71205/78037) 370 (49006) 2-HAP 4311 457 (67300).

2-EPB 6307, Liverpool Overhead 7.

309624.

4-SUB 4732, 503 (28690/29720/29289), 4-EPB car 15354.

309616.

Western Campaigner suffers major failure ON THE first day of the West Somerset Railway’s diesel gala on June 8, the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group’s No. D1010 Western Campaigner suffered a transmission failure on the approach to Bishops Lydeard, which could result in it being out of action for some time.

In a statement, the DEPG said: “Our priority now is to arrange for D1010 to be recovered safely to Williton, where we

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will be able to remove the cooler group and access the transmission. Only when we have been able to look inside the gearbox will we be able to determine the full extent of the failure and any damage caused.”

■ Another loco which has had to be stopped is No. 50027 Lion at the MidHants Railway, following a radiator failure during the line’s gala in early June.

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MOTO G PLAY: The BR arrows and early number of Class 26 No. 26043 (D5343) are perfectly framed by the window, seats and table of a Mk.1 coach at Medstead & Four Marks on June 1 during the Mid-Hants diesel gala. Peter Satterthwaite

READ THESE AND HUNDREDS MORE EDITIONS IN THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

classicmagazines.co.uk/rmarchive August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 83

PRESERVATION

Diesels called up during fire risk AS TEMPERATURES soared in late June and early July, an increasing number of preserved railways resorted to using diesel power on services to prevent lineside fires from occurring.

The East Lancashire Railway announced on June 30 that it would be using diesels only, and the following day saw No. 37109 operate on the line’s steam diagram, working alongside No. D9537. The same day saw No. 08757 in use at Telford for the same reason.

Similarly, the Strathspey Railway suspended steam running after June 30 following a lineside fire, while the Middleton Railway used diesel

traction on July 1. The Great Central Railway also used diesel power after a number of lineside fires, with Nos. 1705 (47117) Sparrowhawk, D5185 (25035) and 37714 Cardiff Canton all being called in action, the ‘47’ having just returned to service following certification of its air tanks three days previously.

Meanwhile, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway was preparing itself for the possibility of having to introduce a ‘Firecon 3’ timetable (all trains diesel hauled between Pickering and Goathland) and to provide extra diesel traction, Nos. 20142/189 were expected to arrive on the line on July 4.

BUTTERLEY ‘TUG’: Two days after it was named Midland Railway - Butterley on the heritage line, last-built Class 60 No. 60100 heads fellow DBC stablemate No. 66065 through the Golden Valley on June 17 with a working towards Butterley. Rob Reedman

Stay of execution for historic C&SLR car

BOSCARNE ‘BUBBLE’: Former Chiltern Railways single car unit No. 121020 is now in active preservation use, pictured on June 23 at Boscarne Junction with the 14.50 to Bodmin General. Jamie Squibbs

THE closure of the Electric Railway Museum in Coventry endangered two former Central and South London Railway (C&SLR) carriage bodies.

The cars, Nos. 135 and 163, were constructed in 1904 and 1907, of timber and metal frame respectively.

The London Transport Museum has moved car No. 163 to Neasden Depot, where it arrived on June 15. However, they are keen to point out that this

does not mean that the car is being accepted into the museum’s collection.

Car No. 163 is considered to be in very poor condition, having corroded extensively. The museum says it will explore every option, but scrapping cannot yet be ruled out.

Meanwhile Car No. 135 has been moved by the Suburban Electric Railway Railway Association to private store in Sellindge, Kent.

DIESEL DIARY

Onslaught and GBRf ‘66’ to appear at GCR gala THE Bury Hydraulic Group’s ‘Warship’ No. D832 Onslaught is set to visit another railway later this year, with an appearance at the Great Central Railway in September. Also visiting should be a Class 66, courtesy of GB Railfreight, and a yet-to-beannounced guest.

The Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Railway’s ‘Back to Broadway’ gala at the end of July will feature a visiting ‘Hymek’ as well as the previously announced ‘Warship’. No. D7017 will be moved by road from the West Somerset Railway for the event.

Riviera Trains’ No. 08605 should be a draw at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway on August 11. The loco is currently having its vacuum brakes

Diesel Galas

July 27-29: GloucestershireWarwickshire Railway August 3-5: Spa Valley Railway August 11/12: Ecclesbourne Valley Railway August 18/19: Caledonian Railway August 25-27: East Kent Railway September 1/2: Heritage Shunters Trust

84 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

reinstated. The previously planned appearance by No. D7076 will no longer take place (see separate news story).

In addition to its appearance at the line’s gala, ‘Deltic’ No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier will have a running weekend at the Spa Valley Railway on August 11/12, working five return trips between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge.  ‘Warship’ No. D832 appeared at the North Norfolk Railway's Mixed Traction Gala over the weekend of June 15-17, and is seen passing Sheringham Golf Club on the 15th with the 14.56 Sheringham to Holt. The loco is now set to appear at the Great Central Railway in early September. Martyn Hunt

September 7-9: Great Central Railway September 14-16: Dean Forest Railway September 15/16: Epping Ongar Railway September 21/22: Bodmin & Wenford Railway September 22/23: East Lancashire Railway September 28-30: Isle of Wight Railway

September 28-30: Mid Norfolk Railway September 29/30: Llangollen Railway October 4-6: Severn Valley Railway (Class 50 event) October 6/7: GloucestershireWarwickshire Railway October 6/7: Ribble Railway November 2-4: South Devon Railway November 3/4: East Lancashire Railway (DMU event)

December 29: Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway

Mixed steam/diesel events

August 4/5: Llangollen Railway (1960s weekend) October 27/28: GCR(N), Ruddington (Anything Goes)

POWER BY THE HOUR

Simon Bendall

Colas Rail ‘Tugs’ sold to GBRf in surprise deal

GBRf acquires Class 56 fleet

NOT content with acquiring a fleet of Class 56s (right), June also brought the news that GB Railfreight has reached agreement with Colas Rail to purchase all 10 of its Class 60s.

Unlike the ‘Grids’, however, GBRf had made no official statement on the deal by the start of July, but indications are that the locos will be transferred across from August onwards.

For Colas’ part, rumours had been circulating for some time that the company was looking to refocus on its infrastructure work and move away from traditional bulk freight, something that seems to be confirmed by the sale of its heavy-hauling Brush machines. Whether GBRf will take on these flows as well remains to be seen, as indeed where the Class 60s will be deployed.

With the company now operating some aggregates flows out of Peak Forest, this could be one area of use, while it has also been revealed that GBRf is tendering, along with other operators, for the latest Mendip Rail contract.

Notably, GBRf’s wandering Class 59, No. 59003 Yeoman Highlander, was to found at its old haunt of Westbury for much of June, the GM seeing deployment on the Stud Farm ballast circuit.

Of the 10 Class 60s in Colas’ fleet, five have standard fuel tanks (Nos. 60047/76/85/87/95) with the other quintet having extended range tanks (Nos. 60002/21/26/56/96), and indications are that the former may be the first to change operators. Indeed, GBRf has already cast an eye over some of its acquisitions, Nos. 60076 and 60095 running from Barnetby to Doncaster Roberts Road on June 15 for inspection.

OFFICIAL confirmation came on June 15 of the long-expected aquisition by GB Railfreight of the fleet of Class 56s assembled by UK Rail Leasing.

In a press release, GBRf stated that the locos will be used to provide extra capacity as the company continues to grow its traffic portfolio.

There had been speculation for some months that around 10 locos would be put through a modernisation programme, including fitting new engines. However, this aspect of the project has yet to be agreed, with GBRf merely stating it is “subject to final contract”. It has also emerged that if this re-engineering goes ahead, new cabs may be fitted to improve the type’s crashworthiness, which could significantly alter the appearance of the selected locos.

Freightliner Class 70 fleet reduced further THE period under review saw Freightliner remove a further three Class 70s from traffic, leaving the operational fleet at just six as July began.

As detailed last issue, Nos. 70004/05/10/17 were all stored during May, but there was a further casualty right at the end of the month as No. 70006 joined them in the DHLT pool at Midland Road. June was only a week old when No. 70002 was similarly stored at the Leeds depot, having initially failed at Southampton during late May, while No. 70003 followed suit in mid month.

For a time in late June, all 13 stored Class 70s, Nos. 70001-06/09/10/13/1619, were in a single multi-million pound row besides the running lines at the Leeds depot, with just Nos. 70007/08/11/14/15/20 still in service.

A check of the locos’ repair status shows most stopped with engine or wheelset issues, both of which continue to be problem areas for the General Electric design.

86 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

On the cards for some months, the freight operator has added to its capacity with the purchase of around 16 ‘Grids’ from UK Rail Leasing in Leicester.

POSSIBLE REINSTATEMENTS

In the meantime, a small number of the locos are expected to re-enter service ‘as is’ in the short to medium term to assist with current operations. These will likely include the three Class 56s returned to traffic by UKRL but little used – Nos. 56081, 56098 and 56104 – along with possibly the ex-DCR duo of Nos. 56311 and 56312.

While the GBRf statement confirmed it had purchased 16 ‘Grids’, the exact identities of all the locos involved remained unconfirmed at the start of July. In addition to the above five, fellow Leicester residents Nos. 56007/18/31/32/37/38/60/65/69/ 77 are almost certainly involved as is the shell of No. 56009, which was moved by road from the Battlefield Line to EMD’s Longport depot on April 28/29 via an overnight stop.

Indications are that GBRf has also since purchased a 17th loco, thought to

be either the heavily stripped No. 56128 at Booth’s Rotherham scrapyard or No. 56106, which is at Leicester but minus one cab.

June 21 saw an attempt to move the first locos away from Leicester to Longport by rail, with Nos. 66708 and 66727 arriving and forming up Nos. 56031, 56037 and 56311 between them. However, paperwork issues intervened upon departure, leading to the two GMs having to depart empty handed.

WEMBLEY INCIDENT

Previously unreported is the acquirement by UKRL of No. 56303, which has most recently seen sporadic use on the Willesden-Barrington spoil workings. It is unclear whether this loco also forms part of the GBRf deal, but the end of May saw it involved in a bizarre incident at Wembley when the

stabled ‘Grid’ was hit by an unknown train, pushing it back by some 70ft and leaving it with cab damage. With no party owning up to the collision, a RAIB investigation is now underway in an effort to determine who and what caused this ‘hit and run’ incident.

Fortunately for DCR, the long absent No. 56103 made a welcome return to the main line during June following the completion of engine repairs. Out of traffic since December 2015, and still carrying unbranded Fertis grey, the loco undertook a test run from Leicester to Doncaster and back in the company of No. 50008 on June 19.

Three days later, the duo headed to Willesden before double-heading the 6L01/04.24 Willesden-Barrington and 6M05/11.50 return on June 25.

Thereafter, the Type 5 was allowed out solo, repeating the duty on July 2. E

DCR ‘Grid’ No. 56103 is not part of the GBRf deal, but June also saw this loco return to traffic – pictured at Foxton on June 25 with the empty wagons from Barrington to Wembley. ‘Hoover’ No. 50008 Thunderer was included in case of any problems with the newly repaired ‘56’. Iain Scotchman

PEAK FOREST ‘SUPER SHUNTERS’:

With GB Railfreight now operating some aggregates services out of Peak Forest, Victa Railfreight has been contracted to carry out shunting operations and Nos. 37716 and 56113 have been hired from DRS and Colas respectively to act as the resident ‘super shunters’. The Type 5 arrived at Peak Forest on May 30, while the EE machine followed on June 3. It remains to be seen if they will endure as a long-term solution, as neither is entirely suited to the role. Both are pictured in use at Peak Forest on June 29.

Steve Sienkiewicz

POWER BY THE HOUR ‘GROWLER’ RETURNS WITH COLAS: Released from Barrow Hill

on May 21, newly-reinstated No. 37521 took up test train duties 10 days later when, partnered with No. 37421, it worked a 3Q89/22.57 circular outing from Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street, Wigan Wallgate and Southport. The next night found the duo in the West Midlands, appearing at Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street and Rugby. Subsequently, the duo migrated to Scotland for over a week, being noted at Ayr and Edinburgh Waverley on June 6, Wemyss Bay and Gourock late on the 8th, Aviemore and Elgin two days later, and traversing Fife late on June 11. By the end of the month, No. 37521 was flying solo and working on the erstwhile Southern Region. The loco is pictured at New Cumnock on June 8 working the 1Q74 Carlisle-Mossend test train. Simon Jones

NEWS ROUND-UP BARS

TIME finally ran out for two of the longstored Class 31s at Wolsingham at the end of June, Nos. 31602 and 31468 being systematically demolished by local scrap merchant J Denham Metals. Network Rail yellow-liveried No. 31602, which had not worked since the end of 2012, was consigned to history on June 26 with Fragonset-liveried No. 31468 following within two days, having not seen use for over a decade.

