Railways Illustrated - June 2022 - Preview

PRESERVED HSTs RETURN TO ACTION

50021 RESTARTED AFTER 22 YEARS

THE RAILWAY WORLD – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

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Western Wonder

Issue 232 June 2022

Model Spot

Accurascale HYA/IIA hoppers

PLUS

Western Locomotive Association celebrates 45 years of Class 52 operations

‘Tyne-Tees Tractors’ raises £35,000 for children’s hospice

Lumo: Birth of a train operator 43018 and 87035 transformed at Crewe Searching out Southern’s Class 313s

ORR releases its report into Hitachi train cracking

Welcome to Railways Illustrated

How do we resolve rolling stock cracking?

W

elcome to the June issue of Railways Illustrated, in what has been another busy month.

The main news concerns the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) publication of its review into the cracking suffered by certain designs of Hitachi Class 80X trains, especially those in use with London North Eastern Railway and Great Western Railway. You may remember when, last May, both companies withdrew their Hitachi fleets from service, along with those in use with TransPennine Express and Hull Trains, for safety checks after cracks were found in a number of trains from the LNER and GWR fleets. As all these companies rely heavily on their Hitachi trains – which now represent the mainstay of their high-speed fleets – the resulting disruption to timetables and services was massive.

The main issues with the fleets is fatigue cracking at the yaw damper and stress corrosion cracking in the jacking plate. Cracks were also found in Class 385 trains operated

by ScotRail and also the Class 395 Javelin units in use with Southeastern, although these trains were not withdrawn in May 2021 when the others were temporarily withdrawn, as their designs are different to the Class 80X and the actual and potential incidences of cracking were assessed as low risk.

The ORR report makes for fascinating reading, as it identifies the issue and addresses what is being done to remedy the situation.

It is somewhat reassuring that such a deepdive has been carried out, and it is clear that Hitachi, the ORR, and the train operators are determined to resolve the issue and prevent another widespread fleet withdrawal.

Old issue – greater impact

As we reported last month, services on the West Midlands Metro tram route have also been withdrawn for a third time due to cracks discovered in its fleet of CAF Urbos 3 trams, which were built in 2014/15. The operator has now announced that it is unlikely services will be reinstated on the line until the end of May – more than two months after the latest suspension of services on the route between Wolverhampton and Birmingham city centre.

With the Commonwealth Games being held in Birmingham over the summer, I am sure that everything possible is being done to get the trams back into service, but it shows that this problem isn’t restricted to one manufacturer, and the stresses on fleets can lead to these problems occurring after a period in use.

This issue isn’t new but does seem to be having a greater impact now than in the past, and it is hoped that manufacturers

can identify potential weak spots during the design phase to prevent – or vastly reduce – the chance of these things happening.

A most respected association

So, what else can you look forward to in this issue? I’ve always had a soft spot for the former Western Region diesel-hydraulic locomotives, although being aged in my late 40s, my memories of travelling behind them are limited to heritage line operations; I have never yet travelled behind D1015 on the main line, though I must right that wrong when it returns to the main line over the coming months following an engine replacement.

I spent a fascinating few hours in early April on the Severn Valley Railway, meeting the volunteers from the Western Locomotive Association as they worked to bring D1062 Western Courier (or should that be D1040 Western Queen) out of winter hibernation and prepared the locomotive for what is hoped to be another successful operating season.

The association was officially launched in the same year I was born and is one of our oldest heritage and most respected modern traction preservation groups. It was great to learn about its history and find out more about its two Class 52 ‘Westerns’, as you will be able to read about.

From one of the oldest modern traction preservation groups to the youngest of our train operators, I also met last month with Matthew Lee, the commercial and customer experience director from East Coast open access operator Lumo.

It is now six months since I was invited to a press preview event for the new service from London King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley and a lot has happened since; it was good to hear from Matthew about how the operator and its staff have settled down and is proving to be so popular, despite being launched in arguably one of the most challenging periods for passenger operators.

Another trip out recently took me to Crewe Heritage Centre to look at the fantastic work achieved by a couple of volunteers on HST power car 43018 and 87035 Robert Burns – two exhibits that stand no realistic chance of ever working under their own power again but still worthy of a place in preservation.

I clearly remember seeing pictures of 43018 being delivered to Crewe and wondering what the team had taken on, as it was clear that the power car had been extensively robbed of parts and that even cosmetic restoration would be difficult.

However, I have been proved wrong and the work done to cosmetically transform the power car is impressive. It isn’t quite

finished and the restoration is being hampered somewhat by the strict rules in place by leasing companies in relation to the disposal of scrap Class 43s, which are subject to total destruction orders.

This prevents preservationists from removing anything from the power cars before they are broken up – even cosmetic items such as panels and doors.

Photographer and regular contributor Chris Hopkins has been out and about with his camera chasing down some of the remaining Class 313 EMUs operated by Southern.

The 313s are now the oldest operational passenger trains in regular use on the UK rail network and although a date hasn’t yet been put in place for them to be taken out of service, the introduction of new trains and the cascading of other fleets must surely mean their days are now numbered.

