Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2025 i Railways Illustrated

The announcement that the first of the privately owned passenger train operating companies will be brought back into the public sector later this year was made by the Department for Transport at the beginning of December, with South Western Railway named as being the first TOC to be nationalised under the Labour Government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024. This legislation has now received Royal Assent, paving the way for the Government’s railway reforms to get underway, in line with its manifesto promise in advance of the general election last summer. The transfer of SWR to the newly-renamed DfT Operator Limited – previously DfT Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited – will take place in May, to be followed two months later by c2c, and Greater Anglia will…

SOUTHEASTERN IS to introduce an additional 13 Class 377 electric multiple units into its fleet throughout the next year following a joint agreement with Govia Thameslink Railway. The first two trains entered service with the operator in November, with a further 11 expected to join the Southeastern fleet before December 2025. The additional Class 377s will allow the train operator to replace its Class 465/466 Networkers on the Maidstone East and Tunbridge Wells lines. Southeastern said the more modern EMUs will allow it to provide a more reliable service and the trains are equipped with air conditioning, at-seat plug sockets, and improved passenger information displays. The 13 EMUs will join the 23 existing Class 377s already in service with Southeastern, with maintenance provided by GTR. The move is part of…

LATE NOVEMBER saw Transport for London (TfL) begin updating signage on the London Overground to reflect the new line names and colours being introduced in an effort to make the network easier to navigate for passengers who are unfamiliar with it. London Overground came into use in 2007 when TfL took over four suburban railway lines, with the routes identified on transport maps by an orange line. However, the network has since grown and research by TfL indicated that some passengers found navigation confusing and would find it easier if it were not identified by one single colour and name. The names chosen for the six lines were selected in conjunction with stakeholders, passengers, staff, historians, industry experts and local communities, aimed at reflecting London’s diverse history and culture which…

FREIGHT OPERATING company DB Cargo UK opened a new training centre at its Doncaster headquarters on November 28, in preparation for the introduction of the new European Train Control System (ETCS) in-cab signalling system. The facility features a full Class 66 cab simulator, along with six ultra-light simulators, two instructor stations, training rooms, study rooms, a breakout area and kitchen. The East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) will see the first introduction of ETCS to an inter-city main line in the UK and is seen as being the foundation for future expansion of digital signalling across the rail network. In the first stage, digital signalling has been introduced on the Northern City Line, between Finsbury and Moorgate. It is then being progressively rolled out on the southern section of the East…

The project to import 11 Class 66 specification locomotives into the UK for use by GB Railfreight has been completed. The final example arrived in the UK via Immingham Docks on December 4 and was later transferred to UKRL’s site at Loughborough, where work will now take place to modify it to UK specification and prepare it for use with GBRf. GBRf Class 66/3 imported locomotive status: December 2024 Following changing regulations on diesel emissions, no new Class 66s have been built since 66779 Evening Star was constructed for GBRf, with the operator having to purchase additional locomotives to serve its growing business either from other freight operators or by purchasing and leasing locomotives that were built for use overseas and importing them to the UK. In early 2023, GBRf…

Europhoenix’s operational fleet of Class 37s was boosted in early December with the re-entry into traf an overhauled set of bogies ahead of its return to service with its new owner, with its first workings taking place on December 9, when it undertook the transfer of some barrier coaches from Derby to Nemesis Rail at Burton, before heading to Worksop to collect 93001. The Class 93 was then hauled its main line acceptance testing. Another Class 37/4 recently returned to traffic is 37402, which has been extensively overhauled at Barrow Hill by owners Sheaf Engineering Services. The locomotive, which was also previously owned by DRS, has retained the popular BR-era Large Logo blue livery and regained the Oor Wullie nameplates that it previously carried during the 1980s. Also returning to…

New hoppers A further batch of new HOA hoppers for Mendip Rail arrived through the Channel Tunnel early on November 11, with 66758 provided to work 81 70 6774 144 to 177 forward from Dollands Moor to Wembley. Later that morning, 66562 hauled the VTG-owned wagons onwards to Whatley for entry to traffic. Cement order The Breedon Group, operator of Hope Cement Works, has ordered an additional 54 JPA powder cement tanks from VTG, which will once again be built by Feldbinder. These will be equipped with VTG’s innovative iWagon real-time condition monitoring system following its previous trial on part of the existing fleet. Delivery is due in January 2026, with their arrival set to make significant inroads into the remaining two-axle PCA fleet. Snowplough move With all of the…

