Rail Express May 2015

PROJECT 22 Your chance to help recreate a lost type

Mk.2s

DOWN UNDER

Full story of the New Zealand exports

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

NEW LOOK

RAIL EXPRESS No. 228 MAY 2015

FOR SCOTLAND

Classes 68 and 92 start passenger operations More new trains to follow by 2017

WEST COAST RAILWAYS

GROUNDED 40 pages of modelling ■ The BR Grain Hopper story ■ How to model coal yards ■ DEMU Showcase hits 21

NEW TRAINS

ordered for Cornwall

First Hitachi IEP starts testing

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 April 16, 2015 Next issue May 21, 2015 Advertising deadline May 5, 2015

Hitachi hat trick

T

HERE has been so much happening this month it has been almost difficult to keep up at times, although if it had to be summed up in one word, it would have to be ‘Hitachi’.

Mid-March saw the much anticipated arrival of the Japanese manufacturer’s first Class 800 bi-mode train which, together with the Class 801 all-electric version, will be the future of inter-city travel on the Great Western and East Coast main lines. The five sleek vehicles were unloaded with big fanfare at Southampton Docks, then whisked away by road to Old Dalby for testing to begin.

Another 121 sets will follow, the vast majority from Hitachi’s soon-to-be-completed plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, with the first due to enter service in 2017… subject to electrification being finished on time, which is another story in itself.

Then the Government announced that First Great Western’s franchise had been extended to March 2019, with FGW revealing that new trains would be ordered to replace HSTs serving Devon and Cornwall. Subject to final approval after the election in May, the trains will be built by Hitachi and be a variant of the Class 800 within its AT300 family.

Finally the new ScotRail franchisee, Abellio, will acquire new EMUs to link Glasgow and Edinburgh once the main line is electrified in 2016. Hitachi is also the chosen supplier of these, based on its AT200 regional and suburban train design.

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

So far there have been no orders for Hitachi’s other offering, the AT100 urban units. But the way things have been going – and with large numbers of new EMU orders expected over the next few years – it can surely be just a matter of time.

West Coast woes

Mention must be made of the suspension notice served by Network Rail on West Coast Railways, which affects its track access agreement and means WCR cannot run any trains until it satisfies NR that it is safe to do so. The full story is on page 15, but from an enthusiast’s point of view it means charter train operations will be severely affected over the next few weeks.

West Coast was encouraged to enter the charter market in the early days of rail privatisation to provide greater competition, but since the 1990s has grown to become the dominant supplier.

Many promoters now rely on it – not least those that use steam – so it seems unlikely that other operators can step in to make every booked tour still run, as WCR has promised.

Safety has to be the number one priority over other concerns, but let’s hope the issues can be resolved soon so we can carry on enjoying heritage traction on the main line.

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 529280 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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Issue No. 228 May 2015

CONTENTS Class 31 No. 31289, in a striking but as yet unfinished blue livery, was one of the stars alongside classmate No. 31206 at the first ever Rushden Diesel Gala on March 21-22. The railway, near Wellingborough, currently has about a quarter of a mile of running line but has plans to expand further along the former branch to Higham Ferrers.

Dave Smith

8

HEADLINE NEWS All change in Scotland as new franchises begin; West of England HSTs to be replaced; Class 365 and 387/1 for Thames Valley; first Class 800 IEP arrives at Southampton; Network Rail grounds West Coast Railways; new DMUs will be needed.

18

PROJECT 22: RIGHTING A WRONG Plans to preserve the first main line diesel in 1972 were scuppered when Class 22 No. D6319 was cut up by mistake. Now there’s a scheme to recreate this lost type in a new build project.

21

ONES THAT GOT AWAY: CLASS 21 The Class 21s, and their rebuilt Class 29 form, were the diesel-electric cousins of the ‘22s’. All are now gone, despite one surviving until 1980.

22

Mk.2s DOWN UNDER What happened to the 150 Mk.2s exported to New Zealand? Kevan Fleckney finds out.

26

DEATH OF A ‘40’ How No. 40173 came to an unconventional end.

27

28

Part 3 sees Tim Helme braving the mess room.

29

MODELLING Grain Hoppers were one of BR’s most longlived traditional wagon fleets, and we take an in-depth look at their history and usage.

Plus a modeller’s guide to household coal yards and the latest reviews including Hornby’s HST power cars.

EXPRESS MAILBAG & REVIEWS What happens when Rail Express readers meet?

30

SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS p78

TIME TRAVELLER News from May over the last five decades.

71

LU WORLD EOR gets closer to Epping; Croxley Link go-ahead.

72

RAILTOURS Class 57 tour review, diary, and ‘Hellfire Corner’.

75

PRESERVATION Second ‘91’ for National Collection; two more ‘37s’ leave preservation; NYMR needs a diesel.

80

POWER BY THE HOUR Class 92 works a coal train as part of GBRf’s sleeper training; Class 73/9 fleet reorganised.

82

POWERSCENE Our authoritative review of notable locomotive workings around the network.

0-60: CLASS 333 Neville Hill heads to the Aire Valley to see how quickly Siemens’ EMUs get off the mark.

LIFE AS A DERBY TRAINMAN

90

UNITARY AUTHORITY Abellio does the unit shuffle; London Overground fleet revealed; plus a class-by-class round-up.

93

SHUNTER SPOT First Great Western commemorates its heritage.

94

COACH COMPARTMENT ERS coaches return to Dereham; NC64 reformed.

95

WAGONS ROLL Eversholt sells wagon fleet to NACCO/CIT.

96

IRISH ANGLE NIR services under threat; IR defends cost cutting.

The start of the new ScotRail franchise on April 1 saw DRS take over the Fife Circle loco-hauled workings from DB Schenker. The first day’s trips were powered

by No. 68006 Daring, which is seen in its new ScotRail livery entering Edinburgh Waverley ready to form the 17.08 to Glenrothes with Thornton. Paul Bickerdyke

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NEWS IN BRIEF ANGEL TRAINS TO BE SOLD TRAIN leasing company Angel Trains is set to follow fellow lessors Porterbrook and Eversholt by being sold. Angel is presently owned by a multi-national investment consortium which bought the company from Royal Bank of Scotland in 2008.

The Derby-based company owns some 4600 vehicles, equating to 37% of the UK fleets, these include High Speed Train sets, Virgin-operated ‘Pendolinos’ and DB Schenker-operated Class 66s and Class 67s.

Meanwhile, Porterbrook is, since last October, owned by a consortium including Allianz Capital Partners, whilst Eversholt, sold this January, is in the hands of Hong Kong-based billionaire Li Ka-Shing.

NEW CHILTERN DEPOT PLANNED FOR BANBURY CHERWELL District Council has approved planning permission for Network Rail and Chiltern Railways to build a new light maintenance building at Banbury. It will be located on the site of the former locomotive shed, which closed in 1966 at the end of steam, but the land has been disused since then. The new facility will have two tracks for maintenance and refuelling, along with a staff and administration building. Four sidings will be built to the north of the site to stable up to 18 vehicles overnight with an additional siding for engineering use.

TICKETLESS TICKET TRIAL DEVELOPMENTS in computer technology have seen Abellio Greater Anglia introduce a pilot trial of non-paper ‘tickets’ for a 100 passengers on its Liverpool Street to Cambridge route.

Working with MultiPass, the trial involves the MultiPass app downloaded to passengers’ phones. The system works out the best daily and weekly fares for each journey, including automatic capping where applicable.

These are then summarised in the MultiPass app and online account. The passenger merely shows the MultiPass app screen to ticket staff on trains and at station barriers. MultiPass takes its name from the film The Fifth Element.

WENSLEYDALE ACQUIRES EX-ARRIVA ‘BUBBLE CAR’ FORMER Arriva Trains Wales Class 121 ‘bubble car’ No. 55032, which was put up for sale by Chiltern Railways earlier this year, has been purchased by the Wensleydale Railway. It is due to move from Aylesbury to Tyseley on April 28, ready for onward transportation to its new home.

