Rail Express October 2015 preview

FREE SUPPLEMENT! Route Learning: London to Norwich

VIVARAIL VISIT

A behind-the-scenes look at the ‘D-Train’

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

Roving the network

At nearly £500 for a week, is an All Line Rover worth it?

Hello Tweedbank!

RAIL EXPRESS No. 233 OCTOBER 2015

New Borders Railway opens for business

40 pages of modelling ■ The Satlink wagon fleet in focus ■ Down Sidings: a simple but highly detailed shunting layout ■ Bachmann announces new DMUs

■ Hitachi Rail opens UK train-building factory

CONTENTS

Issue No. 233 October 2015

A GOOSEY GANDER: A great panning shot of the recently completed ‘Goose’ railcar at the Statfold Barn Railway, which is modelled on similar vehicles used in the USA.

The SBR is an amazing private railway, featuring no fewer than five different working gauges that use both steam and diesel traction. It is open to the public on selected dates throughout the year, this shot being taken during the latest on August 8. Graham Nuttall

6

14

16

22 25 26

HEADLINE NEWS

28

DERBY TRAINMAN & REVIEWS

29

EXPRESS MAILBAG

30

TIME TRAVELLER

71

LU WORLD

An All Line Rover puts the whole rail network at your feet – but at £478 for a week, is it worth it?

Andrew Rogers buys one to find out.

72

RAILTOURS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DELTIC!

76

ONES THAT GOT AWAY: CLASS 13

80

POWER BY THE HOUR

O-60: CLASS 66

82

POWERSCENE

91

SHUNTER SPOT

92

UNITARY AUTHORITY

Borders Railway opens adding 30 miles to the national network; Hitachi opens its Newton Aycliffe factory; Wolverton Works to be rebuilt; Northern cities decide their future rail policy; Longannet and Eggborough Power Stations to close; Network Rail funding at risk in review.

‘D-TRAIN’ ON TRACK

Behind the scenes at Vivarail’s Long Marston base, as its first diesel conversion is shown off.

ROVING THE NETWORK

The prototype Type 5 is now 60 years old, which will be marked at the NRM in Shildon in October.

The fate of this fleet of just three machines rose and fell with that of Tinsley Marshalling Yard.

How does a freight Class 66 perform on passenger duty? Neville Hill finds out with a railtour.

MODELLING We focus on the Satlink wagon fleet, showing how to model them, a layout featuring them, and a pictorial guide to the common and rarer types. Reviews include Kernow’s Class 205 DEMU, while Bachmann announces Class 117 and 121 diesel units.

94 95 96

There’s another scare for Tim Helme as he recounts his first trip on the Lickey Incline.

Laira ‘08’ haulage; Bulgarian ‘87s’; trackside weeds.

Looking back to events over the past 50 years.

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The facts behind this summer’s series of strikes.

GBRf and Virgin/DRS tours raise money for charity. Includes this month’s ‘Hellfire Corner’.

PRESERVATION

Class 08s saved for preservation; galas buck the trend; Class 40 generator prepared for main line.

Class 90s replace struggling ‘92s’ on Caledonian Sleeper duties; Colas Rail expands Class 37 fleet.

Notable workings from around the network.

DBS sells locos to HNRC and Traditional Traction.

Just eight Class 458/0s are left in service.

COACH COMPARTMENT

First HST set emerges in new GWR green livery.

WAGONS ROLL

HTAs officially modified for aggregate traffic.

IRISH ANGLE

Dublin cross-city line to gain passenger services.

First Great Western Class 57 No. 57602 Restormel Castle rolls into Par on July 25 ready to form the 11.25 to Plymouth. An All Line Rover (see page 16) allows this and all the country’s other loco-hauled trains to be sampled within a week. Andrew Rogers

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 September 17, 2015 Next issue October 15, 2015

Tweedbank: railhead and stepping stone

I

T is always great to be able to report good news rather than bad, and this month has it in abundance.

Not only has the rail network grown a little larger with the opening of the Borders Railway in Scotland, but Hitachi’s manufacturing plant in the North East has been completed, and Vivarail has shown off the first of its low-cost ‘D-Train’ diesel conversions to potential customers.

