Rail Express July 2014

No. DS75: its career was down ‘The Drain’ for 71 years!

FREE CLASS 60 MODEL SUPPLEMENT

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

‘Western’ beats Class 67 in 0-60 challenge

40 pages of modelling: ● Departmental Grey: Recreating British Rail’s most disliked livery scheme

Climbing the Forth Bridge: What you can expect from 2016

● Wagon suspensions: Looking at two-axle types ● Building an OHLM train: Five vehicles in ‘00’ gauge

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RAIL EXPRESS No. 218 JULY 2014 £4.25

Railtrack 20 years on: where it all went wrong

CONTENTS

Issue No. 218 July 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLASS 60! Twenty five years ago in

June 1989, the first ‘Tug’ No. 60001 left Brush Traction for its first run on the main line. We’re celebrating the milestone for this everpopular type in the free supplement with this issue, which covers the history of the locos and how to model them. Bringing the story right up to date is this shot of No. 60087, the first one in Colas livery, seen at Burton-on-Trent on June 2 towing No. 86701 Orion from Barrow Hill to Washwood Heath. Martyn Spencer

8 NEWS

Caledonian Sleeper and combined TSGN franchises awarded; Class 68s enter service; 41001 hauls its first train in preservation; oldest ‘08’ scrapped; milestone for Hitachi IEP plant.

16 THE FORTH BRIDGE EXPERIENCE Progress on the proposed visitor centre at the top of the famous Scottish railway landmark.

18 A ‘CHAMPION’ PERFORMANCE

How 50-year-old ‘Western’ No. D1015 beat a modern Class 67 in our 0-60 test.

20 RAILTRACK RETROSPECT

Railtrack was formed 20 years ago as part of the privatisation of British Rail, but its flawed structure would lead to a tragic end.

25 0 TO 60: CLASS 375

An ‘Electrostar’ on third-rail power in Kent.

26 MODERN TRACTION DINOSAURS

No. DS75: the loco that spent its entire 71-year working life down ‘The Drain’.

MODELLING

26

The locos that received Departmental Grey livery, possibly BR’s worst ever colour scheme; plus we begin a survey of two-axle wagon suspension types in the D&E Files.

35 PRESERVATION

Hercules on the main line; a runaway at the GCR.

18

40 POWER BY THE HOUR

Class 73/0s for GBRf; more loco types for Colas.

43 POWERSCENE

A round-up of noteworthy locomotive workings.

51 UNITARY AUTHORITY

Class 456s return to SWT; ‘377/7s’ delayed.

27 TIME TRAVELLER

Looking back over news from the past decades.

28 LU WORLD

An appreciation of the unappreciated ‘C’ Stock!

53 SHUNTER SPOT

Gains and losses for the DB Schenker fleet.

54 COACH COMPARTMENT

Reclassifications begin for the FGW Mk.3 fleet.

30 EXPRESS MAILBAG

XP64 at Dundee, St Pancras – station or shop?

Anti-HS2 arguments, and Canton footbridge.

31 RAILTOURS

First trip over Todmorden curve; cancellations up.

55 WAGONS ROLL

GBRf adds Ecofrets to intermodal business.

56 IRISH ANGLE

Heritage weekend features diesel haulage.

16 The Diesel Traction Group’s main line diesel-hydraulic No. D1015 Western Champion hauls the ‘Western Lickeys the Banks’ tour from Solihull to Plymouth past Lympsham, Somerset, on May 10. The loco put in a magnificent performance over the South Devon Banks, not least on the four-coach return working. Lee Robbins

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

Rail Express Editor

This issue June 19, 2014 Next issue July 17, 2014 Advertising deadline July 4, 2014

Welcome...

I

WAS lucky enough this month to be invited to visit the Forth Bridge in Scotland for an update on the proposed visitor centre there, which will turn the Victorian engineering marvel into a major tourist attraction.