MK.1 SUBURBAN MOVEMENT PUT up for sale some time ago, Mk.1 Brake Second (BS) No. 43349 left the Strathspey Railway, where it been based for more than 40 years, in late February and is now a resident at the Chasewater Railway.

LLANGOLLEN RAILWAY CLASS 37 BACK IN ACTION OUT of service for the past year with a fractured liner plate, English Electric Type 3 No. 6940 (37240) has had repairs completed and it returned to service at the Llangollen Railway on March 28.

10 RAIL EXPRESS May 2015

West of England HSTs set for replacement The Great Western franchise extension could see a new fleet of Hitachi bi-mode trains.

By ‘Industry Witness’ THE Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced in the budget on March 18 that there would be a new rail franchise for the West Country. Amid speculation he might mean a breakaway operation for Devon and Cornwall, whose lines will not be electrified like other main routes from Paddington, five days later it was confirmed he meant the current First Great Western operation would be extended from September this year to March 2019.

The extension is essentially to continue running services through the disruption that electrification and the introduction of the new Hitachi Class 800 and 801 Super Express Trains will cause. The franchise will then be re-let by competitive bidding for April 2019 onwards.

FGW will pay a premium of about £68 million to the Government over the three and a half years, and services will be run under a new ‘GWR’ brand and possible green livery.

The extension has been agreed by the Department for Transport on the basis of a direct award rather than running a competition. This process has been followed as, after the problems that emerged with the skills and experience of Government staff, it was decided to restrict franchise competitions to three annually.

Public consultation about the content of the revised contract was carried out with most comment being received from stakeholders in Wiltshire, Somerset, and Bristol.

How a striking green-liveried, bi-mode Hitachi AT300 could look serving the west of England from Paddington under the GWR brand. Hitachi

NEW BI-MODE TRAINS FOR DEVON AND CORNWALL

First Group has also agreed to fund the leasing of new rolling stock to operate services between Paddington and the west of England. However the Government has put off making a final decision on the proposal until after the general election on May 7 because of the effect it will have on the franchise premium.

It had previously been expected that an element of the current First Great Western HST fleet would be modernised to comply with regulations that apply from 2020 to improve access for the disabled, provide controlled effluent emission to prevent discharge to the track, and install plug doors.

The train type proposed to operate on the unelectrified line to the West Country is described by Hitachi as the AT300. It is similar to the Class 800 and 801 InterCity Express Programme vehicles, as it will be equipped with bi-mode diesel and electric traction equipment, which will switch when

travelling at speed as trains reach Newbury, where electrification will end on the Berks & Hants route. Larger fuel tanks will be installed to cater for the longer journeys to Plymouth and Penzance, although the diesel engine will be of the same power.

Seven nine-car and 22 five-car trains will be built by Hitachi in Japan, as there is insufficient workshop capacity at the Newton Aycliffe plant in County Durham, with the first trains entering service in 2018. Some journey time reduction is expected, which will amount to a 14-minute time saving between London and Penzance.

The agreement to extend the franchise also covers a requirement to manage the introduction of electrified services following the installation of overhead catenary to Bristol and Swansea, with extensions to Oxford and Newbury. The fleets of 36 five-car bimode Class 800/0 and 21 nine-car Class 801/0 electric trains are scheduled to commence operations out of Paddington in 2017. See page 13 for more details.

Class 365 and 387/1 units for Great Western ‘Networker’ and ‘Electrostar’ EMUs to be transferred to Thames Valley services.

By David Russell FOLLOWING the announcement of the FGW extension on March 23, details regarding the EMU fleets that will operate Thames Valley services out of Paddington have been revealed.

The 29 Class 387/1 units, which are currently being introduced on GTR’s Thameslink route, will be transferred to the new franchise when they are replaced by Class 700 ‘Desiro’ EMUs during 2016. These 29 ‘Electrostars’ will be supplemented by an additional eight brand new sets, leasing firm Porterbrook having taken up the final option on additional stock that was put in place when the Class 387/1 fleet

was ordered in 2013. This covered an additional 140 vehicles, of which 108 were ordered in November 2014 (27 four-car sets for Gatwick Express duties), leaving 32 cars to make up the additional units for First Great Western.

As well as the Class 387s, 21 Class 365 ‘Networker’ units are to be moved from Govia Thameslink Railway to First Great Western. These will be made available by a cascade of Class 377 ‘Electrostar’ units on to King’s CrossCambridge/King’s Lynn services during 2016-17.

The arrival of the 58 EMUs will enable a large number of Class 165 and 166 ‘Turbo’ diesel units to move to the Bristol area – although DMUs will still

be required for use on the branches from West Ealing to Greenford and Maidenhead to Marlow, as well as on other non-electrified routes such as Reading to Gatwick Airport.

Class 165 and 166 units, largely running in five-car formation, will replace Class 158s on the CardiffPortsmouth route, enabling the Class 158s to be moved onto the ExeterPenzance route.

Class 165 units will also be used on local services around Bristol, displacing some Class 150/2s from this area to Devon. This in turn will enable the Class 143 ‘Pacer’ fleet to be displaced, along with the Class 150/0, 150/1 and 153 ‘Sprinter’ fleets.

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NEWS

The future of inter-city travel arrives The first Class 800 was unloaded at Southampton Docks in March and taken to Asfordby for testing to begin.

By Simon Bendall MARCH 12 will go down in the annals of railway history as the date when the first Hitachi Class 800 trainset was delivered to the UK. After years of delays, inquiries and cost increases before the orders were finally placed, a sizeable crowd of industry representatives was on hand at Southampton Eastern Docks to finally witness the future of inter-city rail travel arrive on the quayside.

It was February 2009 when the Agility Trains consortium, led by Japanese manufacturer Hitachi Transport, was first announced as the preferred bidder to deliver new high speed trains under the Intercity Express Programme (IEP).

Destined for the Great Western and East Coast main lines, the 122 new Class 800 and 801 Super Express Trains, totalling 866 vehicles, will replace many of the existing HSTs and Class 91+Mk.4 formations on these routes, triggering a nationwide cascade of rolling stock.

This re-equipping of the two routes will come at a cost, however, with the bill for the project now standing at £5.7 billion.

FIRST OF THE BREED

Loaded aboard the massive Tamerlane roll on/roll off transporter ship was the first pre-series Class 800, this being a bimode five-car set that will eventually be deployed on the Great Western Main Line out of Paddington.

Built entirely in Japan at Hitachi’s Kasado Works, it is one of 12 IEP trainsets that will be delivered to the UK in fully-completed form, there being a further two pre-series units to come along with 10 production sets.

Construction will then switch to Hitachi’s £82 million Rail Vehicle Manufacturing Facility in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham from next year, which will assemble the remaining 110 bi-mode Class 800s and electric Class 801s using bodyshells shipped from Japan.

Dwarfed by the transport ship, DPTF No. 815001 makes its way down the ramp to join its sister vehicle on the quayside. The transfer to the Allelys low-loaders from the trollies was carried out alongside the vessel. All pictures by Simon Bendall

The Wallenius Wilhelmsen-operated vessel had left Kobe on January 23, travelling via the Panama Canal and Baltimore before reaching Southampton the day before the ceremonial unloading. Illustrating the importance of the occasion, the event was attended by the Japanese ambassador to the UK, Keiichi Hayashi, who was greeted by the Rail Minister, Claire Perry.

The minister said: “It is hugely exciting to witness the arrival of the first state-of-the-art IEP train on British soil. These trains will transform rail travel for passengers travelling between many of the great towns and cities of England, Scotland and Wales, provide a massive jobs boost for Britain and deliver billions of pounds of benefits for our economy.”