With Southern due to withdraw its Class 455 fleet a few days after this issue of Railways Illustrated goes on sale, will the Class 313s be the next EMU fleet to disappear from our rail network (with the exception of the one unit operated by Network Rail)?

10 Pictures this month features the work of Robert Falconer, another name that needs no introduction. Robert is one of the UK’s leading railway photographers and he presents a small selection of his excellent photography, featuring a mixture of steam and modern traction, providing us with another stunning collection of pictures.

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I hope that you enjoy this issue and, as ever, if you have any comments, suggestions, photographic contributions, feedback, or anything else in relation to the magazine, please contact me at rieditor@mortons.co.uk

Andy Coward Editor

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June 2022 RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED

3

On Sale Date: Usually first Thursday of the month This Issue On Sale: May 5, 2022 Next Issue On Sale: June 1, 2022 EDITOR: Andy Coward 01507 529566 ART EDITOR: Kelvin Clements PUBLISHER: Tim Hartley PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Dan Savage

Contents Regulars 3 Welcome

36 From the Front Coach

EDITORIAL ADDRESS: Railways Illustrated, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ WEBSITE: www.railwaysillustrated.com EMAIL: rieditor@mortons.co.uk

6 News

40 The Social Side

18 Fleet Review

42 Pictorial

CONTRIBUTORS: Alex Ayre, Andrew Bannister, David

24 Heritage News

78 Book & product reviews

32 What’s Happening To …

80 Railwayana

Barnsdale, Gareth Bayer, Simon Bendall, Phil Chilton, Richard Clinnick, Spencer Conquest, Kevin Delaney, Pip Dunn, Robert Falconer, Kieran Fallows, Kenny Felstead, Ian Francis, Chris Gee, Steve Goodrum, Neil Harvey, Martyn Hilbert, Chris Hopkins, Richard Lillie, Martin Loader, Tom McAtee, Tommy McAtee, Craig Munday, Nick Palmer, Bill Pizer, Jim Ramsay, Rob Reedman, Ian Sinclair, Jason Smith, Tim Solomon, Jeremy De Souza, Paul Spracklen, James Stearn, Nigel Valentine, John Vaughan, Lewis Vince, Colin Wallace, Andrew Watts, Rob Wilson, Tony Winward ADVERTISING Advertising representatives Craig Amess 01507 529537 camess@mortons.co.uk Fiona Leak 01507 529573 fleak@mortons.co.uk Group advertising manager Sue Keily skeily@mortons.co.uk

FRONT COVER: The Severn Valley Railway is home

to three Class 52 Western diesel hydraulics, with two of those – D1013 Western Ranger and D1062 Western Courier – owned by the Western Locomotive Association, the subject of this issue’s preservation profile. On May 16, 2019, D1062 Western Courier departs from Bewdley, passing Bewdley South signal box, with a service to Kidderminster during the SVR’s Spring Diesel Festival. Kenny Felstead

CUSTOMER SERVICES General Queries and Back Issues 01507 529529 Monday-Friday 8.30am-5pm Answerphone 24H help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazine.co.uk MORTONS MEDIA GROUP LTD Sales and Distribution Manager Carl Smith Marketing Manager Charlotte Park Commercial Director Nigel Hole ARCHIVE Enquiries Jane Skayman 01507 529423 jskayman@mortons.co.uk Origination and Printing Printed at William Gibbons and Sons, Wolverhampton Distribution Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PU Enquiries Line: 0207 429 4000 EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS Contributions to this magazine should be clearly typed and ideally sent by email. Please contact the editor by email with any possible feature ideas before submission. Photographs submitted to Railways Illustrated are accepted on the basis that they are the copyright property of the person submitting them, or after they have received suitable permission from the copyright owner. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, or publisher. ©MORTONS MEDIA GROUP LTD All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Advertising Deadline: May 12, 2022 4 RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED June 2022

46 Western Wonder

52 Lumo: Birth of a train operator

Features

46 Western Wonder

58 No longer no-hopers!

68 Class 313 Country

52 Lumo: Birth of a train operator

62 10 Pictures: Robert Falconer

72 Model Spot

The Western Locomotive Association owns two of the legendary Class 52 diesel hydraulic ‘Western’ locomotives – in the shape of D1013 Western Ranger and D1062 Western Courier.

Our preservation profile this month highlights the work of the WLA.

In October last year, the UK welcomed a brand new open access train operator onto the East Coast Main Line. We speak to Lumo commercial and customer experience director Matthew Lee about how the first six months have gone.

Andy Coward visits Crewe Heritage Centre and meets volunteers who have done fantastic work reviving the fortunes of two locomotives from its collection – HST power car 43018 British Red Cross and former West Coast Main Line 87035 Robert Burns.

A well-known name in photography circles, Robert Falconer presents the 10 favourite pictures he has taken.

Robert’s selection contains a stunning mixture of steam and modern traction images for our popular monthly feature.