West Coast returnees The pre-Christmas period saw West Coast Railways return no less than nine Mk.2f coaches to traffic, all of the former Riviera Trains vehicles having lain out of traffic since the cessation of the ScotRail Fife Circle workings in May 2020. Many of the reinstatements were carried out to provide enough coaching stock to operate the steam hauled Polar Express workings from both London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley during December, with a rake of blue and grey Mk.2s provided for both operations. Now back in traffic and repainted in blue and grey are TSOs 5945/955/965/987, 6137/177/183 and BSO 9527, while previously operational Anglia-liveried 5985 has also been similarly repainted. Conversely, the last of the reinstatements, Mk.2f BSO 9539, has joined the company’s general charter pool, so this has…

Two Class 37s have regained names previously carried by them, with Harry Needle Railroad Company’s Regional Railways-liveried 37425 regaining its Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob nameplates. With the return of Sheaf Engineering Services 37402 to traffic following overhaul at Barrow Hill, the Large Logo blue Class 37 has had Oor Wullie nameplates applied, a name it previously carried during the 1980s and inspired by the character from a popular Scottish comic strip. As reported in the news pages, Transport for Wales named 231005 Gavin & Stacey at Barry Island station on December 5, ahead of the broadcast of the final episode of the BBC comedy on Christmas Day, while South Western Railway’s 701031 was named Nighthawk by cricketer Stuart Broad at an event at London Waterloo on November 28, as the…

QUICK WORK by the Wensleydale Diesel Traction Group has seen Anglia-liveried 47714 reactivated and returned to service on the Wensleydale Railway – less than three weeks after it arrived on the line. Purchased earlier this year by the North Yorkshire heritage railway from Harry Needle Railroad Company, the locomotive has been located at Wabtec’s Doncaster facility since November 2021. Collected by Hanson & Hall Rail Services Solutions 50008 Thunderer, it was delivered to the railway on November 11, 2024, with 37250 utilised to haul the newly-preserved Class 47 from the WR’s main line connection at Northallerton to the railway’s maintenance depot at Leeming Bar. With the locomotive being complete, WDTG volunteers quickly set about inspecting the Class 47 and conducting testing, which allowed the locomotive to be successfully restarted on…

A SPECIAL charity fundraising running day has been organised on the Great Central Railway utilising privately-owned 50017 Royal Oak on the Leicestershire heritage railway on February 22, with proceeds from ticket sales set to be donated towards the GCR and Prostate Cancer UK. The resident Network South-East-liveried Class 50 is scheduled to operate six round trips along the railway between Loughborough Central and Leicester North, representing an overall mileage of just over 90 miles throughout the day. Organised by GCR volunteers Ben Taylor, Matthew Beard, Jake Taylor, Peter Gregory and Jack Summerfield, the cost of tickets for ‘The Charitable Vac’ charter will be £25 per passenger, with boarding and alighting of the special train only possible at the GCR’s Loughborough Central station. The organising team said that the running costs…

THE BRANCH Line Society has organised two heritage railway charters, making use of rare traction for the trains. On February 7, the BLS will conduct an ‘all available lines’ charter of the North Norfolk Railway, utilising 08772 for the haulage, with passengers accommodated in a coach and an LMS brake van. The event will start from Sheringham at 9.35am, and the day will see the train travel the full length of the railway, while also incorporating rare track on the preserved railway, including Bridge Road Carriage Shed and the sheds at Weybourne, with the event set to finish at about 4.30pm. A souvenir map and stocklist will be provided, and all profits will be donated to the NNR. The number of participants is restricted to a maximum of just 40 people.…

You don’t know what you’ve got’til it’s gone! British Rail’s High Speed Train fleet revolutionised and transformed inter-city travel when it was first introduced into service on BR’s Western Region in 1976, and HSTs continued to play an essential role in high-speed travel around the country for more than four decades. However, all good things come to an end and the HSTs have gradually been displaced from frontline passenger services, replaced by more modern fleets in recent years, with CrossCountry the last long-distance operator to dispense with its small HST fleet in September 2023. The loss of these long-distance high-speed workings leaves the remaining passenger operations restricted to regional workings at either end of the country, with ScotRail operating a fleet of short-formed HSTs on its Inter7City diagrams and Great…

