Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Railways Illustrated

This month we celebrate our 250th issue. Founded by Colin Marsden on behalf of Ian Allan Publishing, the first issue of Railways Illustrated hit the shelves just over 20 years ago in March 2003 and since then has continued to bring you all the latest news and developments from around the rail network and at our heritage railways. Colin was responsible for editing 38 issues of the magazine before he moved on to establish Modern Locomotives Illustrated (now MLI Plus), and I met up with him a couple of months ago to talk about those early days when he was tasked with setting up a brand-new railway title to take over from where Railway World had left off. Since Colin left the editors seat after producing the April 2006 issue,…

TRANSPORT FOR Wales is looking to serve more communities and ease congestion on the M4 motorway through the proposed opening of several new railway stations and a series of train service improvements in South East Wales. In 2019, the South East Wales Transport Commission, chaired by Lord Burns, investigated sustainable ways to tackle congestion on the M4 in the area. The commission found that many people in the locality do not have good transport alternatives to the motorway and significant new transport options were needed. The proposals have been developed with funding from the UK Government, as part of the Union Connectivity Review, while funding for the consultation has come the Welsh Government. Further funding will need to be secured to develop the proposals and construction of the new stations.…

AVANTI WEST Coast Pendolino 390103 was named Asquith Xavier in a ceremony at London Euston station on September 28, in recognition of a trailblazing man who fought discrimination when he was turned down for a railway job due to his race. Asquith Xavier was employed by British Rail at Marylebone station and applied for a promotion to be a guard at Euston station in 1966, but was subsequently turned down for employment on the basis of his ethnicity due to an unofficial policy known as the ‘colour bar’. He campaigned against the decision and it was eventually overturned in his favour. His campaign also contributed towards the Race Relations Act of 1968, which made it unlawful to not employ an individual on the grounds of their race. 390103’s nameplates, featuring…

THE HISTORIC Grade B-listed Ayr Station Hotel was significantly damaged in a suspected arson attack on September 25, resulting in the suspension of services to the adjacent railway station for a number of weeks while Network Rail and South Ayrshire Council worked to make the fire-ravaged building safe and carry out necessary repairs to the surrounding railway as a result of the incident. The hotel has been disused for almost a decade and is owned by a Malaysian business man who has failed to engage with the local council about the deteriorating condition of the building, which has been causing concern for a number of years. Much of the structure was enclosed by scaffolding and plastic sheeting to protect the railway station and surrounding land from the danger of falling…

LONDON NORTHWESTERN Railway is expecting to be finally able to reinstate morning and afternoon peak time services onto the Bedford to Bletchley Marston Vale line at some point in November, although an exact reintroduction date had not been announced as this issue was being prepared. Services on the line have been suspended since December 1 last year when Vivarail went into administration, forcing the Class 230 train fleet that had been in use on the line to be taken out of traffic immediately, due to the maintenance arrangements that had been in place for the trains. Following the transfer of three Class 150/1 diesel multiple units from Northern in July – 150137/139/141 – maintenance staff and driver training and re-familiarisation has been carried out, with driver training taking place in…

THE ARRIVAL of autumn has seen Network Rail’s annual battle with the leaf-fall season commence – as the infrastructure operator works hard to keep the rails clean from the challenges created by mulch. Its dedicated fleet of Railhead Treatment Trains and Multi-Purpose Vehicles were being positioned and tested around the country from early September in preparation for the season, which lasts until mid-December. A huge amount of planning goes into scheduling and operating the trains, which have become an essential tool in protecting the safety of the railway. Each year the autumn railhead treatment circuits cover more than a million miles between October and December, with the entire network being treated 50-plus times. Traction is provided by various freight operating companies from a number of RHTT hubs located around the…

THE REIGN of high speed train operations on CrossCountry came to a permanent end on September 26, with a specially-organised charter taking an eight-coach HST from Leeds to the Swanage Railway to mark the withdrawal of the popular fleet by the operator, raising more than £50,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity. Since being reintroduced onto CrossCountry services in 2008 (having originally been phased out by previous CrossCountry operator Virgin Trains), the small fleet of HSTs operating on some long-distance diagrams for the Arriva-backed operator have gone about their duties with little fuss. However, the decision to withdraw the HSTs was announced earlier this year, as the Department for Transport looks to train operators for cost-saving measures across the rail network as part of the coronavirus pandemic recovery. Although there was…