Chris Hopkins tracks down some of the remaining Class 313 EMUs, which are operated by Southern. These veteran units are now the oldest passenger trains operating in everyday service on the national network, and Chris pays tribute to these railway workhorses.

Simon Bendall reviews the newlyreleased OO Gauge models of the HYA/ IIA Bogie Hopper wagons, which have been launched by Accurascale.

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58 No longer no-hopers!

THIS PAGE: Locomotive Services Midland Pullman luxury HST dining excursion trains continue to be popular with both passengers and lineside photographers. On the second day of the Midland Pullman ‘Lord of the Isles Pullman’ railtour, the distinctive blue and white HST heads through the stunning Scottish landscape as it crosses Achanalt Viaduct, on its way from Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness, on March 27, 2022. Rob Wilson

NEWS Great British Rail Sale initiative is launched THE DEPARTMENT for Transport and Rail Delivery Group announced a Great British Rail Sale in mid-April, offering more than one million advanced off-peak tickets at prices reduced by up to 50%.

The discounted tickets were on sale between April 19 and May 2, for journeys taken up to the end of May. The initiative is aimed at encouraging passengers to return to train travel.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “For the first time ever, operators across the rail industry are coming together to help passengers facing rising costs of living by offering up to 50% off more than a million tickets on journeys throughout Britain.”

RDG’s chief executive officer, Jacqueline Starr, added: “We want everyone to be able to benefit from travelling by train because it’s more than just a journey – it’s a way to connect everyone to the people, places, and things they love.

“As part of the Great British Rail Sale, customers will enjoy more than one million discounted tickets, so they can explore some of the fantastic locations that are accessible by rail.”

This is the first time a widespread fares promotion has been offered in the UK, as the industry tries to recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on people’s travel habits.

ORR releases its review into Hitachi Class 80X cracking

THE OFFICE of Rail and Road has released its comprehensive report into the cracks that were discovered on a large number of Hitachi-built trains operated by London North Eastern Railway and Great Western Railway.

The problem was first discovered during routine maintenance in April 2021, with cracking discovered around the yaw damper brackets and anti-roll bar fixings, where the vehicle load is transferred to the train bogies.

Examination of the GWR train fleet, where the problem had first been identified, resulted in eight trains being found to be significantly affected by the issue and withdrawn from service.

On May 7, 2021, further cracking was discovered around the weld lines where the train lifting plates are attached to the vehicle bodies, with a potential risk of the lifting plates becoming detached.

The following day the decision was taken to withdraw all 182 Hitachi Class 800, 801 and 802 trains that were operated variously by LNER, GWR, TransPennine Express and Hull Trains, until the trains had all been examined and the scale of the problem identified. This led to widespread service disruptions.

Cracks were also found on Hitachibuilt Class 385 EMUs operated by ScotRail and Class 395 ‘Javelin’ trains operated by Southeastern, but the

decision was taken that these two fleets did not need to be withdrawn from service as the issue was considered to be a low risk.

Report findings

It has been found that the corrosion cracking problem in the jacking plates stems from the use of 7000 series aluminium, which is susceptible to stress corrosion cracking, particularly in plates thicker than 10mm. The cracking around the yaw damper brackets is due to fatigue suffered by the trains experiencing greater loads than they were designed for, with wheel wear on the trains and track conditions also identified as possible causes.

Storm clouds gather above Great Western Railway Hitachi Class 800 IET 800311 as it passes through Lostwithiel on August 22, 2021 with a service for London Paddington. The ORR has recently published its report into the cracking discovered on a number of Hitachi-built train fleets that led to a widespread temporary fleet withdrawal in May 2021. Craig Munday

EMR progresses its Nottingham Eastcroft Depot improvements THE FIRST phase of East Midland Railway’s £2 million upgrade of Nottingham’s Eastcroft Depot has been completed, with work now underway on the next stage.

Upgraded train cleaning facilities and additional stabling capacity has been provided, while the next stage will see additional fuelling facilities and improved lighting installed. The lighting improvements are being funded by EMR and Network Rail.

EMR fleet director Neil Bamford said: “We are making excellent progress with the Eastcroft Depot project and its great news that phase one has already been completed.

“The depot is at the very heart of the EMR Regional service – these works will not only increase the capacity of the depot, but will also help to support the further development of services.”

6 RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED June 2022

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NEWS

First c2c Class 720/6 delivered to East Ham

Two LNER Class 80X Azuma trains stand at London King’s Cross station waiting to head north on December 13, 2021. The majority of LNER services are now operated using Hitachi-built trains, supplemented by a small fleet of Class 91 electric locomotives and Mk.4 coaching stock. Tony Winward

Hitachi Rail’s proposed permanent solution to address the fatigue cracking issues in the bolster area is to remove the affected part of the original body structure, including the longitudinal welds where the fatigue cracks have occurred and

ON APRIL 19, just before this issue of Railways Illustrated closed for press, the first Class 720/6 electric multiple unit destined for use with c2c, 720602, was moved from Alstom’s plant at Litchurch Lane, in Derby, to East Ham Depot.