Even in these days of multiple manufacturers and regular new announcements, there are still areas of the rolling stock market that are ripe for expansion in any gauge, not just 4mm scale. While one would be multiple units, even more untapped is the potential for models of track machines or on-track plant. Besides Bachmann’s wonderful recreation of Network Rail’s Multi-Purpose Vehicles, when attention does come, it is usually focused on the larger rail cranes used for recovery and heavy engineering work. This seemingly changed in 2018 when now-defunct Merseyside retailer Hattons announced it would be producing the Plasser & Theurer GPC72 engineers’ crane in OO gauge, covering virtually all of the type’s many liveries and delivering a major boost to the ability to portray infrastructure workings since the beginning of…

RECENTLY APPOINTED Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander outlined the process for the start of the transfer of passenger train operating companies into public ownership on December 4, with three operators confirmed as being brought under Department for Transport control in 2025. The first TOC to be transferred to the management of DfT Operator Ltd (DOL) – the new name for DfT Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited – will be South Western Railway in May. This will be followed by c2c two months later, and Greater Anglia is also set to move into public ownership during the autumn. SWR is currently operated by a partnership between FirstGroup and MTR Corporation, while c2c is under the control of Trenitalia, and Transport UK Group is responsible for services operated under the Greater Anglia…

FREIGHTLINER HAS repainted one of its Class 70 locomotives into a special livery to mark the start of celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the freight and logistics business. Work on the transformation of 70008 was carried out at UKRL in Loughborough. Rather than gaining the current corporate Freightliner orange, yellow and black livery that was recently unveiled on classmate 70020, the locomotive has been turned out in a green and yellow livery, complete with ‘Freightliner 60 1965-2025’ branding on the bodysides of the heavy freight locomotive. A spokesperson for the company told Railways Illustrated that the decision to paint the locomotive into green, rather than its current identity, was a nod to the heritage of the business and an opportunity to celebrate the rich history of the organisation. Freightliner…

ONE OF TransPennine Class 185 units was unveiled in a partial vinyl wrap at the end of November to support and raise awareness of a festive campaign being run by the Cash for Kids charity in the run-up to Christmas. The Mission Christmas campaign encouraged people to buy an extra gift for a disadvantaged child during the festive season or make a financial donation towards the appeal, with a target of the charity providing presents for 300,000 children. TPE has supported the campaign, with its workforce encouraged to sign up for Christmas Jumper Day and also making donations. The festive vinyl wrap applied to 185143 is designed to act as a visual reminder for both railway staff and TPE passengers to get involved and support the campaign. Cash for Kids has…

FIRSTGROUP PLC has acquired Grand Union Trains GWML Holdings Ltd as part of its plans to expand its open access operations in the UK, with new services expected to be introduced onto the Great Western Main Line between London Paddington and Carmarthen for at least 10 years from December 2027. The acquisition of the business includes subsidiary Grand Union Trains No. 2 Ltd, which holds track access rights already granted by the Office of Rail and Road to run the open access services on the GWML, with FirstGroup announcing that an application has been made to the ORR to further expand the services with additional paths to Paignton, Devon. The operation will comprise of five services a day between London Paddington and Carmarthen, calling at intermediate stations including Bristol Parkway,…

BLACKPOOL TRANSPORT Services has suspended the operation of its heritage trams which have been operated on seasonal tours on the seaside tramway alongside the modern tram fleet that forms the core service between Starr Gate in the town and Fleetwood. The move comes after BTS has fitted a range of safety equipment to its 18 Bombardier Flexity 2 trams, with the equipment not being fitted to the heritage trams that are maintained and operated by the company. A statement issued on the Blackpool Tram Tours website on December 6 said: “Following a thorough review, we have made the difficult decision to suspend our heritage tram tours. Operating the heritage trams alongside our modern fleet has become increasingly challenging, with issues such as depot space, tram movements, general safety and maintenance…

Following the introduction of Avanti West Coast’s Hitachi-built Class 805 and 807 Evero fleets, the operator ceased operating its remaining small fleet of Class 221 Super Voyager trains in mid-December. AWC inherited a fleet of 20 Super Voyagers – 221101-118/142/143 – when it took over the West Coast Main Line franchise from Virgin Trains in December 2019. 221142/143 were the first sets to be sent off-lease by the operator in late 2022, with these subsequently leased to Grand Central to supplement its fleet of Class 180s in use on its East Coast Main Line open access services. Of the remaining trains, 221115 was stood down at the end of March, with 221114/116 following in April. Next to go were 221113/116 on June 6, 221107/111 on June 13, 221110/112 on June…