COLAS RAIL

REINSTATED during April, No. 56090 returned to the main line for the first time in over 14 years on June 7 when the newly-overhauled ‘Grid’ led Nos. 56302, 50017 and 50050 on a 0Z56 Nottingham Eastcroft-Crewe test run, the return being headed by No. 56302. A second outing from Nottingham on June 21 ventured to Sleaford, with No. 56090 leading the two Boden-owned ‘Hoovers’ and classmates Nos. 56078 and 56094.

DB CARGO

THE protracted reinstatement of No. 67004 was finally completed at the beginning of June, the loco having been out of action since October 2015. Having spent much of last year undergoing attention at Toton, culminating in a repaint in DB red, it was transferred to Crewe Electric over the festive period for yet more repairs. Returned to the WABC pool, the ‘Skip’ spent much of the month on East Coast ‘thunderbird’ duties. Late June saw classmates Nos. 67005 and 67008 stored in the WQAA pool at Toton as was No. 60017.

DIRECT RAIL SERVICES

THE company’s Class 57/0 fleet received some good news at the end of May with the reinstatement of No. 57003 after prolonged attention at Eastleigh Works.

The ‘bodysnatcher’ was duly released on June 7 when it heading for Willesden

Brent and later Crewe with spares donor No. 57011 in tow.

Now resplendent in BR large logo blue, No. 37409 was reinstated to the XHAC pool on June 12 and departed for Crewe the next day with stored No. 37603 for company (see also the photo on page 88). June 22 saw Nos. 37603 and 57011 deposited at Carlisle Kingmoor following transfer from Gresty Bridge behind Nos. 66303 and 68024 and, three days later, the pair were forwarded to MoD Longtown to await their fate.

EAST MIDLAND TRAINS

ANOTHER of the former Grand Central HST power cars was returned to traffic with EMT during June. No. 43465 spent the first half of the month undergoing repainting at Loram before transferring to Derby Etches Park for final finishing and was noted in traffic from June 25. The last of the fleet to be prepared, No. 43484, was transferred from Neville Hill to Derby on June 14 in the company of No. 43480. By the end of the month, it had received EMT’s base blue livery at Loram and was ready for its vinyls ahead of re-entering service in July.

FREIGHTLINER

THE last AC electric stored at Long Marston was finally removed on June 14, No. 86229 being transferred to Crewe Basford Hall to undergo spares recovery alongside similarly recently relocated sister No. 86251. Following unloading, the stripped shell of one time Network Rail load bank No. 86901 was loaded onto the low-loader and moved the short distance to Sandbach Commercial Dismantlers, where it was scrapped within five days.

GB RAILFREIGHT

THE latest Class 92 to receive Dellner couplings was released from Brush Traction on June 6, No. 92033 being dragged away from Loughborough by

No. 73961, which itself had been present for attention. Bound for Willesden TMD, the duo headed south via the Midland Main Line. Meanwhile, fresh from its own Dellner fitting, No. 73970 made its way back to Craigentinny from Crewe on June 5.

GBRf-liveried No. 20901 made a welcome return to action at the start of June, just over two years after it was side-lined following wheelset damage incurred at a Bluebell Railway diesel gala.

The HNRC-owned Type 1 has re-joined its classmates on the London Underground ‘S’ Stock moves.

Newly re-numbered No. 66784 emerged from Eastleigh Works in early June following an extended stay for traction motor attention. It was duly noted leaving the south coast atop the 6M26/08.50 Eastleigh Yard-Mountsorrel on June 11. The start of July saw No. 66785 released from the Arlington paintshop in standard GBRf blue/orange while Nos. 66008 and 66184 were still to arrive on site.

logo blue, the difficulty and expense of reversing the DRS light cluster modifications on No. 37610 has seen it fall from favour. It would be a good fit with HNRC’s Nos. 37607 and 37612, both of which continue to be hired to Colas.

Similarly, No. 47853 has lain unused at Barrow Hill after it was prepared for hire to GBRf, the deal collapsing after the Colas Class 47s were acquired instead.

Meanwhile, No. 37667 was moved by road from Crewe to Derby in mid-June to receive attention at Loram.

SCOTRAIL

FRESH from overhaul at Crewe Electric, No. 90012 was hauled back to East Anglia on June 26, DRS supplying No. 37038 as traction for the journey to Norwich.

RELEASED from GWR duties, HST power cars Nos. 43026 and 43141 departed St Philip’s Marsh for Ely Papworth during the evening of June 5 to deposit a Mk.3 set before continuing back to back to Doncaster West Yard overnight.

The duo remained here until called to Loughborough on June 28.

Classmates Nos. 43125 and 43128 took a rather more direct journey, departing Bristol for an overnight stop at Chaddesden Yard, Derby, on June 6.

Continuing to Ely the next afternoon, the Class 43s then headed to Brush Traction that evening. June 15 saw ScotRailliveried Nos. 43169 and 43183 depart Loughborough for Wabtec, Doncaster, and hopefully an eventual rendezvous with an overhauled Mk.3 set.

Still in ex-GWR condition, Nos. 43003 and 43142 departed Leicester, where they had been stabled for some six weeks, on June 18. Initially bound for Ely, they collected four Mk.3s and then set out on the long journey to Edinburgh Craigentinny.

LOCOMOTIVE SERVICES

WEST COAST

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY

ANOTHER short set of Mk.3s was dispatched to Wabtec, Doncaster on June 17 for sliding door conversion, power for the journey from Laira being supplied by Nos. 43170 and 43189, which remained on site for modifications and GWR green repaint.

GREATER ANGLIA

THE two former DRS Class 37s owned

by Locomotive Services look set to have different futures with the news that No. 37610 is expected to be swapped with HNRC for No. 47853 in return.

Although part finished in BR large

NOT seen on the main line since early 2016, No. 57001 was hauled from Carnforth to Nemesis Rail’s Burton-uponTrent depot by No. 37669 on June 8. Here, it is due to undergo engine repairs to allow a return to traffic.

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 87

POWERSCENE

David Rapson

Powerscene Our authoritative class-by-class review of newsworthy locomotive workings.

CLASS 33

HAVING moved from Southall to Carnforth in May, narrow-bodied Class 33/2 No. 33207 accompanied No. 37516 on the 1Z25/07.06 Carnforth-Scarborough as far as York on June 21, before handing over to Bulleid ‘Pacific’ No. 35018 British India Line. There was more ‘Crompton’ action the following day as No. 33029 replaced No. 37669 on the shuttle services between Oxenholme and Windermere, ‘top and tailing’ the three coaches with No. 57316 and working over the weekend until late on June 24.

CLASS 37

A TRIO of BR large logo blue ‘37s’ handled the Branch Line Society’s ‘Nosey Peaker’ tour on June 14 with Nos. 37424+37407, and No. 37401 at the rear, forming the outward leg as 1Z49/07.58 Stafford-

88 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

Buxton via Manchester Victoria and returning via Altrincham (see photo on pages 80/81). English Electric haulage of the ‘Dalesman’ occurred on June 4 when Nos. 37669+37685 had charge of the 1Z45/08.34 York-Carlisle and 16.34 return between York and Hellifield repeating the run next day, while Nos. 37516+37669 took the ‘Scarborough Spa Express’ from Carnforth to York on June 14, handing over there to steam traction.

On June 26, the ‘Fellsman’ (1Z70/08.02 Lancaster-Carlisle) was powered by Nos. 37516+37668, the latter having ‘tailed’ No. 47804 on a returning ScarboroughEaling Broadway charter on June 23.

Following a nine-month sojourn at Loram’s Derby workshops, No. 37409 Lord Hinton emerged sporting large logo blue livery and, on June 13, ran light to Crewe.

On June 20, the Type 3 was noted with

saloon Caroline (No. 975025) heading from Oxford to Crewe via the Bicester Chord, High Wycombe, Acton, Tyseley and Perry Barr and next day at Hooton bound for Warrington Bank Quay and Huyton before taking the electrified Northern Line through Formby to Southport. No. 37409 and coach left Southport at 11.53 running to Wigan Wallgate, Manchester Victoria, Todmorden, Accrington, Preston and back to Crewe prior to the loco moving on to Norwich on June 25. The next day the Type 3 was noted on empty stock transfers from Bounds Green to Norwich and Crown Point to Ilford, the latter with six Mk.3 coaches. At the end of June, No. 37409 was partnered with No. 37407 on the Anglia ‘short set’, the one-time West Highland duo being far from their spiritual home!

The DRS pair of Nos. 37069+37259

passed Stafford on June 14 with the 6G94/12.22 Basford Hall-Bescot prior to hauling the 6D95/14.41 BescotToton. On June 26, No. 37038 hauled AC electric No. 90012 Royal Anglian Regiment as the 0Z40/09.36 Crewe Electric-Norwich Crown Point and the following morning, Nos. 37218+37606 set of with the 6D43/07.31 CreweValley flasks in lieu of the regular pair of Class 68s. In fact, this was the first time a Class 37 had appeared on the diagram since Nos. 37716+57002 were recorded at Llandudno Junction on May 3, 2017.

West Coast’s No. 37685 took a ‘Jacobite’ set of coaches from Fort William to Craigentinny for tyre turning on June 10 and a second rake six days later, taking the latter back to Carnforth on June 26 and returning it to Fort William on June 29.

POWERSCENE CLASS 47

ON June 2, the ‘Northern Belle’ had Class 47 power for a change when Nos. 47772 and 57313 ‘top and tailed’ the 1Z67/05.52 Manchester VictoriaLeatherhead, returning that evening from Epsom before powering the 1Z57/12.30 Derby-Nottingham and then the 1Z58/13.06 Nottingham-Derby via Alfreton, Chesterfield, Chinley, Stockport and Stoke next day.

No. 47826 teamed up with No. 57314 on a Kemble-Carlisle charter on June 2 before the same pair handled the 1Z14/10.46 Perth-Edinburgh and thence 1Z15/14.46 Edinburgh-Swindon two days later. Another West Coast Type 4, No. 47760, was at the rear of a circular Paddington to London Victoria tour on June 5, hauled by former LNER ‘Pacific’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman and routed by way of High Wycombe, the Bicester Chord, Reading and Kensington Olympia.

June 9 found Nos. 47760 and 47746 in charge of the 1Z40/06.35 WokingKingswear, though the former was replaced by Stanier ‘Black 5’ No. 45212 at Bristol Temple Meads on the outward journey before itself replacing the steam locomotive at Taunton on the return leg. Nos. 47832 and 47826, either end of a day trip from Stevenage to Blaenau

Ffestiniog on June 16, travelled the length of the Conwy Valley line, departing from North Llanrwst at 12.13.

On June 29, No. 47245 replaced its West Coast stable companion No. 57314 on the Oxenholme-Windermere shuttles, working with ‘ever present’ No. 57316 until the trains ceased to run after July 1.

June 30 found No. 47237 handling an additional 5Z47/08.00 Fort WilliamCraigentinny spare stock move while No. 47580 County of Essex, coupled ‘inside’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman, went north with the 1Z44/06.10 Ealing Broadway-York and took the return train back to London unaided.

Prior to handling the ‘English Riviera Express’, ‘Pacific’ No. 34046 Braunton (still masquerading as No. 34052 Lord Dowding) and its coaching stock were taken south from Crewe to Bristol (St Philip’s Marsh) on June 22 behind Locomotive Services’ No. 47805 (D1935).

Both worked together to Kingswear on July 1 due to the risk of lineside fires. On the same day, West Coast’s No. 47760 replaced the booked loco on Steam Dreams’ 1Z47/11.22 PaddingtonStratford upon Avon for the same reason.

