Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2019 i Rail Express

THE overriding Government priority for long-term rail operations in Britain is to eliminate carbon emissions by 2040. As a first step towards this goal, each of the three dominant rolling stock leasing companies has committed to the conversion of rolling stock to provide prototypes for testing. But industry suppliers believe that reducing the cost of electrification is a more realistic solution. The favoured new technology is to provide power from hydrogen cells that supplement batteries to make journeys of sufficient distance viable, and such “HMUs” built by Alstom are already operating successfully in Germany. Eversholt Leasing has made available a Class 321 unit for conversion to a similar specification, although the loading gauge in Britain does not allow sufficient space for the hydrogen cells to be mounted on the roof,…

THE Science Museum Group has completed a review of its locomotive and unit collection, with the key outcome being there will be no further diesels or electrics operated on the main line. The review covers all SMG vehicles based at the National Railway Museum (York), Locomotion (Shildon) and the Museum of Science & Industry (Manchester). The result means the end of operations for ‘Deltic’ No. 55002 and Royal ‘47’ No. 47798, while ruling out any possible return of pioneer ‘Whistler’ No. D200 and ‘Western’ No. D1023. These locos will instead become key exhibits in arevamped display at the NRM, with modern traction now accounting for about a third of the 200-year history of locomotive power. Further acquisitions will see the NRM take on ‘Pacer’ No. 142001, production HST power car…

THE relationship between the Class 50 Alliance and GB Railfreight has grown closer with the repainting of two ‘Hoovers’ in GBRf colours as part of an ongoing hire agreement. No. 50007 Hercules and 50049 Defiance were unveiled in the striking new look at Eastleigh Works on March 20, after the repaint by Arlington Fleet Services. On one side No. 50049 carries the identity of No. 50014 Warspite. After being released from the works, the two locos were soon back in action on March 23, working Pathfinder’s ‘Class 50 Terminator Phoenixed’ railtour from London Paddington to Penzance, returning to Waterloo. This re-created the class’ farewell tour run by British Rail 25 years ago on March, 1994. GB Railfreight has now moved into the rail services sector, with contracts to move rolling…

OVER the past 10 years or so, a number of ‘91s’ have gained temporary colour schemes in relation to special events or for advertising purposes. The first of these was No. 91107, which, along with a full rake of Mk.4 coaches, received an advertising livery to promote the James Bond film ‘Skyfall’ in February 2013. At the same time, the loco temporarily reverted back to its previous identity of No. 91007 (in recognition of James Bond’s code number 007), becoming No. 91107 once again in June 2013 when the entire rake lost its advertising livery. Later on in 2013, No. 91125 and a full set of Mk.4 stock received an advertising livery for Sky 1 HD. The loco appeared in the predominantly blue colour scheme on October 29. It retained…

BEING based in Leeds in the early 1980s gave enthusiasts like me access to a wealth of loco-hauled trains. This was atime before the ‘Sprinter’ revolution, and Leeds was at a crossroads of east-west and north-south expresses. Services across the Pennines were still in the hands of ‘40s’, ‘Peaks’ and ‘47s’; cross-country trains on the North East/South West corridor saw mainly ‘Peaks’ and ‘47s’, and similarly for Nottingham-Glasgow workings; and there were still also a few loco-hauled trains to King’s Cross and St Pancras. Things were even better in summer, when a combination of more services and no requirement for train heating meant normally freight-only locos would pop up on all of the above plus extra seasonal workings to holiday destinations such as Skegness, Great Yarmouth, Blackpool, Llandudno and more.…

50 YEARS AGO... MAY 1969 BEATTOCK BANKING FATALITY: Following the failure of the 21.30 Euston-Inverness at Harthope Viaduct, between Beattock station and the summit (Dumfries and Galloway) early on May 18, the following 22.15 Euston-Glasgow was stopped at Greskine and the driver William Brown of Polmadie asked to bank the stranded train towards the top of the gradient. As the two trains were going uphill together, the 21.30 apparently drew ahead and then developed wheel slip. As a result, the trains collided near Harthope and driver Brown was trapped in his cab and fatality injured. Fifteen passengers were also hurt in the crash, but none seriously. MANCHESTER STATIONS CLOSE: The city’s Central and Exchange stations were closed from May 5, with most passenger trains diverted to Oxford Road and Piccadilly…

