The Railway Magazine August 2016 preview

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35 miles of sidings needed to store redundant rolling stock

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Thornbury Castle - main line plan revealed

ELECTRIC IEP Tested on GW Main Line

FROM GRANITE CITY TO MOUNTS BAY

SHAPING UP: ‘P2’ FRONT END

INSIDE DRAX

■ SOUTHERN CRISIS AS 340 TRAINS CANCELLED ■ THE LIFE OF RILEY

Contents

August 2016. No. 1,385. Vol 162. A journal of record since 1897.

Headline News

GWR IEP tested between Reading and Didcot - p7.

First electric IEP tests on GW main line; Settle & Carlisle line to reopen in March 2017; £28million chord used less than twice a day; Vivarail 'D Train' for Nuneaton-Coventry trial; 35 miles of sidings required to store redundant stock; L&B get planning permission for Blackmoor extension; First Chinnor line train to Princes Risborough.

On the cover

MAIN IMAGE: Philip Hawkins' stunning painting of‘Castle’4-6-0 No. 7027 Thornbury Castle on shed at Wolverhampton Stafford Road in 1959.

Signed limited edition prints are available from www.quicksilverpublishing or by calling 01626 773288, priced at £85 plus p&p.

INSET 1: 'Super Voyager' No. 221126 at Edinburgh Waverley - see p28.

IAN LOTHIAN

INSET 2: The face of 'P2' No. 2007 unveiled - see p71. A1SLT INSET 3: DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66057 leaving Drax power station - see p20. CHRIS MILNER

Track Record The Railway Magazine’s monthly news digest 68 Steam & Heritage

Waterman sells Thornbury Castle; Oliver Cromwell returns to service; 'P2' gets its face; East Coast line-up at Shildon; news focus on the North Norfolk Railway.

74 Industrial Steam 76 Steam Portfolio 78 Traction & Stock

South West Trains new Class 707s on test; pioneer Class 150 overhauled; Class 37 named after Cold War bomber; second loco-hauled diagram for Greater Anglia.

83 Traction Portfolio 84 Irish News 87 Classic Traction

Unique Co-Bo breaks cover; big backers for 10000 project; more 'Deltic' dates for Nene Valley Railway.

90 Freight 92 Network

Chiltern and West Midlands upgrade plans; new Bromsgrove station opens; the end for Banbury's 'boxes.

94 Metro 96 Narrow Gauge

Talyllyn gala spectacular; Chevallier moves to Welshpool; three in steam for Penrhyn line.

98 Railtours 103 World 106 Operations

Our round-up of news from the train and freight operating companies.

Left: The Talyllyn's 'Old Lady' at 150 - p96

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34 Reviews

Your thoughts on the topics that matter to you.

46 Years Apart A look at Gorebridge - then and now.

59 Meetings Details of railway society meetings near you.

audited circulation of makes it by far the

12 Multiple Aspects 12 Railways in Parliament

36 Readers' Platform

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Regulars

The latest railway books under the spotlight.

Direct Rail Services Class 37s Nos. 37259 and 37069 work across the impressive 302m-long Eskmeals viaduct, near Ravenglass, in charge of 17.18 Sellafield -Crewe flasks (6K73) on Wednesday June 29. GORDON EDGAR

Panorama - p61

60 From The RM Archives

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What The RM was reporting 20, 50 and 100 years ago.

61 Panorama

Our monthly gallery of the best railway photography.

112 Heritage Diary 122 Prize Crossword and Where Is It?

Call 01507 529529 or see page 32 for our latest offers

Features

14 "To be or not to be..."

Fraser Pithie delves into the history of the Great Western's Stratford to Cheltenham line before the coming of the preserved Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, exploring the line's origins and the reasons behind its closure.

20 Inside Drax

26 Granite City to Mounts Bay

This month's Practice & Performance sees John Heaton travel the 776 miles between Aberdeen and Penzance on what remains Britain's longest passenger journey.

39 Two decades of Perrygrove

Cliff Thomas visits the 15in-gauge Perrygrove Railway, a line that this year celebrates its 20th anniversary.

48 Steam's newest works

Ian Riley has been in the news of late thanks to the overhaul of 'A3' Flying Scotsman by his engineering company, Riley & Son. Nick Brodrick went to meet him at Bury to get the inside story on his brand-new steam workshop.

54 Facing up to the challenge

RM editor Chris Milner gets a rare glimpse behind the scenes at Drax power station, discovering more about its use of biomass as a fuel source, and how its transport has become a major freight contract.