Direct Rail Services released details on October 9 of five Class 37s that the company is seeking to dispose of by tender. 37069, 37218, 37401/402/423 are on offer in the latest sale of heritage locomotives owned by the company. 37069, 37402/423 were previously subject to a failed sale earlier this year, and are being re-offered for sale this time alongside 37218 and 37401 Mary Queen of Scots. Last year, DRS offered its Class 37 fleet for sale on a leaseback arrangement, where they would have been sold by the operator, but this was subsequently cancelled. Therefore, this new tender will be the third time that DRS has attempted to sell some of the locomotives on offer. All five locomotives are located at DRS’s depot at Crewe Gresty Bridge and of…

c2c Aventra debut The passenger debut for c2c’s fleet of 12 Class 720/6 Aventra units arrived earlier than expected on September 27, when 720609 and 720610 were deployed to work 1B21, the 07.29 Thorpe Bay-Fenchurch Street, before emerging again in the evening peak to form 1B80, the 17.16 Fenchurch Street-Shoeburyness. Other set snoted making their debuts were 720601 and 720605, with the amended 1B86 17.58 Barking-Shoeburyness on October 9, while 720602 and 720604 formed 1B39, the 07.39 Shoeburyness-Fenchurch Street, the next morning. Class 707s finish with SWR The last passenger working for the Class 707s with South Western Railway took place late on October 13 when 707024 and 707030 formed 2O63, the 20.30 Waterloo-Waterloo circular via Twickenham and Wimbledon. The units then ran to Wimbledon depot to be prepared for…

CrossCountry Mk.3 HST fleet dispersed With the end of CrossCountry HST services in September, no time was wasted in sending the Mk.3 trailers into store. October 4/5 saw Porterbrook-owned 41194, 42370, 42377 and 44021 moved by road from Laira to Long Marston, while 42036 and 44017 similarly traversed the road network on October 3/4 when moved from Wabtec, Doncaster to Ely Papworth for Angel Trains. In contrast, the Porterbrook pair of 41195 and 42374 have immediately gone for scrap, both leaving Doncaster for the Hull yard of Sims Metals during the second week of October. Rail moves commenced on October 11 with 43239 and 43366 running from Laira to Ely with 41026, 41035, 42037, 42051, 42342 and 42379. Two days later, 43007 and 43378 made the same journey with 42038,…

THE WESTERN Locomotive Association has received an early 50th anniversary present in the shape of Class 52 Western diesel-hydraulic D1048 Western Lady – a gift from its previous owners following its recent appearance at the Severn Valley Railway diesel-hydraulic reunion event. The movement of the Western to the SVR in advance of the line’s Autumn Diesel Bash in September from its previous base at the Midland Railway – Butterley caught many followers of the diesel-hydraulics by surprise. The WLA stated at the time that it helped facilitate the movement of D1048 from Butterley and assisted the owners in preparing the Class 52 for its visit by completing bodywork repairs and repainting it into BR blue with full yellow ends. WLA publicity officer Paul Finch told Railways Illustrated it was clear…

THE 125 Group has organised and operated its first main line charter service using its preserved high speed train, returning a passenger-carrying HST to London for the first time since East Midlands Railway withdrew its HST services in May 2021. The ‘Midland Venturer’ was due to operate on October 28, just after this issue closed for press, taking the 125 Group’s preserved Class 43 power cars 43089 and 43159 Rio Warrior and six of the group’s Mk.3 HST trailers over some familiar Midland Main Line territory, running from the East Midlands to London St Pancras. Originating at Ilkeston, the tour was due to call at Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, before running along the MML route to London, with the return working also expected to operate along the MML, calling at…

THE SEVERN Valley Railway-based DMU Group (West Midlands) has launched a fundraising campaign to complete a series of repairs to its five Class 108 diesel multiple unit vehicles, which will allow the DMU to return to service on the Bridgnorth to Kidderminster heritage line. The DMU vehicles making up the SVR set are driving motor brake standard (DMBS) 50933 and 51941, driving motor composite lavatory (DMCL) 52064, driving trailer composite lavatory (DTCL) 56208 and trailer brake 59250. The group was formed in the 1990s and for many years the DMU was used on regular rostered diesel turns, evening fish and chip trains, Christmas Carol trains and staff trains, and also regularly featured at SVR diesel galas. However, it was laid up in 2018 due to the vehicles requiring some major…

