Rail Express February 2015

Behind the scenes at Yellow Class 57/3s: A retrospective Kent’s RHTT depot Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

RAIL EXPRESS No. 225 FEBRUARY 2015

Full listing of ALL 300 locos and their locations

Box-to-box:

Signal boxes on the Highland Main Line 36 PAGES OF MODELLING ●

Welsh timber trial MPV

Tonbridge RHTT depot ● Building a better Class 47 ●

0-60: Class 153

Timing railcars in South Devon

Editor’s comment PRINT & DISTRIBUTION Newstrade & distribution COMAG, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE.

Paul Bickerdyke

01895 433600 Printed by William Gibbons and Sons, Wolverhampton Published Third Thursday of every month

Rail Express Editor

This issue January 15, 2015 Next issue February 19, 2015 Advertising deadline January 30, 2015

Stored but not forgotten

O

UR annual survey of stored locos shows that the net total has gone up by 14 since this time last year, which is somewhat surprising given the apparent traction shortage witnessed recently.

Of course, the situation is somewhat fluid, and some locos are ‘more stored’ than others.

The ‘58s’ on our front cover this month are definitely in the long-term stored category, while others like the ‘73s’ at Brush and RVEL are simply out of traffic while they are being rebuilt.

There is a significant number of Type 5 diesels in the list, including 71 Class 60s, 18 Class 56s and 5 Class 58s. Some of the ‘60s’ are being returned to traffic with Colas, but that will still leave around half the fleet in store, while UKRL is building up its fleet working ‘56s’.

But now that the EU legislation on emissions has come into force, effectively banning new locomotives for the time being, perhaps more operators will be forced to look again at these stored machines from the BR era. It would certainly be great to see a Class 58 on the main line again.

Good deeds undone

ISSN No 1362 234X ©Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this

overrun north of King’s Cross that closed the London terminus for longer than expected.

So East Coast and other operators used Finsbury Park instead, which on paper seemed a good choice with its Underground connections to central London.

Unfortunately the station just isn’t suitable for handling such large numbers of passengers, with narrow subways and no real concourse. So much negative publicity was generated as people queued outside in the wintry weather, not helped by Network Rail being very slow to apologise for causing the mess.

Like most ‘disasters’, there was no one cause but a series of events that snowballed into something bigger. But it could perhaps be summed up by trying to do too much in too little time with no contingency, plus a side order of not keeping passengers properly informed.

The sad thing is Network Rail achieved so much around the country over the Christmas break, but all that will be remembered longterm will be the mob of angry passengers and how undependable the railways are. That kind of reputation takes a long time to overcome.

Everyone will have seen on TV over Christmas the chaotic scenes caused by the engineering

Paul Bickerdyke

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EDITORIAL

Simon Bendall Editor Rail Express Modeller Power by the Hour Shunter Spot Name Game Spectrum

Editor Paul Bickerdyke

David Rapson Powerscene

Christopher Westcott LU World (with Piers Connor)

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Tel: 01507 529540 Editorial address Rail Express Magazine, Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ Member of the Professional Publishers Association

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Issue No. 225 February 2015

CONTENTS

E IB R C 14 S B GE SU PA 8 NEWS Christmas engineering works end in fiasco at King’s Cross; Reading viaduct opens; West Coast Main Line open access denied; double-deck trains for Waterloo?; Bicester Chord nears completion; DfT wrong to get directly involved with IEP and Thameslink procurement.

16 BOX-TO-BOX: The Highland Main Line Documenting the manual signalboxes on the highly scenic line north from Perth to Inverness.

22 YELLOW GOES OUT OF SEASON Looking back on the six Network Rail Class 57/3s now that the last one has gone for repainting.

25 NETWORK RAIL TONBRIDGE Behind the scenes at the purpose-built depot for autumn and winter seasonal trains in Kent.

26 0-60: CLASS 153 How quickly can these railcars get off the mark?

27 TIME TRAVELLER

News from February over the past five decades.

28 EXPRESS MAILBAG & REVIEWS

D7018 update; a salutary lesson; HST prototype.