The Borders Railway adds more than 30 miles of new railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders, along part of the former Waverley Route to Carlisle. It has been a long time coming – campaigners would say 46 years, ever since the last train ran through in 1969. But now the wait is over, and the reopened line should give a much-needed economic boost to the region.

Tweedbank will become a railhead for many towns further south, and the 55-minute journey from there to the Scottish capital offers a far better alternative to the notorious A7 main road.

Should passenger numbers exceed expectations – and if the excitement at the opening is anything to go by, they will – then it will not be long before there will be calls to extend the line further. Hawick is a not unrealistic possibility at 17 miles further on and halfway to Carlisle – after which, perhaps one day the full route will be reinstalled.

We may never see the likes of the ‘Waverley’ running through to St Pancras again, but if rail passenger numbers continue rising as they are -

now more than double what they were at the time of Privatisation 20 years ago – then there will be a need for new trunk routes such as a fully reopened Waverley Route.

A tale of two factories

Just a few days before the Tweedbank launch, Hitachi officially opened its new factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. When fully kitted out, the facility will produce the bulk of the Class 800 and 801 fleets for the East Coast and Great Western franchises, as well as 70 EMUs for ScotRail.

These UK trains should just be the start, however, as the company hopes to pick up further orders from across Europe, its base here being for the long term.

Meanwhile start-up firm Vivarail is busy getting its first Class 230 ‘D-Train’ ready for main line trials.

These former London Underground trains, converted to diesel power, seemed a little far fetched when first announced. But having been invited along for a trip on board the first vehicle at Long Marston recently, they make much more sense.

The units do look a little odd from the outside, but internally they are spacious and comfortable – a step up from a ‘Pacer’ in fact. And with a predicted shortage of DMUs coming in the next few years, then the company may well be on to a winner.

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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David Russell Preservation Railtours Unitary Authority Coach Compartment

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‘D-Train’ on track

The first of the former London Underground ‘D’ stock trains, being re-engineered by Vivarail for use on the main line, has been demonstrated to potential customers at the company’s base in Long Marston.

By Paul Bickerdyke.

VIVARAIL’s ambitious project to re-engineer redundant London Underground fourth-rail ‘D’ Stock into diesel-powered ‘D-Trains’ for the main line took a major step forward in August with the demonstration of the first self-powered vehicle.

Officially designated Class 230, ‘D-Train’ No. 230001 performed a series of test runs for invited guests at Vivarail’s headquarters at Long Marston from August 17. From a specially built platform, the vehicle ran a series of loops around the complex at speeds of up to 30mph. On board were representatives of local councils and train operating companies that could be future customers and users of the ‘D-Trains’.

Vivarail was set up in 2012 when the company, chaired by ex-Chiltern Railways’ boss, Adrian Shooter, identified a future shortage of DMUs. At the same time, London Underground was planning to replace its ‘D’ Stock trains, which are used on the District Line, with new ‘S’ Stock. Vivarail put these two facts together and proposed buying the LU trains as they were withdrawn to re-engineer them with diesel engines.

Since then, the company has acquired, or will acquire, all 150 driving cars and about 300 trailer cars of the ‘D’ Stock fleet. After being withdrawn from traffic, they are taken by road to Long Marston for storage, where Vivarail has established an engineering base in a four-road shed. If the project takes off, this facility will be extended as required to meet demand.

‘D’ Stock entered service with LU in 1980, but the bodyshells are made from aluminium, which does not suffer from

The first diesel-powered ‘D-Train’ vehicle, numbered No. 230001, stands outside Vivarail’s base at Long Marston on August 17.

All picture by Paul Bickerdyke unless stated

corrosion, and are therefore still in good condition. The bogies were also replaced less than 10 years ago – indeed the current type is still being sold new by Bombardier.

The Class 230s will be available in two- or three-car formations, both with two powered vehicles and the three-car made up with a trailer. They are being reengineered to go anywhere that a Class

The interior of No. 230001, which has been refreshed, but basically the same as used on London Underground.

