Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2024 i Railways Illustrated

TRANSPORT FOR Wales began daytime testing of its Class 756 tri-mode trains in early April, with the train tested using overhead electrification installed between Cardiff and Pontypridd, as the operator gears up for the implementation of the trains on the Core Valley Lines. Work to electrify the Merthyr, Treherbert and Aberdare lines began in 2020 and the Merthyr and Aberdare lines were successfully electrified in 2023. Alongside the electrification, significant work has been undertaken to upgrade railway infrastructure, including stations to ensure they can accommodate the longer trains, and new signalling equipment has also been installed. Additionally, major trackwork projects have also been carried out to install new passing loops and the doubling of track formations in many areas, to allow an increased service frequency to be introduced on the…

INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANY Balfour Beatty has purchased a pair of Class 20s from Harry Needle Railroad Company, with the two locomotives expected to enter service with the company’s drain cleaning train in the near future. 20901 and 20905 emerged from repainting into their new owner’s attractive white and blue colours at Bristol Barton Hill on April 21, before moving to Barrow Hill for some final work to be completed ahead of their entry into service. This is not the first time that Class 20s have been painted into Balfour Beatty livery, as Michael Owen’s 20142/189 also carried the colours – with slight variations to the colour scheme now carried by 20901/905 – when the company previously hired them.…

WORK BY Transport for Wales engineers to improve the reliability of the Class 230 trains used on the Borderlands line between Wrexham Central and Bidston has seen a positive increase in punctuality and performance on the 27-mile route. The five Class 230s owned by TfW – 230006-230010 – were converted by now-defunct train builder Vivarail from former London Underground D78 Stock. They started running on the Borderlands route from April 3 last year, following a number of issues with the trains which delayed their introduction into passenger service. However, their performance has not been without problems, and at the end of June last year TfW announced that it was implementing an improvement plan for services on the Wrexham to Bidston route (Railways Illustrated issue 244), as the reliability and number…

CROSSCOUNTRY’S FLEET of Class 221 Super Voyager diesel-electric multiple units will be boosted by a further five of the trains from leasing company Beacon Rail. These have been secured in addition to the seven Class 221s announced last October, when the Department for Transport awarded a new National Rail Contract to the Arriva-backed long-distance operator (Railways Illustrated issue 249). The 12 five-coach trains are to come from those due to be returned to Beacon Rail by Avanti West Coast (221101-118) when the new Hitachi Class 805 and 807 trains enter service with AWC later this year, although the exact identities of which sets are moving to CrossCountry have not yet been confirmed. All of the trains are maintained by Alstom at its Central Rivers depot. These will be added to…

THE RAIL Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has made three recommendations following the derailment of a tram at Bulwell on the Nottingham Express Transit network, causing extensive damage to the tram involved and infrastructure. The incident happened on June 12 last year, when Alstom Citadis tram 232 William Ivory derailed on a set of points on the approach to Bulwell tram stop while working a southbound Hucknall to Toton Lane service. The accident was caused due to a set of spring-tensioned points being incorrectly set, having not returning to the correct position following the passage of two northbound trams, possibly due to the slide plates being dry or contaminated. On the approach to the points, the driver failed to observe a point indicator which showed that the points were not correctly…

The efforts by DB Cargo to clear out its redundant locomotive assets continues, with a further 31 stored Class 60s offered for sale in early April. The latest locomotives made available are 60003/005/023/025/027/030/031/033-035/041-043/045/049/051/053053/054/058/067/069/071-073/082/083/088/091/094/097 and 60500. Unlike the last tender for 16 Class 60s, which featured a large number of locomotives that have been in traffic until relatively recently, the majority on the latest list have been stored for a considerable amount of time. The longest-stored example is 60088, which was taken out of traffic in November 2005. Two locomotives, 60054/091, were among the 21 Class 60s to pass through Toton depot in the mid-2000s as part of the ‘Super 60’ life extension and reliability works project. Of these, 60091 was stored in September 2021, while 60054 is the most recently…