ARMIN OBRECHT, the owner of Iconic Railway Coaches, is looking to sell BR Mk.1 BCK (Brake Composite Corridor) M21240, converted into a show coach for the business, which was offering to convert Mk.1 railway carriages for other purposes, such as offices, cafes, exhibition spaces or into luxury living accommodation. Located on private land in Hemel Hempstead, M21240 has been converted into living accommodation and could be used as a private home for the purchaser, or it could be instantly used for luxury holiday rentals, joining the growing number of former railway coaches finding new uses in the private sector for glamping and holiday use. The interior of the coach has been fully converted into living accommodation, featuring a large open-plan living room with a log-burning stove and a bar. The…

Oops, they did it again! The Severn Valley Railway is celebrating its second hugely-successful diesel gala event this year, with more than 3600 visitors descending on the railway for the Autumn Diesel Bash event from September 28 to October 1, which had a distinct Western Region theme, as the culmination of the railway’s 50 Years of Diesel Preservation celebrations. The railway announced earlier this year that the diesel-hydraulic theme would come to the fore for the autumn event, with four visiting diesel-hydraulics announced – two from the East Lancashire Railway and two from the West Somerset Railway. Despite some events conspiring against the line-up, the SVR still managed to pull off an impressive line-up of diesel traction, and the railway received many positive comments about the smooth operation. The timetable…

The Class 60 type 5 freight locomotives remain popular with enthusiasts some 34 years since the first examples emerged from Brush Traction’s Falcon Works in Loughborough. In the next issue, Ian Edmondson presents the first of a two-part pictorial study into the various liveries carried by the Class 60s throughout their working lives, focusing first on colour schemes carried by the locomotives up to, and including, the English Welsh & Scottish Railways era. In the latest of his features looking at various aspects of railway operations, Network Rail North and East Route operations director Chris Gee details some of the diverse signalling arrangements and signalboxes on the Harrogate Loop line between Leeds and York, accompanied by some of his excellent photography of the route. The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group…

MERSEYRAIL’S ONE-MILE extension from Kirkby to the brand-new station at Headbolt Lane was brought into use on October 5, using battery-powered trains instead of the third-rail electrification in use throughout the rest of the Merseyrail network. Previously, two single platforms at Kirkby – separated by a road overbridge and buffer stops – were served by both Merseyrail and Northern services. Now, Merseyrail is the only operator to use Kirkby, with the new Class 777/1 bi-mode trains – officially termed as Independently Powered Electric Multiple Units (IPEMUs) – now operating on battery power between Kirby and Headbolt Lane. Platforms 1 and 2 at Headbolt Lane are dedicated to Merseyrail services heading towards Liverpool Central, while Northern services operating to and from Manchester and Wigan use Platform 3, which is separated from…

EAST COAST Main Line operator London North Eastern Railway has applied a special ‘You Belong’ vinyl wrap livery to one of the driving vehicles of Hitachi Class 800 bi-mode Azuma 800106 in recognition of the five years the train operator has worked in partnership with suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). The train was launched into service carrying the distinctive branding on one of the driving coaches of the nine-coach bi-mode train. The name carried by the train was chosen to create a sense of belonging, which is a key part of protecting everyone in the UK against suicide. CALM is there for anyone who is struggling with life, providing life-saving services 365 days a year to ensure no one ever feels like they have nowhere to turn.…

GB RAILFREIGHT OPENED ITS £5.75 million state-of-the-art Maintenance Hub on September 26, in an event attended by Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper MP, as part of the freight operator’s continued expansion of its business. The new hub – which is larger than six Olympic swimming pools – is located close to Peterborough station, alongside the East Coast Main Line, adjacent to the company’s Operations and Training Centre. It has been built on derelict land and was completed in just 10 months, and has been designed to support the use of electric shunt engines and forklifts to reduce carbon emissions. The hub has been built as part of GBRf’s plans to operate about 80 intermodal services a day by 2025 and will allow the freight company to create a…

