Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2020 i Rail Express

THE announcement regarding the relaxation of lockdown rules, allowing the leisure industry to cautiously reopen from July 4, has enabled the UK’s heritage railways to start preparing for a resumption of operations, writes David Russell. Various different approaches are being taken, with some hoping to restart as soon as possible, but others are taking a more cautious approach. At all lines, however, the experience is likely to be somewhat different to what people have been used to previously. One of the first lines planning to reopen is the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway, which was looking to restart on July 6. Screens have been put up in the carriages between seating sections and capacity is being reduced. Two days later, the North Norfolk Railway was due to begin operating, using a…

BESIDES those credited elsewhere, this issue has been made possible by the contributions of the following readers, to whom the editor is most grateful: Jack Amos, Chris Brock, Jack Brown, Steve Donald, Peter Foster, Stephen Ginn, John Hales, Des Harris, Fraser Hay, Ryan Hayward, Richard Holmes, Brad Joyce, Peter Laithwaite, Greg Mape, Mark Miller, Thomas Mills, Brian Newton, Graham Nuttall, Keith Partlow, Chris Playfair, Colin Pottle, Railtec Transfers, Karen Richardson, Steve Sienkiewicz, Peter Slater, Jamie Squibbs, Mike Summers, Jack Taylor, Cameron Walker, and many more.…

WITH the country beginning to reopen, it is pleasing to record a more positive month for DB’s UK fleet with the number of locomotives returning to service significantly outnumbering those being stopped. The reactivation of No. 66006 reported last month has been confirmed, the Class 66 rejoining the WBAR pool, as has classmate No. 66068. Other returnees from the WFMS holding pool include Nos. 66011, 66053, 66092 and 66158 (all from Toton to WBAE), No. 66113 (now with branding commemorating Covid-19 ‘key workers’) from Toton to WBBE, Nos. 67001 and 67007 from Crewe EMD to WAAC (the latter via ‘super shunter’ duties at Doncaster), and Nos. 90026, 90028, 90029, 90036 and 90037 from Crewe EMD to WEDC. Moving in the opposite direction were Nos. 66009, 66035, 66096, 66142 and 66168,…

THE number of Mk.4 sets in traffic with LNER was reduced to nine in late June. The East Coast Main Line operator revealed earlier this year that it is to retain 10 sets to allow timetable expansion prior to the arrival of additional new rolling stock, so one or more of the rakes currently in store at Worksop could see further use at some point. Recent arrivals at Worksop have been the five spare vehicles that had been retained from BN28 (Nos. 82217, 11328, 10310, 12320/218) on May 30, brought north from Bounds Green by No. 66717 Good Old Boy. It was followed a week later by set BN01 (see table for formation), which arrived at Worksop behind No. 66749 Christopher Hopcroft MBE and on June 27, set BN07 left…

A THRICE daily service of Class 47-hauled Mk.3 trains is to be run on the Settle & Carlisle line from July 20 to September 20. The services will run six days a week (Monday to Saturday) between Skipton and Appleby, and passengers can also board and alight at Settle. Rail Charter Services is the new company behind the promotion. It was formed on June 2 and has three directors – BBC journalist Adrian Quine and Jeremy Hosking and Tony Bush of Locomotive Services Ltd. LSL will be the operator and the train will be ‘top and tailed’ by two of its Class 47 fleet. Four Mk.3 FO carriages will be utilised with a Mk.2 Brake (BFK) for staff only. Each bay will be for two passengers only and have specially…

THE timetable introduced by Northern Ireland Railways on May 11 (see last issue) was planned to be valid until June 30, however, a new one was introduced on and from June 8 that is valid until August 31. The most significant changes compared with the May 11 timetable are on the Cross-Border route. While there continues to be five up and five down trains each day between Belfast Lanyon Place and Dublin Connolly, some departure times are altered. The revised timetable is as follows: Ex-Lanyon Place: weekdays at 08.05, 10.35, 12.35, 14.05 and 18.05; Sundays at 09.00, 11.05, 13.05, 16.05 and 19.05. Ex-Connolly: weekdays at 07.35, 11.20, 15.20, 16.50 and 19.00; Sundays at 10.00, 12.00, 14.00, 16.00 and 19.00. NIR also repeated its statement that services systemwide “may be altered…

