Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2019 i Rail Express

PRIVATISATION of British Rail in the mid-1990s saw the bulk of its freight businesses acquired by what became EWS, somewhat nullifying the intention of creating competition between different companies, apart from in a few relatively niche areas. Step forward to today, however, and the situation has changed dramatically. EWS is now DB Schenker, although it can still be regarded as the spiritual rump of British Rail’s freight operation in many ways. Working methods have moved on, and the company was the instigator of the ‘Class 66 revolution’ now standard amongst freight operators – but it still owns many ex-BR locos and is based at the ex-BR ‘super depot’ at Toton. More importantly, many traditional freight flows once operated by EWS/DBS have disappeared over the past two decades, such as countrywide…

FREIGHTLINER has signed a long-term contract with Mendip Rail Ltd to work stone trains from the Somerset quarries, taking over from current operator DB Schenker in November 2019. The deal will also see Freightliner acquire the fleet of eight Mendip Rail Class 59/0 and 59/1 locos Nos. 59001/2/4/5,59101/2/3/4. Mendip Rail is a joint venture between Hanson Aggregates and Aggregate Industries. Under the new deal, Freightliner will haul an expected eight million tons of stone per year, equating to 107,000 wagon-loads, to terminals in London and the South East of England from Hanson and AI quarries in the Mendips. Freightliner’s chief executive officer Gary Long said: “By adding one of the largest bulk haulage contracts in the UK, we are adding to the foundation of our long-term bulk business as we…

COLAS Rail has sold three of its Class 37s to Europhoenix after the freight operator said it no longer had a need for them, writes Jonathan Webb. Nos. 37146, 37188 and 37207 were purchased from preservationists in 2015, along with Nos. 37057, 37099, 37116 and 37254, in reaction to Colas winning a Network Rail contract to operate the infrastructure monitoring trains. The latest three acquisitions takes Europhoenix’s tally of Class 37s up to nine, with it already owning Nos. 37510, 37601, 37608, 37611, 37800 and 37884. Of the three recently purchased, No. 37146 has had the most interesting history. The loco was sent to France by EWS in 1999 to haul ballast trains during the construction of the high-speed Paris to Marseille route. It returned to England in September 2000…

DURING December, following the introduction of more ‘385s’ and HSTs, ScotRail released a number of Class 156, 158 and 170 units for transfer to Northern. The latest movement of units means that just a pair of ‘Turbostars’ (Nos. 170453/458) remain to be transferred between the two train operating companies. The first units to move were two pairs of Class 170s at the beginning of the month. Nos. 170454/455 formed the 5Q17/15.37 Haymarket-Neville Hill on December 1, with Nos. 170454/455 working the 5Q12/11.34 Haymarket-Neville Hill the next day. All entered service within 10 days still in ScotRail condition, complete with first class sections, the number of diagrams having been increased with units now booked to work from Leeds to Selby and Huddersfield. The first of two planned ‘156’ moves occurred on…

ED MURRAY THE big ex-Redcar GECT 6w No. 277 Waterfall left the workshops at Chasewater for a new hire contract at Whatley Quarry in the Mendips at the end of November, its place being filled by the Thomas Hill 0-6-0DH 150c from Potters Group, Ely – a Thomas Hill rebuild of a Sentinel 0-6-6 steam locomotive, and not the prettiest of engines. It is only planned to be at Chasewater for a short time for body work and a repaint before it goes back out, this time to the North East. Also arriving at the Chasewater Railway in December was preserved Thomas Hill 4WDH 111c from the Foxfield Railway, which should be on site for a year and will undergo an engine swap and repaint during…

Correct to December 31, 2018 Allocations 41024/94 EC-IS41104/36 EC-IS42007/23/34/54/76 EC-IS42107/43/44/45/83/84/85 EC-IS42206/68 EC-IS42511/51/59/67 EC-IS44004/32/35 LA-IS44011/66 EC-IS Modifications Power doors and retention toilets fitted: 48101/02/04/06/11/31,49101/02/12 Renumbered 41038 – 40602 44079 – 49112 Formations GW02: 49102+48104+48131+48106HA06: 41158+42200+42129+44086HA07: 41010+42013+42012+44004HA08: 41180+42268+42263+44024HA09: 41146+42300+42299+42579HA10: 41135+42279+42280+44035HA11: 44015+42047+42207+40207HA12: 42035+42033+44011+40210 Stored/stopped locations  Ely: 41004, 41126/28/40,42023/60/61/69/70/99, 42118/97,42216/61/72/87/89, 42364, 42507/08/13/73, 44020/23/30/37,46001/10/11 Landore: 40739, 41089, 42062/68, 42221, 42504, 46005 Disposal CF Booth, Rotherham: Cut date: November 28: 2592 Raxstar at Eastleigh Works: Cut date: December 6: 9522…

