Rail Express September 2016 preview

FREE Supplement

Unseen shots from the 1960s and 70s

SAVED!

Final main line ‘03’ enters preservation

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

FIRST LOOK AT

CROSSRAIL 345 Aventra shown off at Derby factory

Working with

CLASS 56s

RAIL EXPRESS No. 244 SEPTEMBER 2016

First-hand experience of getting the early Western Region fleet up to scratch

40 PAGES UP CLOSE WITH

‘DELTICS’ How volunteering allows hands-on experience

OF MODELLING ■ CLASS 59 IN 'OO' Dapol reveals first images

■ BOGIE TANKERS Profiling petroleum TEAs

■ IN-DEPTH REVIEWS East Coast HSTs and '91'

Issue No. 244 September 2016

CONTENTS

FIRST CLASS 88 IN DRS LIVERY: Direct Rail Services has released this image of No. 88002 wearing its ‘Compass’ livery, the first of the class to do so. The loco is pictured on July 26 at Stadler Rail’s plant in Valencia, Spain, where the fleet of 10 dual-mode diesel/electric locos are being built. No. 88001 has been on test at the Velim circuit in the Czech Republic, while No. 88003 will be displayed at the Innotrans trade fair in Berlin in late September. DRS

8

16

18

HEADLINE NEWS

NR plans for growth in Scotland; Support for HS2 continues; ROG wins five-year haulage deal; CAF to open train assembly plant; GWR receives first Class 387s; London Midland to trial D-Train; North East looks to grow rail network; Northern announces ‘Pacer’ fleet rundown dates; Southern hit by longest strike for 50 years; Banbury semaphores go; TOCs benefit from passenger ignorance; Testing begins on Class 707s for SWT; Crossrail Class 345 shown off in Derby.

27

British train builders; Unglamorous Bristol; HS2 stations; and two books on early diesels.

28 29 30

THE NEXT GENERATION

74

26

0-60: CLASS 220

Steve Morris recounts his time getting the first Class 56s up to scratch on the Western Region in the 1980s.

A second run on a CrossCountry ‘Voyager’ produces a blistering performance.

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LU WORLD ‘C’ Stock driving car added to LTM collection.

71

WORKING WITH ‘GRIDS’

DERBY TRAINMAN Working the stone train to Washwood Heath.

Celebrity Hornsey shunter No. 03179 has been secured for preservation at the Rushden Transport Museum near Wellingborough.

20

TIME TRAVELLER Looking back over the last five decades.

LAST CLASS 03 PRESERVED

Young volunteers are getting hands-on experience of working with big diesels by joining locomotive support groups.

EXPRESS MAILBAG AND REVIEWS

RAILTOURS ‘EDs’ go west; Successful debut for No. 37025.

PRESERVATION Appeal for Class 40 radiators; Inside the unique Class 28; ‘Thumpers’ meet on Lavender Line.

78

POWER BY THE HOUR Uncertain future for the fleet of DB Cargo Class 67s; Large logo ‘37s’ return.

80

POWERSCENE Notable workings from around the country.

88

SHUNTER SPOT Alstom Class 08 update; Fleet news round-up.

MODELLING

Our exclusive model of GBRf’s colourful Type 5 No. 66720 has been delivered, so find out how to get yours before it’s too late. We also profile the 21st century TEA petroleum tanks, and then review Locomotion’s Virgin HST and Hornby’s Virgin Class 91 pack.

90

UNITARY AUTHORITY DMU and EMU news class-by-class.

92

COACH COMPARTMENT Mk.3 restaurant cars are fast disappearing.

94

WAGONS ROLL Deal signed for fleet of ‘shorty’ HYA wagons.

96

IRISH ANGLE ‘Grand Hibernian’ Mk.3s delivered to Dublin.

There has been a raft of new units showcased this month, including the first Class 387s for Great Western Railway, the first Class 707 for South West Trains and the first Class 345 for Crossrail. The latter No. 345001 is pictured at Bombardier’s plant in Derby on July 29, where it performed several runs on the internal test track. Rail Express

PERFORMANCE

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

After a disappointing run in the early days of this series, Neville Hill feels obliged to give a ‘Voyager’ another chance to shine.