THE Sub-Surface Railway’s new automated signalling and train operating system controlled its first passenger trains during the early afternoon of Sunday, March 17. The approximately 1.25-mile (2km) stretch of track between Latimer Road and the Hammersmith terminus of the Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines represents the first section of SSR track to be converted to full automation. This will be expanded in time to cover the entirety of the SSR, which represents 40% of the total London Underground network. PHASES This initial introduction of full automation represents a half stage referenced as ‘SMA0.5’, with the full length of track (SMA1) being between Hammersmith and Paddington. In total, there are 14 stages to introduce, each covering sections of track across the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines. The…

THE Branch Line Society’s ‘Conwy Cat’ from Crewe on Thursday, June 13 has been rerouted due to the Conwy branch to Blaenau Ffestiniog being unlikely to be reopened by then, after extensive damage caused by Storm Gareth in early March. Both the Blaenau and Llandudno branches are deleted from the itinerary, with the charter special destination now being Holyhead, with the carriage sidings there requested for traversing. The charter also covers the new bi-directional Up Mostyn Goods Loop in both directions, passes through Ellesmere Port from East to West (giving a very small section of rare track) and covers the Frodsham single line (formerly known as the Halton curve) from Halton Junction to Frodsham Junction. Traction is due to be a TPE-liveried Class 68 operating in ‘top and tail’ formation…

JUST shy of 18 years since its last revenue earning work, No. 92020 was back in action in March after being released from a complete rebuild at Brush Traction/Wabtec, Loughborough, on December 17, 2018. Stored while surplus to requirements at Crewe EMD in April 2001, the loco was purchased by Europorte (a subsidiary of Eurotunnel) in 2007 and spent time at Loughborough, Cheriton (Kent) and in France before being repatriated under GBRf ownership in October 2014. Now having been upgraded with electrical modifications to allow it to work with CAF Mk.5 sleeper stock, as well as Dellner couplers, the ‘92’ has undergone several tests since January but it made its official debut on March 12 at the head of the 6L48 Garston-Dagenham Dock with No. 66730 dead in tow. The…

CLASS 142 ‘PACER’ ON March 27, No. 142095 visited the Monk Bretton branch for driver training, where crews had to deal with a number of different operational scenarios. No. 142063 was used on similar duties the next day. CLASS 150 ‘SPRINTER’ UNIT No. 150221 derailed near Laira Junction (Plymouth) on March 23, requiring the use of a crane (brought from Westbury by No. 66847) to recover the unit. CLASS 153 RUNNING as the 5S08/10.05 Neville Hill-Brodie Kilmarnock, No. 153305 was sent away for refurbishment with a cycle stowage area on February 28. It joins Nos. 153370/377 at the site. CLASS 158 THE second Class 158 to be refurbished and painted into Transport for Wales colours, No. 158830, was released on March 18, when it formed the 5Z30/14.08 Crewe CS-Shrewsbury Abbey…

WITH the final closure of Swansea’s Landore depot, and the removal of all remaining HST stock from site, the last act was the transfer away of the two First Great Western Class 08s. No. 08645 departed by road first on March 14, arriving at Penzance Long Rock the following day. It is to replace previous resident No. 08410, which will move on after the Long Rock open day on April 13. GWR plans to use No. 08410 at the event, at least in a ‘driver for a fiver’ capacity. The final movement from Landore, and therefore the last-ever locomotive to leave the depot, was No. 08795 on March 23, which has moved to a new home at the nearby Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway. The locomotive was due to feature…

DEPARTMENTAL vehicle No. 638a was transferred by road from Inchicore Works Dublin to the Downpatrick and County Down Railway (D&CDR) in Northern Ireland on March 4/5. The vehicle, a four-wheeled 13½-ton, 30-foot long former Travelling Post Office sorting van was the last example of Coras Iompair Eireann-built coaching stock to remain on Irish Rail’s books. It is considered to be an important addition to the preservationists’ collection, as it was the final vehicle of a batch of 10 constructed in 1957 by CIE at Inchicore Works to a design by O.V.S. Bulleid. Its original number was 2971. In the 1970s, sufficient bogie vehicles were available for An Post (post office) duties, but No. 2971 was selected for further use as a Permanent Way Department mess van and renumbered No. 638a.…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: On March 8, problems were experienced with the signalling at Magheramorne Loop, between Whitehead and Larne Town stations, which reduced operating flexibility in the area – this loop is the only one in the 10 miles between Whitehead and Larne Harbour. The problems continued and bustitution for some services was introduced between Whitehead and Larne Town/ Harbour as only one train could occupy the Whitehead/Larne Harbour section at one time. Bustitution was further expanded on the 12th when the rail service beyond Whitehead was suspended. The full train service was reinstated during the morning of March 13. Two 3000 Class DMU worked extras from Belfast Lanyon Place to Dublin Connolly and return on Sunday March 10, for spectators attending the Ireland v France Six Nations rugby…