‘Classic’ sets Set No. TF TS TS TGS HA01 41124 42256 42255 44029 HA02 41144 42295 42301 44039 HA03 41104 42206 42208 44066 HA04 41130 42267 42325 44032 HA05 41022 42030 42010 44010 HA06 41158 42200 42129 44086 HA07 41010 42012 42013 44004 HA08 41180 42296 42268 44024 HA09 41146 42300 42299 44040 HA10 41135 42279 42280 44035 Trainer sets Set No. TRB TS TS TGS HA11 40207 42207 42047 44015 HA12 40210 42035 42033 44011 Rebuilt sets Set No. TS TS TS HA26 40601 42004 42561 42046 Other ScotRail HST coaches Spare/static trainer in Scotland – 41136, 42032/076/143/145/209/263/269/558/572/574/579. Doncaster (rebuild) – 41024/038/094/122/134/142, 42007/ 019/034/ 045/055/075/183/184/275/276/291-293/343/345/559/562/567/ 571/576/577. Ely (stored) – 41006/012/016/020/052/103/116/137,2009/014/023/029/054/056/072/077/078/096/107/144/185/245/250/252/ 253/257/259/265/277/281/288/297/350/351/360/502/511/551/553/555/557/564/578. Laira (repairs) - 42021.…

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s series of Santa Specials around Dublin and Belfast during December were booked out well in advance (see last issue). However, on November 23, the society announced that an extra diesel-hauled train was to be added to the Dublin series (Connolly to Maynooth and return) on Sunday, December 9, departing at 16.50. The first day of the programme was Saturday, December 1 and this featured two steam-hauled trips worked by loco No 4. IR GM diesel No. 082 then worked the 16.00 departure. The same locomotives and stock (eight Cravens coaches and BR van No. 3173) were used on Saturday the 8th. The extra train on the 9th also featured GM No. 082. On Saturday, December 15, the second steam special worked by No. 4…

IRELAND’S heaviest trains operate between Boliden’s Tara Mines, an underground lead and zinc mining operation located near Navan in County Meath, and Dublin Port - a distance of around 50km. Zinc ore concentrates are shipped around three times a day using heavy vacuum braked bogie ore tippler wagons introduced in 1977 when the mine started production. The mine is the largest producer of zinc and lead in Europe and the ore concentrate is shipped to Scandinavia for smelting at Boliden’s facilities in Norway and Finland, together with other facilities in Europe. The wagons are built to withstand the harsh loads and equipped with a special lid designed to contain the load, which is considered to be an environmental hazard. Wagons are loaded by chute in a controlled environment and the…

COLLISION-damaged vehicles from tram-trains No. 399202 and 399204 are currently awaiting repair at Sheffield Supertram’s Nunnery depot. No. 399204 was in a collision with a lorry near the Woodbourn Road tram stop on the first day of tram-train operations on October 25, followed by a similar accident at the same spot on November 30 involving No. 399202 and a car. A hybrid unit has been formed using the undamaged vehicles from these two units to keep the new service between Sheffield and Rotherham going. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has written to Sheffield City Council advising that a risk-based review of the road crossing and traffic signals be carried out, and that prompt action be taken based on the findings of the review.…

TRANSPORT for London (TfL) has announced that the contract to build the London Overground extension to Barking Riverside has been awarded to the joint venture of Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure and VolkerFitzpatrick (MSVF). Construction is due to begin early this year, with the first train services expected in late 2021. The extension will unlock the building of up to 10,800 new homes and is one of the major projects included in TfL’s latest five-year business plan. The three-mile (4.5km) extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line is an intrinsic part of the Barking Riverside development, a 180-hectare site on the northern bank of the River Thames that will become home to one of London’s most significant housing developments.…