Debut for Welsh Active Travel Class 153 The first of the active travel Class 153 conversions for Transport for Wales finally emerged from Landore for a shakedown run on November 12, some months later than planned. Now numbered 153531, the former 153331 was accompanied by 153353 on a test run from Swansea to Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales line before returning the following day. TfW is converting six former Northern Class 153s in the same manner as ScotRail to provide additional bicycle and luggage space for adding to selected services during the summer months, particularly on the Central Wales line. Also identified as undergoing conversion at Landore are 153307/328/352, which will similarly emerge with Class 153/5 set numbers. Externally, 153531 has received predominately light blue full bodyside vinyls, these…

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THE THREE Class 43 High Speed Train power cars retained by Great Western Railway as reserves for the Castle Class HST project have been disposed of, with two set for preservation and the third to be scrapped after component recovery. 43063/091 and 43161 have all been in store at Laira depot in Plymouth for several years. With 35 HST power cars converted for use on GWR’s shortformed Castle Class trains, the three were originally intended to be spare vehicles that could be reactivated should further power cars be required and were kept intact to facilitate their return to service should they be needed. However, with the Castle Class sets now being run down by GWR and the remaining sets expected to be withdrawn during 2025, the spare power cars have…

THE PEAK Locomotive Company has made use of the Severn Valley Railway’s wheel drop facility at Bridgnorth to allow it to change the No.2 end pony wheelset on 46045. PLC chairman Mike Kerry told Railways Illustrated that when the group replaced the tyres on the locomotive’s wheelsets in 2006, it had one pony wheelset with full-sized tyres and the other was fully serviceable, but part-worn. However, the group has since obtained another pony wheelset that is complete with new tyres, so the opportunity has been taken to exchange them. The work was successfully completed at the SVR’s main steam locomotive maintenance shed at Bridgnorth on November 25, with the BR blue Peak expected to carry out three running days at the end of December. The Peak was also on standby…

THE PRESERVED High Speed Train based on the Nene Valley Railway and Railworld will be in service on the NVR for a special Winter Warmer Weekend on February 1/2. The HST, formed of former East Midlands Railway power cars 43045 The Grammar School Doncaster AD 1350 and 43060 County of Leicestershire and three Mk.3 trailer coaches, will complete four return journeys of the NVR route between Wansford, Peterborough and Yarwell, calling at all stations along the seven-mile NVR route. Day rover tickets for the event are £25 for adults and £15 for children aged 3-15 inclusive and allow travel on all services worked by the HST throughout the day. The train will also offer catering from ex-GWR Trailer Restaurant First Buffet 40904, including hot and cold foodanddrinks, witha supplementary charge…

The rollout of new trains for Transport for Wales is progressing well and in mid-November the operator launched the first of its tri-mode Class 756s into traffic on its routes between Cardiff Central and Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil and Treherbert, with the new trains carrying passengers for the first time on November 15. Three days later, on November 18, I was invited by TfW to join one of the initial services being worked by the trains between Cardiff Central and Aderdare, as Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates MS, officially launched the new trains into service. The new Class 756s are part of Stadler’s FLIRT (Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train) family of trains and anyone who has travelled on the other FLIRT fleets already in…

LESS THAN six months after winning the general election, the first government cabinet resignation saw Louise Haigh leave her role as Secretary of State for Transport on November 29, 2024, after it was revealed that she had previously pleaded guilty to fraud by misrepresentation in 2014, although the conviction was understood to have been declared to the Labour leader several years ago and was considered ‘spent.’ In her resignation letter to Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer, Ms Haigh wrote: “I appreciate that whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government and the policies to which we are both committed. “I will always be grateful for the support you have shown me, and I take great pride in…

SOUTH WESTERN Railway outlined its plans for the rollout of its Alstombuilt Class 701 Arterio electric multiple units at a celebratory event at London Waterloo station on November 28, 2024, where former England cricketer Stuart Broad CBE officially named 701031 Nighthawk. The former One Day and Twenty20 captain unveiled the name in recognition of the Nighthawk variation of the Nightwatchman role, which he took on in the first test of England’s series against New Zealand in February 2023. Continuing with the sporting theme, SWR has also named other Class 701 Arterio trains Jockey in connection with horseracing destinations such as Ascot, Sandown and Kempton Park; Red Rose for English rugby at Twickenham; Ace for the Wimbledon Championships; and Thames Racer in honour of the annual Oxford Cambridge boat race. The…