S

O ‘Voyagers’ do have some friends out there, and they do not see why ‘Javelins’ get a second chance at the 0-60 table (see last month) when the random ‘Voyager’ example used for this column was so dire.

Overcoming a recognised prejudice, I had to agree and the ideal opportunity presented itself as I made my way up-country from Somerset, crestfallen at having missed a CrossCountry HST. Here was a keen driver with a Class 220 on a dry rail with all engines working.

Perfect as the conditions were, I had not banked on getting from Taunton station to Cogload Junction in just 3min 42 sec, which, if my memory serves me correctly, is my fastest in more than a thousand attempts.

The ‘Voyager’ benefited from using the up main (No.4) platform, because the exit from the up relief (Platform 5) is hampered by a 60mph trailing turnout that inhibits a clean getaway. The points were installed 30 years ago to match HST acceleration, but times have moved on.

The start from the platform was on full power, with some easing as 100mph approached, but this will take some beating. My GPS was located in a position where it could pick up a signal but not where it could be synchronised with my stopwatch. As a result, the log is less precise than usual and suffers from some adjustments. However, I have particular confidence in the 0-60 time and this effort should move the ‘Voyager’ far enough up the league table to please any followers – moving from position 19 to position 5, which is the best DMU time so far and putting it right among the quickest EMU starts too. E

TAUNTON DEPART TO BRIDGWATER (PASS) Units Vehicles/tare/ gross tons Train Date Recorder/position

Miles 0.00 0.01 0.04 0.10 0.18 0.30 0.50 0.77 1.18 1.69 2.41

2200xx 4/186/195 14.25 Plymouth-Edinburgh Spring 2016 Neville Hill/1st of 4

Timing Point TAUNTON d

Sch 0

4.75 Cogload Jct 11.58 Bridgwater pass

4 8

M. S. M.P.H. 0 00 0 07 0 13 0 21 0 30 0 40 0 53 1 08 1 28 1 50 2 18

T 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

3 42 7 42

101/104 101

Notes: Timed to 1/100th of a second and rounded to nearest full second.

0-60 time RE FACTOR** COMMENT

53 seconds 12264 With down-rated engines too!

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

26 RAIL EXPRESS September 2016

An unidentified CrossCountry Class 220 ‘Voyager’ unit forms the 1M41/10.06 Paignton to Manchester Piccadilly at Cogload Junction, north of Taunton, on July 4, 2015. This is where the lines towards Bristol and Westbury separate, and in our trial run a similar unit was flying along having reached the full permitted maximum line speed of 100mph well before the junction. Phil Wakely

TIMES AND SCORES SUMMARY Rank 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14 15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20 21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

No.

0 to 60 RE Factor** Location time (secs)

Issue

Notes

395xxx 380022 357017+357033 323224 220xxx 350403 365529 387111 222020 334021+334029 333013 185113 375606 68007 172103 180110 90002 450126+450019 220007 43285 / 43321 158860 166205 175104 168003 91125 170114 143603 66184 153369 D1015 67006 40145

38 39 50 51 53 54 56 56 59 60 63 68 70 79 83 83 87 91 94 96 98 102 103 103 108 114 117 148 156 174 179 325

Aug. 2016 Nov. 2015 May. 2014 Aug. 2014 Sep. 2016 Nov. 2014 Jan. 2015 Jul. 2015 Aug. 2015 Jan. 2016 May 2015 Oct. 2014 Jul. 2014 Feb. 2016 Jun. 2016 Jan. 2014 Jun. 2015 Jul. 2016 Apr. 2014 Jan. 2014 Mar. 2015 Mar. 2014 Apr. 2016 Jun. 2014 Dec. 2014 Sep. 2015 May 2016 Oct. 2015 Feb. 2015 Jul. 2014 Feb. 2014 Jan. 2015

Fastest EMU

16302 12939 15673 14658 12264 12294 17515 14137 11181 14687 15755 11088 12715 9999 11000 8514 10376 7043 7610 9050 11630 11391 11297 10640 7806 9878 9895 10122 10144 10110 8030 9430

