Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2022 i Rail Express

Avery Happy New Year to you, our readers and contributors, who, year after year, help keep Rail Express fresh and brimming with a relevant mix of news, features, modelling, nostalgia and top-notch photography – we literally couldn’t do it without you. Relevant, of course, means different things to different people. I was reminded of this at the start of January, when on January 2 many of us commemorated the ‘Deltic Scotsman Farewell’ railtour, the last day of Deltics in BR service, now incredibly 40 years ago. For those of us fortunate/old enough (depending on your point of view!) to be at a freezing King’s Cross Platform 2 when No. 55022 Royal Scots Grey brought down the curtain (and the house) on an era, it was a momentous occasion, the like…

THE final report of the Union Connectivity Review designed to improve links between the four countries that make up the United Kingdom was published by the Government at the end of November. There are no immediate projects that will be implemented, but the findings outline proposals to develop corridors that make up UKNET as a focus for future investment priorities. The report covers all transport modes, but a number of the proposed corridors will bring an opportunity to improve rail services. The Scottish government did not take part in the review, which is a shame, as Anglo-Scottish rail projects were included in the review. The most eagerly anticipated is surely the reopening of the Borders Railway beyond Tweedbank to reach Carlisle. There are distinct benefits for continuing the line to…

User statistics for July, August and September 2021 were published by the Office for Rail and Road on December 16. Some 248 million journeys were recorded over that quarter, which was a reduction of 44.6% compared to the 448 million trips recorded during the same period two years ago, before the Covid pandemic decimated rail demand. Statistics for different train operators showed a wide variation, with LNER as the best performing, recording the return of 89.6% of passengers. The open access East Coast Main Line operators also saw a recovery to 74.1% for Hull Trains and 69.9% for Grand Central. InterCity operators on other routes did less well, with Avanti West Coast recovering 59.5% of its previous comparable volume and Great Western Railway securing 53.5%. The results allow some conclusions…

TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS (TPE) increased services between Edinburgh and Newcastle with the timetable change on December 12, 2021. The changes were touted as improving connectivity for communities in East Lothian, the Scottish Borders and Northumberland. TPE was running five services per day (Monday to Saturday) in both directions, calling at Edinburgh Waverley, Dunbar, Reston (due to open in March), Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnmouth, Morpeth, and Newcastle, with one service per day calling at Cramlington. The new services will be operated by TPE’s Class 802/2 sets. TPE made other service increases on December 12, including the resumption of an hourly service between Scarborough, York and Manchester Victoria. In addition, some peak trains were extended through to Liverpool Lime Street. Also reintroduced was a two-hourly service on the West Coast Main Line from Manchester to…

Correct to December 18, 2021 Allocations 66177 WBAT-WBAE 43071 SBXL-MBDL 43073 SBXL-MBDL 43082 SBXL-MBDL 43307 EC/IECP-HQ/SCEL 43317 EC/IECP-HQ/SCEL 66098 WBRT-WBAE 66111 WBRT-WBAE 66151 WBRT-WBAE 66186 WBRT-WBAR 66194 WBRT-WBAR Liveries FL orange: 90005 GBRf + speed whiskers: 69003 Renumbered PB04-66734 Purchased HNRC: 20301/03/04/08/09/12, 37703 Locomotive Services: 20302/05,57302/11 Returned from France 66179, 66224/44 Returned from Germany 43480/84 Stored/stopped locations Derby RTC: 43277 Eastleigh Works: 43296, 43308, 43423/67/80/84 Worksop: 73134, 92021/40/45/46…

BRUSH TRACTION WITH Wabtec expected to vacate its section of the famous ‘Falcon Works’ site at Loughborough imminently, just 10 years after taking over Brush Traction, long-term inmates Nos. 73134, 92021, 92040 and 92045, along with last-built Class 92 No. 92046, (all owned by GB Railfreight) were on the move in December. Nos. 92021 and 92046 were moved by road to Worksop on the 14th, while 92040 and 92045 followed on the 16th. All four Brush-built electrics were stored at Crewe EMD in a mass cull of the Eurostar UK fleet on April 24, 2001, along with Nos. 92020, 92032 and 92044, the latter three of which have subsequently returned to action with GBRf. Nos. 92045 and 92046 have been at Loughborough since July 2008, while Nos. 92021 and 92040…

