Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i Rail Express

DECEMBER saw significant changes on two of our major main line operations, as LNER brought to a close more than four decades of HST operation on the East Coast route and Virgin Trains gave way to Avanti on the West Coast after 22 years in charge. There has been a mixed reaction to Virgin going, as not everyone is a fan of the ‘Pendolino’ and ‘Voyager’ trainsets introduced during its time. But there’s no denying the company has overseen massive growth in passenger numbers since Privatisation, and everything it did was done with a certain sense of style, so it feels strange that its brand will no longer be seen anywhere on our railway network. After all, Virgin’s reign lasted nearly as longer as the LMS and the other pre-Nationalisation…

■ Category 1: A Level 1 or 2Photography Course provided by the Jessops Academy, depending on the winner’s experience. Winners, if aged under 16, must be accompanied by an adult; a year’s subscription to one or more magazines published by the sponsors; a tram-driving experience at the Heaton Park Tramway; a‘Behind the Scenes’ visit to Rail Story, Ingrow, on the Keighley &Worth Valley Railway (KWVR); a voucher towards a photographic event organised by TimeLine Events (aged 16 and over); complimentary Day Rover tickets for two to travel on the KWVR; a behind-the-scenes photographic opportunity at the National Railway Museum, York, plus a selection of NRM merchandise; a bundle of books provided by Silver Link Publishing; and an opportunity to contribute to the RCC print folios. ■ Category 2: A Nikon…

Express Mailbag Your letters, emails, feedback and other comments are always welcome. Contact us at Rail Express, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR; or email: railexpresseditor@mortons.co.uk. The editor reserves the right to edit all letters, and the views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine. TEST CAR 2 MISSING LIVERY I THOUGHT the article on Test Car 2 (December 2019 issue) was very interesting, although I noticed you did not include a shot of it in Serco colours. So here is a shot of it I took at the end of the Old Dalby test track in July 2011 with Type 4 No. 47714 at the front, ready for a fast dash back down the line! Alistair Grieve By…

WEST Midlands Metro tram No. 20 was the first to work through to Centenary Square in Birmingham on October 23, as testing continued along the new Westside extension from Grand Central (New Street). This city centre extension is the first stage of a much larger expansion of the network around Birmingham, with the Westside line due to reach Edgbaston via Five Ways in 2021, followed by Curzon Street (then on to Birmingham Airport) and Dudley by 2023. Manchester Metrolink began tram testing along its £350m extension to Trafford Park overnight on November 10/11. Tram No. 3040 ran from the existing stop at Pomona (on the Eccles Line) to Warren Bruce Road, close to the Imperial War Museum stop – the second of six new stops on the 3.5-mile line. Testing…

MANGAPPS Railway Museum took delivery of another Class 03 at the end of October, bringing its fleet of the popular shunters up to seven examples. The latest acquisition is that of No. D2158 (03158), which arrived from Titley Junction (Herefordshire) – its base since 2014 – on October 29. Like most of the locos based at Mangapps, No. D2158 has a local pedigree. Its final depot allocation was Norwich, where it was based from 1980 until withdrawal in 1987, and prior to that it had spells at Colchester and Stratford. Three other Mangapps ‘03s’, Nos. 03089/197/399, were also withdrawn from Norwich in 1987. Since entering preservation, No. D2158 has been based at various lines – initially at Peak Rail from 1997 after several years at a private site in Northamptonshire.…

‘GOYLE’ GOES DUTCH AFTER a large amount of bodywork attention costing around £30,000, A1A Locomotives Ltd has repainted No. 31414, which it acquired in early 2016, into Civil Engineers’ ‘Dutch’ grey/yellow colours as No. 31514. It carried this colour scheme for a number of years prior to withdrawal from BR service in 1999. It is hoped to have the loco ready for testing around spring 2020. BRIGHTON BELLE PROGRESS THE two trailer cars that will initially form part of the restored ‘Brighton Belle’ set, Nos. 82 Doris and 85 Gravetye Manor, have, following attention at W.H. Davis’ Shirebrook workshops, been moved to Locomotive Services Ltd’s Crewe depot. In due course, they will be joined by the two driving/motor cars (Nos. 88 Mabel and 91 Beryl) prior to main line certification/testing.…