44 Swedish Strategic Reserve

Bob Sweet reports from Sweden as the wraps are removed from the final two steam locomotives in the nation's now-disbanded strategic reserve.

Virgin Trains East Coast's managing director David Horne talks to Nick Pigott about the challenges faced in taking on the ECML franchise, and explains how VTEC intends to make the operation a success.

MOVING BIOMASS: Inside Drax - p20

LIFE OF RILEY: Steam's newest works - p48

FACING THE CHALLENGE: Virgin East Coast - p54

August 2016 • The Railway Magazine • 5

STRATFORD-CHELTENHAM SPOTLIGHT

“To be or not to be...”

It’s 40 years since a cash-strapped British Rail closed what was an alternative rail route between Birmingham and Cheltenham, avoiding the Lickey Incline. Fraser Pithie looks back over the origins of the line, its heyday, its chequered existence post a BR reorganisation, its closure, what happened afterwards, and why demands are now growing for the northern section of the line to be reopened.

GWR Prairie No. 4172 sits in platform 4 at Stratford-upon-Avon on June 15, 1957. Today, the line has buffer stops in the vicinity of the loco at the far end of the train. COLOUR RAIL

T

HE railway line from Stratford-uponAvon via Honeybourne to Cheltenham was completed some 110 years ago in 1906. It was one of several ‘cut off’ lines built by the Great Western Railway at a time when railways were still expanding, and there was relentless pressure on rail companies to secure and provide the best possible services.

The new line provided the GWR with a through route from its vast South Western and Wales network into and out of Birmingham stations, primarily Snow Hill but also Moor Street. It enabled connection with the GWR’s network to and from the West Midlands and north through Wolverhampton, Wellington and onto Chester General and Birkenhead

(Woodside). Starting with a junction at the south of Cheltenham Spa’s present day station, previously the LMS’s Cheltenham Lansdown Road station, the new route removed the need for the GWR to share LMS metals between Cheltenham and Birmingham that included the notorious 1-in-37 Lickey Incline.

Racecourse

The GWR’s line took a north-easterly direction from Lansdown Road with two stations provided for Cheltenham, one known as Cheltenham Malvern Road and a branch off to termini close to the town centre known as Cheltenham St James.

After leaving Cheltenham, the line ran

BR ‘9F’ No. 92139 clanks north past Honeybourne West Loop signalbox on April 25, 1964, with a mixed freight.

COLOUR RAIL

14 • The Railway Magazine • August 2016

alongside the famous Cheltenham racecourse northwards passing the villages of Bishops Cleeve, Winchcombe and Toddington. The line skirted the Cotswold tourist town of Broadway, with the next significant location being Honeybourne, where it crossed the GWR’s main Worcester-Oxford-London Paddington main line.

An extensive series of curves and loops installed at Honeybourne provided maximum connectivity between the Worcester to Paddington line and the new Stratford-uponAvon to Cheltenham route, enabling significant network flexibility for both passenger and freight.

Long Marston, just north of Honeybourne, on the Stratford to Cheltenham line, was selected as the location for what was known as Central Engineer Park. One of the primary factors in making the choice for the main base for Britain’s Royal Engineers at the outbreak of the Second World War was the north and south railway connectivity provided by the Stratford to Cheltenham railway line and the east and west connectivity some 2.5 miles away at Honeybourne.

From the outset of its planning by the GWR, the Cheltenham to Stratford-upon-Avon line was never intended to be developed for or meet major demand at intermediate points. In summary the line would be best described as an express route for West Midlands to South West and South Wales traffic, mixed with a core of local services.

Consequently, the line saw its busiest time from the 1930s through to the early

20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

Perrygrove TWO DECADES OF STEAM AT

Alan Keef Ltd 2-6-2T Lydia pilots Exmoor 0-6-0T Spirit of Adventure away from Perrygrove station.

PICTURES  ALL BY CLIFF THOMAS

The Perrygrove Railway is approaching its 20th anniversary. With an enthusiastic and experienced young family team at the regulator it looks set fair for the next couple of decades, as Cliff Thomas reports.

T

HE 15in-gauge Perrygrove Railway, near Coleford, in the Forest of Dean, has always been a family-run operation with families at the forefront of its appeal. Nothing wrong with that. Frankly, this is the core market for almost all heritage steam lines regardless of gauge. Similarly, as always, there is also plenty of appeal for what might be termed the enthusiast sector – after all, it is a steam railway!

That the anniversary will be celebrated with an Exmoor Extravaganza gala is significant.