THE period under review has been unprecedented for new wagon arrivals, with numerous different vehicles being delivered for a variety of operators. Most are further shipments of existing designs, or variations on a theme. So the WH Davis-constructed JNA-U (UIC code Ealnos) ‘Megabox’ wagons for operator GB Railfreight are a refreshing change. Forty-six of the 101.6-tonne 75m3 capacity bogie boxes have been ordered by lessor Beacon Rail. While a new design, they utilise recovered Y25 bogies and braking equipment from scrapped HHA coal hoppers and unsurprisingly share a similarity with the 2019-built 60m3 JNAs for VTG Rail that used recovered JSA steel carrier underframes (see October 2021 issue). The first 18, Nos. 81 70 5932 105-117/121-125 (keeper code GBBRLL), were collected from Langwith Junction on December 21 by GBRf’s No.…

FREIGHTLINER-OWNED No. 08891 has been a long-term resident at Hunslet (LH) at Barton Under Needwood, since it was taken out of traffic in July 2008 due to damaged cylinder heads. Moved to Hunslet (LH) for repairs it was used as a ‘Christmas Tree’ to keep the rest of the fleet going, but in 2017 a move down the road to Nemesis Rail saw a slow return to traffic commence, with a move back to Hunslet (LH) at the start of 2020. The rebuild is now almost complete and at the end of December 2021 it was sat outside the Hunslet (LH) workshops carrying Freightliner orange and ready to work again, almost 14 years since it last turned a wheel in service.…

FUNDING of Transport for London (TfL) services that includes London Underground (LU), London Overground (LO) and buses has been extended from December 11 to February 6. This extension of the existing financial agreement with the Department for Transport (DfT) means that the threat of services being cut back has at least been delayed. At face value, it may appear as if both parties have chosen to effectively ‘kick the can down the road’, using a wait and see approach. However, this is a longer-term, politically motivated game, that is indicative of both sides being at loggerheads once again. It is widely understood that TfL requires 72% of its pre-pandemic full capacity passenger income in order to service its daily operating costs. Comparable metro systems that serve New York and Paris…

The DPS has had to withdraw from the planned 40th anniversary railtour scheduled for April 30, which was to commemorate the final Deltic-hauled railtour in BR days on January 2, 1982. This is due to delays in returning D9009 Alycidon to full working order. Graham Clarke, DPS head of engineering, felt it was unwise to commit to this tour as the DPS was required to sanction it in January. With static testing, mileage accumulation and both heritage line and main line high speed runs still to be done, it was felt prudent to delay the loco's return to main line action. A new date will be confirmed later, possibly running as a 40+1 tribute in January 2023.…

INFRASTRUCTURE improvements included the remodelling of the approach to London King’s Cross, with the eastern bore of Gasworks Tunnel reopened to give six tracks instead of four. The £259 million project was completed on April 26 after a final three-day blockade. Elsewhere, there was much talk of the importance of electrification, but physical progress during the year was modest. Electric services finally reached Corby in May, using Class 360 units transferred from Greater Anglia, and the first through electric working from Swindon to Cardiff ran in July. A small addition to the third rail network came with the reopening of the Island Line on the Isle of Wight, when a passing loop at Brading came into use. Services on the upgraded 8½-mile line between Ryde and Shanklin resumed on November…

It’s nearly time for one of the show highlights of the year, with the Model Rail Scotland event set to delight the crowds in Glasgow from Feb 25 to 27. More than 40 layouts are due to be there at the SEC Centre, in the heart of the city, with a wide range of gauges and displays including N, P4, table top, OO gauge and O... and there will be something to pique everyone’s interest, whatever their railway passion. There will also be a host of traders keen to help you transform your own layout and take it to the next level, or even just provide that background information or friendly piece of advice. Look out for the businesses featured on this page... and enjoy the show. Remember, in accordance…