CLASS 150 25/3 – 150207 5Z50 08.58 Exeter-Wolverton, returned for rectification work. 12/4 – 150207 5V83 10.47 Wolverton-Exeter. CLASS 175 19/3 – 175005 + 175104 5Q46 08.14 Landore-Ely Papworth. 22/3 – 37800 + 175011 + 37901 5W78 08.39 Crewe Gresty Green-Landore. 22/3 – 175105 + 175112 5Q42 11.00 Central Rivers-Crewe South Yard. 25/3 – 37800 + 175101 + 37901 5Q99 07.58 Landore-Central Rivers. 28/3 – 37611 + 175112 + 37901 5W78 07.43 Crewe South Yard-Landore. 4/4 – 175102 + 175106 5Q46 08.14 Landore-Ely Papworth. 15/4 – 37884 + 175115 + 37901 5W78 08.51 Crewe Gresty Green-Landore. 17/4 – 37901 + 175113 + 37884 5Q60 13.48 Holyhead-Central Rivers. CLASS 197 23/3 – 197103 into passenger service. 10/4 – 66419 + 197124 6Q97 10.07 Donnington RFT-Crewe Carriage Sidings. 17/4 – 66953 +…

Midland tests Four of the former CrossCountry Mk.3s stored at Great Yarmouth – 42097, 42376, 44012 and 45003 – were collected by newly-reinstated Colas-operated HST power cars 43301 and 43303 on April 5 and transferred to Leicester. It is understood that the formation will be used on further overhead electrification tests on the Midland Main Line in the coming weeks, which may also involve 91117. Network Rail is currently completing an extension of the 25kV AC catenary between Kettering and Wigston, as well as upgrading the wiring south of Bedford. On an unrelated note, but also concerning the ERS fleet at Yarmouth, Mk.3s 10237 and 12091 were delivered to the East Anglia resort from Castle Donington on March 26, with traction coming from 37901. Long Marston swaps The exchange of…

ANOTHER CLASS 37 has joined the growing locomotive fleet at the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), with the movement of 37108 to Ruddington from its previous base at Crewe Heritage Centre. Owned by the 37108 Group, the locomotive has been undergoing a comprehensive restoration since it arrived at CHC in September 2010 and has recently been given a repaint into BR green livery with full yellow ends. It departed from CHC on April 25 for display at the Model World Live 2024 exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham the following weekend, with it due at Ruddington following the end of the event. Its restoration is to be progressed at Ruddington with the assistance of the Heavy Tractor Group, which is responsible for the maintenance and operation of 37714 Cardiff Canton and…

VISITORS TO the Great Central Railway’s Easter on the Rails mixed traction event on March 30 had the opportunity to travel on one of the two Class 153 railcars bought by the GCR, with 153371 making its preservation debut. Former West Midlands Trains 153371 and ex-East Midlands Railway 153308 were bought by the GCR from former owner Angel Trains and arrived at their new home at the end of last year. The two units were purchased to support driver and staff training carried on the GCR on behalf of main line train operators, which hire the railway’s facilities to enable training to be carried out under controlled conditions that can be difficult to arrange on Network Rail infrastructure. It is also possible that the two units could be used for…

THE PARTNERSHIP between the neighbouring Ecclesbourne Valley Railway and Peak Rail was further cemented during April with the successful operation of the second joint ‘Twin Peaks’ diesel gala, which saw the two heritage railways host diesel events on April 11-13. The locomotives in use at the EVR were Class 14 D9537 Eric, 31601 Devon Diesel Society, Class 47 D1842, 73001 and one of the line’s diesel multiple units, while the line-up at Peak Rail featured resident locomotives Class 44 D8 Penyghent, Class 47 D1501, and the railway’s newly recommissioned Class 108 DMU. Waterman Railways Heritage Trust’s Class 25 D7659 had to be withdrawn from the roster in the days leading up to the event after it was found that a fault could not be repaired in time. However, the undoubted…