MODELLING Following on from the feature on page 26, there’s a more detailed look at Network Rail’s Tonbridge depot, which has been purpose-built for RHTT operations.

Also modelling the Welsh timber trial MPV, plus reviews of the Bachmann ‘150’ and Hornby Mk.1s.

65 LU WORLD Could ‘D’ Stock be a replacement for ‘Pacers’?

66 RAILTOURS DRS ‘37s’ – what has and hasn’t worked a tour recently? Plus a full listing of forthcoming trips.

Pathfinder’s ‘The Tugging Shedmaster’ tour on January 3 made a rare, if not unprecedented, diversion through Crewe Electric depot as part of the trip. ‘Tug’ No. 60092 is seen threading its way between the shed and the lines of stabled and stored locos, with Nos. 67005, 90018 and 92004 visible. See also p12. Aaron Glover

68 PRESERVATION Detailing which diesel locos are currently operational on our heritage railways; MGR wagon bid successful; power unit removed from ‘Western’; and gala events in 2015.

71 POWER BY THE HOUR More Class 92s to leave for Eastern Europe; further delays for rebuilt ‘73s’; ETL Class 86s head to Willesden for assessment.

71 STORED LOCO UPDATE A full roundup of all 300 locos in store around the country, a total which has risen in 2014.

74 POWERSCENE Our roundup of notable locomotive workings.

82 UNITARY AUTHORITY Class 387s enter service with Govia Thameslink.

84 SHUNTER SPOT RMS Locotec helps out at Bounds Green.

85 COACH COMPARTMENT First HST Composite conversion begins.

87 WAGONS ROLL Prototype BGA steel carriers go for scrap.

88 IRISH ANGLE ‘Santa specials’ feature GM haulage; new look for ‘Enterprise’ loco; DD set goes for overhaul.

FRONT COVER: Stored Class 58s Nos. 58048 and 58022 look in a sorry state in the sidings at Crewe Electric depot on June 30, 2014. These are just two of the 300 locos in store around the country, and we detail exactly what’s where in our review starting on page 71 this month. Nigel Bainbridge

PICTORIAL

Yellow goes out of season The Network Rail-liveried Class 57/3s are no more after the last loco went to Eastleigh in December for repainting. Acquired amid much fanfare for use on snow and ice treatment trains, the ‘bodysnatchers’ ended up undertaking a wider range of duties during their three year existence, as Simon Bendall describes.

I

T WAS November 2011 when Network Rail first unveiled its new fleet of snow and ice treatment trains (SITT).

Developed at a cost of £10 million, the sets were introduced in response to the winter of 2010-11, when services on the third-rail network were heavily disrupted by wintry conditions.

To provide motive power for the new snowplough and de-icing wagon conversions, Network Rail leased six Class 57/3s from Porterbrook (Nos. 57301/3/ 5/6/10/12), these having been declared surplus by Virgin Trains. In addition to a repaint in the company’s yellow livery, 2012 would see them receive modified couplings for rescuing stranded EMUs. However, this seasonal use was a problem as the locos were heavily underutilised for the rest of the year. Initially used to some degree by GB Railfreight, early summer 2014 saw Network Rail relinquish the lease on the locos with all six passing to Direct Rail Services. They were then progressively repainted during the second half of the year, with the arrival of No. 57306 at Eastleigh Works on December 1 heralding the end of the yellow Class 57s.

Despite the yellow paint, Network Rail’s Class 57/3s rarely found themselves seconded to test train duties in the three years with the company. An exception to this was on January 15, 2013, when Nos. 57303 and 57312 were turned out to top-and-tail a two coach radio survey test train. Seen at Basingstoke near the end of the circuit, the 1Q13/12.45 Eastleigh Works-Eastleigh Works had already visited Southampton, Portsmouth Harbour, Fareham, Salisbury, Gillingham and Andover. A week later, No. 57303 would fail on an evening SITT working at Dorchester and not work again during the year, amply illustrating the poor availability of the locos.