1: A young lad does a double-take of the future at Shildon on August 28, 1975, as prototype HST set Nos. 43000/43001 gets ready to take part in the multi-loco cavalcade to mark 150 years of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. 2: Production HSTs entered service on the Western Region in 1976, and just over a year later on August 11, 1977, No. 43035 heads an up service to Paddington at Reading. The power car’s livery was seen as radical at the time in the era of Corporate Blue. No. 43034 should have been at the rear making up set 253017. 3: One of the quirkiest lines to fall under British Railways’ ownership was that on the Holyhead Breakwater, which was unconnected to the main rail network. Two small shunters…

MYSTERY LOCATION – HELP PLEASE! I SUSPECT I am not alone in using lockdown to go back through my photo collection, and if others are like me they will have found some long-forgotten hidden gems. There may also have been some that just do not ring any bells, and for me that includes the attached image that is driving me mad. Can any reader help me identify either the what, where or when – any one of which would help track down the other information? It shows a Class 25 on a short train at a significant railway location. The people seem to indicate it is a tour, backed up by what looks like a headboard on the loco, but frustratingly both the headboard and loco number are just too…

Two load packs are now available for IRM’s 42ft intermodal and fertiliser wagons which may also be used as scenic items. The 20ft containers are decorated in CIÉ orange and are labelled with numbers different to those containers supplied with intermodal wagon packs. The container twin pack is priced at €12.95. Bagged fertiliser loaded on pallets is another useful load available as a detailing pack from IRM, priced at €9.95. The pack contains sufficient pallets to load one of IRM’s CIÉ fertiliser wagons. Whilst the stacked bags are unmarked, there is scope for modellers to mark them up as bagged cement too, the bags for which are of a similar size. UK-outline modellers will also find the bagged and palleted fertiliser loads of value which could also be used for…

THE franchised passenger operators are continuing to operate under the terms of Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs), where the Department for Transport meets the cost of providing the timetable for key workers and other essential travel. The EMAs are due to expire on September 19, but the Government has said that franchise agreements will not be reinstated in their current form as an expected shortfall in revenue will invalidate previous contract assumptions. The preferred alternative appears to be the concession style of agreement, which is already used by Transport for London for its London Overground services, and the Liverpool City Region for Merseyrail. The change means that train operators will no longer have responsibility for revenue and become operational contractors, with the relevant public authority determining the performance benchmark and fares…

WITH a growing fleet of InterCity Swallow-liveried motive power that includes Classes 47, 86, 87 and 90, there was an obvious gap in the Locomotive Services Ltd roster that has now been filled with the acquisition of three MAN/Paxman VP185-engined HST power cars. These have been sidelined by East Midlands Trains following the reallocation of MTU R41-engined ex-LNER power cars from the East Coast to the Midland Main Line. The first to arrive at LSL’s Crewe depot, just a stone’s throw from its BREL Crewe Works birthplace, was No. 43083 on June 10 (built February 1978 for ECML set No. 254014). The former Porterbrook machine was hauled from store at Long Marston by No. 47593 (as a 5Z22 move), before moving again the next day (11th) to Arlington Fleet Services…

THERE has been a flurry of activity of HST movements into and out of Wabtec, Doncaster, in recent weeks. Departing for Haymarket on May 30 was a rebuilt HST for ScotRail, set HA23 (made up of Nos. 40623, 42268/269/567) went north with power car Nos. 43032/149. Of note is that TGFB (Trailer Guard First Buffet) No. 40623, rebuilt from TF No. 41180, originally started life as TRUK (Trailer Restaurant Unclassified Kitchen) No. 40505. Another rake – the 18th to emerge for ScotRail – was released on June 22 as set HA07 formed of Nos. 40607 (ex-41136), 42207/288/574. Power car Nos. 43176/183 were used for the move. June 5 saw Nos. 42213/351/568/575/581 arrive from Ely Papworth, their move to Doncaster being carried out by No. 47815 Lost Boys 68-88. None of…