IN one of the least surprising moves of the year, the six former National Power and EWS/DB Cargo Class 59/2s, Nos. 59201-59206, have been bought by Freightliner, the new operator of the Mendip Rail aggregates contract. Built in 1994 (59201) and 1995 (59202-59206), the 25-year-old locomotives will join Freightliner’s four ex-Foster Yeoman/Aggregates Industries Class 59/0s Nos. 59001 /002/004/005 (which were delivered in 1986-9) and four ex-ARC/Hanson Aggregates Class 59/1s Nos. 59101-59104 (delivered in 1990) on Mendip Rail and other heavy-haul services within the company’s portfolio. The first day of the new contract was Monday, November 4, although Freightliner assumed ownership of the Class 59/2s over the previous weekend when they were reassigned from the DBC WDAM active and WQAA storage pools to the reactivated Freightliner DFGH pool, which had having…

DB CARGO THE first of three Class 67s planned to receive their new Transport for Wales livery, No. 67025, was re-instated from the WQAA to WACC pool at the start of November. Stored in April 2015, its 52 months on the sidelines made it one of the longest ‘67s’ out of service, with only No. 67019 stopped for agreater period (stored in March 2015). After its repaint, the loco was recorded on an 0Z67 test outing from Crewe EMD to Stafford and return on the 5th. It will be joined in its new colours by Nos. 67008 and 67017, while a further four Class 67s are expected to be deployed on the TfW contract, but they will not be repainted. Another long-term stored Class 67, No. 67017 (out of service…

LOCOMOTIVES DB Cargo red: 90035 DC Rail Freight grey: 60046 DRS blue + ROG branding: 57312 EMR blue: 43467/68 ScotRail InterCity: 43030, 43132 Transport for Wales grey/red: 67025 NRM vinyls removed: 43238 UNITS EMR white: 158774 Grey: 802217 Hull Trains: blue with white stripe: 802301 Northern: 150127/31, 158870/71, 158909, 170455/56, 323234, 333002/03 NSE: 62656 (313064) South Western Railway: 159020, 442406/10/18, 444006 Transpennine Express: 802215 Transport for Wales: 153323/25,158821/23, 175001 White: 221101/13/18,390001/02/05/40/44/45/49/50,390103/21/22/28/31/32/38/51-55 Greater Anglia vinyls removed: 170202/04/71 Northern vinyls removed: 319382 COACHES GWR green: 48122/24/26/29.49108 Maroon: 5029, 16191 Pullman: 6708 ScotRail InterCity: 40624/25,42259/65/93, 42333, 42553/78 Saltire vinyls removed: 5952/65/76/87, 6137/76/77/83 Transport for Wales grey/red: 82226…

Correct to November 22, 2019 Allocations 144005/16 NL-HT 153310/26 NM/EMHQ-TS/EJHQ 156503 CK/HAHQ-DY/EMHQ 158790 NL-HT 170202/04/06 NC/EBHQ-CF/HLHQ 195004/10/13/15 newly delivered HQ/EDHQ 195008 HQ-AN 195101/03/05/06/07/10/11/13/23/25 HQ-AN 195131 newly delivered HQ/EDHQ 331019/20 newly delivered HQ/EDHQ 331011 HQ-AN 385002 newly delivered EC/HAHQ 397004 HQ/EAHQ-MA/TPEC 397011/12 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 710105/19 HQ-WN 710109 newly delivered HQ/EKHQ 710259 newly delivered HQ/EKHQ 745007/08/10 newly delivered HQ/EBHQ 755327/38 newly delivered HQ/EBHQ 755402/16 HQ-NC 800201/03/04/05/06 HQ-DR 800209 newly delivered HQ/HBHQ 801213 newly delivered HQ/HBHQ 802203/04/06/09/10/12/14/15HQ/EAHQ-DR/TPEA 802217 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 802301 newly delivered HQ/PFHQ Renumbered 450543/53/56-58/61-63/65/66 – 450043/53/56-58/61-63/65/66 Formations 158747: 52747+57747 158760: 52760+57760 158765: 52765+57765 158954 disbanded 158955 disbanded Now in 7-car formation 345052/57 Now in passenger traffic 142046 195002/08195101/05/06/07/10/11/13/23331002/11/12 331112 345003/05-17/22/27-30/34/35/37/39/40/42/44/47/49/51/52/63 385001 710105 710260 755402/16 800001 800201/03/04/05/06801205/07802203/04/06/09/10/12/14/15 Stored/stopped locations Castle Donnington: 319006 Crown Point: 745003 Heaton: 142009/15/37/38/50/52/64/88/93/96 Kimberley Park: 745008,…