Interestingly, the route map above the windows depicts Sheffield to Huddersfield via Penistone. Vivarail

14 RAIL EXPRESS October 2015

150 can at a top speed of 60mph, meaning they could also be considered as replacements for the Class 142-144 ‘Pacers’.

Power comes in the form of two Ford Duratorq 200hp engines per motor car, the same engines as used in a Transit van. A novel feature is that the whole power unit (engine and generator) is fitted into a modular box that can be

swapped in and out of a unit within a claimed 10 minutes.

The first train arrived at Long Marston for conversion in January, and the company is currently assembling a three-car unit for Network Rail certification later this year. This will be done on the main line using the nearby Cotswold line, which has a connection to Long Marston at Honeybourne. Once

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One of the Bombardier-built ‘D-Train’ bogies, which are less than 10 years old.

A view of some of the stored ‘D’ Stock trains at Long Marston, which will become Class 230s if the orders come in.

The modular power units installed on No. 230001, which are designed to be replaced in just 10 minutes.

A look inside a power module, showing the engine and generator. Note how the engine (left) is sitting diagonally. Vivarail

approved for use by NR, the unit will go into trials with a yet-to-be announced train operating company, although this is widely expected to be First Great Western, with the unit travelling to one of the branch lines in Cornwall.

The interiors have been refreshed but left in the same configuration as used on LU. They will be altered later as required in traffic – for example with

The second powered driving car under conversion inside the Long Marston shed. There were no numbers visible.

fewer seat as a peak-hour-only ‘people mover’ or more seats for all-day use on rural lines.

The single-leaf sliding doors will be retained, as these help to reduce dwell times at stations compared with the folding doors on a Pacer. Vivarail claims that the leaf doors will allow a two-car to save six minutes per hour owing to shorter station stops, and a

three-car 4.5 minutes per hour.

There is still much to do, however, and on the demonstration unit a lot of the cab and front end design has yet to be finalised, with many of the indicators being just vinyl stickers until the best configuration is worked out. The aim is for the three-car to be ready to go mainline in December on the GBRf safety case for the Network Rail trials.

A view of Vivarail’s four-road shed at Long Marston, with two vehicles being converted inside. Yellow-cabbed crash-test survivor No. 7056 is outside, with No. 7067 waiting its turn in the conversion process.

CRASH TEST VIVARAIL conducted a cab crash test on May 8 using ex-‘D’ Stock driving car No. 7056. The cab had been specially strengthened, and the purpose of the test was to see if the actual results matched the computer predictions, thus allowing the strengthened design to be rolled out to the rest of the fleet.

The test took place at Long Marston and involved No. 7056 being pushed at 36kmh (22.5mph) into a three-ton water tank placed across the tracks, simulating a farm vehicle on a level crossing.

The test results were in line with expectations – the cab’s safety cell structure improved crash performance and maintained a survival space for the driver, while the frame of the vehicle was left undamaged.

No. 7056 hits the three-ton water tank at 22.5mph in the test at Long Marston on May 30. Vivarail

October 2015 RAIL EXPRESS 15

TRACTION & ROLLING STOCK

David Rapson

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

Despite DBS selling off 10 of its shunters (see page 91), a few are still in use including No. 08904 at Eastleigh, which on August 7 was captured in the East Yard by the station having worked a load of loaded MHA/MTA ballast wagons from Eastleigh Down Carriage sidings. Steve Stubbs

CLASS 20

BLUE-liveried Type 1s Nos. 20107+20096 were provided for the final leg of GBRf’s ‘The Noah’s Arc’ charity train on August 9, taking the special from Doncaster to Crewe. Another pair of Class 20s saw passenger use on August 28 when the DRS pairing of Nos. 20308+20305 took

‘The Torbay Flyer’ from Nuneaton to Kingswear (Paignton & Dartmouth Railway).

Two days beforehand, Nos. 20305 and 20308 had been sandwiched between two independent snowploughs on a very early pre-winter test run out and back as the 7Z20/11.47 York-

A Type 3 and stock at Rhymney on August 19 brings back memories of the former Class 37-hauled commuter workings from here to Cardiff, which last ran in December 2006. This time, however, it was the 3Q01/20.55 Newport to Landore via Cwmbargoed and Rhymney test train working, powered by Colas’ No. 37175. Tom Dumelow

82 RAIL EXPRESS October 2015

Knottingley-York, while they had done a similar move on the 25th, this time taking two of the Beilhack ploughs to Knottingley and back from Doncaster West Yard.