East from Ebbsfleet South from Troon East from West Ham SW from Chelford East from Taunton Nth/Sth from Lockerbie South from Watlington Nth/Sth from Harlington West from Long Eaton East from Blackridge North from Steeton Nth from Northallerton North from Wye West from Haymarket South from Haddenham North from Grantham South from Diss West from Farnborough East from Taunton South from Burton West from Brough West from Tilehurst East from Bridgend Sth from High Wycombe Nth from Northallerton South from Burton East from Newton Abbot SW from Highbridge East from Newton Abbot South from Banbury North from Tamworth South from Darlington

NEW fastest DMU

Fastest diesel loco

Fastest electric loco

HST

FIRST LOOK AT DAPOL’S NEW 'OO' CLASS 59

No .1 49 DIESEL AND ELECTRIC ERA MODELLING O G

TANKS OF TODAY Examining the 21st century TEA tankers

YOUR

40 PAGLEINSG OF MODEL

START

HERE!

Hornby releases Virgin East Coast Class 91 train pack

NRM 40th anniversary HST new from Locomotion

D&E FILES

VTG’s ‘21st century’ tanker fleet Based on a design from the early 1990s but updated with modern safety features and low track-force bogies, VTG’s colourful post-2000 fleet of TEA tankers are seen all over the UK, either running in block trains or mixed in with other much older vehicles, and even in short formations of two or three wagons. Gareth Bayer provides a comprehensively illustrated history of these current-day vehicles.

CONSTRUCTED by Bombardier Prorail at the former Procor (Charles Roberts) workshops at Horbury, West Yorkshire, in 1993, the 60-strong fleet of 90-ton TDA Class B fuel oil/diesel bogie tank wagons numbered CAIB86910-86969 introduced a clean and unfussy design to Britain’s railways that has subsequently been developed into a fleet of tankers that now numbers some 435 vehicles.

Introduced on Lindsey (Total-Fina) and Humber (Conoco) services to a variety of terminals, they were fitted with Sambre-et-Meuse VNH1 bogies and wore an overall grey livery with CAIB brandings. They had a full-length walkway (with single straight ladders at each end on opposite sides) and a single access hatch towards one end of the vehicle. After a short while, they could be found in large blocks of vehicles or in small quantities mixed in with other older tank designs.

Updated for the new century

In the first years of the new millennium, CAIB was looking to replace a number of life-expired bogie tank wagons that were used on various different Above: The resemblance between the original Bombardier Prorail-built TDAs and the later Marcroft/ Greenbrier-constructed TEAs is obvious from this photograph of No. CAIB86960 at Lincoln on January 4, 1999, working empty back to Lindsey Oil Refinery.

Gareth Bayer

flows around the country. The 90-ton TDA was redesigned and Marcroft Engineering in Stoke-onTrent constructed 114 new wagons from tank and sub-frame assemblies provided by Greenbrier Europe’s Wagony Swidnica factory in Poland. All vehicles were uprated to 102-ton TEAs with distinctive larger barrels with chamfered ends.

The first to be delivered was a batch of 20 vehicles for the East Anglian Petrochem-Carless gas condensate traffic between Harwich and North Walsham (Nos. CAIB88001-88020). This had previously used two tanker sets, rotating between ageing bogie TEAs and two-axle TUAs for the two out and back workings a day then running. While retaining the family resemblance with the earlier TDAs, the new TEA wagons differed in a number of details beyond the additional capacity.

The most notable upgrade was the use of Powell Duffryn Rail’s TF25 low track-force bogie with bogiemounted brake cylinders and handwheels, thereby eliminating this equipment on the underside of the body. These bogies have been used on all subsequent TEA batches, although any further builds will see them changed for the superficially very similar ‘low noise’ variant, the LN25. As well as track-access charge reductions, the TF25 bogies are considerably lighter, resulting in a reduced tare and a further boost to capacity of around 13 tons per wagon.