Times have changed for high speed train enthusiasts. Just five years ago, it was still possible to enjoy a variety of long-distance passenger journeys by HST: Great Western Railway operated HSTs on the Great Western Main Line, LNER had them on the East Coast Main Line, East Midlands Railway on the Midland Main Line, and CrossCountry ran them between Plymouth and Edinburgh. Enthusiasts were spoiled for choice and could easily travel at high speed around the country in the comfort of a Mk.3 coach, with traction provided by the iconic Class 43 power cars at each end of the train. But all of those HST services have now passed into the history books. The CrossCountry HST farewell charter in September last year marked the end of an era for InterCity…

When the first batch of models were released in 2002, the Heljan Class 47 showed British-outline modellers just what could be achieved in OO gauge if European standards of detail were employed on this side of the English Channel. Up to this point, Lima and Hornby still dominated the market with their basic products that lacked detail and employed ill-performing ‘pancake’ motor bogies, while Bachmann was still in its infancy but beginning to show what was possible. The Danish manufacturer outshone all of its rivals though with the Brush Type 4, delivering a model with a wealth of separately applied parts and performance to match thanks to a heavy diecast chassis and central motor with flywheels. For those who customised and repainted their models, the Class 47 was perfect, with…

THE JULY ISSUE WILL BE ON SALE FROM JUNE 6. DON’T MISS IT! Romic Consulting has been involved in the procurement and sale of locomotives and rolling stock worldwide for a number of years. One of the company’s most high-profile projects in recent times is the ongoing project to export redundant high speed train vehicles to Mexico and Nigeria, which began last summer and has seen a total of 21 Class 43 HST power cars and 40 Mk.3 HST trailer coaches exported from the UK so far. Next month, we speak to Romic chairman Robert Coleman to find out more about the company and the fascinating HST export project. Anthony Sayer detailed the project to export 16 former Freightliner Class 86s to Bulgaria in our February issue. Next month, Anthony…

NETWORK RAIL has vowed to invest £2.8 billion of its Control Period 7 (CP7) funding to tackle the increasing problems caused to railway infrastructure due to extreme weather conditions and climate change – and make the railway more resilient and reliable. Network Rail said the funding, which will include core renewals and maintenance to provide weather resilience benefits, will be used in the following areas: ■ Increased investment in looking after thousands of miles of drains, cuttings and embankments to make them more weather-resilient, with almost 400 extra drainage engineers recruited and more than 600,000 metres of drains set to be rebuilt, redesigned, or given increased maintenance, to enable the railway to be able to cope with heavier rainfall and to reduce flooding. ■ Key operational staff will attend Network…

A HIGH-LEVEL meeting between Transport Secretary Mark Harper and the chief executive officer of Alstom Group, Henri Poupart-Lafarge, could see an order placed for an additional 10 Class 345 Aventra trains for the Elizabeth line, which would save the under-threat train building facility at Derby Litchurh Lane from closure. The company announced at the end of last year that it was being forced to look at significantly scaling back its workforce at Litchurch Lane due to a lack of new train orders and no confirmed work beyond the first quarter of 2024 (Railways Illustrated issue 252). In recent years, Alstom has been completing various train building contracts, including the Class 701 electric multiple units for South Western Railway, Class 720 EMUs for Greater Anglia and c2c, and the Class 730…

WITH WEST Coast Railways announcing a delay to the start of ‘The Jacobite’ service between Fort William and Mallaig, Locomotive Services Group ran a diesel-hauled train along the route using four coaches from its ScotRail set on April 8/9 and 19. ‘The West Highlander’ was worked in top-and-tail formation, with Class 37 D6851 Flopsie and 37409 Loch Awe providing the traction. Departure from Fort William was in the 08.50 path sometimes used for the Royal Scotsman luxury train, with a short 40-minute break in Mallaig before returning to Fort William at 11.30. Tickets were payable on the day, priced at £40 for adults and £20 for children aged 15 or under. While the LSG was operating on the West Highland Line on April 8, West Coast Railways also chose to…