Equally unusual was the use of Nos. 20305 and 20308 on engineers’ duties, the duo taking an empty long welded train from Ulceby to Doncaster Belmont Yard on August 23 after overnight work.

It was back to rather more normal duties on September 2 when the same pair of Type 1s handled the 6D41/05.41 Crewe CLS-Valley flasks, passing Bangor at 07.00. This was the sixth occasion that the pair had covered 6D41 this year.

The quartet of Nos. 20132+20118 and 20096+20107 powered the 7X09/11.47 Old Dalby-West Ruislip on August 19, conveying LUL ‘S’ Stock Nos. 21477/78 and the same Type 1s took sets Nos. 21539/40 from Derby Litchurch Lane to Old Dalby two days later.

August 15 found Nos. 20205 and 20227 running from Barking to Swanwick Junction in order to allow No. 20205 to undergo maintenance at the Midland Railway-Butterley. London Undergroundliveried No. 20227 returned to East London two days later and was next recorded heading for West Ruislip on September 2 in preparation for Metropolitan specials later in the month.

CLASS 31

SINCE Network Rail dispensed with its Brush Type 2s, only four examples of the once 263-strong Class 31 fleet may be considered worthy of main line action, namely Nos. 31128, 31190, 31452 and 31601. Of the foursome, No. 31128 has been out of action at Burton since March and No. 31190 at Washwood Heath since mid-May. On August 26, however, long absent No. 31452 was moved from the Weardale Railway to Washwood Heath for further attention, it passing Chesterfield at 18.20 behind ‘Grids’ Nos. 56103 and 56312.

Therefore, at present, only No. 31601 (originally No. D5609 and new more than 55 years ago in April 1960) soldiers on, and as recently as August 27 it hauled Chiltern Mk.3 coach No. 10272 from Bristol Barton Hill to its Wembley LMD base and returned west with No. 10274. Earlier in the month, No. 31601 had powered the 3Q92/17.53 Derby RTCNeville Hill via Knaresborough on August 6 with test coaches Nos. 977985, 977986, 62384 and 9708, it returning the train from Neville Hill late the following evening. Then, on August 11, No. 31601 hauled four coaches (Nos. 1683, 3333/40, 5998) forming the 5Z34/09.59 Crewe CS-Leamington Spa in order to collect crippled Mk.2f FO No. 3386, which had lain at Leamington since

TRACTION & ROLLING STOCK

last December, for onward movement to Burton late that night.

CLASS 37

WITH the proposed No. 37025 unavailable, ‘The Bournemouth Flyer’ DRS/Virgin Trains/Railway Magazine charity train left Chester on August 22 with large-logo blue No. 37401 Mary Queen of Scots and classmate No. 37405 at the head of the train and No. 57307 at the rear (see page 74). The special was routed via Bescot, Coventry, Oxford, Reading West and Eastleigh. The locomotives ran well in both directions, although on the return journey an incident between Wolverhampton and Stafford resulted in the charter being diverted to run via Walsall and Hednesford in order to regain the West Coast Main Line at Rugeley.

Thereafter, the Type 3s resumed normal service with No. 37405 accompanying No. 37609 on the Crewe to Valley flasks (August 26) while No. 37401 undertook an impromptu trip over the Settle & Carlisle line on August 28.

Unable to haul its train north from Barrow, No. 37401 propelled the coaches (plus DBSO No. 9707) to Carlisle by way of Preston, Clitheroe and Appleby.

Running as the 5V22 from Rugby to Bristol on August 31, No. 37601 conveyed six Motorail vans (Nos. 96602/5-9) ready for Colas crew training trips between Bristol and Exeter Riverside yard, which commenced on September 1.