British Railway Accidents and Incidents By Jonathan Mountfort Published by Amberley www.amberley-books.com96 pages, some colour, 234x165mm, softback. £14.99 IT is a sad fact that the safe railway we have today is the result of rules and regulations developed from tragedies in the past, for which there is an ongoing fascination into what went wrong. Here, the author selects some of the more ‘interesting’ (his word) accidents from the last 200 years, placing them in context with a description, maps and illustrations. Twenty-nine accidents are covered, beginning with the one on the opening day of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1830 that led to the death of MP William Huskisson when he was hit by Stephenson’s Rocket. There are not many in the modern era, although one includes the collapse…

‘DELTICS’ have been regular visitors to Harrogate since they were brand-new in the early 1960s. Back then, Gateshead had a driver training turn on Thursdays only that took one of the Tyneside-based locomotives up to Leeds then back home via Harrogate and Ripon to Northallerton. No. D9002 (55002) was invariably the locomotive in 1961. ‘The Queen of Scots’ Pullman was also regularly rostered for Type 5 haulage in the 1960s once the Neville Hill-based EE Type 4s (Class 40s) had moved on, and when this Pullman was truncated at Harrogate in 1964 to become ‘The White Rose’, the sound of Napiers continued at this spa town. Finally, ‘The Yorkshire Pullman’ was often entrusted to Class 55 haulage before it too finished in 1978. Pathfinder’s tour on May 11, will recall…

‘GOYLE’ STOPPED FOR WORK TYPE 2 No. D5627 (31203) has been taken out of traffic at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway for engine work to be carried out. Another ‘31’ in need of attention shortly is No. D5830 (31563) at the Great Central Railway, which is to be stopped for a top-end power unit overhaul at some point in the near future. The work is likely to be carried out at another location. NEW HOME FOR ‘31’ FOLLOWING the decision by the Nene Valley Railway to ask A1A Locomotives Ltd to leave the line, the Class 31-owning group has reached an agreement with the Llangollen Railway for No. 31271 Stratford 1840-2001 to be based there for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. It is due to leave the NVR for its…

A MOVEMENT of DRS locos from Doncaster to York on December 21 did not get far as it was partially derailed soon after departure. The 0Z66 working comprised Nos. 66433, 20305, 37605 and 66303 from Roberts Road depot, but one wheelset from the ‘37’ came off the rails under St James bridge, which is just to the south of Doncaster station. Two days later, the ‘37’ had been rerailed and the four locos had moved to the station area, but by Christmas Day they were back at Roberts Road.…

GWR GAINS MK.3A RFM FROM TPE FORMER Greater Anglia RFM No. 10229, more recently leased to TransPennine Express but only used as a training vehicle after the operator abandoned plans to use its Mk.3 stock, has been added to the GWR fleet to replace No. 10232, which is due to be stopped shortly. It arrived at Reading on November 29, moving south as the 5V74/09.30 Crewe CS-Reading, hauled by No. 37884 Cepheus. The first appearance of No. 10229 on the ‘Night Riviera’ occurred on December 4 when it was added to the rear of the 1C99/23.45 Paddington-Penzance. It is planned to remain in the fleet until the current RFM refurbishment programme is complete. RIVIERA UPDATE PREVIOUSLY in ‘blood/custard’ colours, Mk.1 First Open No. 3123 emerged from…

FREIGHTLINER has taken delivery of its first wagons since US owner Genesee & Wyoming unveiled its new orange, black and yellow corporate image for the erstwhile ‘green team’. Unsurprisingly, although not without some sadness, the classic British Racing green adopted in the late-1990s has been retired and the box wagons are showing off a new primarily grey scheme, with yellow solebar and large yellow and orange Genesee & Wyoming variant of the Freightliner logo. The first of the 76 new MWA-B (UIC coded Ealnos) arrived in the final half of December, with GB Railfreight’s No. 66740 transferring the 29 boxes (Nos. 81 70 5891 500-505/507-529) to North London as a 6B25/03.45 Dollands Moor-Wembley Yard service on December 20. The next day (December 21), Freightliner’s own No. 66414 collected the rake…

BOTH Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways introduced changes to services on December 9. For IR these included six extra off-peak trains each way on Mondays to Fridays (M-F) between Connolly and Maynooth. Services on weekends have also been increased on this route, with a 30 minute interval service being offered between 08.00 and 19.00 on Saturdays, and this level of service is repeated between 11.00 and 19.00 on Sundays. Connections at Clonsilla into and from the M3 Parkway branch have also been increased. There are extra trains on M-F from Connolly (departing at 07.50, 09.10, and 15.22) to Drogheda and from there to Connolly (at 09.00, 10.10 and 16.28). There is a new 22.45 Connolly to Dundalk on Saturdays, while on Sundays there is a service each hour in…