NETWORK RAIL has begun a £3.4 million repair project at Glenfinnan Viaduct on the West Highland Line. The year-long scheme will see concrete repairs carried out to the 123-year-old structure, which has become most well-known in recent years for having featured in the popular Harry Potter films. Engineers from contractor AmcoGiffen will also assess the condition and strength of the viaduct, while carrying out work to protect it from water erosion. Work will also be carried out beneath the track to keep the ballast in place. It is part of Network Rail’s ongoing maintenance programme and will help futureproof the landmark structure, which sits 100ft above the River Finnan, 17 miles from Fort William. It is not planned that the work will cause any disruption to rail services on the…

THE COMPLETION of the £150 million Hope Valley Railway Upgrade was marked by Rail Minister Huw Merriman officially opening the expanded Dore & Totley station in Sheffield on April 8. The three-year project to upgrade the Manchester to Sheffield route began in the spring of 2021 and features a number of improvements to increase capacity and remove bottlenecks, where slower-moving freight trains often delayed passenger services. A new loop has been installed between Bamford and Hathersage, which will allow freight services to be held for faster passenger services to pass, and additional trackwork was installed to the south of Dore & Totley station to remove another route bottleneck. Additionally, a new pedestrian overbridge has been constructed at Hathersage West as a safety improvement in place of the previous foot crossing.…

The fleet of Class 37s owned by spot hire company Europhoenix has been further expanded following the successful purchase of recently-stored 37407 from Direct Rail Services. The Large Logo blue Class 37/4 was one of the final six Class 37s to be disposed of by the Cumbrian freight operator, having been offered for sale in February. 37407 was the final example of the type to remain in service with its former owner. The other five on the same tender list are understood to have been bought by Harry Needle Railroad Company (37419/422 and 37716) and Meteor Power (37424/425). Europhoenix managing director Glenn Edwards told Railways Illustrated that he was pleased with the condition of his newly-purchased locomotive and although it had not yet been delivered to the company as this…

New deliveries Direct Rail Services has taken delivery of 25 newly-constructed JNA-Z bogie box wagons, which will be used on aggregates traffic associated with nuclear operations, particularly delivering spoil to Drigg to cover over the low-level waste storage vaults. Built by WH Davis, the wagons are leased from VTG and largely identical in design to the boxes previously built for Land Recovery. On March 20, 66427 and 66126 top-and-tailed 81 70 5932 812-836 from Shirebrook to Sellafield before the same locomotives transferred 81 70 5932 821/824/826/829/833 to Kingmoor the following day. Tube barriers A dozen more of the Dutch-registered IWA wagons of the same type used by Colas Rail on timber traffic arrived through the Channel Tunnel on April 3, having been extracted from store in Europe. However, the new…

THE DIESEL Traction Group’s main line-registered Class 52 Western diesel-hydraulic locomotive, D1015 Western Champion, successfully operated a passenger-carrying loaded test run on April 14. It worked the ‘One Way Wizzo’ charter between London Paddington and Birmingham New Street, marking its first passenger-carrying main line charter for more than seven years. Although the locomotive has continued to operate services on its Severn Valley Railway base throughout the period it has been off the main line, the loaded test run was the first main line passenger train to be worked by the Class 52 since it suffered an engine failure while working ‘The Yuletide East Yorkshireman’ charter for Pathfinder Railtours on December 17, 2016. The locomotive has received extensive attention in recent years by its owning group to prepare it for a…

THE PEAK Locomotive Company has announced plans to reinstate the steam-heat boiler inside Nene Valley Railway-based 45041 Royal Tank Regiment following the successful installation of an operational steam heat boiler inside Class 46 D182. The PLC owns four locomotives from the Brish Rail Peak designs, with D4 Great Gable (44004), 45041, 45108 and D182 (46045) in its ownership, all of which are operational. D4 is currently located at the PLC’s base at the Midland Railway – Butterley, while the other three are out on loan to heritage railways, with 45041 based on the NVR, 45108 at the East Lancashire Railway and D182 on the Severn Valley Railway. The steam heat boiler was overhauled and recertified for D182 early last year, with the locomotive then going on loan to the SVR,…