No, the minimum gauge railway is not trying to replicate the wild beauty of Exmoor National Park, as the September 17-18 event will showcase steam locomotives constructed

by Trevor Stirland’s Exmoor Steam Railway – highly appropriate to both the line’s origins and its future.

When Michael Crofts set about developing a new railway at Perrygrove Farm, Trevor and Tony Stirland offered to build him a

15in-gauge steam locomotive – the result was Exmoor SR 0-6-0T Spirit of Adventure, and with it a decision as to what gauge the new railway should be.

Looking to the future, Exmoor 0-6-2T No. 323/2004 will be launched into service in a new livery carrying its new name, Anne.

David Nelson-Brown, a few months after buying the railway, on the footplate of Exmoor SR-built 0-4-0TT No. 312 St. Egwin when the loco visited Perrygrove in September 2014.

It is being overhauled for its new owner by Jim and Helen Shackle, following purchase from Longleat (where it was No. 6 John Hayton) by a Perrygrove volunteer.

Backing them up will be a trio of visiting Exmoor locos as reported in The RM’s news pages (see p96).

The Forest of Dean was not specifically targeted when Michael Crofts and his wife, Frances, started looking for a suitable location to build a railway in 1990. Both were in full-time employment, living in Surrey, but minded to turn their railway hobby into a small business. It was important that planning permission could be obtained to allow opening to the public, and the railway needed to be in an accessible location. It also needed to be in an interesting landscape – at an affordable price!

Potential locations, ranging from South Wales to Northumbria, were scrutinised, Perrygrove Farm emerging for consideration in 1993. The buildings were in disrepair, but the August 2016 • The Railway Magazine • 39

LIFE OF RILEY

Steam’s newest W

WORKS

- where rails are not needed Ian Riley is now ensconced in his fourth railway workshops as his engineering company celebrates 25 years in the business. Nick Brodrick paid a first visit to Riley & Son (E) Ltd’s new Heywood premises.

All pictures by the author, unless otherwise stated.

The new 17 and 32-ton travelling cranes loom large over the Riley & Sons’ first dedicated The new 17- and 32-ton travelling largeKing overEdward Riley &IISons’ first boiler shop.

The upturned boiler ofcranes ‘King’loom No. 6024 stands to dedicated the left. boiler shop.

The upturned boiler of ‘King’ 6024 King the34046 left, and the tender Prominent to the right is the tenderNo. tank that willEdward be usedI stands behindtoNo. Braunton. tank that will be used behind No. 34046 Braunton is to the right.

48 • The Railway Magazine • August 2016

HAT do plastic bags and steam locomotives have in common?

Answer? An industrial building near Rochdale that once served the big chain supermarkets and is now helping to put the ‘steam’ into preserved railways and the main line.

The unassuming-looking structure at the ‘top end’ of Sefton Street is the new, fully equipped home of Riley & Son (E) Ltd, and has been rapidly filled with machinery and locomotive components since its relocation from Bury.

Famed for the pivotal role in rebuilding the National Railway Museum’s ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman, the business is now focusing on other major projects, if not quite so glamorous or high-profile, at its new home on the edge of the brooding Pennine hills.

The building in Heywood – within sight of the East Lancashire Railway’s (ELR) south-eastern terminus – was until 18 months ago the hub of a firm that produced supermarket shopping bags. Last year’s change in legislation that demands shoppers pay 5p for every bag saw demand plummet and sent the incumbent company into administration. The beneficiary was Ian Riley’s engineering business, which had

Panorama

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s ‘new’ Bulleid Pacific No. 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. looks well in the summer sunlight as it runs

by Dixton on July 7. MALCOLM RANIERI

Fresh-out-of-the-box DRS Class 68 No. 68019 looks smart in its ‘Compass’ livery as it passes Alrewas with the 13.42 MountsorrelCrewe Basford Hall loaded ballast (6U77) on March 7. PHIL GRAIN

August 2016 • The Railway Magazine • 61

TRACKRECORD e Railway Magazine news dig

P68 STEAM P74 INDUSTRIAL P78 TRACTION & ROLLING STOCK P87 CLASSIC TRACTION P90 FREIGHT P92 NETWORK P94 METRO P96 NARROW GAUGE P98 RAILTOURS P103 WORLD P106 OPERATIONS

Traction & Stock Track Record COMPILED BY

CHRIS MILNER

Call: 01507 529589 email: cmilner @mortons.co.uk

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

SOUTH West Trains and train manufacturer Siemens have given a preview of their new Class 707 EMUs to a small party of railway journalists.

