The Railway Magazine - December preview

◆ UNKNOWN WARRIOR’S LAST JOURNEY ◆ GHOST STORY

BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING RAIL TITLE December 2020

First Vivarail train arrives on Isle of Wight ■ Eurostar and HS1 say future at risk ■ Pannier joins Ecclesbourne steam fleet

MIDDLETON RAILWAY  ALWAYS A LEADER

EASY AS 1, 2, 3  THE NEW ‘NOVA’ TRAINS

EXTENDING THE BALA LAKE RAILWAY

◆ PULLMAN HST REVEALED ◆ DFT UNDER SCRUTINY OVER ‘ERMAS’

Contents

December 2020. No. 1,437. Vol 166. A journal of record since 1897.

Headline News

The first Class 484 unit for the Island Line is seen at Sandown on the Isle of Wight on November 19. The Vivarail units will replace the aged ‘1938 Stock’. JOHN FAULKNER

Network Rail safety concerns raised after Margam accident report, first Class 484 reaches Isle of Wight, Eurostar and HS1 say future could be at risk, DfT under scrutiny over ERMAs, Hinckley rail bridge is most struck in Britain, Paxman engine factory closes.

On the cover

MAIN IMAGES: Hawksworth 0-6-0PT No. 9466 departs Duffield on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway on October 30 during its first week of running since arriving on the line. A new agreement will see the loco based at Wirksworth for the next five years (see page 61).

ROBERT FALCONER

INSET 1: A profile of the Middleton Railway in its 60th year.

INSET 2: TransPennine Express ‘Nova’ fleet performance.

INSET 3: Bala Lake Railway extension plan.

Track Record The Railway Magazine’s monthly news digest 58 Steam & Heritage

‘Santa’ season question mark post-lockdown, West Somerset to run first trains this month, £1.9m grant for NYMR, Pannier for Plym Valley visit, ‘Duke’ gets its boiler.

63 Industrial Steam 64 Steam Portfolio 66 Narrow Gauge 68 Metro 70 Freight

On its way from Eastleigh to Crewe: HST power car No. 43055 leads the ex-works LSL ‘Midland Pullman’ through platform 2 at Nuneaton on October 30.

73 Heritage Trams 74 Classic Traction 76 Railtours 78 World 80 Network 82 Traction & Stock

LSL ‘Blue Pullman’ HST breaks cover, first Class 769 enters service with TfW, withdrawn ‘Pacer’ becomes a school library, Orion bi-mode parcels unit leaves Eastleigh.

‘Manor’ 4-6-0 No. 7822 Foxcote Manor climbs past Churchlands Bridge, West Somerset Railway, with an engineers’ train on November 2. DON BISHOP

85 Stock Update 88 Traction Portfolio 89 Operations

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49 From The RM Archives 50 Readers’ Platform 50 Railways in Parliament 52 Panorama 94 Christmas Gifts and Reviews 102 Classifieds 105 Reader Services 106 Crossword & Where Is It

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The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway’s Kerr, Stuart 0-4-2ST Melior heads a mixed train towards Sittingbourne on October 13, 2012. ROBIN STEWARTSMITH

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The much-anticipated return to service of ‘Castle’ No. 4079 Pendennis Castle came another step closer on November 7 when the 4-6-0’s boiler was reunited with the frames at Didcot Railway Centre following a successful steam test.

The milestone puts the locomotive on course for a triumphant comeback during the Great Western Society’s 60th anniversary next year. FRANK DUMBLETON/GWS

Features

12 It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3

In this month’s Practice & Performance John Heaton analyses and compares the three highly publicised ‘Nova’ trains (electric units and loco-hauled) introduced by TransPennine Express.

East Coast driver Mick Ingledew concludes his interview with Fraser Pithie, talking about the period from National Express to LNER and the introduction of the ‘Azuma’ trains.

26 Driving Through the Changes: Part 3

42 Christmas Ghost Story

19 Always a Leader

34 Destination Bala!

44 The Unknown Warrior’s Last Journey

It’s that time of year again when we present our annual festive ghostly tale, so sit back and read on as Russell Carrof tells of a strange encounter on a Lancashire station.

Oliver Edwards profiles the Middleton Railway in Leeds, which this year celebrates 60 years of industrial railway preservation.

Gary Boyd-Hope looks at the Bala Lake Railway’s plans to extend into Bala town, and explains why the project is at a financially crucial stage.

Last month marked the centenary of the return of the body of the Unknown Warrior. Keith Fender recalls this poignant story.

TPE’S ‘NOVA’ TRAINS: Performance analysis - p12

BALA OR BUST: Lake railway extension - p34

WE WILL REMEMBER: The Unknown Warrior - p44

December 2020 • The Railway Magazine • 5

Panorama The orange & yellow livery of Colas Railfreight Class 70 No. 70816 seems to complement the autumnal surroundings as it crosses Lydgate Viaduct at Todmorden with the 10.05 Preston Ribble Rail-Lindsey Refinery tankers on November 4. TOM McATEE

Porterbrook – delivering a sustainable and reliable railway 54 • The Railway Magazine • December 2020

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www.porterbrook.co.uk December 2020 • The Railway Magazine • 55

ENDOFPREVI EW

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