A small but very useful range of economically-priced and sometimes hard to source electronic circuits are offered by Illuminated Models, including locomotive lighting enhancement kits and decoder socket combinations. Products that caught our attention included flashing tail-lamp circuits and a pack of very well-priced bridge rectifiers. Bridge rectifiers They are a must for DCC-users if a DCC power bus alternating current is to be tapped for a 12v DC supply (ideally from an accessory DCC bus rather than the one that supplies track power) for powering lighting circuits, control panel illumination, signals and turnouts (when accessory decoders are not being used). A pack of five (AL-20) is priced at £3.95 and they are professionally-made circuits with 4mm long solder pads for the input power and 12v DC output. At 18mm…

THE ambitious Network Rail plan to electrify the greater part of the national network to deliver net zero carbon emissions by 2040 will not be adopted in its current form due to uncertainties about post-Covid passenger demand and what is seen as an unacceptable outlay of £30 billion, based on anticipated wiring costs of £2.5 million per single track kilometre (stk). There are many lessons from history about electrification as the investment has regularly proved to be contentious and it has made matters worse that the industry muddied the playing field with a shocking cost overrun of the Great Western Main Line project that had to be reduced in scope. There is no doubt that in terms of energy efficiency 25kV AC overhead wiring as a method of providing traction…

EMR DEPOT UPGRADE WORK is underway on a £2 million upgrade at East Midlands Railway’s (EMR) Nottingham Eastcroft depot, which provides the majority of the day-to-day maintenance of the EMR Regional fleet, currently comprised of 69 trains. The investment will allow the depot to stable more trains at a time, install additional fuel pumps, and upgrade the train cleaning facilities. The upgraded Eastcroft, expected to be completed in June, will not only help to deliver the current timetable, but will support the ongoing development of EMR regional services and provide more capacity for additional three-carriage trains which will be introduced in 2022. TPE TRIALS BATTERY TECH HITACHI Rail, Angel Trains and TransPennine Express have agreed to trial battery-hybrid technology on the trans-pennine route in 2022. Installing battery technology to a…

Transport for the North (TfN) has proposed an alternative funding approach to enable the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) network to be developed in full. At its board meeting in Leeds on November 24, attended by the five elected mayors for Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City Region, West and South Yorkshire and the North of Tyne area, the Government was urged to consider methods of raising money from the private sector. TfN chair Louise Gittins has written to the transport secretary at Westminster to express collective dismay at the inadequacy of the IRP, saying that it breached previous commitments the Government has made. Although the core route between Liverpool and York will be electrified, this will not extend to Hull and the plan for a high speed line described as HS3…

BESIDES those credited elsewhere, this issue has been made possible by the contributions of the following readers, to whom the editor is most grateful: Andy Stoppard, Ben Bucki, Brian East, Chris Addoo, Chris Brock, Dave Smith, David Cooper, David Watts, Finbar O’Neill, Gareth Kemp, Iain Scotchman, Ian Lyall, Jack Bowley, Jack Taylor, Jamie Perry-Giddins, John Hales, John Longden, Jonathan Longbottom, Keith Partlow, Marc Davies, Mark Lynam, Mark Youdan, Martyn Tattam, Matt Fisher, Matty Walker, Mick Tindall, Mike Cooper, Neil Walkling, Paul Berry, Paul Clark, Peter Foster, Richard Walliker, Robert Sherwood, Rod Orr, Ryan Hayward, Ryan Lloyd, Spencer Conquest, Stephen Ginn, Steve Donald, Steve Sienkiewicz, Stuart West, Thomas Mills and many more.…