TOUCHDOWN

Secured atop transport trollies, the first Class 800 vehicle to be unloaded onto UK soil was the 47.4 tonne Driving Pantograph Trailer Standard (DPTS) No. 811001. Following the conclusion of media interviews with the Rail Minster, the other outer car, Driving Pantograph Trailer First (DPTF) No. 815001, joined it on the quayside.

This latter vehicle also features the catering facilities, as evidenced by the three blanked off windows on each side, and weighs in at a not inconsiderable 50.2 tonnes.

Later in the afternoon and away from the cameras, the three centre cars were also off-loaded, these being Motor Standards Nos. 812001 and 813001 and Motor Composite No. 814001. While the Tamerlane

sailed that evening, the five vehicles remained at Southampton Docks overnight, being transported by Allelys on March 13 and 14 to the test centre at Asfordby, Leicestershire. Here, the set was formed up ready to begin trials over the Old Dalby test track during April ahead of a main line debut on the East Coast Main Line later this year (see also pages 6-7).

Notably, the unit also received its set number of No. 800001 at this stage, it having been identified merely as set No. T1 on the shipping notices.

The first units are due to enter passenger service on the Great Western in 2017, although with the electrification scheme behind schedule, it remains to be seen if this will occur. The ECML should follow in 2018, with all sets in service by 2020.

Right: The Class 800 name was described as uninspiring by the Rail Minster Claire Perry, she instead calling for a competition to be held to devise a new brand name for the Hitachi trains.

Far right: The first IEP vehicle, DPTS No. 811001, is inched towards UK soil from the hold of the Tamerlane.

Throughout the unloading operation, Hitachi and Wallenius Wilhelmsen personnel monitored clearances around the car to ensure no damage was done.

Right, lower: A sight that will grace the UK network for decades to come, the styling of the Class 800s and Class 801s is attractive but rather generic, lacking the standout looks of the iconic trains they will replace.

May 2015 RAIL EXPRESS 13

BRITS ABROAD

Mk.2s Down Under

Over 150 Mk.2 coaches have been shipped from Britain to New Zealand. Kevan Fleckney finds out what happened to them all.

Preserved and restored DJ Class Bo-Bo-Bo number No. 1229 ticks over at the Mainline Steam depot in Plimmerton in front of ex-Virgin Mk.2s Nos. 5988 and 1208 on October 8, 2014. The coaches have covers over their windows to protect them from damage. All photographs were taken by the author.

N

EW Zealand is an incredibly scenic but sparsely populated country, with only 4.5 million inhabitants living in an area slightly larger than the UK. As such, the 2400 mile rail network is primarily single track, carrying mainly freight with a smattering of tourist passenger trains and commuter services around the larger cities.

However the capital, Wellington, and

the most populous city, Auckland, both enjoy good quality and well-patronised suburban and long distance commuter rail services.

The country’s mountainous terrain led to a gauge of 3ft 6in being chosen for the railways, but the loading gauge is similar to that in Britain. This meant that when replacement stock was required in the mid-1990s, redundant Mk.2s offered a lower cost alternative

to buying new, even if they needed refurbishment and new bogies.

National operator Tranz Rail and the heritage Mainline Steam Trust (MST) bought 69 Mk.2s in 1996-98, although one (No. 5625) was destroyed by fire soon after arrival. All were First or Standard open carriages, none were brakes, although some were eventually converted as driving cars for use in push-pull sets around Auckland.

A slightly larger batch was exported in 2006-08 for use on services around Wellington.

It was originally hoped that Mk.2s would replace some of the older coaches in the tourist fleet, but the plan was scuppered when it was discovered that they were out of gauge for one of the curved tunnels on the Midland Line between Christchurch and Greymouth, in the South Island. The upside of this was the design and manufacture of a fleet of new largewindow AK and AKC coaches, which are now in charge of the three tourist services. And very nice they are too!

Mainline Steam Trust use

A couple of unidentified ex-Virgin Mk.2s at the Port of Auckland on November 15, 2008. They were sat on low loaders being prepared for road transfer to Westfield Depot in South Auckland, where they were married with bogies for their onward trip south for conversion.

22 RAIL EXPRESS May 2015

In common with similar organisations and heritage railways around the world, the impending demise of steam in New Zealand was realised by one individual who decided to act to preserve the sight, sound and smell of the era of steam for future generations to enjoy.

That man was Ian Welch, who formed a group, sold shares and secured a J Class 4-8-2 locomotive in 1971.

He also self-financed the purchase of a K class 4-8-4 locomotive.

BRITS ABROAD

A superbly finished FO and TSO stand in the yard at Plimmerton ready for service. The coach nearest the camera is missing its lower white stripe following some repairs following a graffiti attack. The access steps are shown in the lowered position, but are raised when the door locks are engaged.

AUCKLAND MK.2s SA Class First Open: 1202, 1216, 1255, 1259, 3224, 3233, 3262, 3263, 3265, 3266, 3285, 6204, 6205, 6208, 6222, 6224, 6228, 6229, 6230, 6233, 6806, 6820, 6821, 6823, 6824 (Total 25) Standard Open: 5617, 5633, 5637, 5638, 5651, 5653, 5654, 5682, 5695, 5703, 5705, 5719, 5729, 5730, 5743, 5746, 5752, 5759, 5770, 5776, 5784, 5791, 5796, 5801, 5818, 5828, 5829, 5835, 5847, 5861, 5868, 5873, 5878, 5887, 5889, 5902, 5926, 5935, 5966, 5967, 5968, 5975, 5994, 5996, 6005, 6010, 6011, 6015, 6018, 6025, 6034, 6061, 6112, 6123, 6159, 6172 (Total 56) At the bufferstops in Wellington is S Class No. S3177 at the back of a northbound formation on June 8, 2010. The livery helps these coaches look more proportional and less squat with the use of a black stripe along the bottom. The wrap-around doors have been converted to power operation, and retractable steps added for use at rural stations where platforms are low.

Fast forward to 2014 and Ian has purchased more locomotives and the group is now a Charitable Trust. There are 12 New Zealand steam locos, eight diesel locos and one electric loco all based in three depots nationwide. A further six locomotives have also come from southern Africa, including a monster 190 ton 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt.

Mainline Steam operates regular day excursions and multi-day tours throughout the country from its Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch bases.

The Auckland depot, based in the old Parnell diesel depot, has become the organisation’s primary restoration base and most of Mainline Steam’s currently active locomotives were restored there. The Wellington depot in Plimmerton is a purpose-built building which replaced formerly leased premises elsewhere in the city, and has also become an important restoration base.The Christchurch depot is a former industrial building that used to be located at Studholme, but relocated to land on the premises of CWF Hamilton.

Mainline Steam chose to invest in

its own coaches as there was a shortage of quality stock for hire, and what was available came at a significant cost.

It has created three rakes for its trains in the North Island. One is being formed from fully restored early 20th century wooden-bodied stock painted in emerald green; a second is being formed from 56ft steel-panelled stock, which was used by KiwRail on tourist trains until a couple of years ago.

These coaches are being finished in midnight blue.

The third set is a rake of ex-BR Mk.2 coaches, painted in midnight blue with a pearl grey window band, giving an appearance not too dissimilar to when they were new.

The first Mk.2s coaches imported into New Zealand were brought by the Mainline Steam Trust. However, MST was encouraged to sell the coaches on to Tranz Rail, now KiwiRail, which subsequently converted them for use on the Capital Connection (S Class) and Auckland suburban services (SA and SD classes).

MST then ordered 13 further coaches (ex-Virgin and Gatwick

SD Class First Open: 6227, 6232 (Total 2) Standard Open: 5624, 5626, 5648, 5652, 5675, 5747, 5761, 5762, 5794, 5811, 5842, 5859, 5860, 5883, 5893, 5993, 5999, 6026, 6166, 6182, 6184 (Total 21)

Express), of which eight are being restored at Plimmerton and five are in store at Fielding.

MAINLINE STEAM TRUST MK. 2s

Restoration work

Rust was found to be the predominant issue during restoration by MST volunteers, especially in the vestibule ends where the overhead water tank, tank filler pipes and toilets are located.