Now sporting West Coast’s maroon livery, No. 37518 powered the 5Z61/ 06.05 Carnforth-Fort William on August 27 with a single coach, No. 99371, for

The Cumbrian Coast workings have settled down to being operated by a single Class 37 and DBSO, but back on July 23 No. 37604 was top-and-tailed with No. 37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 – 8.6.2013 at Barrow with the 2C47/17.31 to Carlisle. Francis Trebor

strengthening the shorter ‘Jacobite’ set.

Two days later, the same locomotive moved the other ‘Jacobite’ coaches (there is only one train a day now until the end of the season) from Fort William to Craigentinny, passing stable companion No. 47804 at Spean Bridge on the ‘Royal Scotsman’, which itself was Type 3-hauled by No. 37516 from Fort William to Mallaig.

Another West Coast Type 3, No. 37706, undertook a number of laser survey runs during August, and on August 29 ran from Southall to Lovers Walk, Brighton before venturing to Redhill, Tonbridge, Gatwick and Haywards Heath the following day.

Recently reinstated to traffic, albeit without DRS brandings, No. 37422 ran light from Crewe to Norwich on August 14 and next day accompanied No. 37425 on the daily Great Yarmouth/Lowestoft diagram replacing No. 37419. Thereafter, Nos. 37422 and 37425 remained in harness throughout the month.

Name game LOCO NAMINGS

66058 Derek Clark Toton TMD 08.15 Named after a highly respected and award-winning DB Schenker engineer based at Toton who continues to work despite suffering from a terminal illness. No. 66058 was chosen for the naming as it matches his birth year of 1958.

73107 Tracy London Victoria station 25.08.15 Continuation of GBRf’s policy of naming locos after female staff members, No. 73107 being named after Tracy Naylor, a team organiser based at Peterborough. Previously named Spitfire and Redhill 1844-1994.

73136 Mhairi London Victoria station 25.08.15 The second Class 73 to be christened on the same day, this is named after Mhairi MacCallum, a contract planning manager also based at Peterborough. Previously named Kent Youth Music and Perseverance.

UNIT NAMINGS

333011 Olicana Ilkley’s Roman fort Ilkley station 01.08.15 Named to mark the 150th anniversary of the railway coming to Ilkley and the beginning of the town’s summer festival, the name being chosen by public competition.

365537 Daniel Edwards (1974-2010) Hornsey EMUD 06.15 Cambridge Driver Reapplication of vinyl names following repaint into TSGN colours in late 2014, these commemorating a Great Northern driver who was killed in a road accident.

378204 Professor Sir Peter Hall Richmond station 30.04.15 Commemorating the geographer and town planner who worked with the Department for Transport and Transport for London on various rail projects, including Crossrail.

CLASS 47

FOLLOWING a month at Barrow Hill, No. 47843 Vulcan emerged on August 6, running to Doncaster and then to Millerhill and Polmadie next day. August 8 found No. 47843 taking charge of the 1Z67/06.46 Glasgow CentralScarborough GBRf staff special. Upon arrival at York, stable companion No. 47815 Great Western was attached to the rear to haul the special to Scarborough and both Type 4s handled the return journey in top-and-tail mode.

The following morning, GBRf ran another charity train bearing the title ‘The Noah’s Arc’ (see page 72). The

by Simon Bendall

DE-NAMINGS

›

08805 37518 66200 90040 92024 92028 319425

Concorde Fort William/An Gearasdan Railway Heritage Committee The Railway Mission J S Bach Saint Saëns Transforming Travel First Capital Connect

Soho EMUD WCRC, Carnforth Toton TMD Crewe Electric TMD Softronic Works, Craiova Brush, Loughborough Bedford Cauldwell EMUD

08.15 08.15 06.15 08.15 08.15 -

October 2015 RAIL EXPRESS 83

IRISH ANGLE

William Watson & Alan McFerran

Underused cross-city line to be upgraded to carry passengers New service will improve connections between Kildare line and Connolly area and provide competition for LUAS line.

IRISH Rail announced on August 18 that a new Dublin suburban service will be introduced in late 2016 to connect the Kildare line service to Drumcondra, Connolly, Tara Street, Pearse and Grand Canal Dock stations. While Heuston will continue to be used as a terminus by the Kildare suburban service, the new service will suit passengers for the city’s main business area.