GTS RAIL Operations is to take over as operator of the Elizabeth line from the MTR Corporation on May 26, 2025, Transport for London announced in November. The new operating consortium is a joint venture between the Go Ahead Group, Tokyo Metro and Sumitomo Corporation and the operating contract for the Elizabeth line will run for seven years, with an option of an additional two-year extension. TfL was expected to enter into a formal contract with GTS during December. Opened in May 2022, the Elizabeth line has quickly become one of the most popular and successful railways in the country, carrying more than 700,000 people daily and transforming travel in London and the South East by reducing journey times, creating additional capacity and improving accessibility across London’s transport network. Under…

THE ANNUAL station usage statistics were released by the Office of Rail and Road in late November, with London Liverpool Street retaining its crown as the most used railway station in Great Britain for the year 2023/24. The data, which covers the period April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, shows that passenger usage of the railway continues to increase after the dramatic falls experienced during the coronavirus pandemic and the changes to travel patterns, with commuter traffic decreasing as people worked from home or adopted hybrid working, resulting in the traditional Monday-to-Friday commuting patterns becoming noticeably quieter at either end of the working week. All of the stations in the top 10 table are in and around London and also show the continued success of the Elizabeth line, which…

TRANSPORT FOR Wales named Stadler Class 231 diesel-electric multiple unit 231005 Gavin & Stacey in recognition of the final episode of the popular comedy series, which was broadcast on BBC One on Christmas Day. The new name was unveiled at Barry Island station on December 5, with children from Barry Island Primary School on hand to welcome the train into the station. Much of the outside filming for the programme took place in and around Barry Island earlier in the year, and the popularity of the show and its revival for a final time saw more than 57,000 additional passengers using the services this summer compared to the same period in 2023. Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Coun Lis Burnett, said: “Gavin and Stacey has brought tens of…

SOUTHEASTERN IS taking the maintenance of its 29 flagship Hitachi-built six-coach Class 395 Javelin trains in-house, amending its Train Service Agreement with Hitachi Rail into a Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement, with the new contract effective from January 12, 2025. The Class 395 fleet operates over the HS1 route between London St Pancras International and Ashford International, as well as lines in Kent, with the trains also serving Canterbury, Dover and Margate. Since entering service in 2009, the trains have been maintained by Hitachi – the original builder of the high speed trains – at Ashford Train Maintenance Centre and prior to the contract change, they were the only Southeastern trains not to be maintained directly by the company. The train operator said the new contract will bring the…

Another regeared DB Cargo Class 66 emerged from Toton depot in Nottinghamshire at the end of November, with the locomotive still to enter service as this issue closed for press in mid-December. 66658 has been converted from 66147 and joins the other seven DBC regeared Class 66/6s which have been completed and entered traffic with the operator between April and November 2024. The regeared freight locomotives have a lower gear ratio, enabling them to haul heavier trains than an unmodified Class 66. It is understood that the regearing project will now involve the conversion of 15 Class 66s, rather than the 10 which were previously announced by the freight operator. DB Cargo Class 66/6s: December 2024…

Following the announcement that the off-lease former Transport for Wales Class 175 diesel multiple units are set to be taken on by Great Western Railway following sign-off by the Department for Transport, two units from the fleet had moved to Laira depot in Plymouth to allow staff familiarisation with the trains ahead of the DMUs entering passenger service with their new operator later this year. The first set, 175002, arrived at Laira early on November 27 after a lengthy transfer from Ely Papworth that had departed the previous day sandwiched between 37510 and 37407, with the convoluted routing for the move being via Leicester, Nuneaton, Hereford and Bristol. The process was repeated on December 4/5 with 37611 and 37510 delivering 175114 to the Plymouth depot. Notably, two of the Class…

CLASS 158 3/12 – 158756 5E17 08.59 Kilmarnock Bonnyton-Neville Hill, ex C6 overhaul.  4/12 – 158753 5S08 09.23 Neville Hill-Kilmarnock Bonnyton. CLASS 175 11/11 – 37901 + 175107 + 37601 7Q46 12.33 Landore-Ely Papworth. 20/11 – 37901 + 175109 + 37510 7Q46 12.33 Landore-Ely Papworth. CLASS 196 11/11 – 57305 + 196105 + 57310 7Q57 09.21 Tyseley-Long Marston. 11/11 – 57310 + 196108 + 57305 7Q58 14.35 Long Marston-Tyseley. 14/11 – 37510 + 196107 + 37901 7Q94 09.41 Tyseley-Long Marston. 14/11 – 37510 + 196010 + 196114 + 37901 7Q65 14.40 Long Marston-Tyseley. 20/11 – 196004 + 196006 5Q94 09.41 Tyseley-Long Marston. 21/11 – 57303 + 196001 + 196002 + 57310 7Q57 09.28 Tyseley-Long Marston. CLASS 197 4/12 – 43465 + 43484 + 197027 + 20142 + 20189 5Q97 10.40…