A SERIES of celebrations for 2025 will coincide with the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway on September 27, 1825. The S&DR Railway Heritage Partnership, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council and the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority are teaming up with the National Railway Museum, the National Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England, Railway 200, Network Rail and the Friends of SDR. The festivities are part of the rail industry’s plans to mark the bicentenary with a year-long programme of initiatives, partnerships and activities called Railway 200, with the aim of attracting national attention. With a focus on inspiring the next generation, Railway 200 will mark the S&DR bicentenary, and the impact of the railways and train travel around the country.…

Great Western Railway is beginning a programme of heavy overhauls on the four Class 57/6s used to haul the Night Riviera sleeper services between London Paddington and Penzance. 57602-57605 are all due to undergo extensive G-exams, with GWR understood to be the first operator to carry out such heavy level maintenance on the locomotives, which were converted from Class 47s by Brush Traction at Loughborough just under 20 years ago. GWR HST and locomotive fleet engineer Karl Atkinson told Railways Illustrated that although they are mainly used for working the sleeper services, the requirement for three of the four locomotives to be in use six nights a week means that they are quite intensively worked and are now reaching the stage where heavy overhauls are due. First to receive a…

The end of CrossCountry HST operations and the ongoing reductions in Great Western Railway’s Castle Class fleet has seen stock movements from Laira get underway following hand-back work, prior to the Class 43 power cars and Mk.3 HST trailers heading to store or in preparation for export. On September 26, GWR green power cars 43010 and 43192, along with ex-GWR Mk.3 trailers 48128/143-145 and 49110/115, left Laira for Ely Papworth sidings, with the ensemble hauled by Rail Operations Group’s 37608 Andromeda. October 4 saw 43040, 43172 and Mk.3 set GW14 (48140-142, 49114) move from their temporary storage site at St Philips Marsh depot, heading to the Great Yarmouth base of Eastern Rail Services, joining the 11 Mk.3 HST trailers that moved to the Norfolk site last month. The following day…

CLASS 150 26/9 – 150218 caught fire at Brewery Loop due to an electrical fault while forming the 19.17 Manchester Victoria-Newton Heath empty stock move, causing considerable damage to 52218, with the fire brigade also cutting through the saloon floor to access the fire. CLASS 153 7/9 – 153316, 153324 and 153359 Long Marston to Sims, Newport by road. 23/9 – 153317 Bristol Barton Hill to Bury, ELR, by road for testing newly installed railhead treatment equipment. CLASS 166 6/10 – 166202 5Q81 09.04 Wolverton-St Philip’s Marsh. 6/10 – 166203 5Q70 14.08 St Philip’s Marsh-Wolverton. CLASS 313 Raxstar has scrapped the following vehicles at Eastleigh Works: 313203 – 71215 24/8, 62595 29/8, 313211 – 62603 30/8, 71223 31/8, 62539 4/9, 313213 – 62541 5/9, 71225 6/9, 62605 7/9, 313217 –…

Locomotive Services Group now has five matching HST power cars available for its Midland Pullman set following the repaint of 43049 into Nanking blue and white at Eastleigh Works, it losing its previous InterCity Swallow colours. Also from the company’s fleet, Class 121 ‘bubble car’ 55022 now carries the red and cream livery reserved for vehicles used privately by Jeremy Hosking, the livery being applied at Crewe. At Burton, 08624 has become the latest shunter to receive Freightliner orange and black, while GB Railfreight’s 66306 now carries whitebacked bodyside logos to promote the Skanska Costain Strabag (SCS) Partnership involved in constructing HS2. These were applied at Eastleigh Works in place of the GBRf lettering ahead of the locomotive’s naming at Willesden Euroterminal in late September. Now converted into an experimental…

FREIGHTLINER HAS placed electric locomotive 90050 on long-term loan to Crewe Heritage Centre, with plans already in place to carry out an extensive cosmetic restoration to the lastbuilt Class 90 following its delivery to its new home. The locomotive has undergone extensive component recovery since being taken out of traffic almost 19 years ago in December 2004 and was widely expected to be sent for scrap. However, agreement has been reached for the derelict locomotive to be transferred the short distance from Freightliner’s base at Crewe Basford Hall to CHC, with it arriving on October 10. The cosmetic transformation of the locomotive is being spearheaded by CHC volunteers Brian Porter and James Mather, who are both active members at the site and assist each other with the various restoration projects…