The idea was first announced in 2013, when it was hoped it could be open in time for the bridge’s 125th anniversary in 2015. Unfortunately, this has not proved possible due to extra time being needed for public consultations and finalising the best designs. But the work is progressing and the scheme is very much still on.

The proposal is for a main visitor centre underneath the north pier on the Fife side, with a smaller one at the southern end on the Lothian side – both being within a short walk from the nearest railway stations at North Queensferry and Dalmeny respectively.

I was expecting simply to be given a briefing on how far the project had progressed – or, at most, to have a site visit at ground level to see where the works will take place. But then there was talk of going up in the hoist, and suddenly it became apparent we would be going up to the top of the structure.

The hoist is not for the faint-hearted. It is essentially a basic metal cage with mesh sides that holds about 15 people, and which travels up the outside of the Fife pier. I was with a group of about a dozen railway editors and journalists, one of whom balked at the prospect of going up, and two others who admitted to serious reservations.

In the end, the hoist was the worst bit, and once at the top it was an experience none of us will forget. The view in all directions is amazing – not least of the railway below – and on a clear day you can see for miles.

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The plan is to make the trip to the top accessible for all, with the hoist replaced by a proper lift, and I would urge anyone to go there once it has opened.

Network Rail now intends to have something ready by late 2016 or early 2017. It is a cracking idea, and will be an undoubted success for the local economy, for Scotland and for the image of railways generally.

‘Western’ trumps ‘Skip’

One of the things we set out to do with our 0-60 feature was not just to find which class was quickest off the mark, but also to allow comparisons between different types lower down the list.

The first loco we included was Class 67 No. 67006 in our February issue. Neville Hill recorded a 0-60 time of 179 seconds with the loco hauling 10 coaches north from Tamworth, which he described as a majestic effort. This month we had the chance to time the Diesel Traction Group’s Class 52 diesel-hydraulic No. D1015 Western Champion as it powered a railtour from Solihull to Plymouth, also hauling 10 coaches.

On paper, the modern Class 67 diesel-electric should have wiped the floor with the 50-year-old dieselhydraulic, not least because the ‘67’ has a nominal 500 horsepower extra over the ‘Western’. But the remarkable thing is it didn’t. In fact not only did D1015 hold its own, but it was actually quicker off the mark on the similar load. This is a great achievement, testament perhaps to the original design, but also full credit to the DTG for keeping the loco in such great form.

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

David Russell Preservation Railtours Unitary Authority Coach Compartment

Gareth Bayer Wagons Roll

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CFPS ‘WHISTLER’ BACK ON THE MAIN LINE: June 6 saw the welcome return of Class 40 No. 40145 (as pre-TOPS No. 345) hauling a passenger train on the main line, when it worked the 1Z28/13.14 ‘The East Lancs Stalwart’ from Carnforth to Bury, taking in a circuitous route via Skipton, Wakefield Kirkgate, Hebden Bridge, Blackburn, Bolton and Manchester Victoria. Seen approaching Long Preston, south of Settle, the train was essentially a stock positioning move for a tour from Bury to Oxford the next day – the two trips offering a combined total of 600 miles behind the mighty Type 4. Class 57 No. 57315 was at the rear. Phil Wright

INFRASTRUCTURE

Delayed but not cancelled Plans for a visitor centre at the iconic Forth Bridge in Scotland, including lift rides to a viewing platform at the top, are progressing – but it will not now be open in time for the bridge’s 125th anniversary next year.

NETWORK Rail is going ahead with plans to build a visitor centre at the world famous Forth Bridge and turn it into a major tourist attraction. But hopes that it would open in time for the bridge’s 125th anniversary in 2015 have been dashed, as the organisation and planning required is taking longer than first thought.

The plans include a main visitor centre at the northern end under the Fife pier, from where those with a head for heights can take a lift to the top to enjoy great views of the railway and surrounding area. There will also be a smaller visitor centre at the southern end, which will act as a starting point for guided walks to the top of the southern (Queensferry) pier.