Back on June 10, No. 47501 (D1944) had ‘tailed’ the 1Z31/11.05 Crewe-Telford Central special hauled via Chester,

❯

DRS Type 3 No. 37409 Lord Hinton was reinstated to the XHAC pool in mid June after an exam and repaint, and by the end of the month was at work on the ‘short set’ in Norfolk. On June 28, it was partnered with No. 37407 and is pictured leaving Great Yarmouth with the 2P33/18.17 to Norwich. Ryan Hayward

West Coast Railways Class 57s Nos. 57313 and 57314 ‘top and tailed’ the 1Z78/10.18 Liverpool South Parkway to Cosford (for the RAF Cosford Air Show) ‘Northern Belle’ on June 10, being pictured on the Halton Branch between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction, the first public train to transverse the branch in a southerly direction in a quarter of a century. Doug Birmingham

SHED TALK Correct to July 3, 2018 Allocation changes 37409 XHSS-XHAC 43026 LA/EFPC-HA/HAPC 43125 LA/EFPC-HA/HAPC 43128 LA/EFPC-HA/HAPC 43141 LA/EFPC-HA/HAPC 57003 XHSS-XHCK 60011 WQAB-WQAA 60017 WCBT-WQAA 66086 WBAT-WBAE 67004 WQAA-WABC 67005 WAAC-WQAA 67008 WAAC-WQAA 67013 WAAC-WAWC 67015 WAWC-WAAC 67020 WAWC-WAAC 70002 DFGI-DHLT 70003 DFGI-DHLT 70006 DFGI-DHLT Sold GB Railfreight: 60002/21/26/47/56/ 76/85/87/95/96 UK Rail Leasing: 56303

Modifications Dellner couplings fitted: 92033 Reinstated 37409, 43465/84, 56103, 57003, 67004 Stored/stopped locations Crewe Basford Hall: 86229 Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: 08605 Leeds Midland Road: 70002/03/06 Loram, Derby: 37667 Longport: 56009 MoD Longtown: 37603, 57011 Nemesis, Burton: 57001 Toton: 60017, 67005/08 Wembley: 56303 Disposals J Denham Metals on site at Wolsingham: Cut dates: June 26: 31602, June 28: 31468 Sandbach Commercial Dismantlers: Arrival date: June 14: 86901, Cut date: June 19: 86901

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 89

POWERSCENE Perfect evening light and a high tide combine on June 15 as No. 66031 accelerates away from Carne Point, Cornwall, and heads for Liskeard with an empty china clay working. Craig Munday

❮ Wrexham and Shrewsbury by No. 46100

Royal Scot.

With barrier vehicles and HST coach No. 42288 in tow, No. 47812 handled the 5S04/10.00 Ely Papworth-Craigentinny via Lincoln on June 1, while No. 47813 passed Cheltenham Spa on June 5 with a rake of JSA steel wagons from Long Marston in tow, destined for conversion at Eastleigh Works. Both of the Type 4s were paired together to work the 5Q32/09.00 Portbury-Longsight on June 15, conveying five new Mk.5 coaches destined for use with TransPennine Express. Though little-used during the month, No. 47727 handled the 5Z27/08.14 Polmadie-Bishop Auckland on June 13, hauling Mk.2 coaches Nos. 6703 and 9800 and returned that afternoon with Nos. 6700 and 9497.

CLASS 50

THE ‘Mazey Day Cornishman’ on June 23 left Tame Bridge Parkway hauled by

90 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

No. 66149 but this was replaced at Worcester Shrub Hill by Class 50s Nos. 50049+50007 (see photo on pages 6/7). The ‘Hoovers’ made good time and Penzance was reached only three minutes behind schedule, having been 20 minutes late at Newton Abbot.

Both locos carried the identities of former classmates on one side, Nos. 50011 Centurion and 50006 Neptune respectively, which were the last two members of the class to be named in 1979 and the first pair to be withdrawn in 1987. On the return journey (1Z52 16.07 Penzance-Tame Bridge Parkway) both Class 50s were replaced by No. 66152 at Kidderminster Down Goods Loop.

CLASS 56

COLAS Railfreight example No. 56302 found itself on passenger duties on June 9. The ‘Peak District Explorer’ tour arrived at Bescot with No. 66177 at its head, allowing the Class 56 to ‘top and

tail’ the special to Buxton via Dowlow and back as far as Toton on the returning 1Z45/16.40 Buxton-Bristol Temple Meads.

The 6K20/08.05 Carlisle Yard-Keith long welded rail train on June 2, which was ‘top and tailed’ by Nos.56094 and 56087, ran only as far as Inverness Rose Street. Next day, and by now double-headed, the pair set off back to Millerhill with the train still loaded before working back north as the 6K21/19.09 Millerhill-Aberdeen Ferryhill. Further delay occurred as No. 56087 had to be detached at Thornton as double-heading is not allowed over the Tay Bridge.

No. 56094 had charge of the 6E90/06.34 Oxwellmains-Seaham on June 14, No. 56078 worked 6C77/16.50 Toton-Sharnbrook Junction on June 25 and Nos. 56105 and 56087 powered the 6K40/20.16 Carlisle Yard-Carstairs on June 23, passing Beattock summit at 22.03. Back on June 1, Nos. 56105 and

56078 ‘top and tailed’ the 6C20/17.55 Basford Hall-Holyhead ballast train.

CLASS 57

TRIAL running between Oxenholme and Windermere by West Coast Railways commenced on Sunday, June 17, when Nos. 57316 and 37669, sandwiching a trio of Mk.2 coaches, initially formed the 5Z02/11.28 from Oxenholme. After a single empty round trip, however, arrangements were made for the remainder of the day’s runs to operate as passenger trains prior to the planned use from Monday morning (see also pages 13/14).

The same two locos then worked the branch for four days before the Type 3 was replaced by No. 33029. No. 57316 remained at one end of the coaches and was subsequently joined by No. 57314 from June 25. The previous day, No. 57314 had completed a tour of duty on the ‘Northern Belle’ along with No.

POWERSCENE SPECTRUM JUNE proved to be a quiet month for locomotive repaints with just four HST power cars emerging in new colours, beginning with Nos. 43169 and 43183 in the ScotRail Intercity scheme from Brush Traction. Meanwhile, at Derby, Loram outshopped No. 43465 in the revised East Midlands Trains colours during June with No. 43484 then following it through the paintshop. Notably, when No. 43465 was transferred from Neville Hill to Derby on May 27 by Nos. 43044 and 43480, it was carrying white and orange East Midlands Trains lettering on its Grand Central black and orange livery, suggesting it was once intended to enter service without a repaint.

The application of new logos was also in evidence elsewhere during June, with No. 47727 receiving Caledonian Sleeper stags at Edinburgh Craigentinny

late in the month while LNER brandings for the replacement East Coast operation began to appear on HSTs, Class 91s and Mk.4 DVTs from the June 24 launch.

At Eastleigh Works, the former No. 66132 was rolled out at the start of July in GBRf blue/orange and renumbered as No. 66785.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the RAF, Northern has turned out No. 156480 in a white and light blue scheme, this featuring RAF roundels amongst other brandings. Also now with additional adornments is GWR’s No. 800008, which carries rainbow stripes behind both cabs to promote the ‘Trainbow’ campaign in support of LGBT Pride events. Finally, seven more of the Class 365s transferred to ScotRail received the amended TSGN livery with dark blue doors during modifications at Glasgow Works in June.

LOCOS

London Overground: 710111, 710261 ScotRail: 385005 TSGN: 700059/60

Repaints East Midlands Trains Revised: 43465/84 GB Railfreight: 66785 ScotRail Intercity: 43169/83

DMUs

Additions Northern (Arriva): 195001 Repaints Arriva Trains Wales two-tone blue: 150245 Great Western Railway green: 150265, 158953, 165118/30-33 Greater Anglia: 170272 Northern (Arriva): 150116, 150270, 158759 Northern (Arriva) 100 Years of the Royal Air Force white/light blue: 156480 ScotRail: 158734/39 South Western Railway: 159011/14

EMUs

Additions Crossrail: 345043/44/46 Great Western Railway green: 800309/10, 802007-12 57313, the pair returning to Carnforth after handling the 1Z38/16.04 NewportBristol via Lydney and Kemble, though they were reunited on June 30 to work a Manchester Victoria-Bristol ‘Belle’.

DRS’ No. 57002 moved DVT No. 82121 from Norwich to Cardiff Canton on June 7, travelling via Crewe, Shrewsbury and the North & West route, having accompanied No. 37405 and DVT No. 82152 on a run from Crewe to Norwich two days previously. On June 19, No. 57002 was noted at Preston with DRS Mk.2f coach No. 5919 forming the 5Z31/11.15 Carlisle KingmoorCrewe CS prior to taking a single IDA twin container flat back north that same afternoon.

The former ‘Northern Belle’ duo of Nos. 57305 and 57312 powered the Barrow to Fort William leg of the ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ on June 15 before handling the return to Crewe next day as the 1Z57/12.30 from Fort William.

by Simon Bendall

Repaints Great Western Railway green with ‘Trainbow’ rainbow stripes: 800008 Greater Anglia: 317649 Greater Anglia ‘Renatus’: 321315/17 Northern (Arriva): 319426 South Western Railway unbranded white: 442417 TSGN ScotRail: 365509/17/19/21/25/29/37 Virgin Trains ‘Flowing Silk’: 390047/49/50

COACHES

Additions Caledonian Sleeper: 15006/07, 15106, 15316/24-26/29-31 TransPennine Express: 11503, 1270709, 12803 Repaints BR blue/grey: 1691 BR chocolate/cream: 1832, 3146 Caledonian Sleeper: 6700, 9497 Great Western Railway green: 10217, 40113

CLASS 66

DB Cargo examples were popular choices for railtour duties on June 9, when No. 66177 set off with the 1Z43/05.10 Taunton-Buxton ‘Peak District Explorer’.

Shortly afterwards, Nos. 66181 and 66102 ‘top and tailed’ the ‘Last Invader’ excursion, running as the 1Z31/07.07 Paddington-Fishguard Harbour and 16.11 return.

Two weeks later, on June 23, there was a similar situation with No. 66149 hauling the 1Z50/05.40 Tame Bridge Parkway-Penzance as far as Worcester, while Nos. 66035 and 66133 ran north with the ‘Another Liverpool Docker’ charter (1Z75/06.40 Reading-Liverpool Bulk Terminal), which also included a trip from Warrington via Helsby to Ince & Elton (Encirc) and then along Liverpool’s Bootle branch.

Pathfinder Tours’ ‘Trent Ouse Docker’ on June 30 also employed No. 66133 along with No. 66140, running from

❯

DBC ‘Tug’ No. No 60007 The Spirit of Tom Kendell rolls off the Swindon line at Standish Junction and heads for Gloucester on June 27 with the 6B33/13.00 Theale-Robeston discharged fuel tanks. The train was diverted via Gloucester because the usual route via the Severn Tunnel was closed for three weeks in connection with the South Wales Main Line electrification project. Peter Slater

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 91

POWERSCENE ❮ Westbury to Hull via Mansfield, Shireoaks

Quintuple headers are not that rare to move locos around, but this one includes ‘66s’ in Colas, GBRf and Freightliner colours, namely Nos. 66847, 66846, 66786, 66541 and 66556 passing through Winchester on June 25 with the 6Y42/13.56 Hoo Junction to Eastleigh East Yard. Mike Lalley

92 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

and Goole Docks while a GBRf staff charter that day ran from Ashford to Weymouth powered by Nos. 66755 and 66786. A private charter from Victoria to Gillingham (Kent) on June 27 was ‘top and tailed’ by Nos. 66744 and newly-named 66755 Tony Berkeley OBE RFG Chairman 1997-2018.

Engineering work on the Far North line saw a considerable amount of Freightliner Class 66 operation during the month. For example, No. 66562 took 10 autoballasters from Millerhill to Rogart on June 5 and returned early next morning with the 6K35/03.23 Brora-Millerhill.

On June 19, No. 66416 passed Dingwall at 21.00 in charge of the 6K40/09.55 Millerhill-Forsinard and handled the same train two days later, returning on June 22 with the 6K41/06.50 from Helmsdale.