Other enhancements and alterations included large anti-climbers above the bufferbeams, centrally Left: With both Lindsey (left) and Humber (right) refineries in the background, Freightliner Heavy Haul’s No. 66608 thunders through Brocklesby with 22 Conoco blue TEAs leased from VTG (ex-CAIB) on May 19, 2004.

This was the 6M00/11.23 Humber-Kingsbury.

Gareth Bayer

M12 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller September 2016

Supplement No. 149

REVIEWS

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GAUGE 4mm:1ft

8

EXPRESS RATING

PIN

DCC

READY

20152016

ERA

Hornby models

VTEC launch set The inauguration of Virgin’s East Coast operation can now be recreated in ‘OO’ gauge as the Class 91 makes a return in red.

THE past three years or so have seen Hornby’s elderly rendering of the Class 91 and the accompanying Mk.4 coaches stage something of a comeback. Largely the preserve of trainsets previously, the introduction of colourful new liveries by the Government-run East Coast operation saw the ‘OO’ gauge model turned out as No. 91101 in Flying Scotsman purple along with the striking Battle of Britain black and grey No. 91110. Both releases sold very well as did the East Coast silver-liveried Mk.4s produced to go with the class doyen.

This seemingly convinced Hornby that there was a market for models that are over a quarter of a century old to be produced at prices that are not far off today’s highly-detailed offerings.

Last year’s release of the amended East Coast grey livery suggested this may not be the case as both the Class 91 and Mk.4s continue to be available, the latter now heavily discounted by some retailers.

Not to be deterred though, the former flagship of InterCity and indeed Hornby’s D&E range has reappeared once again, this time in the colours of the current operator of the East Coast route, Virgin Trains.

Red non-revolution

In contrast to the individual models produced in 2015, Hornby has this time gone for the train pack option (R3501).

This contains No. 91124 in the red and grey livery along with Driving Van Trailer (DVT) No. 82219 and two Mk.4 Standard Opens (TSO) Nos. 12201 and 12401. Connoisseurs of Mk.4 numbering may well note the inclusion of end vehicle No. 12201, the model of course not reflecting the absent gangway connection found on the real thing where it abuts the Class 91.

These vehicles all formed part of the Virgin East Coast launch set on March 2 last year, having been reliveried using vinyls in the week before the big day.

For those looking to assemble a longer

M32 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller September 2016

rake, there is currently nothing but disappointment as Hornby has yet to announce any plans to produce further Mk.4 coaches. It may well be that next year’s range delivers additional standard, first and buffet vehicles in Virgin colours but then it equally may not, given predictions of a contracted catalogue.

It seems somewhat strange to deliver a basic train pack but give no indication as to whether or not purchasers will be able to finish the set, let alone release the extra coaches in the same year.

Given the general popularity of the Virgin brand, it may well be that the train pack is intended for the trainset market but this seems unlikely for two reasons.

First is that it is a limited edition of 1000 examples, complete with an embossed ‘trains for the collector’ certificate, while the other factor is the price. This is an eye-watering £209.99 which, even with the best will in the world, is difficult to justify for 25-year-old or so models with a limited number of components, printed on lights and a toy pantograph. Granted, the Class 91 has already received an

upgrade to feature an 8-pin DCC socket and improved motor bogie but the best advice is to shop around as at least one retailer is offering the set with £30 off.

Looking closer

With all of that said, is the train pack actually any good? Naturally, the models reflect none of the modifications now carried, such as the additional grilles on the Class 91, wi-fi roof pod on the DVT and altered toilet windows on the Mk.4s. There is scope to carry out some improvements, such as rebuilding the pivoting end valances to be fixed, fitting a new pantograph and removing the rather redundant power changeover switch, but the full list is so extensive that complete repaints would be required, rather defeating the object of buying the set.

The Virgin livery is therefore the only real selling point and it is here that the set claws back some marks.

The application to all the vehicles is really rather good with the red having a pleasing matt finish, which is nicely offset by the light grey band, dark grey roof and black window surrounds.

Inevitably, the white swish lets the side down again on both the Class 91 and DVT, being over-length on both of them.