THE CLASS 108 diesel multiple unit which moved to Peak Rail last year entered passenger service on April 7, working services between Rowsley South and Matlock. The two-coach DMU in chocolate and cream livery – formed of Driving Motor Brake Standard 51950 and Driving Motor Composite Lavatory 52062 – was initially transferred to the Derbyshire heritage railway on an initial 12-month loan from the Telford Steam Railway but has since been purchased by one of the railway’s members and is now set to remain on Peak Rail for the foreseeable future. Since arriving at Rowsley, the unit has been undergoing a number of repairs, maintenance works and crew training, ahead of its entry into service. The unit was used on April 7 to transport members of the Inter City Railway…

AFTER AN absence of 14 years, the Kent & East Sussex Railway returned to the diesel gala calendar with a successful and well-attended event between April 12-14, with the home-based locomotives Class 03 D2023, Class 14 D9504 Jon Grimwood and 20087 in action. The resident locomotives were joined by two visitors in the shape of the Diesel Traction Group’s sole-surviving Class 17 Clayton D8568, from the Severn Valley Railway, and the Heavy Tractor Group’s 37714 Cardiff Canton, attending from the Great Central Railway. The Class 20 moved to the line a few months ago and the diesel gala was the first time it had worked passenger services along the KESR route between Tenterden Town and Bodiam, while D9504 returned to service last year following a four-year major overhaul. Speaking after the…

Avanti West Coast is about to become the eighth operator of Hitachi trains in Britain. Ordered in 2019, AWC has 13 five-car Class 805 bi-modes and 10 seven-car Class 807 electric multiple units currently being delivered, with training underway on the Class 805s ahead of their introduction onto the West Coast Main Line. The 805s will serve Blackpool North, Chester and Holyhead, while the Class 807s have been ordered to operate trains to Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton and Liverpool Lime Street. The introduction of the bi-mode trains will allow the Class 221 Super Voyagers to be cascaded to CrossCountry and open access operators. The AWC Class 805s are identical to the five-car Class 80x bi-modes currently in use by Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and…

WHICH RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED SUBSCRIPTION SUITS YOU BEST? 1: TWELVE-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION BEST VALUE 12 print issues for £47 Direct Debit 12 print issues for £52 credit/debit card SAVE £16.60 2: SIX-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION 6 print issues for £25 Direct Debit 6 print issues for £27 credit/debit card SAVE £6.80 WHAT OUR READERS SAY ABOUT RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED Good all-round coverage from the enthusiasts’ perspective. ALEX KRILL Bloody good read and very informative. KEVIN DELANEY An informative insight into the railways of the past, present and future. PETER BURNETT Railways Illustrated is written by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, providing the latest news and developments on the national rail network and from our standard gauge heritage railways. This is the title for anyone who likes heritage diesel and electric traction and showcases some of the best…

During September 2023, 16 Class 86/6 electric locomotives, formerly operated by Freightliner, arrived at the Express Service facility in Obraztsov Chiflik, near Ruse, in Bulgaria. By early October, 86612 had entered one of the workshops for assessment prior to its heavy refurbishment. By October 10, 86632 and 86637 had also commenced a lighter level of refurbishment to enable an early entry into traffic for their new owner to facilitate driver training. Eight of the Class 86/6s are owned by Leveton (with Rail Net Cargo acting as transport operator) and the other eight by Express Service. The photographs here illustrate 86632 and 86637 at various stages between October 2023 and March 2024 during their transition into 85632 and 85637. The new Bulgarian Class 85 numbers are dictated by the fact that…