Simon Howard

With the Class 57/3s short of work outside of the winter months, it made sense for Network Rail to deploy them on its other seasonal workings, the Railhead Treatment Trains (RHTT). East Anglia was the chosen operating area, with 2012 seeing the yellow GMs working from Stowmarket before switching to Broxbourne for much of the following year’s autumn campaign. On November 30, 2012, No. 57301 was captured leading the 3S60 Stowmarket-Stowmarket circuit through Wivenhoe, on the Clacton branch, with No. 57312 on the rear. Judging by the number of leaves still on the trees, the water cannon still had more work ahead of it. Peter Robins

22 RAIL EXPRESS February 2015

PICTORIAL

ABOVE: The afternoon of January 19, 2013, found Nos. 57312 Peter Henderson and 57303 doing the job for which they were intended, powering a snow and ice treatment train. Coupled between the locos are two remotely-controlled YXA deicing wagons, these being equipped with hot fluid applicators to keep the third rail clear of ice. The only one of the six to be named, No. 57312 is seen leading the 8Y87/14.40 Eastleigh-Eastleigh via Southampton and Wimbledon away from Eastleigh station.

Also the first to gain a coat of yellow in October 2011, it now sports Northern Belle colours.

Mark Few LEFT: In an effort to keep the locos serviceable and earning their keep, Network Rail readily agreed to their use by GB Railfreight on engineering duties, this being most prevalent on weekday nights during 2013. In this instance though, this is a Freightliner Heavy Haul working with No. 57310 having been hired in to power the 6Z30/17.23 Westbury-Eastleigh when seen at St Denys on August 12, 2013. One of a number of infrastructure flows to change operators in the past couple of years, this is now a Colas Rail service. Charles Woodland

â?Ż

February 2015 RAIL EXPRESS 23

TRACTION & ROLLING STOCK

David Rapson

Powerscene

Our authoritative class-by-class review of newsworthy locomotive workings.

CLASS 20

THE Balfour Beatty-liveried pair of Nos. 20142+20189 was seen at Hartlepool on December 4 and Newcastle two days later on training runs from York, although such movements appeared to end after mid-December.

On December 16, the quartet of DRS Type 1s Nos. 20308+20309+ 20304+20305 passed through Hexham at 14.05 heading from York Works back to their operational base at Carlisle Kingmoor, following the leaf fall season. Nos. 20308+20309 quickly returned to flask train duties, handling the 6S54/04.42 Kingmoor-Hunterston on December 17. This latter date was also noteworthy from a Class 20 perspective as the GBRf-liveried duo of Nos. 20901+20905 visited Brighton and Newhaven on training duties.

During Christmas week, Nos. 20304+20305 were seen in charge of the 6M63/11.58 BridgwaterCrewe CLS on December 23, while on Christmas Eve, Nos. 20309+37605 handled the 6E44/07.40 KingmoorSeaton-on-Tees, this after Nos. 20308+ 20309 had been paired on the 6K73/ 17.18 Sellafield-Crewe CLS on December 22.

CLASS 31

THE end of December found DCR’s No. 31601 touring Scotland, first

running light from Derby to Bo’ness on Christmas Eve. Following an appearance at the line’s diesel gala on December 27 (see Preservation news), it set out on a route-learning trip to Inverness via Aberdeen the next day.

The 29th found the Type 2 heading south over the Highland Main Line to Carlisle, before returning to Derby on December 30.

CLASS 37

THE combination of Nos. 37218+57306 took a single KUA nuclear flask wagon south on December 1, initially forming the 6L70/00.54 Crewe CLS-Willesden Brent and later the 6Z70/05.44 Willesden Brent-Eastleigh Works.

The yellow-liveried Class 57/3 then entered Eastleigh Works for a repaint into DRS colours. No. 37218 was next reported hauling Mk.3 No. 12082 from Wolverton Works to Norwich on December 3, while it was utilised to move DVT No. 82112 from Crown Point to Brush, Loughborough on December 22, returning to East Anglia with overhauled No. 82105.