Finished in pink and white, the five-coach EMU is the first of 12 Class 720/6s built for use by c2c and will now undergo commissioning and driver training ahead of an entry into service, which is expected to be later this year. It was originally planned that the c2c fleet would consist of

six 10-coach Class 711 EMUs, but the order was subsequently modified to 12 five-coach trains classified as Class 720/6. The trains are owned

by Porterbrook.

The new train fleet will allow c2c to release its Class 387/3 fleet for cascading to other operators, with three Class 387/3 already in use with Great Western Railway.

A total of 145 Class 720s are being built by Alstom, with the other 133 EMUs ordered for Greater Anglia, some of which have already entered service with the operator.

the mounting brackets. The structure will then be rebuilt using a modified design that provides an unchanged interface with the yaw damper bracket and anti-roll bar.

With so many Hitachi trains now built and in service, it is expected that repairs will take place over a period of six years, with trains being treated in order of priority from inspections and monitoring carried out so far and through ongoing maintenance.

Repairs will be carried out at Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh.

Monitoring

Trains that have not experienced the cracking issues to date, such as the Lumo Class 803 EMUs, and designs that are under construction at the moment, such as the new trains being built Avanti West Coast, will be modified at the end of the programme to match the other fleets.

The trains will be routinely monitored in the meantime.

The Class 810 bi-mode trains being built for East Midlands Railway will also be monitored, although they are built to a different design than those that have been affected.

The Office of Rail and Road’s HM chief inspector of railways, Ian Prosser CBE, said: “With our oversight, Hitachi Rail and operators have put in place robust plans to make sure the right safety issues are being managed following the initial discovery of cracks on the trains, which have allowed trains to re-enter service.

“Safety remains the number one priority. Our review provides a clearer picture of the issue and we will continue our oversight to ensure work moves forward to agree the permanent solution and that our recommendations are acted on.

“It is important that the whole industry works together to learn lessons from what has happened and our recommendations will help with that.” www.railwaysillustrated.co.uk

The first of 12 five-coach Class 720/6 EMU to be delivered to c2c – 720602 – is towed by 37601 Perseus through Woodgrange Park station, heading from Derby Litchurch Lane to East Ham Depot, on April 19. The train is finished in c2c’s new pink and white livery, which is shown to good effect in this image of the newly-completed train.

Ian Sinclair

Goodbye Abellio – as ScotRail transfers into the public sector THE REIGN of private operators on ScotRail has come to an end following the transfer of ScotRail from Abellio into the public sector on April 1.

The change sees ScotRail Trains Ltd, an ‘operator of last resort’ wholly-owned Scottish Government company, now responsible for ScotRail, although the operation will continue to carry the name that has been associated with it since British Rail days. STL will be overseen

by Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd, which is headed by former Virgin Trains chief operating officer Chris Gibb.

Alex Hynes will continue in his role as managing director of the ScotRail Alliance with Network Rail.

As with other operations that have been effectively transferred into public ownership, the message from ScotRail is very much business as usual, with the move having no

effect on timetabled services, fares or staffing.

Abellio had operated ScotRail services for seven years, having assumed responsibility for the train operator on April 1, 2015 after winning the franchise from FirstGroup. However, the operation was dogged with service cancellations and poor performance levels, leading to widespread criticism, and it was announced in December 2019 that the franchise would end three years early on March 31 this year instead of carrying on until the original planned end date in 2025. The ‘operator of last resort’ model applied by the Scottish Government has been successfully used in England to take over ailing franchises in recent years, with London North Eastern Railway, Northern, and Southeastern all currently operated using this method.

June 2022 RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED 7

NEWS

Former DB Cargo Class 60s are destined for DC Rail THE 14 Class 60s offered for sale by DB Cargo have been acquired by Cappagh Group for DC Rail, with the first locomotive moving to UK Rail Leasing’s Leicester depot on April 14.

DC Rail already operates four Class 60s – 60028/029/046/055 – which were returned to service by DB Cargo at Toton, while the company has a fifth locomotive at Leicester, 60060, which has been used as a spares donor and not returned to service.

A source at DB Cargo had previously told Railways Illustrated that the company was in advanced discussions with Cappagh about the purchase of the 14 locomotives – 60008/009/013/022/038/057/061/0 64/070/075/080/090/098/099 – but the movement of 60099 to Leicester in mid-April confirms they have now been acquired by the company.

All of the locomotives involved have been out of service for long periods and some have been subject to extensive component recovery.

The first to be withdrawn by the then EWS was 60098, which was stopped as far back as May 2004, while the most recent to be stood down was 60099 in December 2015.

60099 was previously used as a testbed locomotive for the ‘Super 60’ project, which saw a number of Class 60s refurbished by DB Cargo at Toton. The same refurbishment work was carried out to 10 Class

DC Rail Class 60 Storage Dates

The first movement of one of DC Rail’s newly acquired Class 60s took place on April 14, when Tata Steel liveried 60099 was moved from Toton to UK Rail Leasing’s facility at Leicester by 60029 Ben Nevis. The locomotive is one of 14 purchased by the company, with a number of them expected to be returned to service. 60099 was used as a testbed locomotive for the DB Cargo ‘Super 60’ refurbishment project.