No.1208, a buffet conversion was also found to have rust in the servery area.

The overall work involved in preparing the coaches for mainline use has included: replacing corroded steelwork; fitting interior door handles; new central locking; installing retractable steps and vertical grab rails; recovering seats and recarpeting the gangway. Air conditioning has also been installed and the heaters removed.

More importantly, reconditioned Kinki bogies have been fitted from Fs steam heating vans built in the late 1960s, and a new livery applied.

At the time of writing, there are four restored Mk.2s at Plimmerton.

They are painted in midnight blue and pearl grey separated by a white band, with a lower white bodyside stripe with

Fielding First Open: 1208 (Total 1) Standard Open: 5914, 72624, 72625, 72644 (Total 4) Plimmerton First Open: 3299, 3433, 72508 (Total 3) Standard Open: 5915, 5939, 5988, 6149, 72712 (Total 5)

MISCELLANEOUS MK.2s Damaged by fire Standard Open: 5625 (Total 1) Dismantled Standard Open: 5891 (Total 1)

❯

Unknown Standard Open: 5943, 5949 (Total 2)

May 2015 RAIL EXPRESS 23

RAILTOURS

David Russell

Pathfinder visits Cumbrian Coast docks Class 57s cover rare Barrow and Workington freight lines.

ALTHOUGH the DRS Class 57/0s are no strangers to the Cumbrian Coast line, being regular performers on nuclear flask trains, their use on railtours over this route is extremely uncommon. In fact, since Spitfire Railtours stopped promoting charter trains, the locos have seen very little advertised use on tours, their appearances being confined to standing in for the advertised locos or replacing failed traction. As a result, the planned use of Class 57/0s on Pathfinder’s ‘Cumbrian Docker’ on March 21 was welcomed by many.

Starting at Birmingham International, the tour ran in top-andtail formation throughout the day.

Compared with many trips, the timings were very sociable – the earliest pickup was at 07.21 and the last at Preston at 10.15. DRS provided Nos. 57004 and 57008 as traction. Although No. 57008 had been used relatively recently on the ‘Caterpillar Cat’ tour to Crewe in July 2014 (a substitute for the advertised Class 68, which at the time had not been passed for use on passenger trains), No. 57004 had not appeared on a charter train for more than four years.

Ramsden Dock at Barrow was the first branch to be visited, this requiring a reversal at Barrow station. In the days leading up to the tour, there had been an issue regarding the traversal of this line, but fortunately Pathfinder was able to overcome this. Only two tours have previously visited the branch in the past 20 years, these being a Pathfinder train in 1998 and a Branch Line Society outing in 2009.

Workington Docks was next, and similarly this had only been covered by these two promoters in recent years, in 2005 and 2001 respectively, the latter being a Class 156 operated trip from Carlisle. The tour on March 21 reached the buffer stops, much to the delight of many track bashers on board.

The train then continued north to Carlisle where, after a short break, it returned south via the West Coast Main Line, traversing a number of loops en route to Preston and Birmingham.

Class 57/0 tour use

The accompanying table details the last charter train workings by the DRS Class 57/0 fleet, from which it will be noted that all have appeared on tours since 2011.

Despite this, several would still be a popular choice for future charters – for example No. 57012, the last use of which was an unplanned one on a Northern Belle excursion to Carnforth, which is not the typical sort of train haulage fans are likely to travel on. Its last previous railtour appearance is

A cracking shot of DRS No. 57004, top-and-tail with classmate No. 57008, passing Millom on March 21 with Pathfinder’s ‘Cumbrian Docker’ tour to Barrow and Workington. Millom once had a thriving iron and steel industry after the discovery of iron ore at nearby Hodbarrow, all now sadly gone.

Tom McAtee

believed to have been back in 2006, when it was still part of the Freightliner fleet.

Similarly, the use of No. 57010 on the return leg of a rugby special in 2013 was unexpected and only occurred after a loco failure. Before that, its last use on a tour was back in May 2000, when it appeared on a minitour in connection with Crewe Works Open Day.

DRS CLASS 57/0 LAST RAILTOUR WORKINGS

No. 57008 leads the tour into Workington docks, the main dock being just out of shot to the right, after which it drew forward to reach the very end of the headshunt alongside the sea. David Dockray

72 RAIL EXPRESS May 2015

Number 57002 57003 57004 57007 57008 57009 57010 57011 57012

Date 07.07.12 30.08.13 21.03.15 11.03.13 21.03.15 19.07.14 11.03.13 17.09.11 08.08.14

Details S&C & Cumbrian Coast Excursion (CCT) Warner Bros Studio Tour (NB) Cumbrian Docker (PT) Six Nations Rugby Special (PT) Cumbrian Docker (PT) Caterpillar Cat (PT) Six Nations Rugby Special (PT) Cumbrian Crusader V (SR) Brief Encounter Dinner (BNB)

Promoter codes: BNB – Belmond Northern Belle, CCT – Cheshire Cat Tours, NB – Northern Belle, PT – Pathfinder Tours, SR – Spitfire Railtours.

RAILTOURS

Major milestones reached for long-standing organisers TWO tour promoters who have been involved in the charter train business for many years are celebrating major events during the spring period.

March 16 saw the 40th anniversary of John Farrow’s first railtour, the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’, which was run under the Lea Valley Railway Club name.

It visited Torrington, Meeth Sidings and Meldon Quarry and featured a pair of ‘Cromptons’, Nos. 33103 and 33118, with a pair of 4-TC units plus one of the Southern Region’s two Mk.1 RMB coaches No. 1872, which was wired for use with EMUs. Tours started running under the ‘Hertfordshire Rail Tours’ name in 1979, the business being sold to FM Rail in 2005. FM Rail went into administration in late 2006, resulting in John Farrow setting up UK Railtours, plugging a gap left in the charter train market. The company now runs several tours each month and, following a partnership with

East Midlands Trains, has re-introduced the ‘125 Specials’ that first ran in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At least one of the stewards from the Lea Valley Railway Club days is still a regular participant on UK Railtours outings.

Meanwhile, Pathfinder’s Peter Watts will be celebrating involvement in his 1000th tour in the next few weeks. The first tour he was involved in was back in June 1973, organising a GloucesterPwlhelli tour hauled by a Class 47 (No. 1644) and a pair of Class 24s (Nos. 5079 and 5087). Coincidentally, the Class 47 became No. 47060 under TOPS renumbering and was later converted to No. 57008, and featured on Pathfinder’s ‘Cumbrian Docker’ on March 21 (see separate story).

Until 1986, tours ran under the F&W Railtours banner, the Pathfinder Tours name being introduced in 1987. Riviera Trains took over the Pathfinder operation in 2006.

IN BRIEF NEW MILLS 150 MARKED

LANCASHIRE ‘SYPHONS’: DRS Type 3 No. 37419 leads Pathfinder’s ‘Lancs Links’ tour through Burscough Junction on March 3, with classmate No. 37604 at the rear.

The tour is heading along the single-track route from Preston to Ormskirk, once part of the through main line to Liverpool Exchange, but now reduced to branch line status and split in two at Ormskirk, where Merseyrail electrics run over the rest of the route.

The tour ran from Crewe and also visited Preston Docks, Haydock, Seaforth and Liverpool Lime Street. It was the third of three linked tours from Crewe in two days, the same formation having run to Ironbridge, Shropshire, as ‘Sabrina’s Tea Train’ the previous day, before running overnight as ‘The White Rose Kipper’ to Glossop, Hadfield, Bradford Interchange, Ilkley and Bradford Forster Square. Colin Wareing

‘HELLFIRE CORNER’

TO celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of New Mills Central in July 1865, Retro Railtours is running a charter train from New Mills and various pick-ups across the Pennines to Carlisle via the Cumbrian Coast on July 11. DRS Class 37s are expected to feature.