DB Cargo has signed a long-term agreement with Maritime Transport Ltd to operate a new rail freight operation called Maritime Intermodal. The 10-year deal which started on April 1 sees Maritime take over the day-to-day running of DB’s freight terminals at Trafford Park (Manchester), Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal (Birch Coppice) and Wakefield Europort. These will be served by one DB train each day from Southampton, plus a fourth from Felixstowe to Wakefield. Trains will also serve the new East Midlands Gateway rail terminal currently under construction near Castle Donington, Leicestershire. The operation was launched at Wakefield Europort on March 29 when Class 66s Nos. 66005 and 66047 were unveiled in Maritime blue livery with the names Maritime Intermodal One and Maritime Intermodal Two respectively. DB Cargo UK’s chief executive officer…

ELECTRIFICATION of the East Coast Main Line was approved by the government on July 27, 1984 and work began on the project the following year. Leeds was reached in 1988, then York the following year and finally Edinburgh in 1991. With electrification came a requirement for new electric trains, the result being the ‘InterCity 225’, or Class 91 and Mk.4 coaching stock. The loco order was placed with GEC (with the construction subcontracted to BREL Crewe) and the stock built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath (Birmingham). The first loco was completed in early 1988 and, over the next year, extensive testing took place involving the first few members of the class. It was not until March 3, 1989 that a Class 91 first hauled a public passenger train. A then…

THE mid-1960s saw British Railways’ prestigious Blue Pullman sets spread their wings a little with occasional special train use, particularly at the weekends when there were spare sets available. Back then, special trains at the weekends would usually be enthusiasts’ railtours or tied in with sporting events – and so it was that the Midland’s six-car sets and Western’s eight-car sets were sometimes chartered for fans of football, rugby or horse-racing events. Such events were often away from the trains’ usual routes, including Swansea to Witton (Birmingham, March 1964); Coventry to Hartlepool (March 1965); Walsall to Norwich (February 1966); Coventry to Liverpool (March 1966); and Bristol to Leeds (January 1972). May 2, 1964 was the occasion of that year’s FA Cup Final between Preston North End and West Ham United,…

FOR the past year, four former 1967 Tube Stock Victoria Line cars have remained on a road to one side of Acton Town station. They were moved there to make space for another project inside Acton Works. The cars, Nos. 3007-3107 and 3022-3122, were from two different units and were destined to become Motive Power Units (MPUs) for the now-cancelled tunnel cleaning train. As this issue went to press, the cars had been returned to Acton works so useful parts could be reclaimed before the remains are sent away by road for scrap. Two other 1967TS cars, Nos. 3061-3161, are in use inside Acton Works for training with the Emergency Response Unit.…

THE recent closure of Landore HST depot has led to Great Western Railway disposing of one of its Class 08s owing to it being surplus to requirements. No. 08795 departed for the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway, which is located at the former colliery at Cynheidre, on March 22. The coal mine, and freight branch serving it, closed in 1989. No. 08795 made its first public appearances at its new home on March 30 when a gala was held on site marking the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Llanelli &Mynydd Mawr Railway Company Ltd. The loco appeared on static display, but it is hoped to return it to operational condition during the course of the year. It is also planned to reinstate its vacuum brakes – the loco…

ONE of the few classes of loco not to appear at a Swanage Railway diesel gala, a Class 44, is set to visit the line in May. The Peak Locomotive Company’s No. D4 Great Gable will be heading for the south coast before it appears at the Severn Valley Railway a week later. Also booked to attend is No. 50007 Hercules, which was recently outshopped in GBRf colours, and No. 26007, which now carries red stripe Railfreight livery. The ‘26’ is due to remain at Swanage for most of the 2019 season. Subject to final agreement from the NRM, prototype HST power car No. 41001 and the 125 Group’s rake of Mk.3 coaches should be visiting the Severn Valley Railway for its gala in May. An addition to the diary…