THREE of ScotRail’s ‘classic’ HST sets have been removed from service in recent weeks. October 31 saw the departure of Nos. 41136, 42047/207 and 44015, the four coaches being taken away by No. 37800 Cassiopeia as the 5L46/10.07 Haymarket-Ely Papworth. Another move from Haymarket to Ely took place on November 28, when power car Nos. 43026/148 moved coaches from sets HA07 and HA10. In the consist were Nos. 41010/135,42013/279/280, 44004/035. Moving from Ely to Doncaster behind No. 47813 Jack Frost on November 28 were Nos. 41136/42207/250/574 for rebuilding. No. 42250, along with No. 42245 had been moved from Wolverton to Ely on November 26/27, stopping overnight at Leicester. Following the entry to service of more ‘Castle’ rakes, three GWR sets have also been stopped and are now off lease. The…

IRISH Rail is to purchase 41 new DMU intermediate cars from Hyundai Rotem of South Korea. The Government-funded investment of €150million, which was announced on October 30, will see the vehicles used to strengthen the 234-strong fleet of 22000 Class ICR (Intercity Railcar) DMU vehicles (currently formed into 28 three-car, 25 four-car and 10 five-car sets). It is believed that no tendering process was required as the order was an option included in the original 2005 order. A significant year-on-year increase in demand for peak-hour rail travel in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) was a crucial factor in the Government’s decision to approve the purchase of the extra stock. Overall, IR expects to record 50 million passenger journeys system-wide in 2019. According to a Government statement, the additional vehicles, which…

THE 2018/19 Translink Annual Report has indicated that the rail and bus operator recorded a total of 84.5 million passenger journeys, an increase of 4% on the previous year. Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) recorded 15.8 million passenger journeys – the largest in the company’s 50-year history. Translink’s total revenue was £238.5million, but liabilities and expenditure saw a loss of £17.2million recorded. A key statement in the report was that “Northern Ireland urgently needs a long-term public transport strategy and plan which addresses the social, economic, and environmental needs of the region supported by a multi-year approach to public spending”. The report included some interesting details concerning investment by NIR: £6.2million is the cost of the mid-life refurbishment programme for the 3000 Class DMU fleet; £20.3million has been forwarded to CAF…

TWO older models in the Hornby range have re-emerged decorated in GBRf colours, including Class 59/0 as No. 59003 Yeoman Highlander (R3760) and the original Hornby Class 92 as No. 92043 (R3741). The Class 59/0 is supplied in a Hornby ‘Railroad’ box while the Class 92 is in Hornby’s standard packaging. Both are priced at £84.99, despite the differences in branding. Two versions of GBRf livery are carried by the models with No. 59003 dressed in the Europorte livery with red flashes in the curved elements of the body side stripes. No 92043 is in the later version of the livery with GB Railfreight markings and no red applied to the curved lining. Finish on both models is consistently good with the colours matching well. GBRf modellers will find the…

HORNBY has used its new ‘OO’ gauge Mk.2f coach to offer a close fit model of the Network Rail Plain Line Pattern Recognition vehicle (PLPR1) No. 72631 (R4928). The coach was once part of the Gatwick Express Class 488 fleet and was an ‘outer’ vehicle inherited by Network Rail and used as a brake force runner coach for many years, retaining the window arrangement applied to Gatwick Express Mk.2f Standard Class stock including one plated-over lavatory compartment window until converted to PLPR1. PLPR coaches are used to record the condition of plain track to identify missing clips, broken sleepers and other faults. Their use alongside other vehicles in a test train is routine, with busy routes checked on a regular basis. They have cut down on visual track inspections and…