On the first day of GBRf operation (June 5), No. 66722 powered the 6M85/01.00 Ketton-St Pancras Churchyard Sidings Castle Cement tanks while a new aviation fuel flow saw No. 66556 take charge of the 6V05/01.00 Grain-Colnbrook and 6O05 16.12 return trial workings on June 19. That same

POWERSCENE day, the ‘Maritime’ blue No. 66727 took the LU 4-TC set from Butterley to Ferme Park while on June 21, No. 66701 hauled five shortened HYA wagons forming the 4D91/17.30 Shirebrook (W H Davis) to Doncaster Down Decoy. Colourful motive power for the 6Y43/19.57 Eastleigh Yard-Hoo Junction during the evening of June 15 came in the form of Nos. 66847+66548+66553+66569.

With five new Mk.5 sleeping cars in tow, No. 66585 formed the 6X05/03.34 Tees Dock-Polmadie on June 21, before returning the next day with another five coaches. The ‘Royal Scotsman’ ran into difficulties soon after, leaving the West Highland line on June 24, when No. 66743 failed at Maryhill with the leg to Wemyss Bay being cancelled. Next day, Nos. 66746 and 73969 were in charge of the 1H88/05.45 KilmarnockEdinburgh though further problems ensued (see Class 73). Previously, on June 17, No. 66736 Wolverhampton Wanderers reached Achnasheen with the ‘Scotsman’, running as the 1H78/07.23 Kyle of Lochalsh-Boat of Garten, and the same GM remained in charge for the trip to Dundee via Perth

next day as its two maroon sisters were both away for exams.

CLASS 67

AT the beginning of June, ‘Royal’ example No. 67005 Queen’s Messenger was appropriated to work the 1S25/21.16 Euston-Inverness sleepers from Edinburgh Waverley (due to depart from there at 04.14). On June 6, however, it was noted behind No. 90037 in the consist of the 6L35/17.39 Mossend-Dagenham Dock, travelling as far as Warrington Arpley before teaming up with No. 66002 on the 6K74/14.09 Warrington Arpley-Crewe Electric empty wagons next day.

Subsequently, Nos. 67030 and 67016 covered the Inverness sleeper between there and Edinburgh during June. The latter went north with No. 66014 on the 6X77/13.58 Dagenham Dock-Mossend cars on June 21 while No. 67030 ended its latest stint on the sleepers by hauling Class 325 units Nos. 325002/8 on the 1M03/17.45 Shieldmuir-Warrington RMT on June 25 (passing Lancaster at 19.55) before going on to Crewe Electric with the same sets plus No. 66095 later that evening.

Two days later, however, No. 67030 was back at Warrington accompanying No. 66035 on the 6G78/13.59 Arpley YardBescot empty wagons.

Following its involvement with ‘Deltic’ No. 55009 on the Linlithgow to King’s Cross and return specials on June 16, No. 67020 also had a brief spell of use on the Inverness sleepers.

CLASS 68

A MOVE of five light engines from Crewe to Norwich (featuring Nos. 68001/2/4/18 and 37407) enabled additional loco-hauled trains to be run in connection with the Great Yarmouth Air Show on June 16 and 17. Nos. 68002 and 68018 were paired to ‘top and tail’ the 2C50/09.06 Norwich-Yarmouth and 11 subsequent trains formed of a DVT and eight Mk.3 coaches while Nos. 68001 and 68004 took out the 2C52/09.55 from Norwich with a similar Greater Anglia set and also covered half a dozen round trips.

The previous weekend, Nos. 68001 and 68004 had ‘top and tailed’ the 1Z08/05.40 Norwich-Newcastle via Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds while it fell to No. 68016 to take the 1Z51/19.12

Crewe-Bangor ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ train along the North Wales coast during the evening of June 14. Early next morning, No. 68016 (no stranger to the area having worked the Valley flasks on numerous occasions) returned east with the 1Z53/04.40 Bangor-Ravenglass.

ScotRail-liveried No. 68006 Daring powered the 4H47/05.04 MossendInverness on June 2, the first Class 68 on the diagram since mid-March. On June 26, however, No. 68006 had migrated down south behind No. 66302 on the 6K27/14.43 Carlisle Yard-Basford Hall and later was stopped for an ‘E’ exam.

Meanwhile, the other ScotRail example, No. 68007 Valiant, also found itself on the 4H47/4D47 Stobart freight diagram on June 9, before being seen heading for exam at Carlisle Kingmoor on June 29. Nos. 68005+88008+37423 were at the head of the 6C53/06.25 CreweSellafield on June 6.

CLASS 70

ON June 6, No. 70811 ran light from Bescot to Carnforth and thence to Carlisle ready to be involved in the working of the following day’s ‘Jorvik and Scarborough

NAME GAME

❯

by Simon Bendall

LOCO NAMINGS

47727 Edinburgh Castle/ Glasgow Queen 29.06.18 Caisteal Dhùn Èideann Street station Naming of the Caledonian Sleeper reserve loco after the famous Edinburgh landmark, the unveiling taking place at Queen Street due to the proximity of the company’s office. Name is carried in English on one side and Gaelic on the other.

Loco previously named The Gloucestershire Regiment (as No. 47569), Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Castell Caerffili/Caerphilly Castle and Rebecca.

60100 Midland Railway - Butterley Butterley station 15.06.18 Twinning of DB Cargo with the preserved line prior to the summer diesel gala, which saw the freight operator supply four locos to work services. Previously named Boar of Badenoch and Pride of Acton.

66755 Tony Berkeley OBE London Victoria station 27.06.18 RFG Chairman 1997-2018 Surprise naming to mark the retirement of the chairman of the Rail Freight Group after two decades in the position, the loco along with No. 66744 then working a special charter around Kent.

66784 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Keighley station 29.06.18 50th Anniversary 1968-2018 Named to commemorate the 50th anniversary to the day of the reopening of the West Yorkshire preserved line.

UNIT NAMINGS

156480 Spirit of The Royal Air Force Newcastle station 23.06.18 Naming of the specially-liveried Northern ‘Super Sprinter’ to mark the centenary of the RAF, the unit then conveying guests to Durham for a service at the cathedral and a parade. The DMU had operated in service during the preceding week with the name uncovered.

800019 Joy Lofthouse/ Bristol Temple 22.06.18 Johnny Johnson MBE DFM Meads station Named to mark the 100th anniversary of the RAF and the 75th anniversary of the Damubusters raid. Car No. 811019 is named after Cirencester-born Joy Lofthouse, who was one of a 168 female pilots that flew for the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War, delivering newly built planes to frontline airfields. Car No. 815019 is named after the last British survivor of the Dambusters raid, who currently lives near Bristol. Next to the names are, respectively, an outline image of a Spitfire and a flight of 19 Lancaster bombers.

DE-NAMINGS Here is a new location that possibly has not been seen before. It is taken on the Midland Main Line at Burton Latimer, south of Kettering, and shows GBRf’s No. 66770 heading the 6E45/13.06 Theale to Immingham empty tanks north on June 27. Richard Gennis

43026 Michael Eavis 365517 Supporting Red Balloon 390047 CLIC Sargent 390049 Virgin Express 390050 Virgin Invader

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Laira T&RSMD Glasgow Works Alstom, Widnes Alstom, Widnes Alstom, Widnes

05.18 05.18 05.18 06.18 06.18

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August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 93

POWERSCENE

❮ Spa Express’. Running as the 1Z25/05.07

Dumfries-Scarborough, the charter started out with Nos. 47804 and 47832 in ‘top and tail’ mode as far as Carlisle where the latter was detached and No. 70811 added to the leading Class 47 for the run to Holgate Sidings, York. Meanwhile, No. 70805 was sent light from Barnetby to York in order to double-head the return trip with No. 47804 as far as Carlisle. The following morning No. 70805 ran light from Carlisle to Carnforth and on to Bescot.

No. 70812 ran light from Cardiff Canton to Carlisle on June 14 to take up duties from Grangemouth the next day.

As it transpired, No. 70812 was in the right place at the right time when the 4L81/19.36 Coatbridge-London Gateway intermodal train was struggling to breast Shap Summit with AC electrics Nos. 86607+86628 at the helm. The Class 70 was quickly commandeered to assist 4L81 ‘over the top’ and down to Tebay before resuming its northbound journey.

On June 15, No. 70812 was reported atop the 6M34/21.29 GrangemouthDalston and remained on similar duties until turning its hand to the 6J37/10.59 Carlisle Yard-Chirk timber on June 25 and again the following day before being substituted by No. 60047 on June 27.

CLASS 73

FOR quite possibly the first time, all six Caledonian Sleeper Class 73/9s were in traffic at once on June 9. Nos. 73968 and 73969 were entrusted with the

94 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

1S25/04.14 Edinburgh-Inverness sleeper portion in place of the regular Class 67 in order to position them to assist a SRPS charter to Kyle of Lochalsh. This arrived in the Highland capital later that morning, having departed Paisley Gilmour Street at 05.00 behind Nos. 73967+73966. The two pairs of ‘EDs’ then ‘top and tailed’ the train through to the picturesque terminal.

Meanwhile, Nos. 73970 and 73971 were paired up on the 1Y11/04.50 EdinburghFort William sleeper.

In connection with Rail Live 2018, Nos. 73963 and 73962, either end of London Underground’s 4-TC set, formed the 1Z73/07.14 Paddington-Long Marston via Oxford on June 20. Next day, this time with No. 73962 leading and with four Mk.1 coaches replacing a now defective 4-TC, the two ‘EDs’ formed a similar service from Paddington, returning as 1Z74/14.54 from Long Marston.

Added to the ‘Royal Scotsman’ in place of failed No. 66743, No. 73969 accompanied No. 66746 to Brora on June 26, the furthest north a Class 73 has been. Both locos ran-round there so that the ‘73/9’ was on the rear of the departing 1Z37/11.33 Brora-Kyle of Lochalsh.

However, operational issues then intervened on reaching the Kyle line with the ‘Royal Scotsman’ returning to Dingwall to detach No. 73969, where it remained until returned to Inverness on July 3.

Electro-diesels at Hertford North are rare, yet on June 2, Nos. 73962 and 73965 passed with the 1Q80/13.15

Tonbridge West Yard-Cambridge test train, although the planned trips around East Anglia were cancelled because of a test coach failure. Next day, the two ‘73/9s’ ran from Cambridge to Derby RTC via Ely and Oakham and on June 4 were noted at Corby en route from Derby to Eastleigh Works. A tour of former Southern Region metals ensued with the pair being seen at Portsmouth Harbour and Lymington Pier on June 5 and at Southampton and Surbiton next day.

Nos. 73962 and 73961 passed Brentford on June 16, heading for Cricklewood with a Network Rail test train that had earlier visited Ashford, Guildford and Victoria. The yellow Network Rail pair of Nos. 73951 and 73952 took a test train from Wrexham to Bidston on June 4 and later that night visited Ellesmere Port, Hooton and Warrington Bank Quay.

On June 26, Nos. 73962 and 73963 took new milling machine No. DR79601 on a test run from Tonbridge West Yard to Herne Bay.

CLASS 88

AFTER spending some time on the East Coast, No. 88001 Revolution spent a few days during the last week of June on the 4S43/06.16 Daventry-Mossend and 4M48 return, its place on 6S31/13.25 Doncaster Decoy-Millerhill being taken by No. 88006 Juno for much of the month.

Nos. 88002 Prometheus and 88010 Aurora covered the 6S54/04.42 Carlisle Kingmoor-Hunterston working

on June 12, while Nos. 88009 Diana and 88010 passed New Cumnock with the return of that working, the 6M23/12.17 Hunterston-Sellafield, on June 26 and the same pair handled the 6M60/13.35 Seaton-Sellafield next day.

On June 14, Nos. 88008 Ariadne and 68033 ‘top and tailed’ the 6X23/10.02 Sellafield-Barrow Docks while Nos. 88008+68004 worked the 6K41/14.58 Valley-Crewe return flasks on June 29 – only the second time a Class 88 has traversed the North Wales coast and, indeed, a second time for No. 88008 which was also recorded at Rhyl on 6K41 back on February 21 this year.

On June 19, No. 88004 Pandora ran light from Crewe Gresty Bridge to Long Marston via Kidderminster to take part in the Rail Live 2018 event.

CLASS 92

WORTHY of mention was the appearance of three Class 92 electrics at Falkirk Grahamston on June 2, the first occasion the type had been reported there following electrification. GBRf-liveried No. 92032 was the first to appear at 00.35 that morning with the diverted 1M16/20.45 Inverness-Euston sleepers.