THE middle of June was a bonanza for new wagon fans with the arrival of 54 vehicles for aggregates use, all fresh from Greenbrier-Astra Rail’s Eastern European factories. The first to make their way to Wembley Yard were 20 Touax Rail HOA hoppers (UIC code Fanpps) Nos. 81 70 6774 056-0 to 81 70 6774 075-0, which were reported to have arrived after their long journey from Wagony Swidnica in Poland on June 10. This is the second and final batch of wagons ordered for Freightliner’s Mendip Rail contract, bringing the total in the country to 40. The next day (June 11) brought a further 35 JNA (UIC code Ealnos) up from Dollands Moor to Wembley Yard, Nos. 81 70 5500 734-5 to 81 70 5500 753-5 (in VTG/Cappagh blue…

THE Wensleydale Railway, Midland Railway-Butterley, and Foxfield Railway are the latest recipients of withdrawn Class 142 ‘Pacers’ from Gascoigne Wood. For the Wensleydale Railway, it brings the number of sets on the line to four, although not all have a long-term future. Nos. 142035/41 made their final runs on the main line on June 3, when they formed the 5Z42/11.25 Gascoigne Wood-Leeming Bar. The pair have been purchased privately by three individuals, although No. 142035 is designated as a spares donor and is unlikely to operate at the Wensleydale Railway. A start has already been made on removing internal components. It is planned to keep No. 142041 in Merseyrail condition internally, and in due course it is expected to gain that PTE’s colours of yellow/grey. The Wensleydale is already home…

WITH the withdrawal of the passenger service on the single-track Nenagh branch because of the Covid-19 crisis, the opportunity was taken to replace bullhead rail on timber sleepers with continuously welded rail in the Nenagh to Cloughjordan section. The delivery of rail ‘strings’ started on May 19 when GM No. 084 hauled the rail train from Portlaoise PW Yard to the work site via Lisduff sidings, Ballybrophy and Birdhill. No. 084 ran round at Birdhill before returning the train as far as the work site. A total of four reversals were required during the journey to position the train correctly. A further delivery of rail was made on May 21, with No. 084 again being used. The delivery of concrete sleepers and relaying gantry No. 776 to the work site…

JULY 4, 1960 saw the first ‘Blue Pullman’ sets enter service with British Railways and, as these publicity shots from the time show, what a vision of the future they must have been in a world still dominated by steam. The trains came out of the 1955 Modernisation Plan and the need for luxury express services. They were formed in fixed formations of two power cars sandwiching a rake of stock, much like the HSTs of the following decade that are now arguably Britain’s most successful train. There were two six-car sets for the London Midland Region and three eight-car sets for the Western Region, with the LMR service starting first between St Pancras and Manchester Central via Matlock and the WR sets following in September 1960 serving Bristol, South…

Think you can do better? If you’ve taken something newsworthy, artistic or technically interesting on a mobile device, send it in to railexpresseditor@mortons.co.uk and we’ll pay our normal rates for any used in the magazine. IPHONE XS: A chance line-up saw this ‘double trouble’ at Wolverhampton on June 2, as CrossCountry’s Nos. 220002 and 221126 stand in platform 2 while an unidentified pair of Avanti ‘Voyagers’ are in platform 4 behind. Brad Joyce By email…

Dapol ‘N’ gauge announcements ‘N’ gauge modellers will be delighted with recent announcements from Dapol, the most exciting of which is the imminent arrival of decorated samples of its brand new Mk.3 sleeper coach model. Liveries include GWR, First Great Western, ScotRail and BR liveries alongside some departmental schemes. The models are expected at the end the summer and will be priced at £29.95 each. The humble Class 142 ‘Pacer’ is set for asecond release with delivery pencilled in for the first three months of next year. Five models will be available including BR Provincial No. 142053; ‘Skipper’ GWR chocolate and cream as No. 142022; Northern Rail No. 142096 and Mersey Rail No. 142042. Analogue versions will be priced at £139.95. ‘Dogfish’ ballast wagons are also set for a return…

COLOURFUL intermodal wagons, a useful departmental van and aggregate wagons are among the latest ‘OO’ gauge rolling stock releases from Hornby, which recently has included a flood of sliding door Mk.3 stock, containers with new liveries, a useful empty KFA wagon and a Network Rail QQA Super GUV. MSV aggregate wagons A triple pack of 27t iron ore tipplers together with a single wagon was released in May, finished in BR bauxite as vacuum-braked MSVs and marked for aggregate traffic (R6965). Markings include a pool number, ‘stone’ symbol and maintenance panel with a 1975 date. The actual model is based on the once numerous unfitted iron ore tipplers equipped with a double unfitted brake and 9ft wheelbase underframe and is an good representation of the type, matching the drawing on…