TWO Class 67s were acquired by Colas Rail from DB in 2017 specifically for powering Network Rail test trains usually in top and tail formation. Both locomotives were repainted in the company’s orange and yellow scheme in April 2017 and nameplates have been applied: No. 67023 being named Stella and the featured model of No. 67027 named Charlotte (R3658). Hornby has done a neat job of the livery with accurate colours and sharp printing of details including the nameplates (etched ones are also supplied). The Hornby Class 67 model is a much respected model and well-engineered with a heavy diecast chassis with centrally mounted five-pole motor with twin flywheels that powers all four axles through drive shafts and gear towers providing smooth and powerful performance. Operation of the review model…

February 2/3 FebEx 2019 Model Railway Exhibition. Alton Model Railway Group. Eggars School, London Road, Holybourne, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 4EQ. 10.00-17.00 Sat, 10.00-16.00 Sun. Adult £5, accompanied child free. www.altonmrg.co.uk/febex/ Kilmarnock and District Model Railway Exhibition. 2019 Irvine Show. The Linthouse Building, Scottish Maritime Museum, Harbour Road, Irvine, Ayrshire, KA2 8QE. 10.00-17.00 Sat, 10.00-16.00 Sun. Adult £5, Concession £4, accompanied child free. www.kilmarnockmrc.com Stafford Model Railway Exhibition. Stafford Railway Circle. County Showground, Prestwood, Argyle and Sandylands Suites, Weston Road, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST18 0BD. 10.00-17.00 Sat, 10.00-16.30 Sun. Adult £10, accompanied child free. Free show guide and preserved bus service to and from Stafford railway station. www.staffordrailwaycircle.org.uk/exhibition/ February 9/10 The Festival of British Railway Modelling. In conjunction with Doncaster and District Model Railway Club. Exhibition Centre, The Racecourse, Doncaster, South Yorkshire,…

EUROSTAR TO BE PRESERVED IN BELGIUM CLASS 373 power car No. 3106, along with First Class coach number 9 from the same set (No. 731069), were moved by road from Saint Saulve in France to Steenbrugge (near Bruges) in Belgium on November 28. The vehicles will initially be stored at Steenbrugge before going on display at the Train World museum in Brussels. The remaining vehicles from set Nos. 3105/06 will be scrapped at Saint Saulve. ‘CHOPPERS’ IN DOUBT THE future of the DRS fleet of Class 20s is once again in doubt following the end of the 2018 railhead treatment train season, while the winding down of the LU Stock transfers between Derby and London means that other Type 1s are now available. Nos. 20302, 20303 and 20305 were returned…

DESPITE the disruption to services that followed the introduction of revised timetables covering Thameslink, Northern and TransPennine Express franchised operations, there was still an increase in passengers in the three months between July and September 2018 compared to the same period in the previous year. “Season tickets account for 33% of journeys, down from 42% five years ago” In total, some 434 million journeys were made – an increase of 1.7% – but the use of season tickets continued the decline that has been evident for some time. The current purchase of season tickets accounts for 33% of journeys compared with a figure of 42% five years ago. There were some big variances between train operators, with the much-criticised Govia Thameslink Railway securing a rise of 5.6% (83.7 million passengers…

THE Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway at Cynheidre (Carmarthenshire) is planning to hold an extended number of running days in 2019. The main season open days will feature short train rides hauled by one of the railway’s three heritage diesel locomotives (including NS Class 08 lookalike No. 690), an opportunity to visit the restoration shed and, weather permitting, a nature trail. The running dates are March 30, April 27, May 25, June 29, August 31, October 26 and December 7 and 8.…

The Voyager Family By Fred Kerr Produced by Pen & Sword www.pen-and-sword.co.uk120 pages, colour, 222x283mm, hardback. £25.00 FOLLOWING on from the author’s book about ‘Pacers’, he has chosen another ‘love them or hate them’ type to focus on – the Alstom-built Classes 220, 221 and 222. The book is essentially a pictorial tribute to the diesel units from their introduction to current operations. They have only ever been used by four operators – but have been one of the most widely travelled types due mostly to the use of ‘220s/221s’ on the West Coast Main Line and CrossCountry routes. Use of ‘222s’ by East Midlands Trains and Hull Trains is also covered. The quality photos are well reproduced – and while there have not been many livery variations to cover,…