THREE new paint packs containing six 22ml pots of acrylic paints covering common BR livery colours from Nationalisation to the late 1980s pre-sectorisation liveries have been released under the LifeColour brand by Astromodel SAS. LifeColour paints are widely distributed in the UK by The Airbrush Company Ltd and include a wide range of weathering and scenery paint colours too. Acrylic paints are popular for their durability and low odour making them better suited to use in the home environment than enamel paints. Water cleaning makes the maintenance of equipment easier and with minimal impact on the local environment. Common colours for 1948-1990 LifeColour has offered BR paint colours before, but has added to the range and grouped them into useful painting sets suitable for any scale. Set 1 covers the…

A VERY useful collection of 4mm scale industrial building doors have been added to the rapidly growing Scale Model Scenery range, which will assist modellers scratch building structures or modifying existing kits. Five different sizes of doors are available, ranging from 15.4mm by 29.2mm (available as a pack of four), to those measuring 48.4mm by 55.2mm – large enough for road vehicles and forklift trucks but not rail vehicles once track is taken into account (larger doors are supplied as packs of two-door kits). Some of the kits have long, low doors whilst others are taller, so check dimensions carefully before purchasing. The doors are made of fine wood with laser cut detail with sharp lines and edges. Detail definition is excellent, both half relief and fully cut through, with…

MARGAM DEATHS DUE TO UNSAFE WORKING PRACTICE THE Rail Accident Investigation Branch has issued its preliminary conclusions into the fatal accident at Margam, South Wales on July 3, 2019 in which two track workers lost their lives after being hit by a Great Western IET. The accident occurred because they were working on a line that was open to traffic while wearing ear defenders but without formally appointed lookouts. Paperwork indicated the work was due to take place during a planned blockage, but it is thought that procedures on the day were not followed, allowing an unsafe method of working to be adopted. RAIB will now look further into the factors that influenced the attitudes, behaviours and actions of those immediately involved, especially how maintenance teams at Port Talbot depot…

THE Deltic Preservation Society has entered a reciprocal agreement with Siemens that will see engineering apprentices help restore the society’s three Class 55s. Siemens’ trainees will gain hands-on experience, while the DPS will gain valuable resource. The deal was announced at the DPS’ base at Barrow Hill on December 6. The exact programme has still to be finalised, but the idea is that apprentices will be assigned to help with various tasks and be on-site for a week or so at a time. There is a wide range of jobs to be done on the three locos, from mechanical engineering and electrical work, to paperwork and project management. Most of the apprentices will have had no experience of working on rail projects before, but there will be plenty of opportunity…

IN a surprising – but welcome – move, UK Railtours is to start a tour at Derby rather than the usual London area. The Welwyn-based tour operator says it is “in response to many requests from our friends in the Midlands”. However, it does perhaps help if the stock – Riviera’s blue/grey Mk.2 set – is based just down the road at Burton-upon-Trent, thus minimising the cost of moving the empty stock. Indeed, UKR is knocking £20 off the First Class dining fare “as a special offer on what we hope will be the first of several more Midland starts”. There is no discount for Standard Class passengers, but £89.50 is still quite reasonable for an entertaining day out to two lines not normally open to passenger services. The tour…

A NUMBER of redundant Mk.3 Sleeping Cars arrived at various preserved railways in November following their disposal by Porterbrook. November 18 saw four coaches moved from Crewe to the East Lancashire Railway, although two (Nos. 10714/719) subsequently departed for Carnforth leaving Nos. 10529/565 at Bury. The Ivatt Diesel Recreation Society took delivery of its accommodation/ support coach No. 10597 on November 12, when it arrived at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway by road from Crewe. Also leaving Crewe by road was No. 10543, which arrived at the Telford Steam Railway on November 22. It joins No. 10676 at Telford, which has been resident since 2002 after being repatriated from Denmark. The Mid-Norfolk Railway has also acquired two vehicles, Nos. 10607/666, which were at Wembley in late November awaiting movement to their…