The bridge opened in 1890 and is a true railway wonder of the world, connecting the Lothian and Fife regions of Scotland, and allowing trains to run through from Edinburgh to Dundee and Aberdeen without a long diversion

via Stirling. It has also recently been nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and would become the sixth such site in Scotland if granted.

Plans for the £15 million visitor centre were first announced in 2013, when it was hoped that at least some of the facilities could be ready for the bridge’s milestone anniversary next year.

However, a number of issues – including public consultation and finalising the design work – have taken longer than expected. For example, one issue at the north end is that the Fife pier is on a peninsula of land, and access to the visitor centre by road could lead to traffic problems in the currently quiet residential area.

So while the business case is still positive, nothing will now be ready until 2016 or 2017 at the earliest. Once open, however, it will be a unique visitor experience and provide a major tourist boost in the region.

THE TRIP TO THE TOP

The area at the base of the north (Fife) pier that will be glassed in to form the visitor centre. The lift to the top starts at the base of the tower on the right (all views in this sequence are looking north).

150ft (46m): Passing the height of the railway lines.

ABOVE: The bridge from North Queensferry, looking south on the west side towards Dalmeny. The visitor centre will be at the base of the nearest (Fife) pier, with the viewing platform at the top where the scaffolding can just be seen now. All photos: Paul Bickerdyke LEFT: The views from the top are amazing in all directions, but it is the railway below that provides most interest.

This is the view from the top of the north pier looking south, as DMU No. 158741 passes underneath with the 13.47 from NewcraighallGlenrothes with Thornton.

RIGHT: An artist’s impression of the visitor centre and lift at the base of the Fife pier, looking north on the east side.

300ft (92m): The views open up as the ground recedes.

330ft (100m): The scaffolded area will be converted into a permanent viewing platform, with the lift down on the right.

July 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 17

INFRASTRUCTURE

The West Coast Passenger Upgrade contract was supposed to deliver a 140mph railway for £2.2billion. In the end, it cost £8.8 billion for a 125mph railway completed under Network Rail after Railtrack had gone in to railway administration. This is the scene at Lichfield in 2008 as part of the four-tracking of much of the Trent Valley route. NR

115mph. Four passengers died and a further 70 were injured – the primary cause being a left-hand rail fracturing as the train passed over it.

Hatfield was one of the factors that led to the decision to place Railtrack in ‘Railway Administration’ a year later.

This procedure had been included in the original privatisation act in 1993 to protect railway assets from seizure by creditors, which might be the case in the event of a business failure under wider corporate legislation.

A lack of expertise

The response to the Hatfield crash was the imposition of hundreds of speed restrictions at locations where it was judged that track maintenance had fallen below safe standards. It was later found that this was an overreaction by Railtrack – which during its period of stewardship had not established sufficient expertise to control the contractors maintaining the network.

This was a critical flaw that dated from the initial organisational design when Railtrack was established by people who should have known better.

It is a fundamental management requirement that if functions are subcontracted out, there must be sufficient expertise in the purchasing organisation to judge performance of contractors and so benchmark activity.

All the evidence was there of the potential for trouble, including statistics such as broken rails, but the lack of inhouse engineering competence meant

24 RAIL EXPRESS July 2014

Railtrack’s tenure saw three major train accidents in four years, which finally spelt the end for the company. Southall (1997), Ladbroke Grove (1999) and Hatfield (2000) could all have been prevented with a better grip on safety and in-house engineering competence.

This was the devastation at Hatfield after a train hauled by No. 91023 was derailed by a broken rail on October 17, 2000. PA

there was insufficient reaction to the potential consequences.

After Hatfield, the then chief executive Steve Marshall finally recognised a lack of core skills in the organisation. He recruited engineering expertise at board level and created 300 posts populated by chartered engineers to allow the performance of contractors to be effectively supervised.

The first steps were also taken to bring infrastructure maintenance back in-house, which pointed to the future direction of the company. But Railtrack was soon to cease being the entity in charge following a decision by the Government that a new not for profit organisation called Network Rail should buy the firm out for £500 million.