GB Railfreight’s Nos. 92010 and 92020 have left Brush, Loughborough after receiving Dellner couplings, the two electrics being hauled to Crewe by No. 66752 on December 17. Problems en route, however, saw No. 92020 left at UKRL’s Leicester depot while the other two locos later continued on their way. This short run was No. 92020’s first rail movement since the early 2000s, although it is still officially allocated to a newly-resurrected stored pool code (GBSD) along with classmates Nos. 92021, 92040, 92045 and 92046. No. 92010 began light engine tests on the main line in the second half of December, and No. 92020 was eventually moved to Crewe on December 20 as part of a move of UKRL Class 56s to EMD Longport (see separate story. left).…

DESPITE the return of the four ex-NS 600 Class shunters (BR Class 08 and 11 lookalikes) to the Netherlands, as reported last month, there are still three present in Britain: Nos. 653, 663 and 690. No. 653 is owned by RMS Locotec and based at the Weardale Railway. It carries a mid-blue livery with grey cabs, has the fleet number No. H050, and unofficial name Herman. The loco has seen use not only on passenger trains, but also shunting coal traffic which ran on the line for a while and has also been on hire to Plasmoor at Heck in 2014, covering when the resident shunter there was undergoing overhaul. Also as mentioned last month, No. 663 is preserved at the Ribble Steam Railway in an original NS green livery.…

IN order to provide extra premier dining capacity on its Saphos Trains charters, Locomotive Services Ltd is rebuilding Mk.1 RBR (Restaurant Buffet Refurbished) No. 1659 with an extended kitchen. The newly-converted RK will emerge from Crewe Diesel Depot, where the work is being carried out, as No. 80044 in readiness for the 2019 season. During 2018, dining facilities on Saphos trips were provided using former LMS Club Car No. 99993, which was originally Mk.1 TSO (Tourist Standard Open) No. 5067. No. 1659 has been a charter train vehicle with various owners since 1987, including most recently the kitchen car in the ‘Statesman Rail’ rake, which was acquired by Locomotive Services Ltd from Railfilms in 2016. It was replaced in this set by another rebuilt RK, No. 80043 (originally No. 1680)…

■ DB CARGO UK: The final overhauled (but not reduced in length) HTAs for the HRA conversion programme departed DBC-UK’s workshops in Stoke-on-Trent in December, No. 310721, being the last to leave on December 14. However, still on site at Stoke are the nine ‘cut and shut’ conversions undertaken by DB (as opposed to WH Davis), which are still waiting completion, and the original prototype No. 41 70 6723 001-7 (ex-310711). This will give a total fleet of 110 wagons, 10 from DB at Stoke and 100 from WH Davis at Langwith Junction. A second batch of completed HRAs also returned to Stoke during December for attention to their hopper doors. The full list of movements are below: December 5: Outbound Nos. 310549, 311052 (delayed from November 30, departed behind…

■ NEW DMU CARS: As reported in the last issue (pages 10 and 96), NIR is to strengthen its 4000 Class DMU fleet by the addition of 21 new intermediate cars which are to be supplied by CAF. The £50 million contract will see the vehicles delivered in 2021, with entry into revenue earning service the following year. NIR had exercised an option within the original 4000 Class procurement contract to purchase the extra cars. The company, which has increased passenger numbers by 130% since 2006, will have 150 DMU vehicles on its books after the completion of the order. ■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: On November 24, two extras worked by 3000 Class DMUs ran from Belfast Lanyon Place to Dublin Connolly to convey spectators attending the Ireland versus USA…

A JOINT venture between C-Rail Intermodal and Revolution Trains has resulted in a neat ‘N’ gauge model of the 20ft container tank that has been released in various liveries. The models were set for release in early 2019 but were delivered in late November in time for the Warley show at the NEC. The base model has very fine section framing and an accurately shaped tank with the flat apparent on both sides. A plastic walkway is fitted together with etched end ladders applied to the ends. Printed details are very sharp with accurate liveries for Hoya, Bulkhaul, Stolt and Nichicon container tanks. Testing of two models showed that they have tiny but positive locating lugs, which secures them to ready-to-run models such as the Graham Farish intermodal wagons. Note…