Correct to November 22, 2019 Pool codes DFHG Freightliner Class 59 Allocations 08730 ZH-ZN 20305 XHSS-XHCK 37146 MBDL-EPUK 37503 EPUK-MBDL 43075 EC/IECP-HQ/SBXL 59001 XYPO-DFHG 59002 XYPO-DFHG 59004 XYPO-DFHG 59005 XYPO-DFHG 59101 XYPA-DFHG 59102 XYPA-DFHG 59103 XYPA-DFHG 59104 XYPA-DFHG 59201 WDAM-DFHG 59202 WDAM-DFHG 59203 WDAM-DFHG 59204 WDAM-DFHG 59205 WDAM-DFHG 59206 WQ/WQAA-MD/DFHG 60046 WQ/WQAA-TO/HTLX 66012 WBAE-WBRT 66017 WBAR-WBRT 66061 WBRT-WBAE 66079 WBRT-WBAR 66111 WBBE-WBRT 66131 WBAE-WBRT 66160 WBRT-WBAR 66161 WBRT-WBAE 66168 WBRT-WBAR 66199 WBAE-WBRT 67001 WAAC-WAWC 67010 WAWC-WAAC 67012 WAWC-WAAC 67013 WAAC-WAWC 67025 WQ/WQAA-CE/WACC 70001 LD/DFGI-FD/DHLT-LD/DFGI 70011 FD/DHLT-LD/DFGI 70014 FD/DHLT-LD/DFGI 90035 WQ/WQAA-CE/WEAC 90036 WQ/WQAA-CE/WEDC 91117 HQ/SAXL-HQ/EPEX 91120 HQ/SAXL-HQ/EPEX For Sale 86401 Sold GWR: 43088, 43156/60/62 Locomotive Services Ltd: 60081, 86101, 87002 Raxstar: 60050 Ron Hull, Rotherham: 60006/86 Private: 60060 Stored/stopped locations Bounds Green: 43313 Eastleigh Works: 86101, 87002 NRM York: 43002 Operational…

CLASS 153 ANOTHER Transport for Wales ‘153’ was dispatched to Long Marston for refurbishment and PRM (persons with reduced mobility) work, which includes relocating the toilet to the opposite end of the vehicle, on November 7. No. 153333, which already carries TfW colours having been repainted after its transfer from GWR earlier this year, is the third set to be dealt with. The first two units, Nos. 153323/325, are both now in service. CLASS 156 ‘SUPER SPRINTER’ IN order to enable a pair of Class 153s (Nos. 153310/326) to be released for transfer to Tyseley to strengthen services on the Birmingham-Hereford line, ScotRail’s No. 156503 has been placed on loan to East Midlands Railway. Moving south as the 5Z55/09.38 Corkerhill-Newcastle and 5Z56/14.54 Newcastle-Derby Etches Park on October 29, it entered…

THE disposal of the Hornsey-based Class 313 fleet was concluded on November 25, when the two sets used on the farewell tour a month earlier, Nos. 313064/134, departed for scrapping. No. 57301 Goliath was used for their final move, the 5Q78/10.52 Hornsey-Sims, Newport. In the previous four weeks, the other seven sets that were still on the national network were sent to the South Wales scrapyard. No. 313060 was transferred by road from Hornsey to Newport in early November, with No. 37884 Cerpheus taking Nos. 313033/047 away on October 30 and the Nos. 313039/061 on November 11. Another pair, Nos. 313048/049, undertook their last move on November 4, heading for the Welsh scrapyard behind No. 37800 Cassiopeia.…

HNRC/EMR STILL in EWS livery, Harry Needle’s No. 08798 was moved from European Metal Recycling at Attercliffe (Sheffield) to Barrow Hill on November 14, seven years after it arrived at EMR and five years after being sold to HNRC. Still present at EMR are EWS-liveried Nos. 08872 and 09023, both owned by EMR. No. 08872 arrived in 2010, initially for scrapping but its good condition saw it used for pilot duties, whilst No. 09023 arrived in 2014 having previously been yard pilot at EMR’s Kingsbury site. The end of November saw a roundabout of moves, with No. 08879 moving from Barrow Hill to Hope for storage (thin tyres); No. 08865 then moved from Hope to Central Rivers, allowing No. 08943 to move to Barrow Hill for repairs and exam. No.…