THE WEST Somerset Railway pressed one of the two stored Great Western Railway Castle Class high speed trains into service on the Minehead to Bishops Lydeard line on September 23/24, proving popular with visitors. The two trains – 43042 Tregenna Castle and 43162 Caerhays Castle with Mk.3 trailer set GW03 and 43094 St Mawes Castle, 43122 Dunster Castle and GW02 – were moved to the WSR in early September for temporary warm storage, with one set stored at Minehead and the other at Bishops Lydeard. They were stored on the WSR due to a lack of space at Laira depot while work on the CrossCountry HST fleet took place, ahead of them being returned to owners Angel Trains and Porterbrook, along with some redundant GWR HST stock which was also still…

THE CLACTON Express Preservation Group has announced that there is now a real possibility that preserved Class 309 electric multiple unit 390624 will be scrapped if a new owner cannot be found as a matter of urgency. The announcement in early October came following the end of the period that the Lavender Line – where the EMU has been stored since being purchased on behalf of the CEPG in early 2022 – had agreed to accommodate storage of the three-coach EMU. Despite the CEPG attempting to secure a new home, the backer who originally provided the finance required to buy the unit from the Lavender Line had put the EMU up for sale to recover the funds he had outlaid on the unit after he decided to step away from…

With the leaves now turning brown and falling to the ground, railhead treatment trains have resumed their duties, and – potentially for the last time – that means the Direct Rail Services Class 37s will be providing some of the power. The Type 3s continue to attract interest and attention on the main line almost 63 years after the first examples entered traffic with British Railways, and their presence on the national network looks set to continue for quite a while yet. Even with DRS seeking to rid itself of its Class 37 fleet, and other operators disposing of examples in recent times, there are still examples that could soon return to the main line – or may even have done so by the time this issue of Railways Illustrated…

After the decision was taken for the first 10 2300hp British Rail/Sulzer Type 4s to be named after mountains in the London Midland Region area, the result was that those first 10 – and the two variants of 2500hp locomotives that followed – became known as the Peaks. Of the 2500hp locomotives, 27 were named, 12 of which were carried out at official naming ceremonies. Unlike the first 10 locomotives, this time round, all bar one was named after a British Army Regiment or Corps. The regimental naming policy The initiative for the regimental namings came from the British Transport Commission’s chairman, Sir Brian Robertson. Before joining the BTC, he had been commanderin-chief of the Middle East Land Forces from 1950 to 1953. Initially, he turned down requests from several…

Some two decades ago, the received wisdom was that the numerous prototype diesels built in the early years of modernisation would never be seen in readyto-run form in OO gauge, remaining forever the purview of kit manufacturers. Today, this notion looks rather quaint with the arrival of the last significant main line diesel prototype, in the form of 10800, the North British Bo-Bo ordered by the LMS but delivered to British Railways. Appropriately enough, the appearance of the model is thanks to Heljan, the Danish manufacturer having set the ball rolling all those years ago by producing the Brush Type 4 prototype D0280 Falcon and following it up with most of the other prototypes, although selected locomotives were also picked off by different companies. Four versions of 10800 have been…

A SERIOUSLY damaged parapet wall on a viaduct on the East Coast Main Line between Cramlington and Morley has caused disruption to services, while single-line working has been implemented along the busy route until suitable repairs can be completed by Network Rail engineers. The parapet wall on the double-track Plessey Viaduct was found to be damaged during planned engineering works on October 8 and now requires strengthening and rebuilding, with Network Rail installing pre-cast concrete units to the viaduct, as well as steel pinning, before the track infrastructure can be reinstated on the damaged side. Works are being carried out overnight to minimise disruption on the busy ECML route. Thankfully, the structural integrity of the viaduct had not been affected, but the incident saw single-line working and speed restrictions introduced…

SOUTHEASTERN HAS detailed plans for the refurbishment and upgrade of its train fleet following the transfer of the final 12 Class 707 electric multiple units from South Western Railway – reuniting the whole 30-strong fleet at Southeastern. The five-coach Class 707s, known as ‘City Beams ’by South eastern, are used in pairs on Metro services on its Grove Park, Hayes and Dart ford lines. The first six of the recently transferred units have now entered service with Southeastern, while the final six are now being prepared for entry with the operator on Metro services by December. The introduction of the full fleet will allow Southeastern to take more of its Class 465 and 466 Networker trains out of service and send them for store. Meanwhile, work continues on the Class…