SWT has ordered 30 five-car EMUs from Siemens, which are part of the‘Desiro City’family and similar to the Class 700 units being built for Govia Thameslink.

Although the units are not due to enter service until spring 2017, Siemens has completed six sets, which were all built on a production line at their Krefeld factory alongside two lines of Thameslink carriages.

Production of the 707s has halted temporarily ahead of summer holidays, but will restart in the late summer. One SWT vehicle will be completed each day and then taken to the Wildenrath test centre to be formed into units.

Differences

While the sets are mechanically and electrically similar to the Class 700s, the differences are internal.

Unlike the Thameslink units, SWT’s Class 707s will have power sockets and free wi-fi – although discussions about this feature for the Class 700 are ongoing, with completed units being retro-fitted.

SWT has opted for a 2+2 or 2+1 style of seating, and no first class, which provides wider gangways and vestibule areas to give an increased standing area.

While there are 271 seats,

First views of SWT’s new Class 707 EMUs

The 1+2 seating and wide gangway. The floors and other seats have protective covers.

The editor at the controls of No. 707002.

Siemens has calculated that with people standing, the train’s capacity would be 532 passengers; SWT has indicated that in the morning and evening peaks 10-car formations would operate. The seating configuration can be changed if demand changes, say SWT. Since 1997/8, SWT routes have seen a growth of between 110262% and Waterloo now handles 99 million passengers every year, so even more carriages above the Class 456s, cascaded from Southern and the Class 458/5 conversions, are needed.

This order, with the 456s and converted 458s, will have added 500 carriages for SWT by the end of the franchise.

Other differences are that the sets have no toilet, but again, retro-fitting is possible.

Tip-up seats are provided, and each carriage has CCTV and a

Set No. 707002 on the Wildenrath test track on July 15. PICTURES: CHRIS MILNER

passenger information system.

A passenger counting system has been installed, as has a vehicle loading system, based on weight. This loading system is designed to transmit advance information to stations along the line advising passengers through a traffic light system which carriages are less loaded, the theory being it will reduce dwell times.

working in close proximity to the third rail.

The six units are all on test at Siemens’Wildenrath test track (known as PCW – Prüfcenter Wildenrath), where they are being type tested and undergoing mileage accumulation. This testing, at speeds of up to 100mph, will continue until November.

The first unit is due in the UK around October/November Live-streamed for gauge clearance, testing, In the driving cab, the driver homologation, and Network will be assisted by an advisory Rail approval, followed by system to help keep on schedule, performance tests and driver and and wiring is in place for ETCS guard training. fitment.

SWT envisages the units in The trains internal and external traffic by the following spring, CCTV can be downloaded for however, the construction and view or live-streamed as required. testing phase is a couple of One safety change over months ahead of schedule, so it the Class 700 units is that the could be earlier. sandboxes are filled from Driver-only operation of the inside the vehicle so as to avoid Class 707s is possible, with SWT

having worked closely with its staff and rail unions during the design over specific features and unit operation, and envisages no industrial disputes.

Pantographs

The testing at Wildenrath is on both third rail and 25kV overhead, the units being fitted with a Class 700 pantograph.

On arrival in the UK, the first two units to arrive will be delivered with pantographs. This is at the request of owners Angel Trains so as to certify the unit for 25kV operation in the UK, which future-proofs the trains, allowing them to be cascaded to another operator or route in the future.

This testing is likely to be carried out on the West Coast Main Line, and on completion the pantographs will be returned to Germany for fitting to a Class 700 unit.

Class 68 takes up second Anglia loco-hauled diagram THE substantial damage suffered to the front end, underframe and engine assembly to Abellio Greater Anglia DMU No. 170204 when it hit a tractor near Thetford in April has led to the introduction of a second loco-hauled diagram.

With one short set top-andtailed by Class 37s already operating, driver training on a top-and-tailed Class 68 set, with three Riviera Trains Mk2F carriages, started on July 2.

The replacement service started on July 11. The second set will operate until at least September 30.

Abellio is looking at options after that date until the damaged unit is repaired.

In the first week, the locos used were Nos. 68016 Fearless and 68023 Achilles, with TSO carriages Nos. 5921, 5950 and BSO No. 9520.