Kieran Fallows

60s acquired by Colas Rail Freight and the four overhauled DC Rail examples, although the Colas locomotives have since moved to GB Railfreight as part of the company’s fleet expansion.

It is understood that some of the Class 60s will be returned to service

by UK Rail Leasing at Leicester, while others could be revived at the former Brush Works in Loughborough, which looks set to continue to be used for railway engineering

purposes under new ownership following its closure at the end of last year. The 100 Class 60s were built at the Loughborough facility.

It is presently unknown how many of the newly acquired Class 60s will be returned to use and over how long they will be revived.

Of the 100 Class 60s built, only 60006 has been scrapped, although a large number of the fleet are in store at Toton, with many having been out of traffic for well over a decade.

Locomotive

Stored

60008

June 2007

60009

November 2010

60013

May 2011

60022

December 2009

60038

December 2008

60057

May 2006

60061

August 2009

60064

January 2006

60070

August 2004

60075

November 2008

60080

June 2006

60090

April 2008

60098

May 2004

60099

December 2015

The operational members of the fleet are now in service with DB Cargo, GB Railfreight, and DC Rail, while Locomotive Services has bought former celebrity green-liveried 60081 for eventual display at the One:One Museum facility at Margate, but it remains at Toton awaiting cosmetic attention.

60050/086 have been bought for preservation but not yet restored, and are stored on an industrial estate.

New ‘glamping’ use found for the ex-LNER ‘Let’s Go Round Again’ HST farewell tour Mk.3 coaches THE RAKE of seven Mk.3s used by LNER to mark the end of HST operation in December 2019 has been saved from the scrapman – although it will be used for a glamping site by the new owner, rather than returning to operational use.

LNER’s HST set EC56 was re-liveried into blue and grey at Wabtec Doncaster by the operator ahead of a fourday farewell charity charter that ran across the entire LNER network in late December 2019, prior to the removal of HSTs from long-distance services on the East Coast Main Line.

The coaches, Trailer Kitchen Buffet First (TFKB) 40720, Trailer First (TF) 41118/170, Trailer Standard (TS) 42242/243, 42363 and Trailer Guard Standard (TGS) 44098, along with power cars 43206 and 43312 (renumbered back to their original fleet

numbers of W43006 and E43112 respectively), were sent to Potters Group, Ely, for storage by Angel Trains.

They appeared on a recent tender list issued by Angel Trains, although the Class 43s and all 33 of the Mk.3 coaches offered for sale have since been removed from an updated tender list. The two power cars are not included in the sale.

An Angel Trains source told Railways Illustrated that the seven blue and grey coaches would be moving to a site in Cambridgeshire where they would be prepared for their new role.

EC56 was not one of the nine ex-LNER sets planned to be transferred to East Midlands Railway after they were retired from use on the ECML. This was due to the overall condition of the stock and its high mileage. Likewise, the two power

8 RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED June 2022

43112 heads LNER’s special four-day HST farewell tour, ‘Let’s Go Round Again’, passing Hougham with the 11.01 Leeds to London King’s Cross portion of the tour on December 21, 2019. 43006 was the power car at the other end of the train. The coaching stock from this train, which was specially repainted for it, is now set to move to Peterborough as glamping accommodation. Phil Chilton

cars, while repainted, were also not selected for transfer to EMR. The LNER HSTs were formed of nine Mk.3s, however, only seven coaches

from EC56 were used for the charter, with TS 42241/244 not re-liveried.

These two coaches have since been scrapped. www.railwaysillustrated.co.uk

NEWS

YOUR CHANCE TO OWN A UNIQUE PIECE OF RAILWAY HISTORY... AND SUPPORT TWO WORTHY CAUSES! EASTERN RAIL Services (ERS) is offering readers the chance to obtain a one-off piece of modern image railwayana in the form of a metal roundel from a former European Passenger Services (EPS) generator van through a sealed bid charity auction. All you have to do is submit your bid by post or email by the deadline of 17.00 on Friday, May 27, 2022 and the highest bidder wins.

The steel roundels, known affectionately as Polo mints by enthusiasts for the obvious reason, were carried on traction and rolling stock belonging to EPS, the company which was originally due to launch night trains through the Channel Tunnel in the 1990s. A new fleet of ‘Nightstar’ sleeping coaches was ordered but by the time they’d been completed it had already been decided that the night trains would be uneconomic to run. The new carriages were eventually exported to Canada, but five generator vans, which were due to supply power to the night stock, remained in the UK. They had been converted from Mk.3 vehicles and all five are now in the ownership of Eastern Rail Services.

The roundel kindly donated by ERS comes from ex-generator van 96734 and measures approximately 70cm in diameter and 2cm deep. ERS

www.railwaysillustrated.co.uk

ABOVE: Direct Rail Services 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob and 37422 Victorious provide a magnificent sight and sound as they head 1Z17, the 17.20 Aberdeen to Dumbarton Central, working on the third day of Pathfinder Tours four-day ‘The Easter Highlander’ land cruise on April 17. The train is pictured at the Carron Valley from Stonehaven.