AVANTI WEST Coast, Alstom and Angel Trains hosted an event at Alstom Transport Technology Centre, in Widnes, to highlight the success of the AWC Class 390 internal refurbishment project. It has entered its second phase, with Alstom completing the Class 390/1 earlier this year and now powering through the internal transformation of the 21 Class 390/0s. Railways Illustrated was invited to take a look at the work being carried out on 390050, the fourth Class 390/0 to go through the project. Each train takes just 10 working days to complete, and Alstom has not missed any deadline, meaning the project is on target for an on-time completion. By the time this issue is published in early November, 390050 will have been returned to AWC, with work underway on the next…

NETWORK RAIL has entered into a partnership with the Severn Valley Railway, designed to benefit both organisations – the first time such an agreement has been formally adopted between the national infrastructure company and a heritage railway. Network Rail’s Central route will offer professional skills, advice and redundant railway materials to the popular heritage line, which operates between Bridgnorth and Kidder minster. In return, the SVR will provide support, training and facilities to help Network Rail staff maintain and operate some of the more traditional railway technology, such as semaphore signalling and lever frame signalboxes. The partnership, which does not include any financial help from Network Rail, will also see the infrastructure company investigate how and when it could use its ultrasonic test train on the SVR to support the…

FREIGHTLINER HAS opened a new Operational Training Academy in the Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster, as part of the preparations being put in place for the forthcoming introduction of in-cab digital signalling on the southern part of the East Coast Main Line. The facility, funded by Network Rail as part of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), is the second location dedicated to upskilling of drivers on European Rail Traffic Management System operations. A similar facility was opened in Ipswich in May this year; the Doncaster Operational Training Academy will ensure that northern-based employees of Freightliner will receive consistent levels of training to prepare them for the launch of ECDP. The ECDP will see the first introduction of European Train Control System technology, providing the foundations for future expansion of digital signalling…

A NOTTINGHAMSHIRE company has developed an indicator that can be applied to high-visibility clothing which will tell the wearer when the garment needs to be replaced. The Sun-Safe Indicator, developed by MiRiCal Emblems Ltd, incorporates specially developed inks that fade at a rate similar to high-visibility fabrics. It can be applied at any stage in the production process either by a clothing manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer, using a conventional heat press. Once the fabric has been exposed to sunlight to the extent that it is becoming less effective, the indicator will read ‘un-Safe’, providing the wearer with a clear and visible sign that the clothing requires replacing. It is thought that the indicator could become a useful tool for users within the rail industry and other industries where such clothing…

ALTHOUGH TRANSPORT for Greater Manchester told Railways Illustrated there were no immediate plans to repaint any of the Metrolink tram fleet into Bee Network yellow following the launch of the new publicly-controlled integrated transport network in Manchester (Railways Illustrated issue 249), one of the trams has gained a promotional vinyl wrap to promote the Bee Network. Initially, the Bee Network mainly affects the operation of local bus services, which were taken under the control of Transport for Greater Manchester from September 24, but will eventually also integrate trams, trains and cycling. The move gives TfGM greater control over the services it operates, with a series of improvements planned for local bus services. The distinctive bright yellow vinyl wrap applied to 3079 promotes the Bee Network and its app, with the…

Colas Rail is to lease the five Porterbrook-owned Class 43 HST power cars that have recently come out of traffic with CrosssCountry. 43285 and 43301/303/321/357 were all stood down from passenger work in September. First to move from Laira to Loram UK at Derby was debranded 43285, which moved to the East Midlands on October 10. The remainder were moved on October 14 to Exeter Riverside, with efforts underway to clear the Plymouth depot of off-lease HST power cars and stock (see separate story). Colas already has 43251/257/272/274/277 in its fleet for use on Network Rail test trains and Plain Line Pattern Recognition workings for the infrastructure company, with these also leased from Porterbrook. The power cars are used alongside the freight operator’s Class 37 fleet, although the arrival of…