Class 68s work these services: 2P06 06.52 Norwich-Great Yarmouth 2P07 07.30 Great YarmouthNorwich 2P10 08.09 Norwich-Great Yarmouth 2P11 08.46 Great YarmouthNorwich 2J70 10.05 Norwich-Lowestoft 2J73 10.57 LowestoftNorwich 2P28 16.40 Norwich-Great Yarmouth 2P29 17.18 Great YarmouthNorwich 2P34 18.06 Norwich-Great Yarmouth 2C35 18.47 Great YarmouthNorwich 2P40 20.40 Norwich-Great Yarmouth 2P41 21.18 Great YarmouthNorwich 2J94 22.05 Norwich-Lowestoft

78 • The Railway Magazine • August 2016

DRS Class 68 No. 68023 top-and-tails No. 68016 past Haddiscoe on July 4 with the 09.02 NorwichLowestoft crew-training run. JOHN PINK

Classic Traction Track Record COMPILED BY

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SIDELINES First outing for Severn Valley‘Teddy Bear’

CLASS 14 No. D9551 is undergoing restoration on the Severn Valley Railway at Bridgnorth, and made its first test run to Kidderminster on June 11. It hauled Class 50 No. 50035 Ark Royal as a load.

Unique Co-Bo makes big strides CLASS 28 No. D5705, the only survivor of the 20 MetroVick Co-Bo DEs, was reunited with its bogies on May 14 at the East Lancashire Railway, in the yard at Bury.

The locomotive had been placed on stands several years ago while its bogies were overhauled by volunteers.

Two cranes, one road and one rail, were used to lift the sheeted-over locomotive off the stands and back on to its Co and Bo bogies – a great team effort from all those involved with this unique project.

Restoration has been

on-going for many years and is a mammoth task. The overhaul of the last three traction motors at Bowers has also been completed. The control gear, which needs to be overhauled, refitted and rewired, is another monumental undertaking.

Having been reassembled, the loco was placed on display in platform 1 at Bury Bolton St station over the diesel gala weekend of July 8-10.

It is seen the day before the event, having been moved into the bay ready to be displayed for the first time in many years.

Picture: RORY LUSHMAN

‘Warship’ returns to former haunts after WSR jaunt THE Bury Hydraulic Group’s Class 42 No. D832 Onslaught re-entered service on the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) during the railway’s July 8-10 diesel gala.

This follows a return to its home base at Bury from an extended visit to the West Somerset Railway.

The‘Warship’, which has not been seen on the ELR in BR green livery for a long time, passes Brooksbottom with the 12.36 Bury-Ramsbottom working on July 10.

Diesel replaces Wickham at Aln Valley?

THE Aln Valley Railway is running a diesel service from Lionheart station on selected days in August, some possibly replacing the advertised Wickham trolley service, while it remains unserviceable.

These trains run on 4, 7, 9, 11, 16, 18 and 21.

Pioneer Sulzer Type 2 visits Wensleydale

CLASS 26 No. 26007 (D5300), from Barrow Hill, is working the summer season on the Wensleydale Railway until late September.

Lavender Line gains a‘Gronk’

CLASS 09 No. 09026 has arrived on the Lavender Line from Southern TOC, which used it at Lovers Walk depot, Brighton.

‘Hoover’ Hood starts up again

SEVERN Valley Railway-based Class 50 No. 50031 Hood was started up on June 20 for the first time since its repainting in InterCity livery (RM July, p84).

The commissioning of other systems has also begun.

Hood was able to take power for short runs in the yard at Kidderminster, but some minor faults with the main generator, AVR, brake systems, and ETH control came to light. These will need to be rectified so there is still much more to do before the English Electric Type 4 can enter service.

It is due to have its nameplates applied for a dedication ceremony at Kidderminster on September 17 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the sinking of HMS Hood by German battleship Bismarck in 1941.

Picture: GRAHAM ROOSE

South Devon ‘Crompton’ back in action… but not for long

Rare sights at Chasewater

THE South Devon Railway’s Class 33 No. D6501, like the WSR ‘Western’, was another loco in the South West to return to public service on June 25.

It had been inoperative for about 20 months with a main generator armature problem, which has been repaired and refitted. It was allocated

duty on the diesel roster that day and is seen heading the 13.00 Buckfastleigh-Totnes Littlehempston service.

Unfortunately, the loco failed later in the day and had to be returned, with its train, to Buckfastleigh by GWR 0-6-0 No. 3205, sent out to rescue it.

Picture: DAVID HUNT

AN UNUSUAL-looking diesel entered service on the Chasewater Railway during the coal train weekend in June.

0-4-0DH Myfanwy (Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns 8366/ Bagnall 3211 of 1962) was built

by RSH at Darlington to a Bagnall design after the latter was taken over by English Electric. It has recently been transferred from the Foxfield Railway.

Since arrival at Chasewater, Myfanwy has worked its first passenger trains in preservation, never having done so at Foxfield, where it arrived in October 2003.