Correct to November 22, 2019 Allocations 4786 NY-HQ 9507 KM-CF 10312/25/28 BN/HBHQ-CF/HLHQ 10317/19/29 HE/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 10522/26/27/42/61 PO/ESHQ-HQ/ SBXH 10551/53 PO/ESHQ-PZ/EFHQ 10605 PO/ESHQ-HQ/SBXH 11237/73 HE/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 11292/93 off registration scrapped 11323/24/25 BN/HBHQ-CF/HLHQ 11327/29/30 HE/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 11423/24 off registration scrapped 11427/28/29/30 HE/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 11510 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 11998/99 HE/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 12117/19/25 BN/HBHQ-CF/HLHQ 12204/16/27 HE/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 12317/21/31 HE/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 12403/12/25/55/56 off registration scrapped 12438/49/57/58/62/63/66/71/72HE/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 12446/47/54 BN/HBHQ-CF/HLHQ 12533/34/38 HE/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 12728-30 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 12810 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 17159 XHSC-LSCO 82203/28/31 HE/HBHQ-HQ/SAXH 82216/26/29 BN/HBHQ-CF/HLHQ Formations HA18: 42293+42553+42265+40624 HA19: 42333+42578+42259+40625 Renumbered 41116-40624 41137-40625 42008-48129 42138-48126 42212-48124 42214-48122 44067-49108 Sold East Lancs Railway: 10529/65,10714/19 Ivatt Diesel Recreation Society, Wirksworth: 10597 For sale 1201, 3309/51, 3416, 5300, 5420 Stored/stopped locations  Burton upon Trent: 5952/65/76/87,6137/76/77/83 Carnforth: 10598, 10610/14,10703/18 Crewe: 10504/13/19/20/43/97,10648/50/75/83/88 Doncaster Wabtec: 10311, 11295, 11326, 11426, 12220, 12325, 12429/65/74, 82223 Eastleigh TMD: 10312, 11325, 12217, 12446,…

January 4-5 Kidlington Scout Rail 2020. Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxfordshire OX5 1AB. 10.00-16.30 both days. Adult £4, child £2, family £10 (2+2). www.scoutrail.org.uk January 11 4th Annual ‘Define’ Modellers Day. D&E Modellers Day. Risley Village Memorial Hall, 5 Derby Road, Risley, Derbyshire DE72 3SU. 10.00-16.00 Sat. Adult £4. definemodellers.wordpress.com January 11-12 Bognor Regis Model Railway Club Exhibition. Felpham Community College, Felpham Way, Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO22 8EL. 10.00-17.00 Sat, 10.00-16.30 Sun. Adult £5, child £3, under 6s free. www.brmrc.co.uk Chiltern Model Railway Association Exhibition. The Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre, Lytton Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 1LZ. 10.00-17.30 Sat, 10.00-16.30 Sun. Adult £10, child £4. cmra.org.uk/exhibition.html Pratts Bottom Model Railway Exhibition. Pratts Bottom Village Hall, Norsted Lane, Pratts Bottom, Orpington, Kent BR6 7PQ . 10.00-17.00 both days. Adult…

THE Quorn Wagon and Wagon group is to be recognised in February’s Heritage Railway Associated Awards 2020 for its work restoring the former departmental vehicle Test Car 2 (see last issue for our in-depth article on the project). The group will receive the Modern traction award, which is sponsored by Rail Express. It is also nominated for the Morgan Award for Outstanding Achievement, but the result of that will only be announced on the night. Selected other nominees for Britain’s most prestigious heritage railway awards include: The Class 50 Alliance for its restoration of No. 50033 Glorious (in the John Coiley Locomotive Engineering category); Volk’s Electric Railway Association for Magnus Volks’ legacy and the Llangollen Railway for the completion of track to Corwen station (Large Groups); the Dartmouth Steam Railway…