The new service will use the 2¾mile section of double-track line between Islandbridge and Glasnevin Junctions, currently used by freight trains, stock transfers and special trains. It will not, however, serve the intact but closed Heuston platform 10, which is located between Islandbridge Junction and the southern portal of the Phoenix Park Tunnel, and is remote from the main station concourse.

NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS (NIR) ■ DEMU NEWS: The dedicated four-car 8080 Class Sandite unit, Nos. 8069+8097+8752+8094, was moved into the York Road running shed in early August from the adjacent siding. It was to be prepared for its railhead treatment duties in the forthcoming autumn leaf-fall season.

■ DEVELOPMENTS: A new systemwide timetable was planned to be introduced by NIR on August 30. It contains service cuts that will enable the company to operate within its reduced budget (see recent issues).

With most of the non-‘Enterprise’ trains withdrawn between Portadown and Newry, the latter is now generally only served by the premier cross-border service, while Scarva and Poyntzpass have lost around half of their services. The Whitehead to Larne Harbour section and the Bangor line have suffered the loss of some services, but cuts elsewhere on the system have been minimal.

On a more positive note, two NIR infrastructure projects have recently received EU funding totalling £17 million. The Coleraine to Londonderry upgrade has received £10 million while an upgrade of the track and formation of the Lisburn to Lurgan section of the Belfast to Dublin mainline has received £7 million.

Early August saw preparatory work for a new loop and station commence at Bellarena on the Londonderry line.

96 RAIL EXPRESS October 2015

UPGRADE WORK

The line is being upgraded in a €13.7 million project funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority. The scheme includes masonry repairs and improved lighting in the 757-yard Phoenix Park Tunnel, cutting stabilisation and drainage, signal relocation and renewal of some turnouts and crossings. Facilities at Drumcondra and Tara Street stations are also to be improved.

Resignalling of the Connolly to Grand Canal Dock area to increase capacity is continuing, as is work on the track layout at the latter that will enable trains to terminate and start from there.

The introduction of the new service is not seen by the authorities as a

replacement for the planned but deferred cross-city DART Underground scheme. It may, however, impact on passenger loadings on the Saggart/Tallaght to Connolly/The Point LUAS LRT line, which many passengers use to travel between Heuston and Connolly stations.

LINE HISTORY

The Islandbridge Junction to Glasnevin Junction section was opened by the Great Southern and Western Railway (GSWR) in 1877 as part of the link between the company’s Kingsbridge terminus (renamed Heuston in 1966) and Dublin port (North Wall). Its construction was to give the company access to the port area in order to facilitate freight traffic to and from the rest of its system.

The GSWR initially had to use the Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) section between Glasnevin Junction and North Wall to access the docks until it opened its own line between these two locations in 1901.

The Islandbridge Junction to Glasnevin Junction line has been used by timetabled trains in the modern era. Boat trains used to run between Dun Laoghaire and Heuston and there was also a 16.25 (Sundays) Galway to Dundalk service introduced in June 1998 that also served Heuston and Connolly.

Perhaps the most notable period for the line was from 1950 to 1953, when it was used by the ‘Enterprise Express’ as a through working between Belfast and Cork.

ENTERPRISING LIVERIES: There was

a mix of liveries on the 14.10 Belfast Central to Dublin Connolly ‘Enterprise’ on August 21, pictured at Balbriggan in Fingal, to the north of Dublin.

IR/IE Intercity-liveried loco No. 231 propels the train south, with Mk.3 generator van No. 9602 in the new ‘Enterprise’ livery and the De Dietrich coaches in old ‘Enterprise’ livery.

Cathal O’Brien

LOCO RESCUE: GM No. 075 was sent to Alexandra Road Ore Terminal on August 6 to rescue fellow 071 Class loco No. 071, which had failed the day before after working the 18.50 from Tara Mines. No. 075 is seen hauling the failed loco and 15 empty ore wagons along Alexandra Road to North Wall. Colm O’Callaghan

Bachmann releases long-awaited Southern Railway parcels vans

No .