In the Far North, Nos. 37602 and 37688 had charge of the 6M98/14.00 Georgemas Junction-Carlisle Kingmoor on December 5. The former seemed to cover plenty of ground during the month, having been to Anglesey with No. 37688 on the Wylfa Power Station

flasks on December 3, while the 17th found No. 37602 at Liverpool Street station with No. 37607 on test train duties that emanated from East Ham, and also took the locomotives to Stansted and Southend Victoria.

No. 37607, incidentally, is no stranger to Great Eastern metals, having formerly worked passenger and freight services in the area for several years as No. 37103.

The sole Class 37/7 currently in main line service is West Coast’s No. 37706, which was noted passing Kemble on December 2 with stable companion No. 47237 heading from Worcester to Southall.

On December 22, Nos. 37668 and 37706 were to be found either end of the 6Z00/11.32 Eastleigh-Hornsey EMUD, passing Brentford at 14.00 with Kirow crane No. DRK81601 and runners sandwiched between the Type 3s.

Resurrected earlier this year, No. 37668 was on the rear of the 1Z87/10.43 London VictoriaEastbourne charter of December 10, this being hauled by Bulleid ‘Pacific’ steam loco No. 34067 Tangmere and routed by way of Three Bridges.

The return trip saw No. 37668 in charge as far as Hastings, where the train reversed to head back to London via Tonbridge.

The ERTMS-fitted duo of

Nos. 97303 and 97301 (formerly Nos. 37178 and 37100 respectively) took a radio survey train into the Peak District on December 13, reaching Buxton soon after 11.00.

Unfortunately, the train suffered a derailment at the terminus of the Hindlow branch and the rest of the day’s work had to be curtailed.

No. 97303 was back in action on December 29, being noted passing through Chesterfield at 09.20 with an ultrasonic test trip bound for Immingham. No. 37402 Stephen Middlemore ventured into St Pancras station on December 9 with saloon No. 975025 on a sortie from Derby that also took the Type 3 to Corby.

CLASS 43

DRS’ No. 57310 failed when leaving Exeter St Davids with the 1C99/23.50 Paddington-Penzance sleepers at 05.30 on December 15. First Great Western HST power cars Nos. 43187+ 43149 were used to move the failure and its empty train to Laira later that day, passing Teignmouth at 12.40. That night, the power cars headed the 1A40/21.45 Penzance-Paddington, this starting from Plymouth at 00.15, but still with No. 57310 inside to provide electric train supply.

Unfortunately, matters did not end there (see Class 57 notes) and 1C99 on February 19 left Paddington with power cars Nos. 43143+43130 atop No. 57310 with No. 57603 Tintagel Castle at the rear. The HST power cars were removed at Plymouth, where No. 57603 ran round to the front of the train, which left 27 minutes late. This deficit had been doubled when the train reached its destination.

Previously, on December 12, the down ‘Night Riviera’ was formed throughout of a full HST set, powered by Nos. 43063 and 43152.

CLASS 47

DRS Type 3 No. 37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.54 - 8.6.13 was present at Treherbert in the early hours of Christmas Eve. The ‘37’ was working the previous day’s 3Q05/20.45 Cardiff Riverside-Derby RTC via Penarth, Abercynon, Treherbert and Barry Island. DMUs Nos. 142083, 150282 and 143610 were stabled in the sidings ready for the start of services. Tom Dumelow

74 RAIL EXPRESS February 2015

DECEMBER began with Colas Type 4 No. 47727 Rebecca undertaking crewtraining trips between Doncaster and Preston in readiness for the use of Colas motive power on the Lindsey to Preston Docks bitumen traffic.