At 03.25, No. 92023 passed with the 1S25/20.57 Euston-Inverness and later No. 92010 was in charge of the 1B26/06.07 Carstairs-Edinburgh, all three trains having run via Mossend and Cumbernauld.

On June 15, Nos. 92038 and 73971

POWERSCENE There was a debut passenger working for a Colas Rail Class 70 on June 7, when No. 70811 headed No. 47804 on West Coast Railways’ 1Z25/05.07 Dumfries to Scarborough ‘Jorvik & Scarborough Spa 1/ Scarborough Spa Express’, seen heading south past Scout Green in Cumbria. The General Electric machine worked between Carlisle and York where steam loco No. 35018 took over. Paul Sykes

The long summer evenings allow the sun to come round far enough for this shot of the Bicester Chord on June 29, as No. 68010 Oxford Flyer descends from the Chiltern Main Line with the 1T54/18.18 Marylebone to Oxford ‘Oxford Flyer’. Mark Darby  Caledonian Sleeper Class 73 No. 73967 has a drink in the fuel sidings at Fort William on June 5, it being refuelled courtesy of a road tanker.

Gordon Kirkby

‘top and tailed’ 16 Mk.5 sleeping cars on the 5Z92/09.29 Polmadie-Mossend trial run while the same Class 92 had a similar load when working the 5Z26/16.01 Polmadie-Carlisle Upperby on June 22.

That night saw trials take place at Carstairs with the new stock for uncoupling and coupling sleeper portions, No. 92038 going through to Glasgow Central while No. 73966 was used to simulate an Edinburgh working. E

Plymouth station is unusually devoid of both people and other trains in this shot of Colas’ No. 70806 passing through with the 08.00 Moorswater to Aberthaw empty cement tanks on June 21. Finbarr O’Neill

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BESIDES those credited elsewhere, this issue has been made possible by the contributions of the following readers, to whom the editor is most grateful: Stewart Armstrong, Stuart Broughton, Andrew Burton, Alexander Cromarty, Steve Donald, Aubrey Evans, Peter Foster, Roger Geach, Darren Hunt, Martyn Hunt, Chris Jenkins, Simon Jones, Brad Joyce, Steve King, Gordon Kirkby, Stuart Kirkby, Peter Laithwaite, John Maund, Joshua McDonald, Brian Newton, Graham Nuttall, Cathal O’Brien, Chris Playfair, Colin Pottle, Karen Richardson, Peter Satterthwaite, Steve Sienkiewicz, Andy Small, Jamie Squibbs, Tim Squires, Adrian Stones, Paul Sykes, Jack Taylor, John Thompson, Andrew Triggs, The Wanderer, Carl Watson, Ben Wheeler, and many more.

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 95

UNITS

David Russell

‘Networkers’ enter service with ScotRail The former Great Northern Class 365s have begun work on the Edinburgh to Glasgow route.

LESS than two months after the arrival of the first Class 365 in Scotland, ‘Networker’ units have begun operating services between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street.

The first workings took place late on June 23, when Nos. 365517/537 formed the 1R42/22.30 Glasgow QS-Edinburgh and 1R49/23.30 return.

No. 365537 retains its Daniel Edwards (1974-2010) Cambridge Driver name.

The following day saw the same pair in action, running between Glasgow and

Linlithgow only, owing to engineering works.

June 25 saw Nos. 365509/525 in passenger service along with the aforementioned Nos. 365517/537.

More units are due to enter traffic in the coming weeks, which will enable the next batch of Class 170s to be released for transfer to Northern.

Further units delivered to Scotland in recent weeks have been Nos. 365509/537, which left Ilford behind No. 37800 Cassiopeia late on June 5,

CLASS 365 FLEET STATUS (AS AT JUNE 28) GTR (in traffic)

365502/504/506/508/510-512/514/516/518/ 520/522/524/528/530/532/534/536/538-540.

ScotRail (in traffic) 365509/517/525/537.

ScotRail (being prepared for use) 365513/519/521/523/529.

Ely Papworth (stored) 365501/503/505/507/515/527/535.

Ilford (for ScotRail) 365533.

Northampton Up Sidings (stored) 365531/541.

DMU CLASS 150 ‘SPRINTER’ NEWLY-refurbished No. 150270 formed the 5E17/09.30 Wabtec, KilmarnockNeville Hill on June 9, although the move was terminated short at York.

The next day, No. 150272 arrived at Kilmarnock from Newton Heath for the same work to be carried out.

Out of action since the beginning of the year, No. 150265 returned to St Philip’s Marsh by road from Wolverton on June 22. The unit has had a C6 overhaul and PRM (disability) modifications as well as extensive corrosion repairs.

CLASS 153 ‘SUPER SPRINTER’ FOLLOWING on from the release of Nos. 153305/373/380 to Northern in May, GWR was due to hand back its other six Angel-owned units at the end of June. Nos. 153318/368/372/382 are for transfer to East Midlands Trains, with Nos. 153370/377 joining the three sets temporarily with Northern. In due course, the five Northern sets are planned for transfer to ScotRail, where they will be inserted into Class 156s to form three-car sets with an area for luggage/cycles.

CLASS 156 ‘SUPER SPRINTER’ THE introduction of the new timetable

96 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

in May has brought with it an unusual working which sees one of ScotRail’s Class 156s reach Nunthorpe and Morpeth on weekdays. The diagram sees the unit form the 2N16/08.03 Carlisle-Nunthorpe after arriving from Dumfries. It then works the 2W27/11.18 Nunthorpe-Hexham and 2W30/13.57 Hexham-Newcastle before continuing with the 2A26/16.19 Newcastle-Morpeth and 2N27/16.52 Morpeth-Carlisle.

CLASS 158 ‘SPRINTER EXPRESS’ JUNE 23 saw the return of No. 158759 to Neville Hill from Brodie, Kilmarnock following refurbishment and application of new Northern colours. It is the last of Northern’s three-car sets to be treated.

CLASS 159 AWAY since March 20, No. 159014 was released from overhaul on June 6 when it was noted passing Luton on the 5O86/09.00 Brush LoughboroughSalisbury. The following day saw No. 159005 dispatched to Loughborough for attention. A further unit, No. 159011, was released on June 18.

CLASS 165 ‘TURBO’ HAVING returned from overhaul at Wolverton on June 1, No. 165132 was sent for ride height modifications on June 9, running as the 5Q67/11.58 Reading-Long Marston. Moving in the opposite direction from Long Marston

No. 365517, along with No. 365537, became the first of the class to enter service with ScotRail on June 23, when they formed the 22.30 Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh and 23.30 return. ScotRail

arriving at Springburn the next day.

Another pair, Nos. 365521/529, were collected by No. 37884 Cepheus on June 14 and departed as the 5Q06/23.55 Ilford-Crewe before continuing to Eastfield. The same loco took No. 365519 north on June 26/27.

Three sets for ScotRail that were previously stored at Ely, Nos. 365519/529/533, returned to Hornsey on June 10, 5 and 1 respectively, power coming from either Nos. 37884 or 57303. Nos. 365519/529 subsequently

to Reading on June 16 was No. 165129.

A traincrew shortage saw No. 165118 taken by road from Reading to Wolverton during the week ending May 25, with No. 165130 being similarly moved the opposite way. No. 165133 arrived at Wolverton by rail on June 1, as did No. 165134 on June 9, when No. 165131 returned (running as the 5V65/09.23 Wolverton-Reading).

Chiltern’s No. 165035 was dispatched from Aylesbury to Wolverton on May 26.

CLASS 170 ‘TURBOSTAR’ GREATER Anglia’s No. 170272 was released from its refurbishment on June 14, when it formed the 5Z36/14.10 Crewe CS-Norwich Crown Point. Earlier that day, No.170273 had arrived at Crewe from Norwich.

CLASS 171 ‘TURBOSTAR’ FOLLOWING cab damage repairs, DMCL No. 50802 (from No. 171802) returned from Wolverton to Selhurst by road in the latter half of June.

DEMU CLASS 201 ‘HASTINGS’ PRESERVED ‘Hastings’ set No. 1001 visited the West Country on June 16, when it operated the ‘South Devon Coaster’ charter (1Z65/06.42 HastingsPaignton and 1Z66/17.21 return).

moved to Scotland (see above).

Two other units, Nos. 365531/541, were collected from Peterborough Nene Carriage Sidings by No. 37884 on June 19 and moved to Northampton, where they were stabled in the Up Sidings near King’s Heath depot.

■ In a marketing ploy, ScotRail has been busy promoting the Class 365s as the ‘Happy Trains’ on social media – this is on account of the ‘smiling’ air conditioning unit fitted to the front of the cabs. E

EMU CLASS 313 WITH its ERTMS testing on the Hertford loop over for the time being, Network Rail’s No. 313121 has been placed in store. It worked the 5Z31/11.06 Ferme Park-Eastleigh Works on May 28.

CLASS 319 HAVING arrived at Allerton on May 17, TSGN-liveried No. 319446 entered service with Northern in mid-June.

Another Northern set, No. 319426, was crudely disguised as No. 769000 and branded as ‘Flex by Porterbrook’ at the Rail Live industry event at Long Marston on June 20/21, although it has yet to undergo Flex conversion.

Stored at Wolverton since 2016, No. 319005 ventured out on a test run with No. 319433 on May 30. It is set to return to service with London Northwestern.

CLASS 321 JUNE saw the disposal of the first Class 321 cars for scrap. Three TSOL cars, Nos. 71960/964/965, were sent from Long Marston to CF Booth at Rotherham for cutting up. They were previously formed in Nos. 321412/416/417 which were reduced to three-car formation when transferred to ScotRail and reclassified as ‘320’ units. In addition, No. 71952 (ex321404) has been moved from Wabtec,

UNITS

CALVERT ‘TURBO’: The Branch Line Society ran a series of specials between Aylesbury and Claydon/Bicester via Calvert on June 10, leading to the rare sight of Chiltern DMU No. 165034 under the waste terminal's gantry crane with the 1Z15/13.10 Aylesbury-Claydon LNE Junction. Alan Wallwork Kilmarnock to CF Booth for disposal.

This set is currently being overhauled for ScotRail and will emerge as No. 320404.

The recent return of Nos. 321323/325/326 from Wolverton to Ilford means that the retractioning programme involving the 30 sets undergoing ‘Renatus’ refurbishment (Nos. 321301-330) is now complete.

Units released from Wabtec, Doncaster have been Nos. 321315/317 which returned to Ilford on May 29 and June 14 respectively. Moving the opposite way were Nos. 321323 (May 29) and 321324 (June 15).

CLASS 334 ‘JUNIPER’ DUMPED at Bathgate for more than a month (having been left there after suffering brake and underframe damage when it hit a herd of cows at Uphall on May 8), No. 334017 was moved to Polmadie by Nos. 37611/884 running in ‘top and tail’ formation on June 11. A previous attempt to move the set on May 28 had been aborted due to the level of damage to the couplings and brakes.

CLASS 345 ‘AVENTRA’ UNIT No. 345046 was displayed at the Rail Live event at Long Marston on June 20/21, the set having been brought south from Derby by No. 37800 on June 18. Following the show, it was taken to Old Dalby for testing by No. 37611 on June 22. Other recent deliveries to Old Dalby (direct from Bombardier, Derby)

WCML ‘AVENTRA’: Elizabeth Line stock has been out on the West Coast Main Line for testing, which on June 27 saw No. 345038 reach Crewe (where it is pictured) with the 5Z03 from Rugby. Brad Joyce

have been Nos. 345042 (May 25), 345043 (May 30) and 345044 (June 12). The May 25 move was handled by No. 37800 and the other two by No. 37601.

No. 345035 left Old Dalby for Crewe on May 30, being moved by No. 37601. It was followed by Nos. 345040/041/039/038 on June 11/13/18/21 respectively. Nos. 345035/040 were subsequently hauled to Old Oak Common, but No. 345041 ran from Crewe to Wembley under its own power on June 15 before completing the

journey behind No. 37800 the next day.

No. 345039 returned to Old Dalby from Crewe on June 21 before heading south three days later.

Units are continuing to visit Wembley from Ilford for modifications and the moves associated with these are now being carried out under power rather than the units being dragged. On June 24, No. 345009 returned to Ilford, while No. 345011 was sent in the opposite direction, the planned set, No. 345010, being unable to go after being involved in

a minor bufferstop collision.