BLS TRIP AROUND ANGLIA ABELLIO Greater Anglia has joined forces with the Branch Line Society to run the ‘Great Eastern Tracker’ on May 23, raising funds for the Railway Children charity.

The tour will visit Crown Point and Ilford depots, as well as Orient Way Carriage

Sidings, the Bacon Factory Curve and various other unusual bits of track. The train will be hauled by a pair of WCRC Class 47s, with the addition of No. 08754 (Crown Point pilot) in the Norwich area.

CHARITY RAILTOURS BARGAIN AS part of the return journey to Crewe following the previous day’s ‘Four Triangles’ tour, Charity Railtours is offering a one-way fare of £20 (standard) and £30 (first class) between Euston and Crewe on May 10. Departure should be around 12.00 with expected traction a pair of DRS Class 37s. All profits will be donated to ADRA-UK.

GREAT BASHING MOMENTS FROM THE PAST Contributions welcome to our usual editorial address (see page 4)

LAST HURRAH FOR ‘33’: ‘The Merry Wives’ was one of a series of tours featuring Class 31s organised by A1A Charters in the 1990s, this trip running on May 15, 1993 from Carnforth via the West Coast Main Line and Oxford to Addiscombe and Windsor & Eton Riverside.

Haulage as far as Willesden was by Type 2s Nos. 31302 and 31304, where No. 33023 took over to Addiscombe – the ‘Crompton’ being pictured at the compact South London terminus, which closed in 1997 when the branch from Elmers End was converted as part of the Tramlink network. This proved to be No. 33023’s last passenger working, although it survived in service for another two years until January 1995 and then in store for a further 10 until November 2005, when it was cut by EMR Kingsbury, near Tamworth.

From Addiscombe, ‘Grid’ No. 56031 took over to Windsor, where the ‘31s’ were then put back in charge for the run home via Selhurst, Reading and Nuneaton. The tour should have run out from Bletchley via Aylesbury, but was diverted to Oxford because of engineering works – while the return was due to run to Reading via Kensington and Slough, but was diverted through Wokingham following a fatality on the Great Western Main Line.

This nearly caught out those bashers that had also been covering No. 56059 on Hertfordshire Rail Tours’ ‘Cattle Grid’ to Brentford Goods, Ardingly and Angerstein Wharf, but they were saved by late running.

Thanks to Robert Armitstead for the picture, and to the excellent railtours website www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk for additional information.

May 2015 RAIL EXPRESS 73

COACH COMPARTMENT SHEDTALK Correct to March 25, 2015 Reinstated 5304/07/64/73/78, 9417 HQ/MBCS 5989 DH/MBCS 10727 HQ/SBXH Allocations 5919/71 XHSC-EBHQ 10540/54 HOHQ-SBXH 10647/81 HOHQ-SBXH 10701/10 HOHQ-SBXH 10731 HOHQ-MBCS 11021 SBXH-HOHQ 12029/95 SBXH-HOHQ 12101/44/56/60/63 SBXH-HOHQ 35207 – deleted 40751 EMHQ-HBHQ 41068 EMHQ-HBHQ 41112 EMHQ-HBHQ 42194 EMHQ-HBHQ 42225/27/29 EMHQ-HBHQ 44027 EMHQ-HBHQ 80211 - deleted 99548 – deleted

David Russell

ERS Mk.2s return home from Dartmoor and Weardale Eight vehicles hauled back to Mid-Norfolk Railway after use on ‘Polar Express’ trips.

THE coaches hired by BARS from Eastern Rail Services for ‘Polar Express’ trains in December returned to their Mid-Norfolk Railway base during March.

Mk.2f TSO No. 5989 left the Dartmoor Railway on February 26, moving initially to Taunton, before continuing north on March 3 behind

No. 31601 as the 5Z34/11.00 TauntonDerby Gas Tank Sidings. It remained at Derby until March 19, when it was collected by No. 56312 Jeremiah Dixon, departing as the 5Z56/11.30 DerbyWolsingham.

No. 5989 was then taken to the MNR the next day with the coaches that

had been used on the Weardale Railway (Nos. 3521, 5866, 5906/60, 6059, 6168 and 9497). This train, the 5Z56/09.00 Wolsingham-Dereham, was hauled by Nos. 56312+56311.

Another TSO used at the Dartmoor Railway, No. 5647, returned to Dereham by road in late February.

Renumbered 41065 – 46005 41125 – 46010 41139 – 46011 41179 – 46015 Formations NL02 – deleted NL65: 44027+42225+42227+ 42229+42194+40751+41068+ 41112 Modifications TF-TC: 41065, 41125/39/79 FO-TSO: 12182-85 Disposals CF Booth, Rotherham: Arrival dates: February 17: 10554, 10701/27; February 19: 10647; February 20: 10540, 10710; February 24: 10681.

Cut dates: February 24: 10701 Sims Metals, Beeston: Arrival date: February: DC460000 Stored/stopped locations Carnforth: 5453/78, 5943/78, 6175 Eastleigh Works: 5945/65/76, 6183 RVEL Derby: 6176/77, 9539 Preserved Eastern Rail Services, Mid Norfolk Railway: 5647, 5989 International Railway Preservation Society, Nene Valley Railway: 10731

IN BRIEF WCRC STOCK MOVE

A RAKE of coaches, comprising mainly vehicles that have seen little or no use for some time, were moved from Southall to Carnforth on March 2. In the consist, which was brought north by No. 57315, were Nos. 1201, 3351/59, 4994, 5239, 5453/78, 5928/43, 6175, 94225 and 99311.

94 RAIL EXPRESS May 2015

Devon and Cornwall (DCR) grey-liveried Type 5s Nos. 56312 Jeremiah Dixon and newly-repainted 56311 head the 5Z56/09.00 Wolsingham-Dereham along the East Coast Main Line at Joan Croft Junction, north of Doncaster, on March 20. Mark Allatt

Ex-Virgin Mk.3 set reformed by Greater Anglia THE former ‘Pretendolino’ set, now based at Norwich Crown Point as NC64, was reformed in mid-March with vehicles in Abellio Greater Anglia (AGA) white livery.

As of March 17, the set was formed of Nos. 11007+11048+10212+12122+ 12012 (AGA white)+12078+12164 (One grey)+12011+82139 (One grey), and it was still running in this formation a week later. Removed from the set have been Nos. 12133/38. The former ‘Pretendolino’ Driving Van Trailer (DVT), No. 82126, has yet to be used by

Greater Anglia, as has First Open (FO) No. 11018.

Meanwhile, the first Buffet Standard (RSM) to be painted into Greater Anglia colours, No. 10401, emerged on March 4, No. 57301 Goliath being used to move it as the 5Z47/12.21 Wolverton-Norwich Crown Point. The RSM has since returned to service in set NC10.

Moving in the opposite direction behind the same loco on March 6 was Restaurant First Modular (RFM) No. 10247, running as the 5Z55/08.04 Norwich Crown Point-Wolverton. The ‘57’

also worked 5Z47 on March 12, conveying Tourist Standard Open (TSO) Nos. 12062/105 back from Wolverton to Norwich after repainting, both being back in traffic 10 days later.

On March 18, the loco took DVT (Driving Van Trailer) No. 82114 away for attention as the 5Z52/08.06 Norwich Crown Point-Brush, Loughborough, returning with No. 82143. March 24 found No. 57301 again being used for a stock transfer, this time hauling Nos. 11077 and 12109 back from Wolverton to Norwich after attention.

FGW Composite conversions make good progress THREE more Trailer First (TF) coaches were despatched from Laira to Kilmarnock during March, the first being No. 41109 during week ending March 7, followed by Nos. 41181 and 41191 in the two subsequent weeks. They will emerge as Nos. 46008/16/18, respectively.

Arrivals back at Laira following Trailer Composite (TC) conversion have been No. 46010 (ex-41125) in late February,

followed by No. 46005 (ex-41065) in early March. No. 46010 is now in use, formed in set OC50.