Nonetheless, by December 6, Nos. 47727+47739 were to be found on overnight engineering work, handling the 6C50/20.40 Doncaster Up DecoyHarrogate that night and returning next morning from Horsforth, near Leeds. The following Saturday night, December 13, No. 47739 Robin of Templecombe 1938-2013 was joined

by No. 60076 on the 6C53/22.35 Doncaster-Turners Lane engineers’ train, while No. 47727 returned to

TRACTION & ROLLING STOCK

David Rapson

Pre-Christmas sees the end of the autumn railhead treatment trains and the start of the turkey season, both things linked in this one shot as ex-RHTT Network Rail Class 37s Nos. 97302+97301+97304 work the 0Z97 Crewe to Derby past Battlefield Farm, near Shrewsbury, on December 5. The turkey on the farm shop sign carries the number 1403 on its tail, which relates to the Battle of Shrewsbury that took place in that year between Henry IV and a rebel army led by ‘Harry Hotspur’ Percy of Northumberland. Harry lost and was subsequently impaled on public view in Shrewsbury marketplace. James Poole

crew-training runs around Lindsey and Scunthorpe on December 17 and No. 47739, in the Wakefield area, the next day.

DRS Nos. 47805 and 47828 regularly worked the Anglian DMUsubstitution diagram throughout much of December, although No. 47805 John Scott was used to power the 5Z01/15.37 Liverpool Street-Norwich empty stock on December 7 with a defective No. 90007 Sir John Betjeman in tow. After expiring at Lowestoft on December 19, No. 47828 was replaced

by No. 47810 Peter Bath MBE on the local services during Christmas week.

Meanwhile, DRS Class 47s continued to find use with Northern Rail on Saturdays leading up to the holiday

Name game

period. On December 6, Nos. 47818 and 47853 Rail Express top-and-tailed 14 Class 2 services on the Manchester Victoria, Chorley, Preston axis, and worked similarly on each of the following two Saturdays.

There continues to be a market for rail excursions in December, giving the Direct Rail Services and West Coast Railways Type 4 fleets the opportunity to stretch their legs on lengthy day trips before the January lull. A ‘Northern Belle’ circular dining tour from Coventry provided Nos. 47790 Galloway Princess and 47818 with employment on December 3 yet, the next day, Nos. 47790 and 57305 Northern Princess had charge of the train when visiting Fishguard, probably

the first time there for a Class 57. On December 5, the pair top-and-tailed a jaunt from Stoke-on-Trent, this passing Manchester Victoria, Warrington Bank Quay, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Telford and Stafford.

Nos. 47790 and 57305 remained together for further outings, taking the ‘Belle’ from Ipswich to Norwich by way of Peterborough and Bury St Edmunds (December 9), Darlington to Newcastle via Hexham, Carlisle, Appleby and York (December 11), then out and back from Edinburgh via Stirling, Perth, Kirkcaldy and Dundee next day. Another circuitous trip powered by Nos. 47790 and 57305 from Chester to Liverpool Lime Street twice traversed the rarelyused (for now) uni-directional single line

between Frodsham Junction and Halton Junction on December 18. Four days later, the duo top-and-tailed the 1Z92/15.10 Euston-Stoke ‘footex’ in connection with the Stoke City versus Chelsea match, this using Riviera Mk.2s rather than the luxury set.

Skegness witnessed the departure of a charter to Bath Spa on December 13 powered by Nos. 47245 and 47580 County of Essex while, on the same day, the West Coast duo of Nos. 47237+47804 took a rake of eight First Great Western HST vehicles from Old Oak Common to Wabtec, Kilmarnock for refurbishment. Another town to rarely see loco-hauled passenger trains these days is Buxton in Derbyshire. Hence, the departure of

by Simon Bendall

LOCO NAMINGS 66753 EMD Roberts Road Doncaster Roberts Road 08.12.14 Naming of the new build Class 66 after the Doncaster depot to cement GB Railfreight’s partnership with Progress Rail Services and Electro-Motive Diesel.

UNIT NAMINGS 221117 The Wrekin Giant Shrewsbury station 15.12.14 Named to mark the reintroduction by Virgin Trains of direct services from Shrewsbury, Telford and Wellington to London Euston. The name was the winning entry in a competition held by the Shropshire Star newspaper and commemorates a local legend. Unit previously named Sir Henry Morton Stanley between April 2002 and December 2007.