13

DIESEL AND ELECTRIC ERA MODELLING

8

Recreating S&T operations in ‘OO’ on Down Sidings

YOUR

40 PAGES

OF MODEL LING

STARTS

HERE!

Modelling the Signal & Telegraph wagon fleet in 4mm scale Lightweight cranefitted Lowmac and Bogie Bolster wagons

Multi-purpose ZDA material carriers with festoon lighting How to upgrade the Airfix Lowmac to today’s standards

LAYOUT The bulk of the rolling stock on Down Sidings is representative of the diverse and colourful fleet operated by the Signal and Telegraph engineers. BR blue ‘Gronk’ No. 08458 is busily engaged marshalling loaded wagons for an outward trip working.

Right: A Bescot-based Class 31 arrives at Down Sidings to collect a short rake of Satlink ZDA (exOBA) open wagons. In the foreground, a brace of ZDA ‘Squid’ (ex-OAA) have been loaded with drainage pipe sections, which are retained by wooden baulks. The effectiveness of the photographic backscene can also be appreciated.

Far right: Despite the compact nature of the layout, it effectively captures the look of a small yard in an urban backwater that is clinging to life. This is achieved by bringing together many elements to create a believable whole, including the well-weathered sleeper fence, the use of a mix of ballast and ash colours, and the restrained but effective nature of the vegetation and clutter.

M10 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller October 2015

Supplement No.138

Down

LAYOUT

Sidings

Not all layouts have to be expansive affairs with lots of rolling stock, some modellers instead preferring highly detailed compact scenes on which to carry out a bit of shunting. Richard Coleman describes his latest layout, a small engineers’ yard that is home to the local S&T department. Photography by Dennis Taylor with trackplan by Gareth Bayer.

H

AVING owned and struggled with the demands of larger layouts, I found myself being drawn to smaller-size shunting-style layouts. I enjoy going into my railway room, switching on the radio and playing trains, shuffling wagons around, doing a bit of modelling and generally chilling out.

I am very interested in the engineers’ wagon fleet and the various trip workings that existed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this period, small yards and sidings were still in use all over the country by the various engineering departments. My Down Sidings layout is set in the Midlands in the early 1990s and is a small fan of three sidings with road access, which is envisaged to be connected to a larger yard. The sidings have been taken over by the Signal and Telegraph (S&T) engineers for use as a loading point for equipment and materials required for a local resignalling project.

Small beginnings

The layout is just 4ft long with a small 3ft fiddle yard board. It is simply constructed with a MDF top and backboard on a softwood frame. The track is Peco code 100 with Electrofrog points operated using piano wire push-rods. The layout is designed to be operated from the front and sits on a small table in my loft room. Power is supplied by a Gaugemaster transformer and a walkabout DC controller.

The scenery is very basic as I

Supplement No. 138

wanted to represent the grimy unloved track I remember in the yards that were visited in this period. The track was sprayed with Railmatch sleeper grime paint and the rail sides and sleepers then painted using assorted Humbrol weathering washes. The track was then soaked in thinned-down paint left over from weathering sessions.

The track was ballasted using fine cinders from the Woodland Scenics range. Carrs’ ash ballast and fine grey ballast along with cinders from the Modellers Mate scenery range were employed to give variations in ground cover, all being glued down with PVA. The grass tufts and silver birch trees are from the Model Tree Shop, again glued down with trusty PVA glue. The sleeper piles are from the Harburn Hobbies plaster-cast range with S-Kits providing the assorted lineside junk.

Full-size inspiration

Living in Northampton, I have always wanted to model a number of scenes from the local area that I remember from years ago. The first of these was the water tank that I use as a scenic break to hide the fiddle yard exit. This is based on the example that still stands in the old Down Sidings site north of the station. It employs an Airfix kit for the tank with plastic girder framework.

The terraced houses overlooking the yard are a photographic backscene from ID Backscenes (www.artprinters.com). This was inspired by the

October 2015 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M11

›

REVIEWS

GAUGE 4mm:1ft

1950s1980s

EXPRESS RATING

ERA

Southern non-passenger stock expands Bachmann has added two designs of the long-lived Southern Railway two-axle vans to its ‘OO’ gauge range.