THE DEPARTMENT for Transport has appointed Alex Hynes on a two-year secondment to become its director general of rail services, with effect from April 15. His role as director general of rail service will play a crucial role as the Government progresses its plans to reform the railways so they deliver better outcomes for passengers, by uniting the oversight of track and train under Great British Railways. A statement from the DfT said: “The Rail Infrastructure and Services Group will bring together most of the existing Passenger Services directorate and Rail Infrastructure Group, helping reflect wider plans to bring the oversight of track and train together under GBR, and coming as part of a wider reorganisation in DfT to ensure agility and focus on the challenges facing transport today. “A…

THE RAIL Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the circumstances surrounding the derailment of a Northern Class 195 diesel multiple unit at Grange-over-Sands on the Cumbrian Coast Line on March 22. At about 6.05am, the first unit of the train – the 05.18 Preston to Barrow-in-Furness, formed of two Class 195 DMUs (195104/133) – derailed having passed over a section of unsupported track, which gave way. The second DMU of the set did not derail, and no injuries were suffered by any of the four staff and four passengers who were travelling at the time. The RAIB said that the train was travelling at 56mph at the time, and that the front unit struck a wall at the top of the embankment following the derailment. The RAIB investigation seeks to identify…

PRIVATELY-OWNED RAILFREIGHT grey 37508 returned to main line use on April 18, hauling classmate 37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach from Nemesis Rail at Burton to Loram UK’s base at the former Railway Technical Centre in Derby, marking its first working under its own power since being stored by Direct Rail Services in September 2019. The locomotive was offered for sale by DRS in October 2021, as the operator sought to dispose of some of its older ‘heritage’ locomotives, with 37606 subsequently being purchased by Steve Beniston. It has been returned to operational condition at Burton and repainted into Railfreight grey, with the WIPAC lighting clusters removed from the cab fronts and the high-intensity headlight, marker lights and tail lights reinstated, as previously carried by the locomotive before it was modified for…

The first re-geared Class 66/6 to be prepared by DB Cargo at Toton depot entered traffic in mid-April. The first locomotive to enter service is 66651 (previously 66221). Having completed a successful light engine test run with 66025 on April 10 following completion of its re-gearing work, 66651’s initial revenue-earning work was in charge of 6E03, the 10.05 Wolverhampton Steel Terminal to Toton on April 14. Also in the pool for re-gearing are 66149/156/161/164/167/171/181/183/194. The second locomotive, 66652, was nearing completion at Toton as this issue of Railways Illustrated went to press. The re-geared Class 66/6s are being prepared to provide a suitable replacement for the recently-with-drawn DBC Class 60s, which had a higher tractive effort than the Class 66s. The 10 re-geared DBC locomotives will be similar to the…

Gauging trials for IETs Network Rail carried out gauging trials at two London termini on March 18 in preparation for diversions this Christmas when engineering work will severely restrict capacity at Paddington, with some Great Western services re-routed to Euston as a result. Working off North Pole, 802101 first made a type debut at Waterloo to check clearances in the event that the terminus should be needed before running to Willesden. Two trips were then made into Euston before the unit returned to North Pole via a reversal at Kensington Olympia. Meanwhile, bodywork crack repairs are continuing at Eastleigh Works, with 802001 arriving from North Pole on March 25, although its time on works was surprisingly short as it returned to North Pole on April 10. The same day saw…

The period under review proved to be the busiest for locomotive repaints for many months, the headline being the appearance of 20901 and 20905 in Balfour Beatty colours in mid-April following repainting at Bristol Barton Hill. Other Class 20s with new paint are 20066, which has been returned to BR blue at Barrow Hill and destined for a new life in preservation, while 20132 has received a fresh coat of Railfreight Red Stripe at Crewe courtesy of Locomotive Services Group. Another of the LSG fleet smartened up is Class 47 D1924 (47810), with a new application of BR two-tone green at Eastleigh Works. 57310 has become the first of GB Railfreight’s recently-leased Class 57/3s to be repainted, receiving standard blue and orange at Loughborough, the same look also given to…