During the week ending March 20, Nos. 46004 (ex-41055) and 46014 (ex-41148) emerged from Kilmarnock, the first being moved direct to Laira by road, and the second to Studley for onward movement. A rake of coaches, mainly from set OC37, was released by Wabtec on March 6 and returned south

as the 5Z00/12.47 Kilmarnock-Old Oak Common. In the formation were Nos. 41132, 42073/184/271-273, and 44002/33, with locos Nos. 47804 and 47851 being used as traction.

The next day, the same two locos took another eight vehicles (Nos. 41102, 42027/201/ 203/204/207/185 and 44064) to Wabtec Rail Scotland as the 5Z01/10.43 Old Oak CommonKilmarnock.

First look at Hornby’s Class 71 electric & Dapol’s eagerly awaited DRS Class 68

No

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33

DIESEL AND ELECTRIC ERA MODELLING

YOUR

In-depth history of the BR grain hoppers and review of the new Bachmann model

40 PAGES

OF MODELLING

STARTS

HERE!

Hornby goes back in time with long-awaited new HST power cars

Exploring household coal yards and coal concentration depots

LEFT: Brush Type 4 No. 47100 leaves Rawtenstall Coal Concentration Depot with the thrice-weekly freight to Dewsnap Sidings on November 21, 1978. Although BR 21-ton hoppers, in both original and rebodied forms, predominate, the wagon immediately behind the loco is a BR 24.5-ton hopper, a type not commonly seen in domestic coal traffic. Also notable are the two brake vans, the one on the rear being a LMS design.

Graham Roose/David Ratcliffe Collection COVER PHOTO: An everyday sight over large parts of the network into the early-1980s, the BR 20-ton grain hoppers are the subject of an in-depth profile on pages 14-20. A total of 100 vehicles were built with a vacuum through pipe in 1959-60, No. B885672 (TOPS code CGP) being captured at Birkenhead in April 1981, it having recently arrived from East Anglia with wheat for the Rank-Hovis McDougall Ocean Flour Mill located on the dock estate. Trevor Mann

Editor’s comment

Simon Bendall 6

Newsdesk: Latest developments

There are new announcements from Hattons and Revolution Trains this month, while Hornby and Dapol have shown off progress with their latest models. Also unveiled are the Rails LMS ‘twins’.

9

21

Bachmann has now added the BR grain hopper to its ‘OO’ gauge range, this coming in both unfitted and vacuumpiped versions. Also new is the latest David Larkin book covering more non-passenger rolling stock.

DEMU 21st anniversary

This year marks a significant anniversary for the Diesel & Electric Modellers United society, it being 21 years since it was created. To mark this occasion, its history is recounted as well as its future aims.

22

10

DEMU Showcase 2015

The DEMU Showcase exhibition takes place at the end of May, it being a specially enlarged anniversary show.

This will allow layouts old and new to be on display, including the return of Tonbridge West Yard.

14

D&E Files: BR Grain Hoppers

Exhibition Diary

The exhibition calendar for May is again packed full of notable shows, the highlight being the Derby event, which this year moves to a new venue – the roundhouse of the former Derby Locomotive Works.

24

Rail Express Modeller Editor

Reviews: Bachmann Grain Wagon

Modeller’s Guide: Coal Yards

W

ITH Hornby and Bachmann both announcing limited programmes for 2015, it is increasingly falling to the minnows of the ready-to-run world to generate some excitement and anticipation over what is to come. This month’s news pages carry details of the latest such ventures with Hattons and newcomer Revolution Trains both unveiling significant wagon projects that would once have been the providence of the big manufacturers.

With Rapido Trains and Realtrack both teasing that there will be new announcements later in the year, it appears that the ready-to-run side of D&E modelling is healthier than ever, even if the models will not come in the usual colour of boxes. Also, as a last reminder, the Locomotion order book for Rapido’s APT-E closes at the end of April.

EXPRESS RATING A breakdown of our Express rating system

✓✓✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓✓✓

Household coal yards along with coal concentration depots offer plenty of modelling potential, even if they were in terminal decline during the D&E era. David Ratcliffe describes and illustrates some examples.

✓✓✓✓✓ poor ✓✓✓✓✓ average

30

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

Reviews: Hornby HST power cars

It has been a long time coming but, finally, the InterCity Executive colours grace the flanks of Hornby’s HST power cars. Not to be outdone, the stylish Midland Mainline green livery also makes its debut.

A long-lived design in BR’s ‘traditional’ wagon fleet was the 20-ton grain hoppers, these serving a wide range of locations. In his latest in-depth profile, Trevor Mann describes the history of the fleet.

good

excellent

outstanding

Publisher: Tim Hartley Designer: Tim Pipes Reprographics: Jonathan Schofield, Simon Duncan Advertising: Fiona Leak Tel: 01507 529573, fleak@mortons.co.uk Customer services, back issues and subscriptions: Telephone: 01507 529529 (24hr answerphone) Fax: 01507 525263 Email: railexpress@mortons.co.uk

33

Reviews: New wagons in ‘OO’ and ‘O’

New wagon releases from Hornby this month include the BR brake van in Civil Engineers ‘Dutch’ while the ‘Shark’ gets Mainline Freight blue. Not to be outdone, there are new TEA tanks from Bachmann and OAA opens from Heljan.

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NEWSDESK

Present day TEA tanks planned in ‘N’ Revolution Trains follows up its successful ‘Pendolino’ campaign with the modern petroleum bogie tankers.

NEW entrant Revolution Trains has announced that its second crowdfunded model will be the modern generation of highly colourful TEA bogie tankers. Built by Greenbrier from 2006 onwards, several hundred are now in use on the network and make up the bulk of today’s petroleum workings. As with the Class 390 ‘Pendolino’ project that was successfully brought to fruition back in January, the model will initially be produced in ‘N’ gauge, although a 4mm version has not been ruled out at a later date, subject to demand.

As before, Revolution Trains’ manufacturing partner will be Rapido

Trains. The models are due to feature an injection moulded body, photo-etched walkways and separately fitted brake equipment, while the minor differences between the various TEA batches will also be taken into account.

The models are being produced with the full backing of wagon hirer VTG and their operators with Revolution Trains

having full access to the wagons for surveying. Following the lead set by the ‘Pendolino’, the models will be funded by customer pledges in advance with enough expressions of interest having already been placed by the end of March to ensure the project goes ahead.

An order book will be opened on Revolution’s website shortly with the

price per wagon expected to be between £20 and £30. The TEAs will be available in a range of liveries and in both single and triple packs. These are expected to cover VTG-branded red, grey and blue, Freightliner green, EWS grey (both freight companies being subject to approval) and Greenergy green and blue. www.revolutiontrains.com

First showing for Dapol’s 4mm Class 68 THE first tangible signs of progress with Dapol’s eagerly awaited model of the Vossloh Class 68s appeared at the end of March with a public showing of a 3D printed version of the ‘OO’ gauge bodyshell. Pictured here courtesy of Neal Mansell, this shows plenty of promise even if the limitations of the process make it difficult to judge exactly what the finished model will be like. Dapol has since stated that tooling of the model is now under way, although it remains to be seen if it will arrive in the shops this year.

Also shown off in recent weeks have been similarly early renderings of the much-delayed Class 142 ‘Pacer’ in ‘N’ gauge. As illustrated, both

sub-classes will be catered for with the different roof rib patterns, while the tooling will also take into account the two door designs that have been used over time.

Dapol has also released more details of some of the forthcoming 7mm scale BR wagons that were announced with scant details back in September 2013. Currently undergoing design and projected for release at the end of this year are the diagram 1/044 woodenbodied high open wagons, diagram 1/208 planked and 1/213 plywood 12t goods vans, and the diagram 1/250 ventilated and 1/251 insulated meat vans. All will feature four-shoe Morton brake underframes. www.dapol.co.uk

Heljan unveils new re-liveries for 2015 MARCH saw Heljan announce a lengthy list of new liveries and running numbers for several of its ‘OO’ gauge diesel classes. No release dates have been given but the manufacturer has advised that these models will be produced in smaller quantities than previously.