TRANSPORT for the North has put forward rail investment proposals to the National Infrastructure Commission for a 20-year programme of development worth £49 billion. This includes the upgrades required for the Northern Powerhouse network at an estimated cost of £39 billion, with a further £10 billion available for smaller scale projects. The scope of future Northern Powerhouse services has now been defined and is centred on six hubs at Hull, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and its airport, and Liverpool. It integrates HS2 into the network with new and upgraded infrastructure. The route map includes a new line between Liverpool and HS2 at Warrington, with chords that provide a north-facing junction for access to Manchester and a south-facing junction to reach Crewe and beyond. A further new alignment is proposed between Manchester…

CLASS 20 ON June 1, Type 1s Nos. 20007+20205 ran light from Derby to Romford where they collected the High-Speed Milling Machine No. DR79601 and conveyed it back to the East Midlands as the 6X20/15.13 Romford-Derby RTC, passing Copper Mill Junction at 16.12. Having resided at Ely Papworth since May 22, No. 20118 along with Nos. 47815 and 37608 (the latter attached to the rear of the two translator vehicles), formed the 5M59/08.56 Ely-Leicester on June 19. A week later, on June 26, Nos. 20118+ 20132 (both GBEE) and 20311+20314 (HNRL) ran light from Barrow Hill to Worksop passing Kiveton Park at 16.00. Locomotive Services’ Type 1 No. 20096 has been repainted BR green and moved to Barrow Hill. CLASS 37 RETURNING to their old haunts, albeit quite unexpectedly, Nos.…

GB Railfreight’s three Beacon Rail Class 66s, which had been undergoing modifications for UK use at EMD Longport, were all on the move during the month. On June 12, No. 66750 was charged with delivering Nos. 66790 and 66791 to Doncaster Roberts Road – with No. 66790 split from the pair for transfer to Peterborough and then Eastleigh three days later on the 15th. The following week (June 22), No. 66736 moved No. 66792 – still in Rush-Rail black livery – to Hams Hall. After a further journey to Roberts Road for tyre turning, and then Peterborough and Tonbridge (the latter trip in the care of Nos. 73107, 73136 and 73212), it finally made it to Eastleigh on July 1 behind No. 73141. Both of the former Swedish Class 66s…

THE first of 60 ten-car Class 701 EMUs – which, along with 30 five-car sets, will enable South Western Railway to remove all its Class 455, 456, 458 and 707 units from service – was moved from Bombardier, Derby to Eastleigh on June 11 for commissioning. Nos. 66745 Modern Railways – the first 50 years and 66740 Sarah were used to bring No. 701002 south, running via the Midland Main Line and Staines. As part of its commissioning, the unit is due to visit the Swanage Railway each week to enable engineers from Bombardier to carry out work that cannot be undertaken in the vicinity of third rail electrified lines. No. 701002 made its first appearance on the line on June 14, the aforementioned No. 66745 being used to move…

ANGEL Trains is progressing with its clear out of surplus HST coaches from Ely Papworth, with more former GWR and Grand Central vehicles departing for Eastleigh and Newport. However, a start has yet to be made on any of the former LNER coaches that were taken out of service in December 2019. Three moves to Sims, Newport have taken place, all undertaken by No. 47815. The first, on June 8, conveyed Nos. 40210/424/426/433/721 and 42514, with Nos. 40703, 42041/126/501/513 and 44026 following two days later and Nos. 40716/718/733/752, 44013/049 on June 15. Five coaches were also taken to Arlington, Eastleigh for scrap on June 5, Nos. 40710/727/739, 42516, 44022 forming the 5Z43/09.33 Ely-Eastleigh Works, hauled by No. 66739 Bluebell Railway. Porterbrook has also sent some vehicles for scrap. On June…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: High winds caused damage and disruption on May 22. A fallen tree near Templepatrick Loop, between Antrim and Mossley West stations, saw the 12.38 Londonderry to Belfast Great Victoria Street (GVS) delayed at Antrim. The 14.10 GVS to Londonderry was also delayed until the obstruction was removed. The 08.55 Bangor-Portadown on May 27 was cancelled between Bangor and GVS, a replacement train departed from GVS at 09.41. On May 29, the late running 13.02 GVS to Bangor was terminated at Lanyon Place. As a consequence, the 13.55 ex-Bangor started from Lanyon Place. The delayed 09.15 Portadown-Bangor on May 30 did not serve any intermediate stations between Lanyon Place and Bangor. This was to enable the unit to work its booked return service on time. The 12.25…