CLASS 350 ‘DESIRO’ RECENT visitors to Long Marston for corrosion work have been Nos. 350266 (June 2-9), 350251 (June 9-16), 350252 (June 16-23) and 350256 (arrived June 23). No. 37601 was used for the June 2 move and No. 37611 for the remainder.

CLASS 373 ‘EUROSTAR’ A FURTHER ‘Eurostar’ scrapping is that of Nos. 373201+373202, which undertook

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 97

❯

UNITS SHED TALK Correct to June 26,2018.

Allocations 150207 NH/EDHQ-PM/EFHQ 180109/10/11/13 OO-XW 345042/43/44/46 newly delivered ZI/EXHQ 365509/19/21/29/37 HE/ETHQGW/HAHQ 385005 newly delivered HQ/HAHQ 700059/60 newly delivered TB/ETHQ 800307/08/09 newly delivered HQ/ EFHQ 802005/06/07/08/09/10 newly delivered HQ/EFHQ Stored/stopped locations Dollands Moor: 700124/28 Eastleigh Works: 313121 Ilford: 365533 Northampton Up Sidings: 365507/15/31/41 Wolverton: 319215 Now in passenger traffic 365509/17/19/25/37 345013/14 700059 700114/20/30/41/46/50/53/54 800007/36 800304/05/06 Disposals C.F.Booth, Rotherham: Arrival dates: June 5: 71952; June 14: 71960/64/65 EMR Kingsbury: Arrival date: May 26: 373201/02

❮ its final journey on May 25 when

No. 66774 was used to tow the set to the scrapyard, running as the 6X73/23.32 St Pancras-EMR Kingsbury.

CARLISLE IET FIRST: The first Class 800 bi-mode IET reached Carlisle overnight on June 5/6, Nos. 800201+800202 first running from Edinburgh (at 22.30) to Glasgow Central, then south from there to Carlisle via the West Coast Main Line (arriving 02.30) before returning to Doncaster Carr depot via the Tyne Valley and York. The units were used for gauging and assessment work, and are pictured in the early hours at Carlisle’s platform 4. Chris Playfair

saw No. 442413 emerge from Eastleigh Works, still carrying Gatwick Express colours, and moved to Bournemouth in the company of No. 442406.

CLASS 375 ‘ELECTROSTAR’ AFTER attention at Bombardier, Derby, Nos. 375306/308 returned to Ramsgate behind No. 37800 on May 26. The loco then returned north with No. 375309 in tow, but following stopovers at Wembley and Rugby, it did not arrive at Derby until May 29.

No. 375309 was taken back to Ramsgate on June 2 by No. 37611, which then formed the 5Q57/17.30 RamsgateDerby Litchurch Lane conveying Nos. 375302/303. This pair, the last to be dealt with, arrived back at Ramsgate on June 9, having been brought south by No. 37800.

CLASS 455 PIONEER No. 455801 was collected by No. 37884 on June 2 and hauled away as the 5Q70/10.30 Stewarts Lane-Wolverton.

It returned on June 16, hauled by No. 57303, which then took No. 455821 to Wolverton.

CLASS 385 ‘HITACHI AT200’ ANOTHER unit emerged from the Newton Aycliffe assembly plant on June 6, when 67029 Royal Diamond took No. 385005 north to Craigentinny, Edinburgh.

CLASS 700 ‘DESIRO’ THE final Class 700 delivery took place on May 31, when No. 700059 was collected by No. 66783 and moved as the 6X70/03.49 Dollands Moor-Ferme Park.

Its arrival followed that of No. 700060, which had arrived at Ferme Park behind the same ‘66’ on the previous day. The arrival of No. 700059 ends a delivery programme of 115 units that began in July 2015.

No. 700059 entered service on June 17, and the four Class 700/1 units that had been delivered during May (Nos. 700146/150/153/154) were also all

CLASS 442 (5-WES) IN preparation for their return to traffic with South Western Railway, Nos. 442406/410 undertook a number of test runs from Bournemouth depot on May 23, operating between Southampton and Poole. The same pair were out again on June 7/8, carrying out trips between Totton, Poole and Southampton. June 25

98 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

CLASS 465 ‘NETWORKER’ NEWLY-overhauled No. 465241 was collected by No. 66756 on June 8 prior to being moved as the 5X44/18.50 Wabtec Doncaster-Tonbridge West Yard. After dropping off the ‘465’ at Slade Green the next morning, it returned north with No. 465250 in tow.

in traffic by mid-June, leaving just No. 700060 still to make its debut passenger working.

CLASS 710 ‘AVENTRA’ TESTING of the first ‘Aventra’ units for London Overground is due to begin on the Gospel Oak-Barking line later during the summer, in readiness for their entry to service on the line in November, which will release the Class 172 trains for use in the West Midlands. No. 710261 was moved from Bombardier, Derby to Willesden on June 13, sandwiched between Nos. 57305 Northern Princess and 37884.

Following a press event (see page 14), it returned north on June 21 with Nos. 37601/611 providing traction.

Also now back at Bombardier, Derby is No. 710258, which had been undergoing testing in France since February.

CLASS 800 ‘HITACHI IET’ ON May 25, No. 800308 emerged for the first time, undertaking its delivery run as the 5X40/22.04 Merchant Park SidingsDoncaster Carr. It was followed by No. 800309 on June 12 and No. 800310 on June 22.

Deliveries from Doncaster Carr to North Pole have been Nos. 800305 (May 28), 800306 (June 1) and 800307 (June 20). The first appearance of a nine-car set in service occurred on June 13, when No. 800304 formed the 1W29/14.21 Paddington-Worcester. No. 800305

entered traffic the next day and by June 20 No. 800306 was also in service.

Having been delivered to GWR on May 18, No. 800007 entered traffic before the end of the month. Its appearance means that all of the Class 800/0 units have now operated in passenger service with the exception of the first four sets.

East Coast Main Line training and testing of the class is continuing, with No. 800103 working from Doncaster Carr to Edinburgh and back on several occasions. June 11 saw Nos. 800201/202 run from Doncaster Carr to Edinburgh, continuing north as the 5X71/13.22 Edinburgh-Inverness. The pair returned to Doncaster the next day.

CLASS 802 ‘HITACHI AT300’ BI-MODES Nos. 802005/006 arrived at North Pole from Dollands Moor on May 24. No. 66767 was used for their transfer. They were followed by Nos. 802007/008 on June 7, the pair being moved as the 6X80/08.19 Dollands Moor-North Pole by No. 66745. Five days later, the same loco collected Nos. 802009/010 from Dollands Moor and moved them to North Pole.

During June, Nos. 802001/002 both visited the West Country on test/ training runs on several occasions. For example, on June 7, No. 802001 formed the 5X91/11.07 Penzance-Exeter before returning to Par, while No. 802002 ran from Laira to Taunton/Plymouth/Exeter before heading for Penzance.

SHUNTERS

Simon Bendall

RSS helps out at Ketton

In a welcome display of industry co-operation, RSS’ latest overhauled ‘08’ was drafted in to help at a charity event.

THE long-awaited return to action of No. 08580 after 12 years out of traffic finally occurred at the end of June but in an unexpected manner.

Having received a major overhaul at Wishaw by Railway Support Services, the loco had been due to return to traffic during the spring, but a variety of niggling faults saw two diesel gala appearances missed and a planned deployment to Bounds Green deferred.

However, these issues were rectified in time for No. 08580 to answer the call for assistance at a charity event at Hanson’s Ketton Cement Works, near Stamford, on July 1. Promoted by the

RSS’s No. 08580 at Ketton on June 29, the day it arrived, being prepared for the cement works’ open day on June 30 and BLS trips on July 1. The loco then moved onto Bounds Green on hire to LNER. RSS/Jason Snow

Branch Line Society, this was four brake van rides over the internal rail system and planned to be powered by the two resident RMS Locotec Class 08s in ‘top and tail’ formation, with all proceeds going to Hanson’s nominated charities.

Just a week or so before the event, No. 08870 was declared a failure and

with RMS Locotec unable to finish and dispatch newly-overhauled No 08622 in time, the organisers managed to secure No. 08580 from RSS as a very late replacement. This arrived at Ketton on June 29 and next day was displayed as part of a public open day along with its classmates.

July 1 found Nos. 08375 and 08580 formed up with the brake vans for four highly successful and fully booked trips, with much money raised for charity. The RSS shunter then moved onto Bounds Green on July 4 for running in. When completed, this will allow No. 08441 to be removed for attention at Wishaw. E

NEWS ROUND-UP HNRC

THE two HNRC Class 08s that were moved to Moveright’s Wishaw yard (Warwickshire) during late spring both departed during June. First away around June 11 was No. 08630, this returning to Cardiff Tidal following traction motor repairs undertaken by RSS. Then, on June 29, recently acquired No. 08879 was sent on its way to Barrow Hill, where HNRC is now expected to carry out the required wheelset change.

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

FOLLOWING attention at LH Group Services (near Burton upon Trent), No. 01549 was returned to MoD Kineton at the end of May. Its place at the company’s workshop was taken by No. 01525, this arriving from MoD Bicester in mid June, joining the still resident Nos. 01511 and 01548.

RIVIERA TRAINS

ROLLING STONE: Green-liveried No. 09002 is captured hard at work shunting autoballaster wagons at Whitemoor Yard, near March in Cambridgeshire, on May 8. The shunter was rejoined by repaired GBRf stablemate No. 08925 on June 13. Ian Ball

LOCATION UPDATE Barrow Hill: 08879 Bounds Green: 08580 Cardiff Tidal: 08630

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: 08605 LH Group Services, Barton-underNeedwood: 01525

MoD Kineton: 01549 Peak Rail: D2289.

Whitemoor: 08925

ACQUIRED from DB Cargo back in December 2016, No. 08605 was finally collected from Wigan Springs Branch on June 7 and taken south to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. Still carrying faded DB red, the shunter also currently retains its internal use identity of ‘Wigan 2’ instead of its TOPS number.

Riviera now has two of its Class 08s at the line, No. 08704 also remaining at Wirksworth following its appearance at the March diesel gala. Both are expected to be in action at a similar event in August.

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 99

COACHES IN BRIEF MORE MK.5 DELIVERIES

FOLLOWING on from the delivery of the first five vehicles on May 25 (see last month’s issue), a further rake of TransPennine Express Mk.5 coaches arrived at the former Eurostar depot at Longsight on June 15. Nos. 11503, 12707-09 and 12803 were moved by Nos. 47812/813 as the 5Q32/09.00 Portbury-Manchester International.

Mk.5 sleeper stock deliveries from Tees Dock to Polmadie took place on two consecutive days (June 21/22). No. 66585 was used for both moves, the first conveying Nos. 15007, 15326/329-331, followed by Nos. 15006/106/316/324/325.

EMT HST UPDATE

A PAIR of former Grand Central coaches that will be used to make up set DY23, Nos. 41209 and 42586, were moved from Neville Hill to Toton by No. 47812 for repainting on May 31. They were followed by No. 40204, which was brought south by No. 37611 on June 18, running as the 5M56/09.00 Craigentiny-Toton.

This catering car is also expected to be formed in DY23.

DVT OVERHAULS

NEWLY-OVERHAULED Mk.3b DVT No. 82152 was released from overhaul on June 4 and was collected from Cardiff Canton by No. 37405 which took it to Gresty Bridge. The next day, the same ‘37’ and No. 57002 were used to move it from Crewe to Norwich Crown Point. The ‘57’ took No. 82121 away to Cardiff Canton for overhaul on June 7.

RFM RELEASED

FORMER ‘Pretendolino’ Mk.3a RFM No. 10217 has been released from its overhaul for GWR, and on June 22 was included in the formation of the 1C99/23.45 Paddington-Penzance, along with newly refurbished No. 10601. Both vehicles were locked out of use.

ELY CHANGES

JUNE was another busy month for HST stock moves in and out of the Potter Group site at Ely Papworth.

The first took place on June 1, when No. 42288 was collected

by No. 47812 and taken north to Craigentinny for use as a training vehicle. Four days later, Nos. 43026/141 arrived with Nos. 41022, 42010/030-032/558, 44010/038 for storage. Of these, Nos. 41022, 42010/032/558 were subsequently sent north to Craigentinny for use as a trainer on June 18, Nos. 43003/142 being used for this.