The two Mk.4 coaches correctly have the overall livery sweep reversed on the opposing sides with the numbers accurately rendered in black or yellow depending on their position. The coach letters and seating information is nicely printed by the doors as are the end data panels. The DVT and loco also have their cab front repeater numbers in place.

The livery actually goes some way towards masking the deficiencies of the models, making them look more modern than they actually are. That is something of an achievement and there is no denying that the set, on

Supplement No. 149

RAILTOURS

Gary Boyd-Hope

EDs go west… eventually A series of technical issues hit UK Railtours’ trip to Paignton, but the Class 73s made it there in the end.

PROBLEMS with the braking equipment of GBRf electro-diesels Nos. 73962 and 73963 resulted in UK Railtours’ ‘Herd of Wildebeeste’ getting off to a false start on July 16. The fault resulted in the inbound empty stock working to Waterloo, where the train was meant to begin, being two-and-a-half hours late, so the decision was made to start the tour at Basingstoke instead.

With the two ‘73/9s’ leading, and Nos. 73128 and 73107 on the rear, the tour finally left Basingstoke at 09.35 against a booked time of 09.17. Time was lost on the run to Salisbury, arriving 30 minutes down, this increasing to 36 minutes by the time the ‘EDs’ reached Yeovil Junction. However, by not being held in loop sections, some time was clawed back and the train rolled in to Exeter St Davids only 18 minutes behind time.

A reversal at Exeter put the ‘73/1s’ in charge, the train leaving 21 minutes down at 13.00. By this time, it had already missed its seven-minute pathing window at Dawlish Warren, instead passing through 19 late. A suggestion that the locomotives suffered with overheating issues between Newton Abbot and Torre could explain why the latter was passed 48 minutes down, with Paignton finally reached 54 minutes late thanks to assistance from the ‘73/9s’.

The train began its return run two hours later when a delay of eight minutes meant a Paignton departure of 16.32, but the ‘73/9s’ soon made up the deficit and the train was back on time as it reached Exeter. The remainder of the run via Westbury and Reading was uneventful, being about 10 minutes late at Bracknell, but back on time by Hounslow and passed Putney ever so slightly up on the timetable – so Waterloo being reached bang on time. E

The rare sight of electro-diesels working a passenger train in Devon – GBRf’s Nos. 73962 and 73963 depart Paignton on July 16 with the return leg of UK Railtours’ ‘Herd Of Wildebeeste’ charter to Waterloo. Photo taken on an iPhone 6.

Robert Sherwood

Barrington or Middleton Towers branch for Pathfinder’s rare track bash PATHFINDER Tours’ ‘Ouse N’Orwell’ tour of September 24 could feature traversal over one of two possible freight-only lines for its opening gambit, with confirmation as to which it will be still awaited from Network Rail.

The tour kicks off at Crewe at 06.10, heading first south to Birmingham New Street via Stafford and Wolverhampton, then eastwards through Nuneaton and Leicester to Peterborough, arriving at 09.30. With Peterborough being the last pick-up point, the two top-and-tailed DB Cargo Class 66s will proceed to March and Ely, then either take the route over the Ely Through Siding to Cambridge, Foxton and up the Barrington branch, reverse and back to Foxton and Cambridge – or go via Ely West to North Junctions and up to King's Lynn Yard, reverse, then take in the Middleton Towers branch, reverse again and retrace its steps to King's Lynn and Ely.

In either case, the ‘66s’ then proceed via Chippenham Junction and Bury St Edmunds Down Goods Loop to Bury St Edmunds, where a break of around 90 minutes will be made.

Getting underway again at 15.00, the train continues on to Stowmarket via the Up and Down Goods Loop, Europa Junction, Bacon Factory Curve, Westerfield (reverse), East Suffolk Junction and Ipswich via the Up and Down Goods. Reversing at Halifax Junction, the tour takes in the Griffin Wharf Branch, where the train will reverse again, then return to Halifax Junction (reverse), Ipswich, Claydon Down Goods Loop, Stowmarket, Bury St Edmunds, Chippenham Junction, Ely via the Up Goods Loop, March and Peterborough, arriving at 20.10 and finally getting back to Crewe at 23.30.