NEWS ROUND-UP EASTERN RAIL SERVICES A BIG surprise has been the arrival of No. 08762 at Great Yarmouth, believed to be the first time an ‘08’ has been based at Yarmouth, as it used to be the home of Norwich based ‘03s’ and ‘04s’ before that. Transported on June 18 from Heaton Depot (Newcastle), No. 08762 will be based at the new Eastern Railway Services depot in the former carriage sidings at Yarmouth Vauxhall (see last issue). This is only a short-term move as the shunter will eventually be replaced by classmate No. 08870, which is owned by Eastern Railway Services but currently undergoing repairs at RMS’ workshops at Wolsingham. LOCOMOTIVE SERVICES LSL has named No. 08483 Bungle after the character in the children’s TV show Rainbow, while No. 08780…

50 YEARS AGO... AUGUST 1970 ■ THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES: British Railways Board’s annual report identified growth in incomes and consumer spending power, an increase in leisure, and rising competition from other forms of transport as the three most important trends affecting future rail prospects. On the passenger side of things, the report said the railway must concentrate on quality of service and aim to show steady improvement year by year. ‘Quality’ here meant speed, comfort, reliability and convenience. Speeds of 100mph had become common on large parts of the Inter-City network, putting BR in a world-leading position. However, investment had declined sharply and continuously over a five-year period, to around two-thirds of that in 1966, giving the company a right to emphasise its claim for more. Taking into account land…

Models of the CIÉ Metrovick A Class under development by Irish Railway Models have reached the livery approval stage. The models will cover the career of the class from introduction with the two-stroke Crossley engines, which were found to be so unreliable, through to the late 1960s rebuilding with EMD 645 engines. Liveries applied to the 17 models include CIÉ black, silver, green, ‘Supertrain’ orange and black, black and tan and Irish Rail orange and black. Each model has been researched and fitted with locomotive-specific detail to match the installed engine type, livery and operational equipment of the time. The models are on track for an October 2020 release and are priced at €189.95 for the standard releases. Silver No. A1 is offered as a special edition model limited to…

An update and correction to last month’s review of the Heljan V3 ‘OO’ gauge Class 33/0 model is required to clarify the situation with the model’s running lights. Heljan’s social media marketing indicated that the revised model would be fitted with LED lighting and this was taken as a given, last month's review concentrating on dimensional and detailing aspects of the model. Upon opening it to install a decoder for further work, it was found to have the same incandescent lamps as previous releases, a point missed when the model was being tested. Something was missed at the model’s approval stage leading to the continued communication that LEDs were installed. It is hoped that Heljan will double check such points for future model releases and in turn Rail Express Modeller…

HASTINGS MAIN LINE ‘Thumper’ diesel-electric multiple units (DEMUs) are unique in having a narrow body profile of eight-foot width over the body panels (nine-foot over the footsteps) to allow for the restricted loading gauge of the South Eastern Railway (SER) Tunbridge Wells to Hastings line. The route was built and opened in stages between 1846 and 1852. Diverging from the Kent Coast line at Tonbridge (originally Tunbridge), the line traversed difficult terrain which required numerous tunnels and other major infrastructure works which put pressure on the already financially challenged SER which was compelled to invest heavily in the Ashford-Hastings line. Although not originally built to a restricted loading gauge, the low-cost nature of the project, together with some poor construction practices, resulted in scantily lined tunnels which were found to…

■ Based on the five-car formation dated August 1996 to June 2000 ■ Short frame DMBS No. S60000 Hastings (formerly of 6S No. 1001) ■ Long frame TSO trailer No. S60529 ■ 4-Cep TS No. 70262 (added in August 1996) ■ Short frame TSO trailer No. S60501 ■ Long frame DMBS No. S60118 Tunbridge Wells (formerly S60018 of 6L No. 1013)…