THE CLASS 50 Alliance has announced main line stalwarts 50007 Hercules and 50049 Defiance are to be repainted in the summer, losing their GB Railfreight deep blue and orange colours in favour of the popular Large Logo blue livery. The two Class 50s were repainted into GBRf livery in early 2019, with the pair used regularly on main line charters and also on spot hire for unit moves and other work on behalf of GBRf. The owning group has confirmed that the repaint is not the end of their association with the freight operator and it is hoped that the Class 50s will continue to be used by GBRf as and when required. The locomotives – in particular, 50007 – have been undergoing extensive bodywork repairs at their Kidderminster base…

IN THE heritage diesel calendar, May has earned its place as the stand-out month for events, with both the Swanage Railway and Severn Valley Railway’s main diesel enthusiast events gaining strong reputations as occasions not to be missed. The Swanage Railway Diesel Gala takes place on May 10-12, when a wide range of visiting traction will head to the Isle of Purbeck to join resident Class 33 locomotives D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN and 33111. Taking to the Norden to Swanage heritage line will be a GB Railfreight Class 69, 20302 and 20311 courtesy of Harry Needle Railroad Company, a locomotive from Colas Rail Freight (a Class 37 has been requested by the event organisers), Class 24 D5054 Phil Southern from the Bury Type Two Group, privately-owned 50021 Rodney and…

CREWE HERITAGE Centre started its 2024 season with its annual Modern Image O Gauge Exhibition over the weekend of March 23/24, with Locomotive Services Group’s Railfreight Red Stripe 20118 Salt-burn-by-the-Sea and 20132 provided as full-size exhibits, along with the resident locomotives from the CHC collection. With a shuttle bus transporting visitors between Crewe station and the heritage centre, the event featured a wide range of O gauge model railway layouts on display, alongside various trade stands and other attractions. In addition to the visiting Class 20s, locomotives on display at the event included HST power cars 43018 The Red Cross and 43081, 87035 Robert Burns, 91120 and the Advanced Passenger Train. Visitors were also able to get a preview of the work being carried out on the cosmetic restoration of…

08443 – Bo’ness: The shunter is currently stopped awaiting engine repairs. An oil sample showed there was fuel dilution of the engine sump oil; two defective fuel injectors have been identified and are being sent for overhaul. The cylinder liners also need to be removed and new seals fitted to rectify some long-standing coolant leaks. D9525 – Wirksworth: The Class 14 was shunted under the roof of the old steam running building to prepare the area where the cooler group covers were ready for refitting, a job that was proving difficult to do in the open. Once inside, the team soaked up the water and dried it off, before covering it over. Progress has also been made with finishing off the air tank drain system, as well as needle-gunning some…

Railway preservation has certainly evolved since its inception. Throughout the 1960s, in the wake of the infamous Beeching report, groups were set up to preserve and reopen numerous sections of railway that were either threatened with closure or which had closed already. For the revival of these railways, large numbers of steam locomotives were secured to operate their services, sourced mainly from British Railways, industry, or scrapyards. The 1970s and 1980s saw diesel preservation grow in popularity, with Class 42 Warship D821 Greyhound becoming the first privately-owned diesel locomotive to be secured for preservation in 1973. Since then, hundreds of heritage diesels have followed the Warship, and diesel locomotives are now vital assets for many heritage railway operations. Things aren’t quite so easy for electric locomotive preservation, however, meaning that…

“If I’d known then what I know now, I probably wouldn’t have taken the job,” says Mark Sealey, the general manager of Peak Rail, as we sit down on the eve of his second anniversary in the top job at the Derbyshire heritage railway. Taking over the role in March 2022, it’s fair to say that Mark’s first few months in charge of the four-mile line was very much a baptism of fire. A highly experienced railway engineer and manager who previously led the Chasewater Railway through a period of change and also worked for Railway Support Services, Mark was seen as the ideal candidate to lead Peak Rail as it emerged from the post-pandemic era, which left so many of our heritage lines in a bruised and battered condition.…