OCTOBER saw Direct Rail Services place 12 members of its stored locomotive fleet for sale. This included eight Class 20/3s, two Class 37s and a pair of Class 57/3s. The results have now been released and HNRC, somewhat unsurprisingly, has gone big on the English Electric machines, acquiring Nos. 20301, 20303, 20304, 20308, 20309 and 20312, all currently at Barrow Hill – except No. 20303 at Crewe Gresty Bridge – as well as No. 37703 at Bo’ness. Notably HNRC already operates ex-DRS Class 20/3s Nos. 20311 and 20314, both purchased in April 2011. Nos. 20303 and 37703 are in working order, the latter seeing regular use on the heritage railway courtesy of the SRPS, while the Class 20 requires new wheelsets. ‘THUNDERBIRD’ DELLNER EQUIPMENT IS (TO) GO Locomotive Services has…

Correct to December 18, 2021 Allocations 40704/20 EC/HBHQ-HQ/SCEC 41087/91 EC/HBHQ-HQ/SCEC 41118/70 EC/HBHQ-HQ/SCEC 42179 EC/HBHQ-HQ/SCEC 42242/43 EC/HBHQ-HQ/SCEC 42355/57/63 EC/HBHQ-HQ/SCEC 44098 EC/HBHQ-HQ/SCEC Formations HA05+42029 HA06+42033 Stored/stopped locations Eastleigh: 10330, 11321, 12222, 12323, 12461, 82227 Great Yarmouth: 1213, 96372 Newport: 12802 Disposals CF Booth, Rotherham: Cut dates: November 9: 12329; November 18: 12514; November 22: 12411; November 23: 12489; November 30: 12483; December 1: 12513; December 3: 12518.…

■ DB CARGO: The BYA conversion line at DBC’s workshops in Stokeon-Trent has outshopped its first production examples of the former coil carrier design, now rebuilt for carrying slabs. 14 BYAs (the wagons retain their original TOPS codes and numbers) left the former Marcroft Engineering site at the end of November 2021. A further two batches departed in December bringing the total number of wagons converted to 21, which includes the prototype No. 996050. This leaves just nine wagons to be converted. Interestingly, the first group to leave included No. 966201, which had been stored at Stoke since at least 2014. The full list is as follows: This leaves Nos. 966040/145/61/ 205 (arrived October 29) and 966002/100/244 (arrived November 10) on site at Stoke to be cycled through the programme,…

‘CHOPPER’ BACK IN ACTION AFTER rectification of brake and electrical faults by HTRS (Heritage Transport Restoration & Supplies), No. 20087 made a test run at the Battlefield Line during December. Last used at the East Lancashire Railway, it was bought by HNRC in 2016 and later moved to Worksop. Both this loco and another HNRC ‘Chopper’, No. D8110 (20110), are currently based at the Battlefield Line. CLASS 40 REPAIRED FOR FESTIVE SPECIALS FOLLOWING a failure while working a carol service special on December 10, No. 40106 was repaired in time to carry out its rostered post-Christmas daily duties beginning on December 26. The loco had suffered an AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulator) fault, which also caused damage to the battery charging resistor. The CFPS has expressed its thanks to the owners…

WENSLEYDALE LAUNCHES MK.1 COACH APPEAL THE Wensleydale Railway is hoping to purchase a pair of Mk.1 vehicles, TSO No. 4406 and BSO(T) No. 9011, from WCRC and has launched an appeal to raise funds for their purchase. Both coaches, which were based at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway until 2020, have undergone restoration at Carnforth in the past 18 months. MK.1 BCK LOANED TO NYMR NORTH Norfolk Railway Mk.1 BCK No. 21224 was loaned to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for much of December. It returned south before the end of the year.…

A FIRST glimpse inside Acton Depot’s new AC14 workshop, where 92 Tube Stock units are due to be overhauled as part of the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP), revealed that cars 91001-92001-93054 had been shunted into place by Clayton CD40 shunting loco No. 5, so that works could begin. Since then, the cars have been stripped out, with extensive works being undertaken to repair the corroded metal flooring. The first of two pre-production eight-car trains have been developed at Bombardier’s works in Derby, the first just receiving replacement AC motor equipment below the solebar. Meanwhile, work on the second, that remains at Ruislip, only relates to the internal saloon modifications, so that the cars will comply with the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2010, incorporating space for wheelchairs, perch seats, RVAR…