‘GRID’ No. 56081 made a welcome return to the main line on March 4, partnered on an 0Z55 Leicester-Doncaster test run (and 0Z57 return) with Nos. 47727 and 56098. Obviously considered a success, Nos. 56081+56098 then moved to Peak Forest for shunting duties on March 6, initially working in tandem together. They joined No. 56312 there, but the fun only lasted a few days before No. 56312 headed back to Leicester with No. 56301 for repairs on the 14th. No. 56098 was also on its way back to Leicester on March 20, dragged back for remedial work by No. 47727. It was reported back at Peak Forest by the 28th. By the end of the month, No. 56081 had joined Nos. 56098 and 56312 in the GBGD pool; it was…

CLASS 20 OF the eight GBEE Type 1s, only Nos. 20901+20905 were seen on London Underground stock transfers between Derby, Banbury and West Ruislip during most of March always accompanied by a GBRf Class 66 locomotive. The other GBEE Type 1s were to be found at Barrow Hill with Nos. 20096+20107 last having worked on February 21 and Nos. 20118+20132 on February 28. The latter duo returned to use on March 28, however, handling the 7X08/15.56 Derby-Banbury with No. 66773 and LUL sets Nos. 21485/6. Meanwhile, the two orange Harry Needle Type 1s have rarely been seen of late with No. 20314 last working in early January and No. 20311 just prior to Christmas. CLASS 33 PRIOR to use on a Branch Line Society weekend tour, Nos. 33029 and 47851…

CLASS 313 THE first Class 313 to be removed from traffic, No. 313026, was stopped at Hornsey during February. With the introduction of the first ‘Desiro’ diagrams on Moorgate services on March 25 (see Class 717 section), a further three sets were expected to be stopped before the end of the month. CLASS 317 THE first Class 317 to be placed in store, No. 317722, was collected from Ilford by Nos. 37884 Cerpheus and 57312 on March 6, departing as the 5G46/22.15 Ilford-Ely Papworth. The unit, which was converted to a demonstrator for Angel Trains in 2012/2013, which saw it fitted with a new traction package and gain a new interior in two cars, last ran in 2016. CLASS 331 ‘CIVITY’ NORTHERN has announced plans to introduce its first Class…

THE fleet of 100 KSA ‘High Cube’ wagons Nos. 33 70 4739 001-100, popularly known as the Rover ‘Cubes’, have not had the most productive of lives. Their poor luck continued in January as contractors came to dispose of the 26 grounded bodies that had been stored perpendicular to the sidings at Washwood Heath after component recovery in January 2011. Built by Talgo-Transtech OY (Rautaruukki), Finland, in 1996 and given the UIC code Sfiss, their nickname was due to their use by Railfreight Distribution on a Swindon to Longbridge service carrying automotive body panels for Rover. At 22,940mm (75ft) over buffers, and outshopped in a stylish grey and dark red livery, the trains regularly loaded over 16 wagons making them one of the most impressive freights on the network, especially…

ELECTRIC traction modellers have seen a surge in support for AC electric locomotive models and the rolling stock that goes with them from various manufacturers in recent months. On top of announcements and progress reports covering classes as diverse as the Class 86 (Heljan); Class 92 (Accurascale, DJ Models and Revolution Trains) and the APT (Durham Trains of Stanley, together with DJ Models) comes the surprise announcement by Cavalex Models that it intends to produce the 6300hp Class 91 in its various guises, together with the matching Mk.4 stock and DVTs in ‘N’ and ‘OO’ gauge. While models of masts, portals and catenary for British electrification systems remain to be properly developed as off-the-shelf models, electric traction modelling in both ‘OO’ and ‘N’ gauge has definitely seen a boost in…

ARGUABLY one of the most useful and widely travelled of the AC electric locomotives is the Class 90 – ever popular with enthusiasts and those who have wielded paint brushes and vinyls at depots over the years. The variety of liveries carried by the class is both broad and varied, including international liveries applied by BR to three of the class in 1992 to commemorate the ‘Freightconnection’ event, together with the experimental Railfreight livery applied to No. 90036, liveries that held out for many years. Five Class 90s were adorned in Rail Express Systems red for use on Travelling Post Office and stowage trains, while others were treated to Railfreight international livery. It’s a rich scene for the modeller interested in the BR sectorisation period to explore, as well as…