It was one of three locos built for use at the Royal Ordnance

Factory at Pembrey, South Wales.

After acquisition by Alan Keef Ltd in1993 its cab was replaced by the cut-down one now carried, for use by Tarmac Trackwork on a contract on the London Underground. This is to be replaced by a standard-size cab over the coming winter, using original drawings.

Myfanwy is seen on June 18 heading Chasewater’s now unique rake of MGR wagons as it passes Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Colin McAndrew, hauling ex-Stanton & Staveley iron works slag ladle No. 6, believed to be the only one running on a heritage railway. Picture: ALISTAIR GRIEVE

August 2016 • The Railway Magazine • 87

Narrow Gauge Track Record COMPILED BY

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email: railway@ mortons.co.uk

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

Exmoor all the way for Perrygrove’s 2016 gala!

PERRYGROVE Railway’s September 17-18 gala event is centred on Exmoor Steam Railway-built locos (RM August 2015) and will feature three visiting 15in-gauge Exmoor locos, with the outside possibility of a fourth guest.

Perrygrove’s Keef 2-6-2T Lydia will visit Evesham Vale Light Railway (EVLR) for two weeks, releasing EVLR’s 0-4-2T Monty (previously Markeaton Lady) and EVR-based 0-4-0TT No. 312 St. Egwin to attend Perrygrove’s gala.

The third booked visitor is Sandy, from Sir Jeremy Sullivan’s Wooton Light Railway, making its first appearance at a line other than its Oxfordshire home.

Appeal to owners

The guests will join resident Exmoor 0-6-0T Spirit of Adventure and ex-Longleat 0-6-2T 323/2004 John Hayton (by then overhauled), which is to be renamed Anne.

The majority of Exmoor Steam Railway locomotive production is 10¼in and 12¼in gauge, and Perrygrove would be delighted to talk to any owners interested in taking their locos to the gathering as static exhibits.

Privately owned ‘Baldwin’ 0-4-0 tender loco Soony will be back at Perrygrove for the gala after a summer visiting other locations.

Ex-Bush Mill Railway (Tasmania) 0-4-0+0-4-0 Garratt Tasmania is now out of ticket and undergoing overhaul in Perrygrove’s workshops.

The Garratt is still for sale, but is not expected to run at the event.

The first day of the gala coincides with the annual Alan Keef Ltd open day at nearby Lea Line.

■ See feature on p39 as Perrygrove celebrates 20 years of steam.

Spectacular Talyllyn 150 ‘grand finale’ gala

TALYLLYN Railway’s The Grand Finale gala lived up to every expectation.

The July 1-3 event specifically celebrated the 150th birthday of TR’s Fletcher, Jennings 0-4-0WT No. 2 Dolgoch, while rounding off the series of events marking TR’s 150th anniversary.

Bluebell Railway’s standard gauge Fletcher, Jennings 158/1877 Captain Baxter, steaming at 2ft 3in-gauge Talyllyn Railway’s Wharf station, was unprecedented.

For it to be flanked by Amberley’s Fletcher, Jennings 0-4-0T 172L/1880 Townsend Hook and Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Trust’s Fletcher, Jennings 173L/1880 0-4-0T William Finlay (both 3ft 2¼in-gauge locos being newly cosmetically restored) was a sight to savour, as it reunited the trio of ex-Dorking Greystone Lime Co’s locomotives for the first time since Betchworth Quarries closed in 1960.

Add Talyllyn’s Fletcher, Jennings pair Dolgoch (63/1866) and 0-4-2ST No. 1 Talyllyn

The Bluebell Railway’s standard gauge Fletcher, Jennings 158/1877 Captain Baxter (centre) in steam at 2ft 3in-gauge Talyllyn Railway’s Wharf station, flanked by 172L/1880 Townsend Hook (far side) and 173L/1880 William Finlay (near side). CLIFF THOMAS

(42/1864) to present all five surviving UK-based Fletcher, Jennings locomotives at the same location easily justified ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ billing.

Saturday morning saw a birthday cake for Dolgoch cut by recently appointed Talyllyn Railway general manager Tracey Parkinson, accompanied by

Birthday girl: Fletcher, Jennings 0-4-0WT Dolgoch (63/1866) leads 0-4-2ST No. 1 Talyllyn (42/1864), hauling Talyllyn Railway’s complete original train of carriage stock at Brynglas on July 3.

CLIFF THOMAS

IoM ‘new’ diesel-electric out of action for a year IT HAS emerged that Isle of Man Railways’£400,000 diesel-electric locomotive No. 21 – delivered to IoM in December 2013 – has been out of service since June 2014.