Freightliner has repainted another of its Class 70 fleet. However, rather than joining 70020 in carrying orange and black, 70008 emerged from Lough borough during November finished in dark green with grey and yellow stripes to promote the 60th anniversary of the creation of the container operation. Locomotive Services Group now has two Class 57s in its LNWR-inspired lined black livery following the release of 57002 from Eastleigh Works, with the repainted locomotive joining 57311 in the attractive livery. Meanwhile, at Carnforth, 57008 has been noted in West Coast maroon as work continues on its reinstatement to traffic. At Toton, three more Class 66s have received DB Cargo red, but it is brandings – or rather the lack of – on this livery that has attracted more attention. Freightliner has…

TWO OF the three Class 47s preserved by the Stratford 47 Group have been sold to the Mid-Norfolk Railway, with the group also seeking a new owner for its third locomotive. The trio – 47367 Kenny Cockbird, 47580 County of Essex, and D1933 Aldeburgh Festival (47596) – has been based on the MNR for a number of years and ownership of the latter two locomotives was transferred during November, with a ceremonial handover of the keys taking place between MNR vice-chairman Charlie Robinson and S47G engineering director Tony Bevan at Dereham on November 25, 2024. The sale has been brought about due to the group only having a very small team of active volunteers to work on the maintenance and restoration of the Class 47s and with the increasing age…

THE WINTER Diesel Day at the East Lancashire Railway on February 8 is set to be the final running day for resident 33109 Captain Bill Smith RNR, before the locomotive is withdrawn from traffic for a major overhaul. The Class 33/1 has been a regular and reliable performer on the ELR for the past 17 years, since entering service on the railway on February 2, 2008, following its purchase by a consortium of ELR volunteers, several of whom are also connected with the other Class 33/1 based on the line, under-overhaul 33117. However, as has been experienced with a number of other preserved Class 33s, the departmental grey locomotive is now in need of significant bodywork and mechanical attention, with the decision taken to remove it from service to allow…

THE STORED Great Western Railway Castle Class HST set currently located at the Severn Valley Railway was pressed into service for a special running weekend at the railway during the weekend of November 16/17. The event was organised to give enthusiasts the opportunity to travel on the HST – formed of Class 43 power cars 43094 and 43122, with Mk.3 trailer coach set GW02 – over the full length of the 16-mile Kidder minster to Bridgnorth heritage line. With the railway normally closed in November while preparations were being made for its festive operations, the HST was the only train in service throughout the weekend, working three return trips along the railway from Kidderminster Town station. The only stations served by the train were Kidderminster, Bewdley and Bridgnorth, with the…

03179 – Rushden: With Storm Bert doing its best to prevent work on the outside of the locomotive, the volunteer team decided to work in the cab, which was at least dry! The main control panel has now been refitted and the cab given an overdue clean, as after not being worked on for a couple of years it had become rather dusty and mucky from other work being carried out on the locomotive. There are still quite a few smaller jobs left, although it is beginning to look pretty complete. There are various brackets and fittings still missing, and more work will continue on the cab over the winter months. The front lamps are almost complete; these are steam-era lamps and have a hand-operated mechanism to turn the lamp…

➔ Pioneer Diesels is the owner of preserved locomotives 33035, 45060 Sherwood Forester, 45105 and 47484. However, unlike most heritage diesel locomotive owners, Pioneer Diesels also works on a variety of other locomotives, carrying out contract refurbishment works, repairs and major overhauls on a host of railway vehicles. It is currently working on the overhaul of Keighley & Worth Valley Railway owned 25059 at its Barrow Hill base, and Andy Coward went along to speak to Mike Jacob about the company, to see the work that has been done on the Class 25, and find out how its commercial activities help support its preserved locomotives. ➔ Renowned railway photographer John Whiteley returns with the latest instalment of his series focusing on classic locomotives in action. Next month we take a…