IT is quite surprising really that it has taken a ready-to-run manufacturer quite so long to tackle this distinctive family of non-passenger vans. Built in their hundreds by the Southern Railway, the vehicles had a long and widespread career, the last handful of examples being withdrawn from parcels traffic at Selhurst in 1986. Very popular in departmental roles, particularly as staff and tool vans, such conversions could still be found in traffic in the early 1990s.

Welcomely, Bachmann has tooled up two different models, the first of these being what was originally designated as a Passenger Luggage Van (PLV), a type that would become Parcels & Miscellaneous Vans (PMV) under British Railways to more accurately reflect their ability to turn up anywhere and carry almost anything. With a lineage dating back to 1919 and the South Eastern & Chatham Railway, the PMVs had a 32ft long frame and 21ft wheelbase. Distinctive features of the type included a single end ventilator and four roof vents, the latter generally disappearing in later decades.

Pictured here is No. S1068S (39526), this carrying the BR crimson livery that was introduced from 1949. This particular van is recorded as still retaining this livery beneath layers of crud when withdrawn in 1972! With so many PMVs built over several decades, variations were inevitable, this one has the evenly planked style of bodywork that was in favour when built in 1936.

Later batches would feature the Southern’s distinctive uneven planking style with plywood appearing towards the end of construction in 1950.

Doors all round

Joining the PMV is the less-numerous Covered Carriage Truck (CCT), which was identical in its bodyside styling but with end doors also provided. This allowed the vans to carry items such as motor vehicles and artillery in addition to more usual loads such as crates of

fruit and milk churns. Featuring slightly longer frames, this additional 1mm of scale length is accurately reflected by the Bachmann model.

While the design was introduced from 1928 onwards, Bachmann’s model of No. S1733 (39-528) is from the 1938-built batch. These 50 CCTs, Nos. S1731-80, were the only ones to feature the alternate planking style with pairs of 3½in and 6½in wide planks. When construction of the type resumed in 1951 under BR, plywood was used for the bodysides. Often used indiscriminately alongside the PMVs, this common usage would see the CCTs gain the same type designation in later years, as displayed by the model.

Notably, this BR blue model is the only release of the CCT tooling in this first run of releases, the PMV having to

wait for its turn in Rail blue but it does also appear in both Southern and BR green. Both types remained in parcels use in considerable numbers during the second half of the 1970s but the withdrawal of BR’s parcels collection and delivery service in 1981 brought mass withdrawals.

A matched pair

As would be expected, the two models share components where possible with both displaying nicely rendered planking detail. The bodyside door furniture is all moulded in place but the ends do get metal handrails and lamp brackets. Slightly surprisingly, while the PMV gets separate high-level vacuum pipes, the CCT lacks any bufferbeam brake pipes or provision for them. The glazing is a nice fit with the

internal window boards being printed on.

Plenty of separate parts feature on the underframe, including the trussing, brake rigging, handbrake levers, the vacuum cylinder and associated pipe runs and, in the case of the PMV, steps beneath the doors. The buffers are not sprung but do get metal heads while the NEM coupling pockets are allied to a chassis-mounted self-centring mechanism. The axlebox and spring assemblies are well moulded but those of a finescale persuasion may need to carry out some adjustments for wider wheelsets, particularly to the brake shoes.

Livery application is well executed on both models, the printed end details being particularly noteworthy as is the tiny dimension and weight data beneath the numbers. It will be interesting to see if factory-weathered versions appear, given the vans were usually so filthy in later decades as to make it difficult to tell what livery they were in!

Both vans have plenty of potential for BR era D&E modellers, no matter which part of the country you model.

Besides their parcels use, there is also plenty of scope for modifications to produce departmental vehicles, these often having additional end windows and, sometimes, bodyside alterations.

Undoubtedly another high-quality addition to Bachmann’s coaching stock range. Review by Simon Bendall

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£ M30 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller October 2015

Bachmann Europe plc, Moat Way, Barwell, Leicestershire, LE9 8EY. Web: www.bachmann.co.uk RRP: £28.95

Supplement No.138