The advertisement placed in The RM (June p112) seeking expressions of interest in manufacturing new bogie frames, brake gear, re-manufacture of reduction gearboxes, and inspection/repair of traction motors refers to this locomotive, which was supplied by Motive Power and Equipment Solutions of Greenville, South Carolina, USA. Following post-delivery problems (RM June 2014), resolved by fitting a new Cummins engine at the manufacturer’s expense under warranty, No. 21 was commissioned into service on

96 • The Railway Magazine • August 2016

July 24, 2014. However, an accessto-government information request by The Manx Independent (TMI) revealed the locomotive has hauled just 34 passenger (commuter and dining) trains since entering service, plus an unrecorded number of works trains during 11 weeks when the Douglas to Port Erin line was closed in winter 2014/15, Withdrawal came during 2015 TT week, and followed discovery of two‘loose’tyres, although the advertisement placed in The RM

by Graham Morris Engineering Ltd implies identification of the need for significantly more work.

TMI’s information request also established the final cost of No. 21 was £417,570,69, including delivery, paid in three annual stages.

Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society chairman Jane Garvey.

Dolgoch then worked a VIP train of original TR passenger stock up the Fathew Valley.

Other special operations included slate and mixed trains and, on the Sunday, Nos. 1 and 2 hauling TR’s original passenger stock (four carriages and brakevan) to Nant Gwernol.

TR’s other operational steam locos – Kerr, Stuart 0-4-2ST Edward Thomas, Barclay 0-4-0WT Douglas, and Barclay/TR 0-4-2T Tom Rolt – also featured.

The Ballast dock, long a feature of the south side of Wharf station, was removed and the area filled and levelled prior to the gala, providing the location to lay standard gauge track to accommodate Captain Baxter.

MRT’s Hudswell, Clarke confirmed for Leighton Buzzard August visit

MOSELEY Railway Trust’s Hudswell, Clarke 0-6-0WT 1238/1916 is the first confirmed guest for Leighton Buzzard Railway’s August 28-31 and September 1-5 event, marking the centenary of War Department Light Railways starting First World War operations on the Western Front.

The visit reciprocates Leighton Buzzard-based Baldwin 4-6-0T WDLR No. 778 appearing at Moseley’s May 13-15 Tracks to the Trenches 2016 event.

Hudswell, Clarke 1238/1916 visited Leighton

Buzzard Railway (LBR) in 2008 prior to its restoration, but has never steamed there.

The original Leighton Buzzard Light Railway (the pre-preservation form of today’s line) had two steam locomotives of the same type when it opened in 1919. Both were scrapped long ago.

Patrick Keef’s Bagnall 0-4-0ST Woto (WB2132/ 1924) is visiting LBR between July 25-August 22, during which it will make selected appearances hauling scheduled passenger services.

World South Africa Special COMPILED BY

KEITH FENDER

Call: 01507 529589

email: railway@ mortons.co.uk

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.

OVER the last 20 years many little-used rural lines in South Africa have been closed and mothballed often due to poor track condition or the loss of what freight there was to road transport.

However, the scenic line through Michell’s Pass, between Wolseley and Ceres, in the Western Cape region, has been the subject of the first successful branch line concessioning project with national rail freight operator Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), which provided the teams required to rehabilitate the entire line last year after local business people in the Ceres region decided to collaborate to reopen the line to both freight and tourist trains.

The new Ceres Rail Company bought three steam locomotives, stored at Voorbaai, from Transnet, as well as much of the derelict ex-Union Limited coaching stock,

Ceres rail revival offers hope for South African secondary lines

Right: The new owner of the line through Michell’s Pass – Transnet Freight Rail – has given its locos names: Ceres Railway coal-fired Class 19B No. 1412 (Berliner Maschinenbau 9838/1930) Bailey plus oil-burning Class 19D No 3321 Jessica (North British 1948/26041) are seen working en route from Voorbaai to Ceres via Worcester on March 14.

No. 1412 had just been overhauled in Voorbaai for Ceres Rail by Transnet, and this special train was used to move it to its new home. JEAN DULEZ

stored there since the end of this service in 2005.

The entire line from Wolseley to the terminus at Prince Alfred Hamlet (where there is a turning triangle) has been reopened to traffic.

TFR funded this project as refrigerated fruit traffic from Ceres will be guaranteed, and will use dedicated freight wagons and Class 35 diesel locos, hired from TFR. The steam locomotives will be refurbished and used for tourist trains; these comprise Class 19B, 4-8-2 No 1412, and North British-built Class 19D oil

burner 4-8-2s, Nos 3321 and 3322, the latter for use during the dry summer season. Nos. 3321 and 1412 have now been refurbished at Voorbaai.