HERE at Rail Express we have a proud, longstanding tradition of highlighting work from many of the country’s best railway photographers. Now RE is seeking to highlight the best from the next generation. The prestigious Rail Camera Club (RCC) is organising a new photographic competition to give an opportunity for budding and established railway photographers aged 25 and under to showcase their work. The competition, launched in November, is supported by Network Rail, the National Railway Museum, Jessops Europe Limited, Rail Express publisher Mortons Media Group Ltd, TimeLine Events, the Bahamas Locomotive Society, Bauer Media and Silver Link Publishing. Entries are invited to illustrate ‘The Railway Seen’ using images with a railway connection that have been taken since January 1, 2019. Pictures should illustrate the diversity of the current railway…

BUILT to test design concepts in readiness for an order of replacement Central Line trains at the start of the 1960s, only 12 1960 Stock driving motor cars were ever constructed. The DMs were used alongside two refurbished pre-1938 Standard Stock trailers to form six four-car units that were paired up to make three full-length trains. These entered passenger service in November 1960, but – before a full evaluation could be carried out – the poor condition of the Standard Stock trains they were due to replace saw an urgent order placed for trains similar to the 1959 Stock that had already been delivered by Metro-Cammell of Birmingham, and these were designated 1962 Stock. In time, many of the new design features employed in the 1960 Stock cars were used…

BESIDES those credited elsewhere, this issue has been made possible by the contributions of the following readers, to whom the editor is most grateful: Jonathan Allen, Stewart Armstrong, Alexander Cromarty, Steve Donald, John Headon, Rhian Headon, Stewart Higham, Brad Joyce, Steve King, Gordon Kirkby, Stuart Kirkby, Dave McAlone, Graham Nuttall, Paul O’Brien, Rod Orr, Chris Playfair, Steve Porrett, Colin Pottle, Sam Read, Karen Richardson, Paul Senior, Robert Sherwood, Steve Sienkiewicz, Jamie Squibbs, Tim Squires, Jack Taylor, Andrew Triggs, and many more.…

Number Disposal 313018 Sims, Newport 17/06/19 313024 Sims, Newport 22/07/19 313025 Sims, Newport 08/07/19 313026 Sims, Newport 08/04/19 313027 Sims, Newport 10/06/19 313028 Sims, Newport 24/06/19 313029 Sims, Newport 10/06/19 313030 Sims, Newport 23/09/19 313031 Sims, Newport 03/06/19 313032 Sims, Newport 30/08/19 313033 Sims, Newport 30/10/19 313035 Sims, Newport 09/09/19 313036 Sims, Newport 01/07/19 313037 Sims, Newport 30/09/19 313038 Sims, Newport 15/07/19 313039 Sims, Newport 11/11/19 313040 CF Booth, Rotherham 17/07/19 313041 Sims, Newport 06/09/19 313042 Sims, Newport 15/07/19 313043 Sims, Newport 24/06/19 313044 Sims, Newport 06/09/19 313045 Sims, Newport 30/08/19 313046 Sims, Newport 17/06/19 313047 Sims, Newport 30/10/19 313048 Sims, Newport 04/11/19 313049 Sims, Newport 04/11/19 313050 EMR, Kingsbury 11/04/19 313051 Sims, Newport 30/09/19 313052 CF Booth, Rotherham 07/10/19 313053 Sims, Newport 08/07/19 313054 Sims, Newport 01/07/19 313055 CF…

RAILWAY Support Services had a swap round of its shunters at the end of October. No. 08738 was moved from Eastleigh depot to the yard, freeing up No. 08632 (which only arrived in June) to be shipped to Bescot Yard to replace out-of-use No. 08927, which was then moved back to Wishaw for engine repairs. Also on the move was No. 08939 which has been returned to Felixstowe following repairs to collision damage. The move to Bescot was a homecoming of sorts for No. 08632 as this was one of the pilots there under DBS in 2014 until the freight operator decided to stop using the class. During its time at Bescot, No. 08632 was repainted from EWS colours into DB Schenker red. Whilst both Bescot yard pilots now wear…