Beginning with the Type 1s, the Class 15 gets four new numbers in BR green, encompassing plain green No. D8204, small yellow panels No. D8208, gloss finished Liverpool Street station pilot No. D8234 and No. D8242 with yellow panels and BR arrows. Also due for release is carriage heating unit No. ADB968000 (the former No. D8243) in its light green livery with full yellow ends. Meanwhile, the Class 17 ‘Clayton’ reappears in green as Nos. D8558 and D8594, both with yellow panels, along with BR blue No. D8523.

Supplement No. 133

Making a welcome return is the Class 27 but only in pre-TOPS form with the new locos being No. D5349 in plain green, Nos. D5347 and D5404 in green with yellow panels, BR blue Nos. 5363 and 5373 and, pick of the bunch, No. 5370 with its plain ‘economy’ green bodysides and full yellow ends.

Finally, there are a host of new Class 33s, the standard variant being represented by plain green No. D6516, green/yellow panels No. D6551, No. 33049 in BR blue and Civil Engineers ‘Dutch’ No. 33047 Spitfire. The push-pull Class 33/1s will be covered by the blue trio of Nos. D6511, 33102 and 33119 along with Departmental Grey No. 33116 while new narrow-bodied Class 33/2s encompass Nos. 6593 and 33206 in blue, Railfreight Distribution-liveried No. 33206 and, in ‘Dutch’, Nos. 33202 The Burma Star and 33208. www.heljan.dk

IN BRIEF

NOW available from Gaugemaster is a new set of HO scale figures from Noch, this depicting a group of railway modellers (15596, £9.95). The set contains three standing adults, two seated operators and two children along with a depiction of a table-mounted continuous run layout. A nice idea and generally well executed, although the glasses on the four adult figures are poorly painted. www.gaugemaster.com

May 2015 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M7

D&E FILES

BR’s whisky makers Grain was an important traffic for the railways for much of the 20th century, British Railways duly providing its own fleet of steel-bodied hopper wagons to modernise the workings. Lasting in traffic until the early 1980s, Trevor Mann profiles these distinctive vehicles.

THE movement of grain, primarily wheat and barley, developed as an important source of revenue for the railways during the 19th century. Large quantities were carried in sacks, loaded in either vans or sheeted open wagons, but hopper grain vans, capable of carrying the commodity in bulk, were used from the mid-1880s to supply the large grain whisky distilleries in the lowlands of Scotland.

These pioneering vehicles, illustrated in Picture 1, had wooden bodies and peak roofs, so resembled traditional salt vans, but had hinged loading doors in the roof, no side doors, and internal hoppers that channelled the grain to discharge doors between the solebars. Surprisingly, despite their limited capacity and rather archaic design, a fleet of these most distinctive vans survived in daily use into the 1970s.

Wooden-bodied grain vans

The first of the Big Four post-grouping railway companies to develop a specialist wagon to carry grain in bulk was the Great Western Railway, which in 1927, built a batch of 12 ‘convertible’ vehicles for a movement of wheat between Birkenhead Docks and Wrexham. These wooden-bodied 20-ton vehicles measured 21ft 6in over headstocks and closely resembled the company’s long wheelbase merchandise vans.

The wagons featured an ingenious arrangement that allowed the panels making up the internal hopper slope to be lowered to cover the central discharge chute, thus converting them into a covered goods van if required, with side doors being provided to allow loading of general merchandise traffic.

The LNER quickly followed suit, building a batch of 25 ‘convertible’ bulk grain vans during 1929, apparently using GWR drawings. These clearly proved to be a success as more than

1 Lovingly restored to original condition by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, Leith General Warehousing No. 120 was built by Hurst Nelson & Co Ltd as long ago as 1903. It was photographed on a wagon turntable, incidentally recovered from the same company’s premises at South Leith, at the society’s Bo’ness site in August 1985. A sizeable fleet of these distinctive vehicles survived in traffic into the early 1970s, when a daily block train of between 10 and 30 wagons operated between Leith Docks and the North British Distillery at Gorgie, on the western fringes of central Edinburgh. Power was usually provided by a Class 17 ‘Clayton’ but on at least one occasion, a BR blue-liveried Class 40 was noted! All photos by the author

100 additional vehicles appeared before Nationalisation, although these were built to a revised design in which the internal hopper panels were permanently fixed in position and the side doors omitted.

Many of these wooden-bodied vans, of both GWR and LNER origin, survived in grain traffic into the late 1960s and early 1970s, any remaining ‘convertible’ examples having been either rebuilt without side doors or rendered non-convertible by the simple expedient of screwing the doors closed. However, no further vehicles of this type were built by BR.

BR GRAIN WAGON BUILD DETAILS Lot No. 2009 2183 2447 2448 2656 2709 2925 2994 3233 3234 3166

Number Series B885000-B885039 B885040-B885089 B885090-B885114 B885115-B885139 B885140-B885189 B885190-B885309 B885310-B885409 B885410-B885509 B885610-B885659 B885660-B885709 B885510-B885609

Total 40 50 25 25 50 120 100 100 50 50 100

Builder BR Derby BR Derby BR Derby Pressed Steel Pressed Steel Pressed Steel Pressed Steel Pressed Steel BR Derby BR Derby Charles Roberts

M14 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller May 2015

Built 1949 1951-52 1953 1955 1955 1955-56 1956 1956 1959 1959-60 1960-61

Diagram No. 1/270 1/271 1/271 1/271 1/271 1/271 1/271 1/271 1/271 1/271 1/275

All-steel grain vans

Of greater long-term importance was an all-steel design that was introduced by the LMS in 1928, which was to form the basis for all subsequent developments of the type until the Polybulk made its appearance during the mid-1970s.

Although the wagons built to this design were again 21ft 6in long over headstocks and had the same 10ft 6in wheelbase, this was effectively the limit of any similarity with the woodenbodied vehicles.

While those vehicles had been reminiscent of long-wheelbase vans, the LMS design more closely resembled the hopper wagons used for coal or iron ore, although they were, of course, fitted with a roof. This design is detailed in Pictures 2 and 3, although the opportunity has been taken to illustrate two privately owned examples.

Employing all-riveted construction, the body featured vertical sides that ‘tucked in’ just above the solebar and were strengthened by ‘L’-section stanchions and corner posts. The upper part of the end was also vertical while the lower portion sloped inwards to cut through the top surface of the underframe more-or-less directly above the axle. ‘T’-section stanchions

extended from the roof to the headstocks, and the hopper slope was supported by plate brackets bearing on to the main longitudinals of the underframe.

The roof, which was of a complex three-arc profile, was stiffened by extensions of the corner posts and side stanchions that passed over the top of the wagon from solebar to solebar.

Loading took place through a pair of sliding roof hatches, these being accessed by end ladders and catwalks extending to just the nearer hatch.

Small windows, positioned high in each end, allowed inspection of the load while a 2ft square hatch on one side of the wagon provided access to the interior for cleaning and maintenance.

Extending below the underframe, the hopper formed a shape akin to an inverted pyramid, at the base of which was a single discharge door. This was opened and closed using a hand-wheel, which was fitted centrally below the solebar, on the same side of the wagon as the access hatch.

While the underframe was of conventional construction, the presence of the hopper precluded the use of any standard brake equipment.