THERE is a growing list of new rolling stock which is late entering service due to a variety of operational and safety compliance issues. One factor is that the past approach of building a prototype for testing has been abandoned, with fleet orders being placed for untried types. This is reminiscent of British Railways’ Modernisation Plan error in the 1950s, where large numbers of diesel locomotives required subsequent modification to bring them up to acceptable levels of reliability. The flagship Class 800 IET trainsets that were due to commence LNER services in December 2018 have yet to turn a wheel in revenue earning service, and problems persist with the signalling interface north of York. It is not hard to reflect on the amount of work that was done to test…

LNER has announced that its first public passenger working of an IET will take place on May 15. On this date, it is expected that a nine-car set will operate a return service from King’s Cross (KGX) to Leeds and back. Following this, a Class 800/1 unit is expected to take up the following diagram: 1A12/07.00 Hull-KGX 1D11/11.03 KGX-Leeds 1A33/13.45 Leeds-KGX 1H10/17.18 KGX-Hull 1J10/20.28 Hull-Doncaster This will release HST set NL65, which should then return to East Midlands Trains. This in turn will enable EMT’s other sets to be released for some PRM (persons with reduced mobility) work to permit their continued operation past the PRM deadline of January 1, 2020 (possibly under some form of derogation). Following on from the release of No. 800106 from Eastleigh on February 18,…

TWO Class 91s have, for a number of years, carried special liveries relating to Britain’s forces and their wartime efforts. No. 91110 was unveiled with its striking Battle of Britain wrap on top of its East Coast livery at the National Railway Museum’s Railfest event in York in June 2012, being named Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at the same time. It retains this livery to date, complete with the East Coast background and purple stripe. The second loco, No. 91111 (see photo on page 15), received a new colour scheme in October 2014 when it was named For the Fallen to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War. Again, it was applied over its East Coast colours. Subsequently, in 2015, the loco was designated…

IT is now 20 years since the last train ran on the Weymouth Harbour Tramway but, despite being just 1.25-miles long, it still holds a special place in the memory of many rail enthusiasts, as it took main line passenger trains through the streets of the Dorset town – the last such place where this was possible in Britain. The final trains were two railtours run by Pathfinder Tours from Yeovil on May 2, 1999 – the ‘Way-Farer’ trips – which featured electro-diesels Nos. 73106 and 73138 ‘top and tailing’ on the branch. Regular passenger services – the boat trains that connected London Waterloo with the ferries to the Channel Islands – had ended 12 years earlier in 1987. The tramway was opened by the Great Western Railway in October…

Just how nimble are today’s locos and units, and what’s the quickest off the mark? THE ‘Networker’ family of units produced in the death throes of British Rail (1991-94) have proved to be surprising successes, even when facing competition from the most modern units. This is largely due to their comparatively low weight and suitable gearing for the jobs they were designed to cover. A ‘Networker’ Class 365 from King’s Lynn had shown what units from the same stable could achieve from 25kV AC overhead power (56secs 0-60, RE224/January 2015). So it was with a sense of anticipation that Class 465 workings were pursued, this time on the old ‘South Eastern’ – especially as 750V DC third-rail had proved, as expected, to be inferior to 25V AC overhead. The fastest…

BOTH the Greater Anglia and Great Western Railway franchises are running two specials in aid of charities to mark the cessation of long running trains. GA is celebrating the relatively short-lived Class 37-hauled ‘short set’, which was introduced in 2015 to cover ashortage of DMU sets; GWR is marking the end of the 43-year-old full-length HSTs. GA’s trip runs on May 18 and will feature two DRS Class 37s ‘top and tailing’ five Mk.2s from Norwich (dep 10.20) to King’s Lynn, then via Cambridge and to London Liverpool Street. The return will be direct on the Great Eastern Main Line via Ipswich to Norwich. The Great Eastern was the first line in the country to welcome this class of locomotive when No. D6700 (later 37119/37350 and now part of the…