June 7 saw further arrivals in the form of Nos. 41142, 42075/291/293/333/577 on the 5L46/14.41 Chaddesden SidingsEly Papworth. Nos. 43125/128 were used for the move, which had originated at Laira the previous day.

100 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

David Russell

ERS acquires Caledonian Sleeper coaches Three Mk.2 seated coaches are purchased from Eversholt

EASTERN Rail Services’ hire fleet has been bolstered by the acquisition of three vehicles which form part of the Caledonian Sleeper fleet. Their purchase from the TOC comes just months after ERS began supplying a vehicle (InterCity liveried Mk.2f BSO No. 9513) for use on Caledonian Sleeper duties between Edinburgh and Fort William.

The three coaches which have joined the fleet are Lounge Cars Nos. 6700/03 and Unclassified Brake No. 9800. One of these, No. 6700, has recently been repainted into Caledonian Sleeper colours following a visit to the Weardale Railway for attention at Wolsingham depot. Also now in the livery is Mk.2e BSO No. 9497, and the two newly repainted coaches departed for Scotland behind No. 47727 on June 13, running as the 5Z47/16.45 Bishop Auckland West-Polmadie. The BSO is to be used as cover for No. 9800, which is now at Wolsingham for work to be carried out and repainting with No. 6703, the pair having been brought south from Polmadie by No. 47727 earlier on June 13.

The acquisition of the three vehicles from Serco brings Eastern Rail Services’ fleet to 20 vehicles. More than half are located at the Weardale Railway, where they have been hired for use on Polar Express/Train to Christmas Town specials and other events.

Full details of the fleet can be found in the accompanying table. E

No. 47727 hauled newly-reliveried ERS Mk.2s Nos. 9497 and 6700 from Wolsingham (Weardale Railway) to Polmadie (Glasgow) on June 13 for use on Caledonian Sleeper trains. John Askwith

EASTERN RAIL SERVICES FLEET Number

Type

Livery

Status

1254 1692 3133 3181 3374 3385 5647 5866 5906 5960 5989 6059 6168 6411 6700 6703 9497 9500 9513 9800

Mk.2f RFO Mk.1 RBR Mk.1 FO Mk.2d FO Mk.2f FO Mk.2f FO Mk.2d TSO Mk.2e TSO Mk.2e TSO Mk.2f TSO Mk.2f TSO Mk.2f TSO Mk.2f TSO Mk.2c SO Mk.2f RLO Mk.2f RLO Mk.2e BSO Mk.2e BSO Mk.2e BSO Mk.2e BUO

Blue/Grey Choc/Cream Maroon Blue/Cream Blue/Grey Blue Pullman Blue/Cream InterCity InterCity Virgin InterCity InterCity InterCity Maroon Caledonian First Group Caledonian InterCity InterCity First Group

Weardale Railway (awaiting reactivation) Mid-Norfolk Railway (stored) Mid-Norfolk Railway (partially restored) Nemesis Rail (overhaul) Weardale Railway (awaiting reactivation) Weardale Railway (operational) Mid-Norfolk Railway (operational) Weardale Railway (operational) Weardale Railway (operational) Mid-Norfolk Railway (operational) Weardale Railway (operational) Weardale Railway (operational) Weardale Railway (operational) Mid-Norfolk Railway (stored) On hire to Caledonian Sleeper Weardale Railway (repairs/repaint) On hire to Caledonian Sleeper Weardale Railway (operational) On hire to Caledonian Sleeper Weardale Railway (repairs/repaint)

First sliding door CrossCountry coach emerges THE first CrossCountry HST coach to be modified with sliding doors, No. 42036, was released on May 24 and collected from Wabtec by No. 47813 prior to being moved as the 5S04/13.47 Doncaster West Yard-Craigentinny. It is being used as a training vehicle in advance of the first complete set appearing.

Nine other CrossCountry coaches (Nos. 41195, 42097/342/370/376-378,

44052 and 45003) are at Wabtec having this work carried out. As of late June, just five rebuilt vehicles – four for GWR (which form set GW01) and the above XC coach – had been released. The project has taken longer than expected due to a number of issues, including variations in tolerances between vehicles.

Over 200 coaches for GWR, ScotRail and CrossCountry are due to undergo

modifications before the December 31, 2019, deadline.

Four more coaches to be modified for use in GWR’s ‘Castle’ 2+4 HST sets were sent north for attention on June 17. Running as the 5E23/18.00 Laira-Wabtec, Doncaster, the four coaches (Nos. 42085/101/174 and 44097) were sandwiched between power cars Nos. 43170/189.

SHED TALK Correct to June 28, 2018 Allocations 325 KR-CS 1566 KR-CS 1953 KR-CS 3174 KR-CS 3182 KR-CS 3247 KR-CS 3267 KR-CS 3273 KR-CS 3275 KR-CS 10729 KR-CS 10734 KR-CS

11502/03 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 12704/05/06/07/08/09 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 12802/03 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 15006/07 newly delivered HQ/ESHQ 15106 newly delivered HQ/ESHQ 15324/25/26/29/30/31 newly delivered HQ/ESHQ 17167 KR-CS 41142 LA/EFHQ-IS/HAHQ 42010/30/32/75 LA/EFHQ-IS/HAHQ 42291/93 LA/EFHQ-IS/HAHQ 42333 LA/EFHQ-IS/HAHQ 42558/77 LA/EFHQ-IS/HAHQ

92904 KR-CS Formations DY21: 42401+42584+42402+41204+ 40205+41207 DY22: 42404+42585+42505+41205+ 40221+41208 Stored/stopped locations Craigentinny: 42288 Ely: 41022, 41142, 42010/30/31/32/75, 42291/93, 42333, 42558/77

WAGONS

Gareth Bayer

BIS sand hopper preserved at CVR

One of the first 10 ‘production’ HRAs to depart WH Davis on June 25, Fabnooss No. 41 70 6723 028-0 GB-DBSUK gleams in the sun at Shirebrook prior to departing for Doncaster Belmont Yard behind No. 66098.

DB Cargo has committed to a fleet of 110 shorty HRAs, and with more than 1,100 HTAs still extant (from an original fleet of over 1,150), there are plenty of donors to choose from!

Derek Wilson

IT is a pleasure to report that ex-British Industrial Sand/WBB Minerals/Sibelco PAA covered sand hopper No. WBB 30025 has been saved from the gas axe at CF Booth, Rotherham, and has moved into preservation at the Churnet Valley Railway.

It was purchased for posterity

by CVR’s support charity North Staffordshire Railway Company (1978) Ltd. The BIS PAAs have a strong link with this line, having been regularly used from Moneystone quarry sidings at Oakamoor until the end of freight operations in 1988.

The CVR plans to return the wagon to its original BIS paint scheme and identity (No. BIS 7954) as part of an exhibition to show the passage of sand along the Churnet Valley line.

First ‘production’ HRAs With a prototype already in service and several wagons cut-down at Stoke-on-Trent, WH Davis has now released the first 10 HRAs from its Nottinghamshire workshops.

THE DB Cargo programme to convert redundant HTA coal hoppers into shorter and thus more efficient HRA aggregate hoppers has reached a major milestone with the completion of the first 10 ‘production batch’ wagons at WH Davis’ compact site at Langwith Junction, Shirebrook.

The wagons are numbered immediately after the 10 conversions currently underway at DB Cargo’s facility at Stoke-on-Trent, namely: Nos. 41 70 6723 011-014, 41 70 6723 028/029, 41 70 6723 031/033/034/036. Of note is that No. 41 70 6723 013-2 has buffers at

one end, likely to have been added during the conversion as no No. 330xxx series buffer-fitted HTAs have been sent to Davis yet. The 10 departed Davis’ yard on June 25 behind No. 66098 as the 4Z19/14.15 Shirebrook to Doncaster Belmont Down Yard.

Other movements of HTAs in June into Stoke for mechanical refurbishment or to WH Davis for the ‘cut and shut’ procedure are listed below: June 1: Outbound Nos. 310929/59 (for conversion at WH Davis, departed behind No. 66077).

June 6: Inbound Nos. 310952, 311019/65/85 (arrived behind

No. 66120).

June 13: Outbound – unknown x3.

June 15: Outbound Nos. 310622/894, 311119 (for conversion at WH Davis, departed behind No. 66015).

June 20: Inbound Nos. 311008/940, 311089 (arrived behind No. 66147).

June 22: Outbound Nos. 310461/82, 311122 (for conversion at WH Davis, departed behind No. 66077).

June 27: Inbound Nos. 310817/70/97/932/49 (arrived behind No. 66108).

June 29: Outbound Nos. 310317/485/667 (for conversion at WH Davis, departed behind No. 66194). E

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DEVELOPMENTS ■ DB CARGO: A new freight flow involving the classic BR sliding door VGA van is always worth mentioning. Commencing on May 23, Burton-upon-Trent is again receiving imported wire rod from Cardiff Tidal courtesy of DB Cargo power.

Loading to around 17 wagons, the formation on June 6 was: No. 66137 + Nos. 210407/16/40/58/73/4/88/96 /7/508/15/24/31/9/46/67/604. The loaded train works to Burton as the 6M50/03.19 WFO from Cardiff Tidal and 6V50/13.00 return.

■ GB RAILFREIGHT: The company has taken over a number of freight flows, some of which have been associated with DB Cargo and its predecessors almost since the dawn of privatisation.

A typical example of this is the Peak Forest-Ely stone, which for many years brought a Class 60 and RMC Roadstone hoppers into East Anglia. DB Cargo had been using HTAs on this circuit since 2015, but now they have GBRf Class

66/7s up top. On June 5, for example, BR large logo-liveried No. 66789 was in charge of the 6L75/04.15 Peak Forest to Ely Papworth Sidings comprised of Nos. 310002/7/52/73/7/101/4/227/51/307 /65/578/638/56/62/81/96/763/73/87 /843 and buffer-fitted No. 330191.

GBRf also collected a further 18 HTAs from Tees Yard in the final week of June to bolster its fleet, Nos. 310014/44/56/7/62/70/10911/37/54/84/6/221/72/81/430/616.

Finally, five more HYAs have joined GBRf’s aggregates roster after being cut down at WH Davis. No. 66701 collected Nos. 371001/9/20/33/45 from Langwith Junction on June 21, working a 4D91/17.30 to Doncaster Down Decoy Yard.

■ NETWORK RAIL: Schweerbau HSM High-Speed Milling machine No. DR 79601 (99 70 9427 063-1) was on the move again during the period under review, being towed from Loram Derby to

the erstwhile Southern Region.

No. 66786 was power for the 6X01/09.16 Derby RTC-Tonbridge West Yard on June 20. A few days later on the 26th, it was reported sandwiched between Nos. 73963 and 73962 working a 6X01/20.40 Tonbridge Yard-Herne Bay. ■ RAILCARE: The recent Rail Live event at Long Marston is always good for sightings of new vehicles and this year did not disappoint. Notably Railcare ‘Railvac 4’ machine No. 99 70 9515 004-8 was in attendance partnered with what appears to be a new KFA support wagon of unknown origin No. 33 70 4746 197-1.

■ VTG RAIL UK: Rail Operations Group Class 47 No. 47813 was entrusted with a movement of long stored JSA telescopic hood steel carriers to Arlington Fleet Services facility at Eastleigh Works on June 5. The 6O86/09.00 ex-Long Marston working was comprised of Nos. VTG 4025/7/8/30/2/62/71/96,

4105/8/10/36/8. They are expected to receive the same modifications as No. VTG 4037 illustrated in the previous issue.

June 19 saw the first use of the new aviation fuel tankers for BAA at Heathrow when Freightliner’s No. 66556 powered a loaded trial. Formed of TEA (Zans) Nos. 81 70 7836 000-002/004020, the green machine was in charge of the 6R96/01.00 Grain to Colnbrook BAA Logistics and 6V39/16.12 return.

■ DISPOSALS: The latest vehicles to arrive at CF Booth, Rotherham, for scrapping are: June 6: OAA 100031, OBA 110372, MEA 391036/40/496/556/97/616, MHA 394903, MTA 395288/329, FDA 621486/530, FJA 621916, YGB DB980200, PGA REDA14502.

June 9: OBA 110052/71/285/91/717, OCA 112254, RRA 200659, MEA 391132/ 34/41/203/24/637/80/3/90, MTA 395094/263, FJA 621909/11.