This location has opened up following remedial work carried out in the aftermath of the tragic derailment of a ScotRail Inter7City HST in 2020. Andrew Bannister

Boskett’s From Railways To Royalty photo exhibition moves to The Engine House

will arrange for the roundel to be delivered to the auction winner at cost.

Our sister title Rail Express is managing the bidding – just include your name and contact details, along with the bid value. The highest bidder will be asked to make payment before ERS releases the roundel.

Postal bids can be sent to: EPS Roundel Auction, c/o Customer Services, Mortons Media, Morton Way, Horncastle LN9 6JR. Email bids can be sent to Rail Express editor Mark Simmons at railexpresseditor@mortons. co.uk, with the subject line ‘Roundel Bid’.

The winner will acquire a unique piece of railway history in the knowledge that the money raised will go to two excellent causes – the Railway Benefit Fund (www.railwaybenefitfund.org. uk) and Railway Children (www.railwaychildren. org.uk).

Our grateful thanks to ERS, which offers a wide range of rolling stock solutions from its spacious base in Great Yarmouth, and is very active in providing stock for TV and film contracts (including Last Train To Christmas). Visit easternrailservices.co.uk

LEADING PROFESSIONAL photographer Jack Boskett, who is well-known within the rail industry, has a new photographic exhibition, From Railways To Royalty, on display at The Engine House museum at Highley on the Severn Valley Railway.

The exhibition tells the story of Mr Boskett’s 12 years in the profession, including times when he has photographed members of the Royal Family as the sole photographer, through to setting up photographs on the railway scene, such as ‘Horsepower’, where a Merchant Navy steam locomotive races a horse in the Cotswolds.

Commenting on his display, Mr Boskett said: “I am over the moon with this exhibition. It’s the biggest one I’ve ever done and there is a mixture of 75 canvas and framed prints on display. My last exhibition at the Goods Shed in Tetbury at the beginning of the year brought in a record number of people to one of its exhibitions, so it’s definitely a popular subject.”

The exhibition can be seen at The Engine House museum at Highley throughout the main season until the autumn, with the museum open from 10.00 to 17.00 whenever services are operating on the Severn Valley Railway. Entry to both the museum and the exhibition is free of charge.

June 2022 RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED 9

NEWS

Uncertain economic conditions claim RCS’s Staycation Express RAIL CHARTER Services has announced that it will not be operating its Staycation Express services between Skipton, Settle, and Carlisle this summer – blaming the increase in the costs of living and economic uncertainty.

A statement was published on the company’s website and social media feeds on April 4 that read: “Unfortunately owing to extraordinary difficult trading conditions, we have had to take the difficult decision to suspend our Settle-Carlisle tourist rail services in 2022.

“The current economic conditions have created the perfect storm of high costs, while at the same time all the indicators point to constrained demand as people tighten their belts during this unprecedented time of economic uncertainty.

“We would like to thank all our loyal passengers and hope to see you back on board in 2023!”

The Staycation Express was launched by RCS in 2020, using a rake of Locomotive Services (LSL) former Greater Anglia Mk.3 coaches hauled

by LSL locomotives at each end, travelling between Appleby and Skipton.

The trains were operated following the easing of restrictions after the first pandemic lockdown while foreign travel was not permitted.

For the 2021 season, RCS introduced a short-formed HST set consisting of Class 43 HST power cars 43058 and 43059, along with five Mk.3 trailer coaches, with services extended from Appleby through to Carlisle.

The HST featured all first-class seating, using the popular leather seating previously fitted in First Great Western Mk.3 HST coaches.

The dedicated Rail Charter Services HST, using Locomotive Intercity Ltd’s 43059 and 43058 and five Mk.3 first class HST trailer coaches, pass Litter Lane at Long Preston on July 19, 2021, in charge of the 09.40 Appleby to Skipton Staycation Express. RCS has announced that the train will not be running in 2022. Martyn Hilbert

The train is owned by Locomotive Intercity Ltd, a subsidiary company of LSL. It has not been used on any other non-RCS passenger services so far but has been used for driver training and route familiarisation.

The RCS-liveried Class 43 power cars have been used on LSL’s Midland Pullman luxury dining HST on a couple of occasions, in place of the usual dedicated Midland Pullman power cars 43046 and 43055. Although RCS is a separate company to LSL, there are close links between the two organisations, with LSL director Jeremy Hosking also a director of RCS. The 2021 Staycation Express season operated Saturdays to Thursdays

between July 19 and early September, although Sunday services were withdrawn after a few weeks due to low demand.