Promoter Codes: A1SLT – A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, BBP – British Belmond Pullman, BLS – Branch Line Society, BT – Bishop Trains, NB – Northern Belle, NENTA – NENTA, NER – North East Railtours, PT – Pathfinder Tours, RR – Retro Railtours, RTC – Railway Touring Club, SD – Steam Dreams, SR – Statesman Rail, SRPS – Scottish Railway Preservation Society, ST – Saphos Trains, UKR – UK Railtours, VT – Vintage Trains, WCRC – West Coast Railways Company.…

THE Midland Railway-Butterley is attempting to raise funds to return No. D7671 (25321) to operational condition so that it can play a starring role in an event on September 14/15, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Midland Railway Trust. The Class 25 last ran around four years ago, and requires repairs to various electrical components, as well as electrical cubicle rewiring and a repaint. It is planned to repaint the loco into two-tone green livery, which it carried when it arrived on the line from its arrival in 1988 until 2001. This is not a livery it carried in BR service, however, having emerged new in 1967 in BR blue. No. D7671 was obtained for preservation by Derby Industrial Museum (now Derby Silk Mill) back in 1987 with the…

DELAYS in the completion of the rebuilt ‘Castle’ coaches with sliding doors has led to GWR introducing a number of four-coach HST workings formed of unmodified slam-door vehicles. The first such temporary set, LA21 (initially numbered PM88), was created using four spare vehicles (Nos. 42332/364/514 and 44093) and used mainly on training duties before the additional diagrams were introduced on March 25. Three more rakes, LA24/25/26, were created in the days leading up to the introduction of the extra diagrams, these being created using vehicles from LA64, LA63 and spares. Two further sets (LA22 and LA23) are due to be formed in the coming weeks (see table for planned formations). A further set, OC33 has been reduced to four cars for use on the new diagrams, which run mainly between…

THE Sperry track inspection train was active on a tour of the system during the period under review. As on previous occasions, it included vehicles of the weedspray train to provide additional brake force, with the full consist being: a wagon carrying two tanks, awagon carrying a tank and a container, ‘BR’ van No. 3187, the dedicated Sperry container wagon, plus another wagon with two tanks. In preparation for its systemwide tour, the train had test runs from Port Laois to Lisduff yard (between Ballybrophy and Templemore on the Dublin to Cork mainline) and return on February 21 and 22. GM No. 084 was noted on the test duties on the 22nd. Inspection of the Cork to Cobh/ Midleton lines on February 26 saw GM No. 083 used with this…

EXTREME weathering has been applied to wagon models by Bachmann for some time, but rarely is a model locomotive treated in the same manner. Kernow Model Rail Centre’s latest limited edition ‘OO’ gauge Class 47 breaks ground in having weathering effects printed onto the model to replicate the condition of No. 47537 Sir Gwynedd, County of Gwynedd as it was seen in the early 1990s. The livery has been carefully researched resulting in an unusual off-the-shelf model in particularly distressed and weathered condition, where the rail blue paint has become so worn in places it reveals the underlying grey primer. The shade of rail blue and warning panel yellow applied to the model replicates the livery when bleached from exposure to sunlight. All of these effects are applied using the…

MODELLERS often express dissatisfaction with the relationship between the bogie sideframes and body of the otherwise useful Graham Farish ‘N’ gauge Class 37. It is a reliable model with six-axle drive and a mechanism which is smooth and powerful after it has been correctly run in and lubricated. The locomotive sits a fraction high to allow the wheels to clear the underside of the body and the bogie sideframe mouldings are a tad wide to allow the wheels clearance for running through sharp train set curves. Despite this, the buffers do line up with those on other ‘N’ gauge models, suggesting that the body mounted bufferbeams have been adjusted slightly. This has led to a variety of ideas on how to improve the carriage of the body on the bogies,…

WAGON projects have been piling up in the studio recently including the need to replace buffers on Hornby ‘Rudd’ ballast wagons; solving a minor derailment problem with the Olivia’s Trains TEA cryogenic tank wagons and converting the new Dapol ‘Turbot’ to ‘EM’ gauge. Each one takes anything from 10 minutes to an hour to complete, so they are lined up on the work bench ready for an evening of fiddling around with wheels, bearings and buffers. Before making a start, the workbench is cleaned and a fresh piece of wall lining paper placed on it with tools and a cutting mat, providing a clean working area. ‘EM’ conversions Two new wagons arrived for use on my ‘EM’ gauge layout recently, both of which needing more attention than a simple wheel…