DE-NAMINGS 60085 Mini Pride of Oxford 92033 Berlioz

Toton TMD Brush, Loughborough

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❯ February 2015 RAIL EXPRESS 75

Bachmann releases pre-fabricated 1960s station building in 4mm

No

.1

30

DIESEL AND ELECTRIC ERA MODELLING

Modelling the shortlived Welsh timber trial

YOUR

36 PAGES

OF MODELLING

STARTS

HERE!

Completing the upgrade of the Bachmann Class 47

Taking a look at Network Rail’s new RHTT facility

M4 RAIL EXPRESS February 2015

An ever popular subject for modellers of the current day scene is Railhead Treatment Train operations, these water-cannon workings bringing an excuse to have a loco-hauled train on even the smallest layout.

Last autumn saw widespread loco-hauled RHTT operations across Kent and Sussex for the first time, these utilising former KFA 'binliner' flats powered by GB Railfreight locos. To allow for replenishing and maintenance, Network Rail has invested in Tonbridge West Yard with new facilities provided that cater specifically for the needs of the RHTT sets along with the winter SITT de-icing wagons. On December 12 last year, Nos. 73136 and 66743 pose on these new servicing sidings with examples of both of Network Rail's seasonal wagon fleets. The new facility offers much in the way of modelling potential and is profiled in detail on pages 22-25. Simon Bendall

Editor’s comment Simon Bendall Rail Express Modeller Editor

L

7

Newsdesk: Latest developments

Hornby has announced a second version of the New Measurement Train HST power cars while Loughborough Model Centre is offering Bachmann Class 40s renumbered and weathered as No. D200.

22

27

8

Modelling: A better Class 47 #4

A Wider View: Tonbridge depot

The autumn saw Network Rail and GB Railfreight open a new servicing depot at Tonbridge West Yard for the seasonal RHTT and SITT operations, this facility offering considerable modelling potential.

Reviews: Bachmann/Gaugemaster

All of the revamped Class 150s are now available from Bachmann, this including the first appearance of Centro colours on the model. Also new from Gaugemaster is a Dapol ‘66’ in DB Schenker red.

The in-depth look at how to improve the Bachmann Class 47 comes to a conclusion as Jonathan Hughes describes the painting, weathering and final touches required to produce a convincing 1970s loco.

OOKING at what models are due for release this year from the main manufacturers, it could prove to be a pivotal year for opening up ‘O’ gauge to a wider audience. The catalyst for this to happen remains the Dapol Class 08, which is finally promised to appear during 2015 (some three years later than first announced) and still at an attractive entry level price. If this proves to be up to scratch, an array of layouts could spring up around it, mirroring to some extent the effect seen with the Hornby Sentinel shunter in 4mm. With Heljan’s longawaited OAA and VAA wagons also due for release and the perfect accompaniment for the ‘Gronk’, ‘O’ gauge D&E modelling could finally move into the realms of greater affordability and accessibility, which can only be good for the future of the scale.

Express rating A breakdown of our Express rating system

28

Reviews: Hornby Mk.1 coaches

Hornby has expanded its range of all-new ‘OO’ gauge Mk.1 coaching stock with the addition of three further types, these being the SO and TSO with correct interiors and a scale length 57ft Full Brake.

14

Modelling: Timber trial MPV

Reviews: Bachmann/Hornby

Bachmann has added a further station building to its Scenecraft range, this depicting a 1960s prefabricated CLASP design. Meanwhile, Hornby has released a further diverse batch of Skaledale.

Exhibition diary

excellent

outstanding

Editor: Simon Bendall REMeditor@mortons.co.uk Contributing writer & modelmaker: Alex Carpenter

Advertising: Fiona Leak Tel: 01507 529573, fleak@mortons.co.uk

29

The Stafford Railway Circle’s exhibition is the highlight of this month with over 20 D&E layouts on show, including Aberdeen Kirkhill and Farkham, while there is also Model Rail Scotland to consider.

good

Publisher: Tim Hartley Designer: Rosie Ward Reprographics: Jonathan Schofield, Simon Duncan

Freight Multiple Units were once seen as the answer to moving wagonload freight in a cost effective manner, this including timber. The Network Rail MPV set used in the 2005 trial in Wales is modelled.

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