Supply chain issues

The 2021 operation was also affected by supply chain problems, with RCS director Adrian Quine telling Railways Illustrated at the time that the company had sought to use local companies to provide the catering supplies for the train, but due to the unreliability of the deliveries, it was forced to put additional measures in place, and that this resulted in extra costs. The Staycation Express also operated during the October half-term

During the first Staycation Express season, LSL’s 47593 Galloway Princess heads the train over Ribblehead Viaduct, working the 14.38 Appleby to Skipton service on August 3, 2020. Direct Rail Services 37407 Blackpool Tower is on the back of the train and had been hired in for the day due to the scheduled second locomotive being unavailable. Tom McAtee

10 RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED June 2022

The first class Mk.3 HST trailer coaches were refurbished at Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh, and released in July last year. This was the interior of trailer 41187 on the first day the set was in use on the Staycation Express between Skipton and Carlisle on July 19, 2021. Andy Coward

school holiday in 2021, but no further public services have been operated

by RCS or its HST since then.

Although the company has stated that it hopes to resume services in 2023, it is unclear whether the HST will be retained for RCS use, or whether it will be utilised for other services operating within the LSL group of companies.

When Railways Illustrated approached Mr Quine to ask about the future of the HST and whether the company was planning to operate any other alternative services or day trips in place of the Staycation Express during 2022, he said: “It’s too early to say what, if any, other plans there might be for the RCS set at this stage.

“Given the lead times and need for marketing etc, it’s very unlikely that we’ll resurrect plans to run the RCS regular services this summer.” www.railwaysillustrated.co.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF LNER is organising a special service dedicated to wellness and mental wellbeing on May 7.

The LNER Wellness Train aims to help customers explore mindful experiences while travelling by train, and takes place ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week which runs from May 9-14.

The events will be on board the 08.06 London King’s Cross to Lincoln LNER service, with experts hosting events in each carriage of the train.

Eurostar Velaro E320 set 374028 and 374027 races through Runham with the 13.31 London St. Pancras to Paris Nord service on June 10, 2017. Phil Chilton

Eurostar and Thalys merger deal is approved by European Commission

THE MERGER between Eurostar and Thalys has been approved by the European Commission. It was first announced in September 2019, with the aim of receiving approval in spring 2020, however, the pandemic delayed the approval process.

Eurostar is 55% owned by SNCF, 5%

by SNCB, and 40% by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Hermes Infrastructure. The latter acquired its stake from the British Government in 2015.

SNCF will take full control of Thalys’ parent company THIF Factory, which is jointly controlled by the French

operator and SNCB. The Eurostar brand is being retained.

Thalys runs high-speed services in Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

The merger involves reorganising Eurostar and Thalys under a holding company, HoldCo. This will have 100% of the shares of both operators, with SNCF solely managing Eurostar.

The holding company will be based in Brussels, while train control will be based in London for Eurostar operations and Brussels for Thalys.

Eurostar services during the coronavirus pandemic dropped to one train

per day on the St. Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord and St. Pancras International to Brussels routes.

Trains have slowly been reintroduced over the past few months although not all routes are running, while trains are still not calling at Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International until the end of 2022 at the earliest.

Eurostar has also reintroduced its remaining refurbished E300 Class 373 trains on its services, with the trains being stored for a period while demand for services was low.

Northern is trying to improve newspaper recycling with its When It’s Read It’s Blue campaign. Blue recycling bins have been introduced at 10 stations for newspapers. They are installed at Manchester Victoria, Morpeth, Cramlington, Alnmouth, Skipton, Bradford Forster Square, Shipley and Meadowhall, Blackpool North, and Halifax.

Southeastern has teamed up with the YMCA to donate abandoned bikes left at local stations to the West Kent division of the charity. The bikes are transferred to Sevenoaks station every six months, where they are collected by YMCA West Kent. The bikes are then overhauled and repaired by youngsters on a training scheme before they are sold in YMCA stores to raise funds to support these training programmes.

Avanti West Coast Team Leader Tommy Michalek, 65, who worked at Carlisle station, completed his final shift at the station on March 31 before retiring – clocking up 50 years of working on the railway. Mr Michalek began his railway career in 1971 at the age of 15.

TransPennine Express has launched a new walking and cycling guide. The booklet is available free of charge from selected TPE stations and features a variety of walks and bike rides, including a number of accessible routes, which can all be reached by train and start directly from Hull, Marsden, Malton, or Scarborough stations.

An aerial study of Northern’s depot at Newton Heath in North Manchester on March 28. A range of Class 150, 156, and 195 DMUs are stabled in the depot yard awaiting their next duties, as 150005 heads past the depot working a Clitheroe to Rochdale service and Metrolink M5000 light rail vehicle 3120 heads a Metrolink service from East Didsbury to Rochdale on the approach to Newton Heath and Moston stop (on the site of the former Dean Lane station). Tom McAtee

www.railwaysillustrated.co.uk

Govia Thameslink Railway has just re-treated its 20,000th train with a long-lasting viricide that kills coronavirus for weeks at a time. With Covid cases increasing in recent weeks, the continued application will give passengers added confidence about returning to rail. The viricide has been applied to all trains in the GTR fleet, and they are regularly re-treated.

June 2022 RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED 11

NEWS

‘Tyne-Tees Tractors’ raises £35,000 for children’s hospice A CHARITY fundraising charter that took a pair of Class 37s on a three-day tour of the railway network around the North East has raised about £35,000 for Martin House children’s hospice in Wetherby, West Yorkshire.