Instead, the wagons were fitted with

Supplement No.133

D&E FILES

2

3

The design of bulk grain van introduced by the LMS in 1928 was used in the construction of two fleets of privately owned wagons, both of which survived in traffic into the mid1970s. The first such fleet, illustrated here by Scottish Grain Distillers No. 6 (TOPS number SGD7906), consisted of just five vehicles built by Hurst Nelson in 1938. These wagons were constructed to supplement the company’s large fleet of traditional peak-roof grain vans, and worked with them in traffic from Leith Docks to both the Caledonian Distillery in Edinburgh and the distillery at Cameron Bridge, where No. SGD7906 was photographed in August 1981. Bass-Charrington operated a total of 24 all-steel bulk grain vans, originally built for the Bass and Worthington companies for internal use on the extensive network of private railways serving their breweries at Burton-upon-Trent. Registered for main line use in 1967-68, they were subsequently used to transport malt to the Burton breweries from loading points such as Mistley and Ipswich Docks. Bass-Charrington No. 21 (TOPS number BCH7821) was one of those vehicles built to the LMS design, but other members of the fleet, such as No. BCH7823 in the background, utilised the later BR design with rounded roof profile and welded bodywork. Both have been preserved by the Midland Railway Trust at Butterley, where No. BCH7821 was photographed in October 1981.

4 The first batch of BR 20-ton bulk grain vans used the slightly revised design introduced by the LMS in 1940, the most noticeable difference from the type illustrated previously being the more rounded roof profile. Rather less obvious in this photograph is the way in which the side stanchions were cut back as they curved on to the roof, presumably to provide clearance within the loading gauge. A typical example of the 40 wagons built under Lot 2004, No. B885034 was photographed at Ipswich Lower Yard on August 17, 1978, as one of a line of grain hoppers awaiting movement onto the docks for loading with malt. Painted in the standard BR grey livery for unfitted freight vehicles, No. B885034 carried the boxed style of lettering introduced during the mid-1960s, complete with ‘Grain’ code.

two independent sets of two-shoe hand-lever brakes, each acting on the wheels of just one axle. Unusually, the brake shoes were mounted outside the wheel, so were pulled rather than pushed into contact with the wheel faces. Spindle buffers, oil-lubricated axleboxes and three-link couplings were standard.

More than 100 examples of this type had been put into service with the LMS before Nationalisation in 1948. The final 10 vehicles, which appeared in 1940,

Supplement No. 133

were constructed to a revised design that was to be perpetuated in the earliest BR grain hoppers, or bulk grain vans as they were sometimes known.

One final pre-Nationalisation type remains to be mentioned, this being an all-steel design introduced by the GWR in 1935. This bore a clear resemblance to the LMS type, but was 2ft shorter and lacked the prominent external bracing.

Just 12 examples had been built before Nationalisation and no further vehicles were added by BR.

Early BR grain hoppers

The 40 vehicles making up the first batch of British Railways-built bulk grain vans appeared from Derby Works during 1949, the order having almost certainly been placed by the LMS during the months leading up to Nationalisation. Unsurprisingly, construction utilised the revised design that had been introduced by the LMS in 1940, this being allocated diagram 1/270 by BR. Illustrated in Picture 4, this featured a more

rounded roof profile than the earlier LMS type, a change which, in turn, entailed cutting back the side stanchions on the lower portion of the roof curve, presumably in order to provide clearance within the loading gauge.

One of the grain vans built as of part Lot 2004, No. B885022, was used to trial the use of welded, rather than riveted, construction. This was presumably because it was thought that welded vehicles would be

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May 2015 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M15

GAUGE 4mm:1ft

1960s1980s

EXPRESS RATING

REVIEWS

ERA

Sifting through the grain Continuing its recent run of traditional BR wagons, Bachmann has now released the grain hoppers in 4mm.

IT HAS been a long wait for 4mm modellers wanting a ready-to-run recreation of the BR 20t grain hoppers to modern standards; only the keenest being prepared to try and correct the dimensional inaccuracies of the model currently marketed by Dapol, which has its roots in the days of Hornby Dublo.

Granted, Acorn Models has produced an etched kit in recent years, which is now offered by Mercian Models, but not all modellers are prepared to work in this medium.

Once again then, it has fallen to Bachmann to produce a new model of a significant member of BR’s traditional wagon fleet. Sensibly, the company has opted to produce the diagram 1/271 welded-body wagons, these being the most numerous while also giving the option of producing models in unfitted BR grey and BR bauxite, the latter representing vacuum-piped wagons.

With the pipe being obscured from view behind the solebar, the same tooling can happily be used for both versions, the only difference being the inclusion of bufferbeam vacuum hoses in an accessory bag for the bauxite model.

Pictured here are No. B885467 in unfitted grey (38-601), this carrying its TOPS code of CGO, so is suitable for the late 1970s through to withdrawal in 1981. Joining it is No. B885645 in late

bauxite (38-602), which carries boxed lettering and the ‘Grain’ code, marking it out as particularly useful for layouts set in the mid-late 1960s and 1970s.

Both models sport roller bearing axleboxes but have different buffers in spindle and Oleos respectively. As usual for Bachmann, the grain hopper is overall nicely tooled and finished, with some fine detail on display and separate components employed where required; the wire handles on the roof hatches being a particularly nice touch.

Grainy picture

However, the model does have a few issues that take the gloss off somewhat. Chief among these is the joint between the separate roof moulding and the rest of the body.

Bachmann has opted to make this along the horizontal weld seam, which was such a feature of the real wagons.

However, the execution is not the greatest, especially where it has been notched to fit around the top of the bodyside ribs. There is also a rather

obvious joint where the roof meets the ends, although this is arguably more noticeable on the unfitted model due to the lighter livery.

The other major compromise is that the outer bodyside ribs have been strengthened where they run from the slope of the hopper to the solebar.

This takes the form of a moulded plastic fillet behind the ‘L’-section rib and, while understandable to make the model easier to mould and withstand handling, it is rather

unappealing when viewed up close.

Although the underframe displays some very nice touches, a mistake has been made with the steps as the centrally positioned one to access the maintenance hatch has also been erroneously replicated on the other side of the wagon when it should not be there. Fortunately, as these are separate mouldings, it should be easy enough to remove. Another production compromise is that all the models sport the same style of ladder, meaning those on the vacuum-piped model do not have the correct revised shape where they meet the headstocks.

Overall then, the grain hopper is a generally solid release and it is good to finally have a ready-to-run model of the type that is not dimensionally compromised. However, it is less polished in some areas than would normally be expected from Bachmann and that is a bit of a shame given its usefulness.

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Bachmann Europe plc, Moat Way, Barwell, Leicestershire, LE9 8EY. Web: www.bachmann.co.uk

£

RRP: £22.95

BOOK REVIEW BR Parcels and Passenger-Rated Stock Volume 2 – Horse Boxes, Special Cattle Vans and Vehicles for Fish, Fruit & Milk Traffic. By David Larkin. Published by Kestrel Railway Books, PO Box 269, Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 4XR. Softback 215mm x 272mm, 94 pages.

Price £15.00. ISBN 978-1-905505-34-0.

THIS second volume in David Larkin’s look at parcels and non-passenger rolling stock mops up all the miscellaneous vehicles that were shoehorned into this category by the railway companies. The content follows

Supplement No. 133

the well-established format for this series of books, taking each type in turn and illustrating them with black and white photos supported by informative text.

The sections begin with a look at the diverse horse box fleet inherited by BR and its own short-lived Mk.1 design, with a similar approach being adopted for the next chapter on fish vans.

Welcomely, the BR fish designs get quite extensive coverage, including their later use as Special Parcels Vans and barrier wagons. Next come the passenger-rated fruit vans, such as the

Fruit D, which is followed by a brief look at the inherited Special Cattle Vans along with the Palethorpes sausage vans.

The rest of the book is given over to the milk carrying fleet, beginning with a look at the range of vans used to carry milk churns and then the carriage trucks for conveying milk road tankers.

As might be expected, many pages are given over to the diverse and complex range of milk tankers, this section concluding with a look at the strategic reserve fleet refurbished for the Milk Marketing Board at the start of the

1980s but which saw very little use.

While there are no further volumes confirmed, the book ends with a note saying that publications on private owner wagons and departmental coaches are possibilities for the future.

Reviews by Simon Bendall

May 2015 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M21