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. LIVERY DESIGNER CARRIED AWAY? OH dear, I saw your picture of the new DRS livery on page 29 of Issue 308, January issue, and my heart sank. The previous livery was so stylish and classy, the new one, apart from being uninspiring, looks as though it was dreamt up by an overenthusiastic railway modeller who can’t resist overspraying the body with track dirt. Such a shame… Tony S By email WHEN HST MET HSC…

AFTER years of inexorable decline, coal tonnages rose slightly in the second half of 2021. High gas prices and lower than usual production from renewable sources led to West Burton taking coal by rail again in July and August, hauled by GBRf. Deliveries to Ratcliffe were still going strong at the end of the year, with up to four GBRf-hauled trains running daily. But the fate of coal-fired generation was brought into focus by some high-profile demolition jobs, including the cooling towers at Eggborough and chimneys at Ferrybridge and Longannet. The last flow of English opencast coal, loaded onto rail at North Blyth, ceased in March.…

ZINC ore concentrates are shipped three times a day between the Tara Mines near Navan in County Meath and Dublin Port, using heavy vacuum-braked bogie ore tippler wagons introduced in 1977 when production commenced at the mine. The wagons were first painted in a light blue livery with Tara legends applied to the sides, a livery which gave way to the red bauxite colours of today. The wagons are massively built to cope with heavy mineral ore and equipped with a cover designed to contain the load which is considered to be an environmental hazard. Two types of cover have been used: a corrugated type fitted from new and a smooth, slightly domed type applied after overhaul. The ore concentrates are loaded by chute in a controlled environment and the…

DAPOL’S brand-new ‘N’ gauge Mk.3 sleeper stock gradually made its way into the shops during the latter part of 2021, with the BR blue and grey models arriving in December alongside a variety of special Caledonian Sleeper editions for KMS Railtech. The new models share many of the same technical features of previously released Mk.3 stock and on first inspection, appear to make the grade in most respects. Two versions were given a thorough examination in this review: InterCity 'Swallow' SLE No. 10701 and BR blue and grey SLEP No. 10510. As the new models were examined, some discrepancies were detected in both detailing and the applied liveries, even though the models themselves are of the correct proportions. One size fits all Whilst there is no doubt that the character…

DRS is selling its next tranche of older rolling stock, including three Class 37s (Nos. 603, 604, 609), six Class 57s (Nos. 004, 008-012), five Mk.2f DBSOs (Nos. 9704, 9705, 9707, 9709, 9710), two Mk.3 DVTs (Nos. 82101 and 82126), plus Class 37 and coaching stock spares. The vehicles are currently based at MoD Longtown and sale is by tender, with a closing date of February 3. In October 2021, DRS put up its remaining Class 20/3s for sale, along with Class 37s, 57s and coaches, many of which were bought by HNRC and LSL (see Power by the Hour, p24). A number of ‘37s’ remain on DRS’ books for now.…

I can’t believe it’s somehow 2022! I hope you enjoyed the festivities and were able to welcome this new year in with lots of good food, much laughter, joy and hope. I’m really excited for this year for so many reasons: I have a few exciting projects lined up that I can’t wait to tell you about, I turn the big 3-0 in July, and I’ll be passing out as a train driver at some point, too! There is so much going on. I love the feeling of a brand-new year. That idea of who I am today being my ‘square one’, and setting myself little goals throughout the upcoming months to be a better version of myself. Last year, I set myself one of my hardest challenges… to stop…

DB CARGO THREE more Class 66s have been repatriated to the UK from their secondment to DB Cargo France (previously Euro Cargo Rail), Nos. 66179, 66224 and 66244 arriving back on British rails on December 12. They join Nos. 66010, 66028, 66032 (now repainted into DB traffic red), 66073, 66190 and 66205, which made a similar trip back to these shores in June and July (see August and September 2021 issues). THE three WGEA (ECR locomotives) pool Class 66s were tucked in behind No. 66051 working the 6E26 Dollands Moor-Scunthorpe empty rails the next day (13th) – only as far as Doncaster – for the first leg of their journey to Toton. This final stage was courtesy of Nos. 66060 and 66088 on the 14th, which sandwiched the trio on…