Daytime steam passenger services, aimed at tourists, started in November 2015, staffed largely by volunteers, many of whom also work on the Atlantic Rail

steam trips out of Cape Town.

Four of the old Union Limited coaches and lounge cars had been refurbished in time for the start of services, which run from Demeter to Wolseley yard, where the train turns in the TFR yard.

Passengers have the option of getting off earlier at the Waverley Hills wine estate, outside Wolseley.

The company hopes to run two-day, one-night, weekend trips directly out of Cape Town in the future, once suitably refurbished sleepers are available.

More details about the Ceres Railway at: www.ceresrail.co.za Our thanks to Jean Dulez for much of the information in this report

New commuter trains arrive One of the South African-based leasing firms with ex-QR diesels is African Rail and Traction Services, which uses a light blue livery for its fleet. Ex-QR 2150 Class EMD GL26C-2 (built by Clyde Engineering in 1979) number 2161 is seen at Thomson Junction, near Hwange, Zimbabwe, on hire to the coal company there on May 16.

PASSENGER Rail Agency of Africa for testing. The Gibela Rail South Africa (PRASA) has 600 Transport joint venture, formed Alstom-built ‘X’Trapolis Mega’ in 2013, is led by Alstom with six-car commuter EMUs on order local South African firms, and – 3,600 coaches in total. The will build the remaining 580 first 20 trains are being built by trains at a new factory that is Alstom in Brazil, and the first of being constructed at Dunnottar, these has now arrived in South in Gauteng province.

Right: Two of the new Brazilian-built Alstom ‘X’Trapolis Mega’ dual-voltage EMUs for PRASA, being commissioned in Metrorail’s Wolmerton depot, in Pretoria, on June 27. JEAN DULEZ

JEAN DULEZ

Aussie diesels in Rovos Rail changes traction… and buys Shongololo Express AFRICAN luxury tour train sightseeing minibuses on flat Mozambique and Zimbabwe. locos were modernised and southern Africa SOUTH operator Rovos Rail expanded its wagons, enabling passengers to Rovos Rail has also bought rebuilt from QR 2100 Class locos

LARGE numbers of second-hand 1067mm-gauge diesel locos have been sold by operators in Queensland, Australia to operators and leasing firms in South Africa.

As a result former Queensland Railways (QR) locos can now be found working in many southern African countries, and small batches (four former QR 1720 Class GL18C-type EMD Co-Co’s and six 2600 Class GE U22C Co-Co’s) have been sold

by South African loco builder/ leaser Grindrod to the national operator in the Democratic Republic of Congo, now operating as SNCC Classes 1700 and 2200, respectively.

In addition, a small batch of four QR 3100 Class Tri-Bo electrics (Comeng/Hitachi 1986) have also been imported by Grindrod and leased to CNCC for three years.

Our thanks to Jean Dulez for information in this report.

operations earlier this year when it bought the Shongololo Express tourist train operation in March.

This is a less luxurious 3-star train than the (5-star) Rovos Rail main train, and carries

visit tourist sights and to go on safari at stops en route.

Shongololo Express specialises in trips from South Africa to neighbouring countries, including Namibia, Swaziland,

five ex-QR diesels to replace those provided by national operators in the several southern African countries its trains operate.

The former QR 2350 Class EMD

(GL26C, built in Clyde 1970-72) in 2007/08 by Downer, in Australia.

Prior to buying its own fleet Rovos had rented some unique Grindrod-built, EMD-engined GL30 Co-Co 3,000 HP diesels.

Right: One of the new Rovos Rail ex-QR locos DD2359 (originally built as QR2120) waiting to leave the Tanzanian Indian Ocean city of Dar es Salaam on February 2 before the 15-day rail cruise with the ‘Rovos Pride of Africa’ train to Cape Town.

PAUL GRIFFIN

Left: A pair of Grindrodtype GL30 Co-Co diesels – JIN 3004+JIN 3005 – hauling a Rovos Rail train between Pretoria and Germiston on October 1, 2013. Rovos now predominantly uses its own fleet. JEAN DULEZ

The Shongololo Express tourist train seen behind hired Transnet GE U26C Co-Co 34-045 on November 14, 2015.The sight-seeing minibuses are clearly visible on flat wagons behind the loco.

JEAN DULEZ

August 2016 • The Railway Magazine • 103