MK.4 UPDATE ON October 29, another Mk.4 set, BN26 (made up of Nos. 82223, 11426/326/295, 10311, 12325/429/465/474/220) was moved from Worksop to Wabtec, Doncaster. The third set for Transport for Wales, made up using five vehicles from BN25, were moved from Doncaster to Eastleigh on November 6. The rake, comprising Nos. 82226, 11325, 10312, 12446/217, was hauled south by No. 66154. RIVIERA MOVES THE eight Riviera Trains coaches that were replaced by DRS vehicles on the Fife Circle earlier this year returned from Kingmoor to Burton on November 6. In poor external condition following removal of vinyls, the vehicles (Nos. 5952/65/76/87, 6137/76/77/83) were moved by No. 68018 Vigilant.…

■ DB CARGO: HTA hoppers have started visiting DBC’s Stoke-on-Trent works for running gear attention, with 12 vehicles delivered to the site during the period under review as follows: Nos. 310466/786/809,311015/40/103 (October 25), 310328/50/810, 311050 (November 1), and 311033/44 (November 13). The work is clearly not time consuming, as eight have already been returned to service: Nos. 310466/786 (November 1), 311015/103 (November 13), and 310350/809/810, 311040 (November 15). Extracted from store at Scunthorpe, five BQA bogie long-welded rail carriers have been delivered to Stoke for conversion to five-wagon sets for use on European rail flows. 20 were originally converted to bogie bolster wagons in 2006 from YEA Perch LWR vehicles, with 12(Nos. 81 70 4842 005/006/009-011/003-008/020) subsequently modified for LWR use in 2014. Nos. 81 70 4842 009/011/014 arrived on…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: GM No. 112 was receiving a repaint at York Road Works during November. The following 3000 Class units have now been attended to during a mid-life refresh programme at York Road and are now in traffic: Nos. 3007/13/16/18/21/22. Unit No. 4009 was on train-crew familiarisation duties at Londonderry on October 27. A 22.38 Londonderry to Coleraine extra was scheduled to run on October 31. On November 10, units Nos. 3002+3003 worked a radio test train over the NIR network, but the Lisburn to Antrim branch was excluded. The train also visited Dundalk and then returned north. ‘Footexes’ from Adelaide Halt after the Northern Ireland versus The Netherlands football match at Windsor Park on November 16 were the 22.00 to Bangor and 22.15 to Portadown. These also…

THE Brecknell Willis pantographs fitted to Class 92 locomotives are causing Accurascale something of a headache on its brand-new ‘OO’ gauge Class 92 model which is currently under development. The Brecknell Willis ‘pan’ is a single arm type which has proven to be problematic for Accurascale’s manufacturer to produce to scale and build as a durable working scale model. The scale pantograph is designed to be raised and lowered using a mechanism lined to a nearly silent motor with one fitted to each of the two pantographs found on Class 92s. The company reports that another manufacturer has been found that can build working pantographs to the desired specification. However, the hiccup in development has delayed the Class 92, pushing it back to a late 2020 release date. Accurascale has…

TWO new ready-to-plant GWR lower quadrant signals, with a new design of control module, have been released by Dapol in recent weeks, including a 20ft 'wooden' square post ‘Home’ signal in ‘O’ gauge (7L-001-001) and a 25ft tall right-hand junction signal in ‘OO’ gauge (4L-001-005), also featuring a 'wooden' post. D&E modellers interested in BR (WR) operations may find them of use on layout themes up to the 1970s at the latest. Today, wooden square post signals of this design are extinct on the rail network. They were progressively replaced by tubular post designs by the GWR from around 1940 and BR which remain in use at a small number of locations today. The models will suit a transition-era BR Western Region and possible Midland Region layout concept, the latter…

A ONCE familiar sight on the privatised railway, the pair of former Fragonset Class 31/6 locomotives are no longer seen on the mainlines and the full size No. 31602 was scrapped on the Weardale Railway in the summer of 2018, making the re-issue of Hornby Class 31 as No. 31602 Driver Dave Green particularly interesting (R3745). The locomotive carried the name between 2007 and 2012, placing the model in that five-year time slot when it regularly worked test trains and some empty stock workings, often in top and tail mode with other Class 31s. The Class 31/6 sub-class came in the late 1990s with the need for a through-wired but non-ETH locomotive to work with ETH fitted Class 31/4s in top and tail or double-headed. Prior to that, No. 31602…