Correct to December 18, 2021 Allocations 156401/02/12/15 DY/EMHQ-NH/ EDHQ 196004 newly delivered HQ/EJHQ 197006/08/10 newly delivered HQ/ HLHQ 197102 newly delivered HQ/HLHQ 317509 sent for disposal 317892 sent for disposal 321334 SAXU-GBMU 321410/40/41/47 IL/EBHQ-HQ/SAXU 365508/09/15/32/41 sent for disposal 387201-06 RG/EFHQ-HE/ETHQ 701001/39 newly delivered HQ/HYHQ 707002/13 WD/HYHQ-SG/HUHQ 720582/83 newly delivered HQ/EBHQ Liveries CityBeam: 707005/06/13 EMR purple: 170513/14,222001/03/05/07/17/19-21/23,360104/07 Northern: 156402 SWR: 450057/61/66 Renumbered 156912-156412 156922-156422 Names removed 222003 Tornado 321336 Geoffrey Freeman Allen 321343 RSA Railway Study Association Now in passenger traffic 455854/66, 455905/07 720521/35/46/65/80 Preserved  K&WVR: 143625 Stored/stopped locations Clapham Junction: 455910, 456002/04/23 Dean Forest Railway: 360201 Derby Litchurch Lane: 701026, 701506, 720523/72 Donnington RFT: 196008/12,197006/08/10 Ely: 153307/28/31, 465238/49 Kirkdale: 777016/18 Long Marston: 153379/84, 455726, 455847 Newton Heath: 153332/63 Oxley: 730003, 730101/03 Strawberry Hill: 455708 Tyseley: 196112 Wimbledon: 455905, 456003/06,458505/06 Worksop:…

GREAT YARMOUTH ARRIVALS HAVING been purchased by Eastern Rail Services (see January issue), the three former Eurostar generator vans have been moved from Long Marston to ERS’s base at Great Yarmouth. Arrival dates at their new home were December 14 (No. 96372), December 16 (No. 96375) and December 17 (No. 96373). Another coach from the ERS fleet, Mk. 3a TSO No. 12036, visited Harpenden Rugby Club from December 7-9 as part of a filming project. RECTORY CLEAR OUT THE removal of rolling stock from Rectory Junction was completed on December 16, when the last two coaches present, Mk.3 FO No. 11090 and TSO No. 12091, were collected by HST power car Nos. 43054/066 and taken to Brush, Loughborough, where they join other vehicles from the DATS fleet. RIVIERA GENERATOR SEES…

THE initial batch of low-sided ballast wagons ordered as part of the Wascosa-GBRf-Network Rail contract is now in the UK: MLA-W (UIC code Ealnos) boxes Nos. 81 70 5932 201-3 to 81 70 5932 230-2 arrived at Eastleigh Yard behind No. 66766 on December 30, 2021, having worked over from the Channel Tunnel on the 6Z66 04.22 ex-Dollands Moor. These are the first 30 examples of a 260-strong order that has been allocated the numbers 81 70 5932 201-3 to 81 70 5932 460-5. Rather surprisingly these wagons are an update of the Network Rail JNA-C type, 555 of which were built by Astra Rail in Arad, Romania, between 2003-4, rather than the later Greenbrier Europe MLA design, as operated by EWS/DB, Network Rail and Metronet/ GBRf. The main changes…

SENTINEL 0-6-0 10218 PBA No.39 was in action again this year working Santa trains at the East Somerset Railway ‘top and tail’ with steam. The rest of the year it sees little, if any, use on passenger trains, but is a big part of the Santa services Based at Moreton Park on a former MoD site near Moreton on Lugg, Hereford, the D2578 Group, owner of Class 05 D2578 has been looking for another locomotive for the past 18 months. Not for themselves, but for the site owner to use as a display within the site. A pre-requisite was an MoD/Army background. While several were looked at none were suitable until Ruston & Hornsby LSSH 0-6-0DH (459517/1961) Army No. 422 came up for sale at the Lavender Line earlier this…