‘The Tyne-Tees Tractors’ ran from April 8-10 and was organised by the Branch Line Society and Network Rail staff from York Rail Operating Centre (ROC), taking the Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s main line-registered 37403 Isle of Mull and West Coast Railways 37516 Loch Laidon on tour. The train was operated by WCR, using the SRPS’s Mk.1 main line rake of coaching stock.

As with most BLS tours, the train also visited various obscure sidings, loops and branches that are not normally used for passenger services.

Other highlights included visits to the

Port of Sunderland and the Hitachi factory at Newton Aycliffe.

Network Rail operations director Chris Gee said rail staff gave their time for free – such as mobile operations managers clamping and scotching points, or control staff acting as stewards and organisers on board.

Prizes were donated for an auction in conjunction with the charter, including a day trip for two on an inspection saloon tour using former Southern Region General Manager’s Saloon Caroline, a chance to have a go on the York ROC signalling simulator, and also a day on the brand new Clayton Class 18 locomotive that is on trial at Whitemoor Yard.

One of the organising team of the train, Jerry Dickinson, who is a Network Rail employee based at York ROC, said: “What we achieved

The Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s recently reactivated 37403 Isle of Mull approaches Newcastle on April 8 on the first day of the three-day ‘The Tyne-Tees Tractors’ charity tour organised by the Branch Line Society and staff from York ROC. The operation of the tour has raised about £35,000 for Martin House children’s hospice. West Coast Railway’s 37516 Loch Laidon was on the rear of the train.

Chris Gee

The unusual sight of 37403 Isle of Mull at the head of a passenger train at the Port of Sunderland on April 8. As with most Branch Line Society tours, ‘The Tyne-Tees Tractors’ visited a number of locations, sidings, loops and branches not usually traversed by passenger services. Chris Gee

over the weekend was a culmination of months of planning to get an itinerary that was both marketable and interesting for those who like unusual track and decent traction on the main line.

“This was achieved only thanks to massive cross-industry support, including Hitachi and the Port of Sunderland, which went above and beyond to accommodate us and showed real interest in both our train and Martin House Hospice.

“Over the past four trains we have collaborated with many parts of the industry and have often had competing freight operators working side by side to deliver for us.

“This was another example of the way the rail industry cooperates with helping to raise money for charity, and we are indebted to them for bringing this event and others to fruition.

“We hope that there will be more trains in the coming year, similarly supporting our charity of choice, which is very close to home – Martin

House has helped many inside and outside of the railway family.”

Martin House Hospice is located in Wetherby and features two facilities for the care of children who have life-limiting conditions and are in need of their services, offering care and support for families across West, East and North Yorkshire.

Martin House itself is a nine-bedroom facility for younger children, while Whitby Lodge on the same site provides six rooms for older children aged between 13 and 19.

As with most hospices in the UK, Martin House relies heavily on fundraising to help it provide the care needed by their patients and their families.

Kev Adlam, from the BLS, has set up a JustGiving fundraising page for anyone who wasn’t able to take part in the tour but who wishes to support the charity.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can visit www.justgiving.com and search for Kev Adlam for further details.

GB Railfreight Class 67 debuts on the Caledonian Sleeper ONE OF the two Class 67 acquired earlier this year

by GB Railfreight from Colas Rail Freight has made its debut on the Caledonian Sleeper, for which GB Railfreight provides the traction.

Still carrying the vivid yellow, orange and black Colas livery but without any branding, 67023 Stella worked with 73966 from Edinburgh Waverley to Inverness on April 8, returning a Class 67 to the head of a Caledonian Sleeper service – once a common sight when the sleeper services were previously operated by DB Cargo.

The Caledonian Sleeper is usually hauled by a GBRf Class 92 from London Euston to the Scottish central belt. Upon arrival at Edinburgh Waverley, the sleeper is split into three portions, with one portion heading to Fort William, another to Aberdeen, and the third going to Inverness.

12 RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED June 2022

These three trains are then worked by Class 73/9 locomotives (usually 76966-971) which have had their electric third rail shoe gear removed and are fitted with larger fuel tanks.

While the Fort William and Aberdeen services are operated by single Class 73/9s, the Inverness train usually has a locomotive added in front of the Class 73, with GBRf Class 66s being used mostly in recent times. The Class 73/9 is required as it needs to act as a translator locomotive and is fitted with couplers that can be coupled to the Mk.5 Sleeper stock in use on the trains.

GBRf leases 67023 and 67027 Charlotte from Beacon Rail and the two locomotives are expected to be used extensively on Caledonian Sleeper services to allow Class 66s to be released for other GBRf contracts.

In the early hours of April 8, 67023 Stella and 73966 stand at the head of the Inverness-bound Caledonian Sleeper. The former Colas Rail Freight locomotive has now been transferred to GB Railfreight along with 67027 Charlotte, with it planned the two locomotives will be mainly utilised on these services. Kieran Fallows

www.railwaysillustrated.co.uk

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