Railtrack plc was renamed and

reconstituted as Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd when the purchase was completed on October 3, 2002.

The former company has thus never ceased to exist but merely continued under another name, which is why Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd has been the defendant in later prosecutions about events that occurred during the Railtrack years.

›

PERFORMANCE

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

Neville Hill ventures into Kent to see how Bombardier’s Class 375 ‘Electrostars’ perform on third-rail power.

E

LECTRICAL engineers will sometimes admit that third-rail direct current electrical supply can be something of a black art. Leakages and delivery limitations can affect the power available, even for sophisticated modern electric multiple units.

However, having been impressed by the leaguetopping performance of the AC-powered Class 357s ‘Electrostars’ on c2c services from Fenchurch Street, it was time to venture into Kent to make a comparison with their third-rail DC Class 375 cousins on Southeastern.

Ashford International presents plenty of possibilities, but few of them offer the ideal ‘level’ station departures, and some of the better ones are restricted by platform loop exit speeds that were designed for previous generations of units. Find the better sections and the driver might choose to ease and coast towards the next stop in the modern

style, thereby wrecking any hopes for a fast time.

Heading west to Marden with a pair of Class 375s nothing better than 0-60 in 88sec was achieved, timed leaving Staplehurst on an adverse gradient and then benefiting from 1-in-340 downhill.

Striking off east in the Canterbury direction gave better results, although marginally early running in both directions caused doubts whether there was the incentive to accelerate hard. Towards Canterbury, the eastbound departure from Wye has a favourable 1-in-660 start, allowing No. 375606 to manage 60mph in 70sec; No. 375712 took 75sec in the opposite direction, leaving Wye for Ashford against 1-in-264.

The broad acres of Kent make Class 375 performance seem less frenetic than c2c ‘Electrostars’, but they achieve higher top speeds and their acceleration is impressive, given their relatively primitive power source.

TIMES AND SCORES SUMMARY Rank No.

1.

2.

3.

4.

357017+357033 375606 180110 220007

5.

6.

0 to 60 time RE (seconds) Factor**

Location

Issue

Notes

A sizzling LTS record Third rail but not third rate Working on four or five engines?

Disappointing derated acceleration HST workhorse Showing the effects of low gearing More strength at mid-range speeds 50 years old and still going strong A majestic effort

50 70 83 94

15673 12715 8514 7610

East from West Ham North from Wye North from Grantham East from Taunton

May 2014 Jul 2014 Jan 2014 Apr 2014

43285 / 43321 166205

96 102

9050 11391

South from Burton West from Tilehurst

Jan 2014 Mar 2014

7.

168003

103

10640

Sth from High Wycombe Jun 2014

8.

D1015

174

10110

South from Banbury

Jul 2014

9.

67006

179

8030

North from Tamworth

Feb 2014

Wye to Chilham Unit No. Vehicles/tare/ gross tonnes* Train

375606 4/174/179 11.10 Charing Cross-Canterbury West April 22, 2014 Neville Hill

Date Recorder Miles Timing Point 0.00 Wye d 0.02 0.04 0.11 0.21 0.41 0.71 4.70 Chilham a

Sch 0

5½

MS 0 00 0 11 0 16 0 25 0 36 0 51 1 10 5 39

MPH ½E 10 20 30 40 50 60/69

Notes: *Vehicles/tare/gross tonnes; timed to 1/100th of a second and rounded to nearest full second.

0-60 time RE FACTOR** COMMENT

70 Seconds 12715 Third rail but not third rate

Note: **The RE (Rail Express) Factor is calculated using a formula based on time, load and rated horsepower. A higher score is better.

The view looking north-east from Wye: A Class 375 ‘Electrostar’ waits to depart for Chilham, as a Class 395 ‘Javelin’ arrives on its way to St Pancras. In our test, ‘Electrostar’ No. 375606 left Wye for Chilham and reached 60mph in 70 seconds. Ian Hadingham

July 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 25