NNR ‘08’ RETURNS TO SERVICE NORTH Norfolk Railway resident No. D3940 (08772) has been released from overhaul and put into use as Weybourne pilot, enabling Class 11 No. 12131 to be stood down. The ‘11’ is to be assessed in advance of a major overhaul being started. ‘CELEBRITY’ CLASS 86 VISITS BURTON LES Ross’ Class 86, No. E3137 (86259) Les Ross/Peter Pan ran from Rugby to Lichfield on December 21, in advance of being collected by No. 31128 Charybdis which hauled the ‘AL6’ to Nemesis Rail at Burton upon Trent for winter maintenance.…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: Low rail adhesion, caused by leaf mulch, was a problem across the system during the period under review. The use of the waterjetter wagon, hauled by GM No. 8112, (see January issue) continued on the Portadown to Bangor line and from Belfast to Carrickfergus, until MPV No. 11 returned to RHTT duties in late November. Low rail adhesion has had a particularly acute impact on punctuality on the Belfast to Londonderry line, where delays have been a recurring problem. The route is mostly single track with eight passing loops between Monkstown (between Whiteabbey and Mossley West) where the double track becomes single, and Londonderry. Any delay has a knock-on effect to other services. The restart from a signal check at Monkstown for a down train (eg…

STEEL traffic held up well during the year despite the financial woes of Liberty, the owner of several rail-connected sites including Aldwarke, Stocksbridge and Dalzell. Occasional trains were still using the 11½ miles of freight-only railway from Woodburn Junction to Stockbridge towards the end of the year. A welcome revival was the rail connection to Sunderland Docks. Occasional trains of scrap metal ran from Sunderland to Cardiff from April onwards, while DBC also hauled several trainloads of imported steel coil from Sunderland to Wolverhampton in the summer.…

IN May 2021, the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail revealed the Government’s longer-term proposals for Passenger Service Contracts (PSC), to be awarded to private companies by Great British Railways. In the interim, the ERMAs would be replaced by National Rail Contracts, such as those awarded in September to Abellio-owned Greater Anglia and West Midlands Trains. The principle of the PSC is similar to the concession model already in use for TfL Overground and Merseyrail, as well as on some routes in Germany and Sweden. Privatisation retreated a little further during the year as two more operators returned to the public sector. Transport for Wales came under Welsh government control in February, in recognition of the increased state support required during the pandemic. Less felicitously, the Govia-owned operator Southeastern forfeited its franchise…

A small number of models are being marketed by Hornby in a different way with some models appearing as exclusives to the Hornby website, including the Rail Charter Services' staycation HST set. The power cars and trailers will be sold for the same price as the main catalogue items. DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66185 Climate Hero is also added to the web-only specials list for £96.99. A small range of models are allocated for retailing through Hornby’s Tier 1 customers, including the DRAX IIA biomass wagons of which two models will be produced with Northern Powerhouse markings (£49.99). The second model to be issued for Tier 1 customer network is Fastline Class 66 as No. 66301 for £96.99.…

In addition to models of the Southern Region General Manager’s Saloon, Southern Electric modellers have the reissue of the face-lifted Class 423 4-VEP to look forward to in 2022 alongside Hornby Skaledale South Eastern buildings. Two liveries from the Privatisation era are added to the catalogue: South West Trains (Stagecoach) and the sole Southern unit to be painted in the green and ivory livery of the franchise that succeeded Connex. We urge Hornby to consider adding a Network SouthEast version to the 2022 catalogue too, to match the new buildings. Part retooling of the model is being undertaken to tidy up the cab front. The compartments will have new interiors with the partitions and doors properly modelled and other improvements, including a new decoder socket, will be incorporated. Priced at…