On September 21, GB Railfreight held an event at Willesden Euroterminal that saw 66306 named SCS Logistics by Manisha Raut and Abdigafar Ali from SCS Logistics, accompanied by GBRf commercial apprentice Bailey Clifton. The naming was carried out in recognition of SCS’s role in providing logistics for the building of the London tunnels being constructed in connection with HS2. West Coast Railways has applied G. J. Churchward nameplates to recently reinstated two-tone green 57009. Prior to its conversion to a Class 57, the locomotive was previously 47079, which was originally named George Jackson Churchward by British Rail. 47079 was subsequently repainted into lined GWR green with the nameplates then changed to the shortened G. J. Church ward. The nameplates applied by WCR are of a different style to those originally…

ONE OF the two former Network Rail Class 31s now based on the Mangapps Railway Museum, 31105, was named Radio Caroline by legendary rock composer, keyboardist and railway enthusiast Rick Wakeman CBE. The Class 31 has been undergoing an extensive bodywork overhaul and repaint into BR blue livery over the last few months, and was named in tribute to the legendary pirate radio station in front of hundreds of visitors who attended the Burnham-on-Crouch railway centre on October 1. Radio Caroline was founded as an unlicensed station 1964, operating from a former passenger ferry, to offer an alternative to the BBC, which at the time held a monopoly on radio broadcasting. The station now broadcasts online and on the AM frequency. Following the ceremony, the locomotive was then used to…

AN ESTABLISHED electric multiple unit preservationist is trying to gauge interest from fellow enthusiasts and railway professionals in forming a dedicated group to preserve Mersey rail Class 507 pioneer EMU 507001. The Class 507 Preservation Project has been launched by Robert Hampton, one of the founding members of the Friends of the 502 Group, which rescued the ex-LMS Merseyside Class 502 EMU when it was threatened with scrapping in 2007. He now wishes to form a group to preserve the first member of the next-generation of Merseyside electric trains. The introduction of the Stadlerbuilt Class 777s onto the Merseyrail network at the start of this year means that the working lives of the Class 507 and Class 508s that have served Merseyrail since the late 1970s are drawing to a…

THE WENSLEYDALE Railway’s Class 121 diesel unit W55032 has returned to service on the railway following a period extensive maintenance, including the installation of two new engines and the refurbishment of the vehicle’s interior, which has included new seating upholstery. The vehicle was originally preserved in the 1990s by Pete Waterman, but was subsequently sold to ArrivaTrains Wales in 2005 and it was returned to main line service on the Cardiff Bay branch, with it remaining with ATW until 2013 when it was sold on again to Chiltern Railways and moved to Aylesbury. The railcar was stored by Chiltern until it was sold back into preservation again in 2015, moving to the Wensleydale Railway, where it has been based ever since. W55032 suffered severe damage to one of its cabs…

D2081 – Mangapps: To enable some more running checks to be carried out on the recently overhauled shunter, D2081 – now in British Railways green – hauled all trains at the Mangapps Railway Museum on September 15. Apart from being repainted and having had bodywork repairs, other jobs completed include the overhaul of the injector pump and injectors, new throttle and stop cable, new tacho cable, replumbing of the vacuum pipework in the cab and the refitting of the cab dual operation brake control, engine hours meter and cab key isolation switch. Still to be completed are the finishing of the re-plumbing of the cab air horns and replacement of the brake block hangers. 03145 – Moreton Park: August saw the group’s members focusing on 03145 and its visit to the…

The current economic climate has made the rail charter industry a very challenging and difficult sector of the market to be in for those who promote charter trains, with the costs of organising tours getting more expensive for promoters and far less lucrative than they were in the past. However, a series of increasingly ambitious charters organised by a small team of volunteers connected with Network Rail and the Branch Line Society has proven to be a winning formula in recent times, raising more than £250,000 for a Yorkshire-based children’s hospice in the process. The man behind the original idea for the first train – in memory of a colleague’s son who had died – was Network Rail senior incident controller Jerry Dickinson. Well-known in enthusiast circles, Jerry had previous…

There can be few people in the railway enthusiast community who wouldn’t recognise the name Colin J Marsden. The former railman has authored hundreds of books over the years and has also edited a number of magazines during his very successful career as a writer, photographer and editor. As a trusted, respected and established ‘name’, it was Colin that Ian Allan Publishing turned to in 2002 when it was looking at options to deal with dwindling sales of Railway World magazine. Established in 1939, Railway World had at one time been Ian Allan’s most successful railway title; by the turn of the century, sales and readership of the monthly magazine were in freefall, and two fairly extensive redesigns of the magazine over the last decade of its existence had failed…