Full details on the prices and how to book can be found on Pathfinder Tours’ website at www.pathfindertours.co.uk

SCARBOROUGH SYPHONS: West Coast Railways’ weekly trip from Carnforth to

Scarborough features diesel haulage as far as York, where it hands over to steam. The train also alternates between two routes, running one week via Skipton and Leeds, then the next via Blackburn and Wakefield Kirkgate. The return on the latter route is pictured at Preston on July 7, headed by Nos. 37516 Loch Laidon and 37668. John Hales

September 2016 RAIL EXPRESS 71

TRACTION & ROLLING STOCK

David Rapson

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

CLASS 20

WITH the prototype HST power car No. 41001 and its preserved Mk.3 coaches in tow, the blue English Electric Type 1s Nos. 20189 and 20205 powered the 5Z20/20.05 Hotchley Hill-York Holgate on July 20, going forward to Bo’ness the following day, passing Grantshouse at 18.20. The Type 1s double-headed the return trip (as 5M20/08.40 Bo’ness-York Holgate) on July 25 and continued to the GCR(N) the next day.

The quartet of Nos. 20096+20905 and Nos. 20107+20314 operated four trips with London Underground ‘S’ Stock during the first few days of July. By the 13th, however, No. 20132 had replaced No. 20096 in the pack when seen in charge of the 7X09/11.47 Old Dalby-West Ruislip (with sets Nos. 21557/8). With Nos. 20107+20314 seemingly bound together permanently, the foursome also handled the 7X23/09.33 Derby Litchurch Lane-Old Dalby on July 15 and the 7X10/02.41 Amersham-Litchurch Lane four days later.

CLASS 33

HAVING found use on several empty stock trips between Southall and various London termini, ‘Crompton’ No. 33207 Jim Martin accompanied ‘Jubilee’ 4-6-0 No. 45699 Galatea on the 1Z67/08.13 London Victoria to Weymouth on July 9. Five days later, the narrow-bodied Class 33/2 was back in Dorset after tailing No. 46115 Scots Guardsman on the 1Z94/08.43 Victoria-Swanage, but developed an AWS fault that could not be repaired before the return journey. Thus, the ‘Royal Scot’ took the train tender first to Southampton before running-round to lead back to Staines where the train was terminated, passengers for London and beyond having already disembarked at Basingstoke and Woking.

CLASS 37

RESTORED by the Scottish Thirty-Seven Group at Bo’ness, No. 37025 Inverness TMD handled its first main line tour since being returned to traffic when

Colas Type 5 No. 56087 had three days of driver training with West Coast Railways at the end of July, culminating with a return trip to York on July 28 at the head of the ‘Scarborough Spa Express’ via Skipton and Leeds, paired up with No. 37669. This is believed to be the Type 5’s first passenger outing since a railtour in December 2001. The working is pictured heading towards Garforth, east of Leeds. Mark Walker

80 RAIL EXPRESS September 2016

taking ‘The Highland Stag’ charter from Linlithgow to Inverness on July 16. Another tour, entitled ‘The Cheshire Cat’, ran from Eastleigh to Stockport behind the DRS duo of Nos. 37606+37609 on July 23, this being in connection with the company’s open day at Crewe Gresty Bridge.

There was plenty of EE Type 3 interest in Crewe that day as West Coast’s pairing of Nos. 37706 and 37668 top-and-tailed the 1Z61 05.19 Crewe-St Helens Junction-Liverpool Lime Street-Crewe leg of a tour that Stanier ‘Pacific’ No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland later powered between Crewe and Carlisle. Upon its return, the two Class 37s again made for Liverpool (reverse) and St Helens Junction where the tour terminated, allowing the diesels to take the empty coaches back to Crewe via Winwick Junction.

On July 24, No. 37668 tailed the 1Z95/10.04 Liverpool Lime StreetHolyhead hauled by ‘Jubilee’ No. 45690 Leander. The steam locomotive came off at Chester on the return journey

to be replaced by No. 37706. A week later, on July 30, Leander headed the 1Z71/05.58 Liverpool-Scarborough, again with No. 37668 at the rear.