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 101

IRISH ANGLE

William Watson & Alan McFerran

Cross-Border development plan Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways call for investment in new rolling stock and improved journey times.

THE jointly operated Cross-Border ‘Enterprise’ service requires significant investment in order to cut journey times and improve frequency between Belfast and Dublin. This was the main point of a presentation given by the chairmen of Translink NIR and Irish Rail in Belfast on June 7.

Entitled ‘Better Connecting Dublin and Belfast’, the event was also

attended by company management and other interested parties from both sides of the border. It was stated that an investment of £239 million would be required over the next five years.

This would consist of £44 million for new rolling stock and £195 million for infrastructure improvements, and would enable an hourly service to be operated with the journey accomplished

in under two hours.

The route received a multi-million pound infrastructure upgrade in the 1990s, with the line speed limit increased from 70mph to 90mph, but journey times remain uncompetitive.

The De Dietrich/Mk.3+201 Class trains currently used were introduced in 1997, with a Mk.3 generator van provided in each formation from 2012 in order to

eliminate the unreliable Head End Power (HEP) provided by the locomotive.

The trains have subsequently had midlife refurbishment, a new livery and rebranding, but reliability continues to be an issue – as does traffic management, particularly in the Dublin suburban area.

The service carried just under one million passengers in 2017. E

NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS (NIR)

GM No. 079 passes Gowran, between Bagenalstown and Kilkenny, with the final Ballina to Waterford DFDS liner on June 5. Andrew Burton

DFDS ends container train service THE DFDS (Det Forenede DampskibsSelskab) container service between Waterford Port (Belview) and Ballina ceased on June 5.

The company announced on May 29 that the service was to be withdrawn because “Despite the best efforts of all parties involved (DFDS, Irish Rail and Waterford Port) the company has now concluded that the rail service cannot continue in its current form and we must cease to operate it”.

DFDS had reduced the container service late last year in order to minimise losses, but loadings continued to be less than satisfactory, hence the withdrawal of the service. A statement by the port authority confirmed that “It was to continue to explore alternative opportunities for railfreight” at its port.

When DFDS bought Norfolkline in 2010, the container traffic between the two locations continued. However, on July 20, 2012, DFDS officially withdrew the service but restored it again on March 4, 2013. The final working from Ballina on June 5 was noted en route with GM No. 079 heading a train of 12 CPWs

102 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

(container pocket wagons), which was the standard consist. The load was eight 40/45ft containers and eight 20ft tank containers (two per wagon).

The previous week had seen GM No. 087 work the Ballina-bound service to Kildare on May 28, where it was replaced by No. 081 for the remainder of the journey. The load on that occasion was two wagons each with a 40/45ft container and 10 wagons each carrying one 20ft tank container.

The Ballina to Belview train on May 29 was noted at Claremorris fully loaded with eight wagons carrying a 40/45ft container and four wagons each carrying two tank containers – GM No. 081 again being the motive power. The next day, May 30, saw No. 083 heading the Belview to Ballina train at Waterford West, but the load on this occasion was only six tank containers.

While the withdrawal of the DFDS service has removed the sole revenue earning flow between Waterford (Sallypark yard) and Belview, the line continues to be used for the transfer of imported rail from the port to the permanent way yard at Port Laoise.

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: The international North West 200 motorcycle road races during week ending May 19 saw extra traffic to Portrush. On the 19th there was a 09.50 Belfast Great Victoria Street (GVS) to Coleraine extra and an 18.30 Portrush to GVS. As on previous occasions, the Portrush branch halts at University and Dhu Varren were closed for that day as their platforms are not long enough to accept six-car DMUs that are used on busy days.

NIR subsequently stated that during the summer period the following would apply: On Saturdays from June 2 to September 1, branch services between 10.30 and 19.30 would omit the halts as would services between 10.30 and 19.30 on Mondays to Fridays between July 2 and August 31. On Sundays June 3 to September 2, the 12.03, 13.05, 16.03 and 17.05 exPortrush and 11.43, 12.45, 15.43 and 16.45 ex-Coleraine are also non-stop.

An extra 09.50 Belfast Lanyon Place (formerly Belfast Central) to Portrush and 18.30 return was introduced on Saturday June 2, and was to operate

each Saturday until September 1.

The down loop platform at Carrickfergus normally only sees trains terminating or starting from its Belfast end – however, during week ending June 9, some off-peak services from Belfast to Whitehead/Larne worked over the line as maintenance was being carried out to the down main line platform. On June 5, the 13.45 GVS to Larne Harbour, worked by unit No. 3017, and the 14.15 GVS to Whitehead, worked by unit No. 4010, were noted using the alternative route through Carrickfergus station.

The NIR Windhoff-built MPV continues to be used for weedspray duties. On Sunday, June 10, the machine worked from Ballymena (depart 06.00) to Portrush and Londonderry then ran from there to Belfast Fortwilliam Traincare Depot.

A music festival in Belfast on June 15-17/21/23/24 saw late evening extras from Lanyon Place. A typical day was the 17th when there were extras to Bangor at 23.30 and 23.32, a 23.30 to Portadown, 23.30 to Larne Harbour and 23.45 to Coleraine.

LOCO ON SOUTH WEXFORD LINE: As part of its system-wide coverage in late May/early June, the weedspray train visited the mothballed Rosslare Strand-Belview section of the South Wexford line on June 6 – pictured passing the closed station at Killinick as the 09.50 Rosslare Strand to Waterford with No. 082 in charge. Paul Walsh

IRISH ANGLE

RETRO GRAND HIBERNIAN:

The Belmond Grand Hibernian was hauled by retro-liveried GM No. 073 from Islandbridge Junction (Dublin Heuston) to Connolly on June 9, and is pictured approaching Claude Road near Drumcondra station with the North City Mills in the background.

Cathal O’Brien

IARNROD EIREANN/IRISH RAIL ■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: A fire damaged a signalling relay room at Bray on May 18. As a result, DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) and Dublin-Rosslare line services experienced serious disruption for over a week. The Bray to Greystones section was closed and bus substitution introduced. A very limited DART service operated in each direction between Bray and Dalkey, with normal operation to and from the latter to Howth and Malahide. The service on the Bray to Dalkey section was withdrawn after each evening peak to enable repairs to be carried out. Rail tickets were accepted on Dublin Bus services during the period of disruption. Three DMUs were confined to the Greystones-Rosslare Europort area: Nos. 22x18, 22x41 and 29x12. A normal service was restored from start of service on Sunday, May 27, after repairs had been completed.

Also on May 27, NIR GM No. 8208 was failed at Drogheda while working the 10.00 Connolly to Belfast service.

The De Dietrich/Mk.3 train (DBFO 9002) and No. 8208 were hauled empty to Connolly later the same day by GM No. 233. This locomotive then replaced No. 8208 on the DD/Mk.3 train to work the 16.00 ex-Connolly.

The weedspray train was active system-wide during the period under review. The highlight of this programme was the treatment of a mothballed section of line on June 6, when GM No. 082 hauled the train from Wexford to Waterford via the unused Rosslare Strand-Belview section of the South

Wexford line. No. 082 had worked the spray train from Dublin Heuston to Rosslare Europort and return as far as Wexford the previous day.

■ RAILTOURS: The first of two Railtours Ireland First Class ‘Emerald Isle Express’ trips this year ran from June 9-16.

Operated in conjunction with Irish Rail and the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI), the tour (as in previous years) was directed at the upper end of the market and limited to 50 participants.

However, on June 5, the RPSI announced that it was to offer nonparticipants the opportunity to travel on the tour train on the previously empty stock legs. The society stated that the success of recent diesel worked railtours had influenced its decision to maximise revenue by offering two one-way trips during the itinerary.

Publicised as ‘Diesel First Class’, the first trip on June 10 was between Rosslare Europort and Kilkenny via Dublin Connolly and featured GM No. 073. This loco had earlier worked the train from Connolly (departing 10.55) as part of the main tour to Rosslare Strand and thence empty stock to Europort. No. 073 headed the Kilkenny to Thomastown empty stock move the next morning (June 11). The railtour then recommenced from there to Waterford, where No. 071 replaced it for the Waterford to Cork via Limerick Junction leg.

On June 12, Cork standby

locomotive No. 223 worked the Cork to Cobh empty stock move, while No. 071 was in charge for the Cobh to Killarney leg. The Killarney to Galway via Ennis leg on the 13th also featured No. 071.

This day also saw the second trip for non-participants and featured a run from Galway to Claremorris via Athlone.

Westport was the host for both this railtour and the Belmond Grand Hibernian (see also below) on June 15 when Nos. 071 and 216 headed their respective trains at the station. No. 071 and its train had been stabled at Claremorris until required to work the final leg of the ‘Emerald Isle Express’ from Westport to Dublin Connolly.

The consist throughout was ‘BR’ van No. 3173 and Cravens coaches Nos. 1508, 1522, 1514, 1532 and 1505. The latter two vehicles were temporarily upgraded to superior accommodation for the railtour.

■ BELMOND GRAND HIBERNIAN (BGH): Dedicated Belmond locomotive No. 216 was the booked motive power on each of the tours during the period under review – except on the Connolly to Waterford and subsequent legs to Bagenalstown and Heuston, which are booked for an 071 Class locomotive.

No. 087 worked the Connolly to Waterford leg on Sunday, May 20, while No. 081 was in charge of this part of the tour on May 27.

The BGH train hauled by No. 216 operated a private charter in early June, which started from Heuston on Sunday 3rd and ran to Cork and thence

to Charleville. The following day it ran from there to Galway, returned as far as Athlone, then ran to Heuston the next day, June 5.

The regular itinerary for the BGH was then resumed. On June 9, No. 073 worked the train from Islandbridge Junction (Heuston) to Connolly, where No. 216 took over for the run to Belfast. The next day No. 087 hauled the BGH from Connolly to Waterford, and thence to Bagenalstown. No. 216 was noted again on BGH duty at Cork and Belfast on June 12 and 23 respectively, while Nos. 088 and 081 each worked the Connolly to Waterford leg on June 17 and 24 respectively.

■ TRANSMISSION TRAIL: IR has awarded Rolls-Royce the contract to install ZF Ecoworld transmission in each car of a three-car 22000 Class ICR DMU in order to assess potential savings of 19% in fuel consumption and to lower CO2 emissions.

■ LIMERICK JUNCTION: IR has received planning permission for the construction of a new down platform and associated structures.

■ PRESERVATION: The Downpatrick and County Down Railway’s ex-NIR 80 Class Motor Coach No. 69 was started up for the first time in preservation on May 26. A two-car unit formed of Nos. 69+DTSO 749 operated a crew training and clearance trip over the heritage railway on June 23. It was reported that both operations were successful.

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 103

IRISH ANGLE PICTORIAL

SILVER & BLACK DUO: On June 5, the only two unrefurbished 071 Class locos to remain in service in the old silver and black livery are captured together at Dublin North Wall. In the foreground is No. 074 about to depart for Navan with the Tara Mines empties, while in the background No. 086 is stabled on an engineers' train. John Maund

RETRO LUXURY: The first of Railtours Ireland’s two ‘Emerald Isle Express’ 2018 trips ran on June 9-16, and on June 12 the 10.15 Cobh to Killarney leg was hauled by retroliveried GM No. 071, which is pictured at Carrigaloe on the East Cork line between Cobh and Cork. Immediately behind the loco is ‘BR’ van No. 3173 followed by five Cravens coaches Nos. 1508, 1522, 1514, 1532 and 1505, these all belonging to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. Finbarr O’Neill

104 RAIL EXPRESS August 2018

IRISH ANGLE PICTORIAL

END OF THE LINE FOR TANK WAGONS? An oil train made a brief reappearance on the Irish Rail network on June 21 when loco No. 079 hauled barrier wagon No. 27754 and four oil wagons (Nos. 26741, 607A, 26735 and 633A) from the former Guinness Sidings in Dublin Heuston to Inchicore Works. The train is seen at Islandbridge Junction just after leaving Heuston at 11.45. Kieran Marshall

WEXFORD WEEDSPRAY: Another view of Irish Rail’s weedspray train (see also page 102), this time as it makes its way along Wexford Quay behind No. 082 with a working from Wexford to Waterford on June 6. Andrew Burton

August 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 105