The Thursday-only running of the ‘Scarborough Spa Express’ had Nos. 37668+37516 in charge on July 7 and Nos. 37668+37669 on both July 14 and 21.

No. 37516 took a Kirow crane and runners from Leeds Holbeck to Rugeley Power Station on July 15 before heading north to work the 5Z48/09.13 Fort William-Carnforth on July 30 in order to take one of the ‘Jacobite’ coaching sets to Midland Road (August 1) for tyre turning.

DRS example No. 37419 Carl Haviland and saloon No. 975025 covered a sizeable proportion of the network during the month. They traversed the Cumbrian coastline on July 12, before reaching Fort William the next day and Mallaig on July 14.

By July 25, the duo were down on the south coast, venturing to Bognor Regis and Eastbourne, and to several London

WAGONS ROLL

Gareth Bayer

VTG Rail and W H Davis sign deal for ‘shorty’ HYA aggregates wagon fleet

Following the reduction in length of coal hopper No. 371051 earlier this year for aggregates traffic, VTG has ordered a further 24 conversions for GB Railfreight.

THE fallout from the huge downturn in coal traffic on Britain’s railways continues, but this has coincided with a major upturn in demand for aggregates wagons.

Network Rail is predicting that the rail movement of aggregates, cement and spoil traffic will grow by approximately 22% between 2013 and 2033, while the Mineral Products Association’s outlook predicts that the UK’s requirement for aggregates will rise from 218 million tonnes a year in 2014 to 292 million tonnes in 2030.

Of the coal fleet, DB Cargo has repurposed HTA hoppers, while Freightliner has even scrapped HHAs then recycled the bogies and brake equipment for a new fleet of MWA box wagons. GB Railfreight, meanwhile, has opted for something of a middle ground, with the fleet of HYA/IIA vehicles that it intends to use on Lafarge Tarmac services from Arcow Quarry on the Settle & Carlisle.

In partnership with the wagon

94 RAIL EXPRESS September 2016

owners, VTG Rail UK, GBRf will take delivery of 24 HYA hoppers that have been reduced in length by the removal of the central section of the body (one bay). This is because most aggregates are much denser than coal, so the same volume would be much heavier. The result is a vehicle with a capacity of 63m³ (down from 90m³).

‘Cut and shut’

The prototype ‘cut and shut’ hopper No. 371051 was completed by W H Davis of Langwith Junction in February 2016 (see May issue). The 122 HYAs were originally built by IRS (now ARI) in Romania, but Davis constructed a large number of the otherwise identical IIA hoppers, so has a lot of experience with the design. Of interest, the wagons were built using rust resistant 3CR12 ‘semi-stainless’ steel, which was specified because of the tough nature of coal hauling.

The first five production examples, complete with large VTG, GBRf, Tarmac

GB Railfreight wagons are usually very well turned out, but the bodyside of ‘shorty’ HYA No. 371064 – pictured at Shirebook on July 22 – is covered in a mish-mash of different vinyls, including GBRf and Tarmac brandings looking rather awkward on stark white backgrounds. Of particular interest is the use of the Davis logo near the handwheel. The number of hopper bays has been reduced from three to two. Derek Wilson

brandings and ‘Working together for a sustainable future’ legend, departed Davis’s site on July 22 behind No. 66749 working as the 4F88/11.15 to Doncaster Down Decoy Yard. They included Nos. 371052/64.

The TOPS code and number of the rebuilt vehicles are unchanged from their previous life. This is in stark contrast to the rebuilt fleet of HKA

hoppers and MXA boxes converted by DB Cargo at Axiom Rail, which were given new six-digit TOPS numbers and UIC/ERA 21-digit numbers.

Meanwhile, on July 19, Aggregates Industries-liveried No. 66711 Sense delivered 13 former Fastline IIAs to W H Davis as the 4F87/11.28 exWellingborough Up TC. These will also be reduced in length.